VINEYARD HAVEN, MASS.—Until this summer, the 16,000 gallons of groundwater that runs below the Mansion House Inn, Health Club & Spa was a nuisance. Because the inn’s subbasement sits in the middle of the groundwater, the water constantly had to be pumped away to protect the structure. Now, the water is an asset. How so? It stores energy not only from the sun above the inn but also energy pumped into it via a sophisticated geothermal heat pump system. For Sherman and Susan Goldstein, the inn’s owners, realizing the water’s potential was like striking gold. The history of the inn’s...

NATIONAL REPORT—The great irony of building green is that the very concepts intended to enhance a building’s performance over its entire lifetime are many of the same things that make a building highly susceptible to moisture and mold problems during its first few years of operation. While green buildings have many positive benefits, there is also strong evidence to suggest a direct correlation between new products/innovative design and building failures. Simply put, departing from the “tried and true” often means increasing the risk of building failure. Two strong characteristics of most green buildings are: 1) the use of innovative, locally-produced products...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality, a leading distributor of green hotel products and marketing programs for the hospitality industry, has added four new product partners: AquaHealth, Evolve Guest Controls, The Green Garmento, and Zero Odor. “We’re proud to have AquaHealth, Evolve, The Green Garmento, and Zero Odor join us as Pineapple Partners,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality. “Whether it’s a sustainable water solution, energy controls, greener option for guestroom laundry service, or a unique way to actually eliminate odors instead of masking them, these companies demonstrate how everyone in the green hospitality market can work together to bring a...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...

AUBURN, N.H.—Aquawing Ozone Injection Systems (AWOIS) LLC, in Auburn, N.H., recently released a new laundry ozone injection system engineered to serve the hospitality market, including hotels, motels and B&Bs, according to Brett Daniels, the company’s vice president. The new ozone system works by infusing a continual flow of ozone, at a consistent concentration, into the wash process to properly clean moderately soiled linens and towels. The system, according to Daniels, produces cleaner linens over traditional washing, while significantly reducing the use of natural gas, water and chemicals, as well as resulting costs. “This system was created to address the laundry...

DALLAS—The fastest, easiest path to reducing an organization’s operational costs is to upgrade its buildings’ HVAC systems. Improvements to commercial heating, cooling and ventilation equipment provide both immediate and long-term benefits, including lower energy bills, fewer service calls and less downtime. These savings can be significant, but the key to achieving them is system verification—proof that the system is providing the benefits it was designed for and working the way it should. Lennox Industries presents five steps below—any of which can reduce operational costs painlessly. Taken together, all five will control operational costs dramatically for now and for years to...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hampton Hotels, the international brand of nearly 1,800 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton Hotels, announced that the Hampton Inn and Suites Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport achieved LEED Silver certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first Hampton Hotel property to earn this recognition for sustainable building design, construction and operations. “This is a wonderful accomplishment for Hampton Hotels, and we are proud to add the Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport with LEED Silver certification to our Hampton family,” said Phil Cordell, global head, Focused Service and...

ORLANDO—INNCOM International recently unveiled a new Radio Frequency (RF) Tabletop/Bedside Controller as part of its Integrated Room Automation System (IRAS) that is completely customizable. It is a multi-purpose device that features customizable touchscreen guest control of room temperature, lighting, drapes and alarm clock. The Internet-enabled TBL-80LCD can also display guest services information and online communications, automated CRM information delivery and easy staff reporting functions. INNCOM’s Privacy/Make-up Room, its patented ecoMODE, and in room/outdoor temperature also are part of the branded and customized display. INNCOM debuted its TBL-80LCD at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC). Also on display was...

ORLANDO—INNCOM International and SAFLOK recently displayed their joint collaboration of a radio-frequency (RF) interface for energy management at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) that provides a cost-effective EMS for hotels by allowing the electronic door lock and thermostat to communicate wirelessly. The joint integration, introduced first in November 2009, was quickly adopted across the industry due to its ability to allow hotels to use the door lock to communicate via RF to the thermostat. Every time the door is opened, it communicates to the thermostat and enables energy management algorithms to take effect and thus reduce...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has just added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and its installation of dehumidification and HVAC control technology from Dectron Internationale, Roswell, Ga. The engineering firm for the project was TLC Engineering for Architecture (TLC), Fort Myers, Fla. Four DRY-O-TRON model DA-5 dehumidifiers manufactured by Dectron were installed in four aquatic areas: the men’s spa, the women’s spa, the rain shower/co-ed pool, and wet treatment area. The result of the investment for the Fontainebleau Miami Beach: $16,000 in annual energy savings.To read the complete case...