NATIONAL REPORT—Lodging owners are increasingly turning to service companies to handle the cleaning and maintenance of their packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs). Benefits include increased air flow and energy efficiency, improved indoor air quality within the guestroom, elimination of unpleasant odors, fewer breakdowns, the extension of the life of the PTACs by as much as three to five years, cost savings, and peace of mind knowing that the job has indeed been done. A few of the companies that now offer cleaning and maintenance services throughout the United States include Cintas Corp., Dream Green Services, LLC, and Fibercare. These...

PINECREST, FLA.—Green-Energy-Products.com, LLC, a small business that offers energy efficient products and services to consumers, has been accepted into the Energy Star program because of G-E-P’s commitment to improving energy efficiency in the United States and across the world. The Energy Star program is a joint program of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Energy Star program was developed to help promote energy efficiency to the public, help protect the environment and lower energy costs for consumers. The DOE and EPA have made G-E-P a valued member of the Energy Star program, in part,...

CHICAGO—The DoubleTree Alsip, Hilton Lisle/Naperville and Hilton Northbrook have implemented lighting efficiency and conservation measures to collectively reduce energy use by more than 35 percent annually, supporting Hilton Worldwide LightstayM sustainability goals. The efficiency upgrades were implemented as part of an electricity supply contract with Constellation through its Efficiency Made Easy product. Efficiency Made Easy allows Constellation business customers to implement energy efficiency upgrades at their facilities with no up-front capital expenditure. Constellation funds and installs the upgrades as part of a short-term energy supply contract with the customer. In most cases, customers realize an immediate savings on energy costs...

WARMINSTER, PA.—Therm-Omega-Tech, a maker of self-actuating temperature control valves, announced the launch of its new Circuit Solver valve for domestic hot water systems. The company extensively researched the problem of hot water not being rapidly delivered to all parts of a building and utilized its self-actuating temperature control valve technology to solve it. “We are thrilled to announce Circuit Solver after hearing what trouble it can be to get hot water instantly to all parts of many buildings,” said James Logue Jr., president and CEO of Therm-Omega-Tech. “We have been developing valves to control the temperature and flow of water...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—ZENO Controls LLC, developer of the ZENO wireless gateway and universal controller, has acquired Verve Living Systems, developer of energy-efficient guestroom control products for hotels. Verve was the recipient of the “Editor’s Choice Award for Best Green Technology Product” during the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show for its self-powered wireless Keycard Switch. Through this acquisition, ZENO becomes the only energy management and in-room controls provider to support both EnOcean and ZigBee technologies.The Verve product line includes 27 products, ranging from switches and sensors to thermostats, occupancy sensors, HVAC, lighting and load control. These components work together to...

DALLAS—The team at Eco Smart Energy, LLC and Blackall Mechanical, Inc. worked together to produce an eco-friendly hot water system called Sun Equinox for the YMCA Town North in Dallas.“We selected the Sun Equinox System based on the following criteria: equipment life longevity, reliability, its solar capabilities, and energy efficiency,” says John Blackall. “The system was a perfect solution for this application. There is no other hot water system on the market today that offers 97 percent efficiency with a 40-year life, and has the ability to handle hydronic heat, domestic hot water, and a pool loop with one...

NATIONAL REPORT—The hospitality industry is poised for a boom in the use of combined heat and power systems (CHP) due to the low cost of natural gas and the high and ever increasing cost of electricity. Hotels are a natural match for CHP due to their high baseload demand for energy and the ability to efficiently use the heat generated from these systems by offsetting hot water, heating and air-conditioning loads. In addition, CHP technology has become more reliable, remains comparably inexpensive, and creates efficiency. The spark spread is the difference between the cost of burning natural gas for...

MILWAUKEE—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform featuring Recovery Time technology, announced that the company signed a Master Purchase Agreement approving EcoSmart for installation in corporate-owned Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations across the United States and Canada.“After a series of trial installations and competitive product comparisons, we arrived at the decision to use EcoSmart to significantly reduce HVAC energy consumption without affecting the guest experience,” said Renee Swoger, director of energy & capital administration, Motel 6/Studio 6.The Master Agreement will initiate a multi-year rollout to approximately 600 Motel 6 & Studio 6 locations in North America....

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—When you have 744 guestrooms in multiple buildings, a spa, restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses—all on 3,000 acres—maintaining a high level of operational efficiency is always a challenge. At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the management team has been able to keep up with aging infrastructure thanks to owners who have poured $300 million into the property since 1995. It was in 1995 that renovations began on the historic hotel that was first constructed in 1918.“The main hotel building was built to 1918 energy standards,” says Terry McHale, The Broadmoor’s director of facilities. “It...

PEACHTREE CITY, GA.—To make multi-unit condensing tankless water heater installation easier and more flexible for commercial contractors, Rinnai America Corp. is introducing the Rinnai Tankless Rack System (TRS).The system is available in free-standing or wall-mounted options for indoor or outdoor applications and can be ordered, built and shipped fully assembled, including gas and water manifolds, to any location in the United States and Canada, including the job site.Indoor installations can be configured with either Rinnai's standard polypropylene concentric venting or its new Common Venting System. Individual racks can hold between two and six of the company’s 199,000-Btu condensing units...