MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc. unveiled an upgraded version of its Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE) energy management thermostat, the SS5200 smart thermostat. The SS5200 is the newest member of Telkonet’s energy management smart thermostat family. The SS5200 incorporates modifications in both its hardware and software, including: increased options involving deep setback modes; freeze and overheat protection trip point that overrides set point/mode; increased Building Management System (BMS) integration; field selectable wireless transmitting power levels; and modular radio board for easy upgrades. With an even more expansive and capable processor, the SS5200 smart thermostat offers expanded data loggers for detailed energy saving statistics. “Management...

NEW DELHI—ITC Welcomgroup turned to the experts at Carrier Airconditioning & Refrigeration Ltd. (Carrier India) to provide an energy efficient cooling solution for the ITC Hotel Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru, which was recently awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council, making it the world’s largest and Asia’s first LEED Platinum rated green hotel, according to ITC. Carrier India is a subsidiary of Carrier Corp., which is a unit of United Technologies Corp. In alignment with LEED principles, the ITC Royal Gardenia is focused on delivering “Responsible Luxury.” According to its philosophy...

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA—It isn’t every day that the spirit of environmentally sound practice finds a fan base among the fiscally cautious, bottom-line planning set. But an innovative new project at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is proving the compatibility of those two goals. The Hotel at Kirkwood Center is nearing completion, with a target opening of July 2010. As its creative blend of top-shelf guest services and hands-on teaching opportunities opens the doors to the public, many energy-efficient tools and systems will also go to work, providing superior comfort while keeping electric and water meters in check....

MINNEAPOLIS—Entropy Solutions, Inc., a Minneapolis-based thermal technology development company, has introduced PureTemp for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air- conditioning). A vegetable oil derivative, PureTemp is a phase change material (PCM) that captures wasted ambient energy, and then releases this energy as necessary to hold specific temperatures for extended periods of time without requiring additional energy. PureTemp for HVAC is the world’s first and only 100 percent renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly material designed to work with HVAC systems. When integrated into the infrastructure of an HVAC system, PureTemp captures the tremendous amount of wasted energy generated every time a furnace,...

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Windsor/Aughtry Company announced an agreement with FLS Energy to provide solar hot water technology for the new Courtyard Marriott hotel at the intersection of Main and Broad Streets in downtown Greenville, S.C. This marks the first Marriott property in the United States to boast a commercial-scale solar hot water system. The plan includes 60 solar panels that have been installed to heat 2,900 gallons of hot water a day for the hotel. The hotel is scheduled to open late this month or early May. According to Paul C. “Bo” Aughtry, III, principal with Windsor/Aughtry Company, this environmentally sustainable venture represents...

NIANTIC, CONN.—INNCOM International Inc. announced that its automated guestroom systems played a lead role in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification of the Yountville, Calif.-based Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa. LEED Platinum, the highest designation of its kind by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizes sustainable and environmentally friendly building designs, including hotels. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. The 62-room Bardessono, a luxury boutique hotel distinguished...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp., a leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts, has launched its Sands Eco 360° Global Sustainable Development program. The program’s launch was highlighted by an announcement that the company’s Venetian Resort and Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas have achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings Gold as part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s building certification program. The combined Venetian, Sands Expo, and Palazzo Las Vegas, which in 2008 received LEED for New Construction Silver certification, now comprise the largest LEED building in the world. “The launch of...

ROANOKE, VA.—The brand new Clarion Inn, Pigeon Forge (Tenn.) has installed Lodging Technology’s GEM System Energy Management, GEM Stat Digital Thermostats, and Guest-In-Room Detector in all (94) guestrooms. The system is connected to the property’s General Electric vertical PTAC units in the guestrooms, and is using a switch on the balcony/patio doors to prevent wasteful cooling and heating if the doors are left open. The GEM System reduces hotel/motel guestroom HVAC energy consumption 35 percent to 45 percent by resetting room temperature to an energy conserving level, preselected by the hotel, only while the guest is out of the room....

COPENHAGEN—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its first hotel in Denmark with the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers. The 366-room Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers stands 85 meters tall and offers views of the entire Oeresund region. The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers is one of the world’s greenest hotels with EU Green Building and Green Key certification. The hotel is a member of the U.N. Global Compact. The hotel building is on a journey to becoming carbon neutral. Environmentally responsible technology is used throughout the hotel, including the first groundwater-based cooling and heating system in Denmark, expected to reduce the energy...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—The Vancouver Convention Centre announced that its iconic West building, opened in April 2009, has been awarded LEED Platinum certification for new construction by the Canada Green Building Council. Platinum is the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. “The Vancouver Convention Centre is the only convention centre in the world to receive the highest level of LEED certification,” says Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “Not only is the expanded Vancouver Convention Centre bringing economic benefits to the province and the tourism industry, but it’s a model of sustainability that will...