ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park announced that it has been awarded LEED Silver certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. “The Hilton Asheville is a great example of how to combine sustainability with exceptional features and amenities to create a memorable guest experience,” said Ron Storto, vice president of hotel development with Biltmore Farms LLC. “From a destination spa and fine dining to eco-conscious products and operations, this new addition to...

VICTORIA, B.C.—When the Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa is awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification—its application is in the final stages—it will be one of just three lodging facilities in North America to earn the Platinum honor. The other ones include the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., and the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif. The 126-suite, two-tower property in Victoria, British Columbia was built to be approximately 50 to 60 percent more energy efficient than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. According to Jim Pearson, CEO of Aviawest Resort Group, the developer and manager of...

TORONTO—A three-floor, 114-bed hostel in Toronto that will open within the next couple of weeks could very well be the most energy efficient lodging establishment in North America. Incorporating solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, geothermal and heat capture technologies, the “low carbon” hostel will produce 75 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable building its size. The hostel’s name is the Planet Traveler and co-developer Tom Rand says the property is by far the best in class for hostels and was built to the standards of a boutique hotel. The cost for the energy-saving systems was $200,000, just 5 percent...

ACTON, MASS.—The parking lot adjacent to your building may soon be good for more than just parking cars. If Acton, Mass.-based Novotech, Inc. is successful in the development of its new technology, the heat energy in the pavement in your lot could soon be used to heat hot water or be used in absorption chillers to provide cooling (see illustration below). According to Tracy Snelling III, vice president of business development for Novotech, the company is currently testing its technology that incorporates plastic PEX tubing that is located about an inch below the pavement. The tubing, arranged in a serpentine pattern, carries...

WALTHAM, MASS.—American DG Energy Inc., a leading on site utility offering clean electricity, heat, hot water and cooling solutions to hospitality facilities, has reached an agreement to supply clean energy to the Doubletree Guest Suites Boston, a premier, all-suite hotel in Boston. Under the terms of the agreement, the Doubletree will soon receive a significant portion of its energy from a 75 kW combined heat and power (CHP) system, which will be owned and operated by American DG Energy. The hotel will receive a discount on the energy produced by the CHP system and reduce its carbon emissions by...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has just added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on the 130-room  (Ala.) and its installation of a 17-unit tankless water heating system from Noritz America. The original specification for the hotel called for a pair of 750-gallon, 750,000 BTU per hour (BTU/h) boilers, each measuring roughly five feet by 12 feet. The mechanical room where they were to be squeezed into could accommodate both pieces of equipment, but with just a few inches of clearance between each unit and the surrounding walls. Contractor Anthony Crouch, owner of Crouch & Sons...

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF.—Plumbing and mechanical contractors should find it far easier and faster to install multiple tankless water heaters in commercial applications with the new, prefabricated MR-2 Commercial Racking System from Noritz America. Beyond time and labor savings, the rack also offers the added advantage of installing multiple units in the middle of a space, rather than having to affix them to a sidewall. Designed for both outdoor (flat rooftops) and indoor (mechanical room) applications, the new multi-rack system holds two tankless water heaters back to back and is precisely designed to match the mounting points for all Noritz products....

ROANOKE, VA.—Lodging Technology announces the addition of their newest team member, Susan deRosas, as Northeast sales representative. Susan will be responsible for all sales and marketing of the company’s room energy management products in the Northeast territory, consisting of the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Susan has more than 20 years experience in the sales and marketing field. She has worked as a corporate recruiter for a national hospitality management company, and most recently as an energy sales advisor focusing on viable clean technologies for businesses and educational institutions. Susan has been...

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa announced that it has entered into a partnership with FLS Energy to add solar panels to the resort’s modern Sports Complex. The 12-panel solar thermal system at the Sports Complex will provide about 600 gallons of hot water a day for use in the locker rooms. The project is being developed using an innovative solar Power Purchase Agreement, in which FLS Energy will design and install the system on the roof of the complex with no up-front cost to The Grove Park Inn. Grove Park Inn will in turn purchase the thermal...

TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—Located on the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa and a product of the late Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on The Brando is progressing steadily with completion slated for late 2012. Pacific Beachcomber S.C. is developer of the resort. The president of French Polynesia, Gaston Tong Sang, recently made an official visit to Tetiaroa for a tour of The Brando construction site. Organized by Richard Bailey, CEO of Pacific Beachcomber S.C., and friend of the late actor, the trip was designed to share progress of the project’s construction with the president and his Minister of Environment, Jules Ienfa,...