PERKASIE, PA.—Hotel owners and facility managers struggle with high energy costs because rooms are often left unoccupied with the HVAC system continuing to heat or cool at comfort set-point levels. With an onboard occupancy sensor incorporated into the case, PSG’s new OS-1 solves this problem. The OS-1 determines when a room is unoccupied and places it into set-back economy mode. To provide flexibility, the length of time without motion before going into set-back is configurable, as is the temperature setting of the setback economy mode, so that the property owner or manager maintains control over the room environment while...

ASPEN, COLO.—Altech Solar recently completed its latest solar installation at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, Colorado. The St. Regis Resort contracted Altech Solar to install its custom solar thermal technology, which has already dramatically decreased the resort’s dependence on natural gas; the price of which has skyrocketed in recent years. Using the sun’s energy, more than 1,300 solar e-tubes mounted in solar array panels on the resort’s main building roof heat a liquid solution housed in vacuum tubes, resembling copper and glass torpedoes, to temperatures exceeding more than 2 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) per day. The heated solution...

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—The new integrated air-source HP-50 Heat Pump Water Heater from Rheem Water Heating offers an Energy Factor (EF) of 2.0, or more than twice the energy efficiency of a standard electric storage water heater. The new water heater qualifies for a federal tax credit as well as many state and utility rebates and incentives. Intended for residential applications, both new construction and drop-in replacement of existing water heaters, the unit has a storage capacity of 50 gallons and meets the qualifications for an Energy Star listing. Measuring only 21 inches in diameter and 75.5 inches tall, the new Rheem...

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—When the ground gets dry at The Jenks House Bed & Breakfast in Jacksonville, Fla., owners Tom and Ila Rae Merten don’t tap into the city’s water supply. Thanks to a rainwater capture system, they have all the water they need. Installed earlier this summer at the two-guestroom B&B, the system guides water from the garage apartment roof into four 275-gallon storage tanks (1,100 total gallons). The tanks sit on racks in the garage. The roof is 675 square feet in size. One inch of rainfall results in 193 gallons of captured water. With Jacksonville getting an average...

DAVIE, FLA.—In spite of all the supporting data, most organizations underestimate the value of preventive maintenance, especially with HVAC systems, which are out of sight and out of mind until something goes wrong. The condensate drain pain in HVAC systems is the No. 1 source of microbial growth and contamination for air conditioner units. While annual air conditioner cleaning is essential to maintaining the efficiency of your units, it is also important to provide sustained pan protection in between cleanings. Pan Purge Strips are EPA registered condensate pan strips; they are used in hotels nationwide as part of the...

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Hilton Asheville, scheduled to open later this month, is one of the first major hotels in the United States to include a solar water heating system atop its roof. This system will be one of the largest installations in the Western North Carolina region. Water throughout the hotel, including the pool, will be solar heated, eliminating 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of planting 7,377 trees. The solar water heating system is just one of the hotel’s many environmentally focused features. The 165-room hotel is set in the heart of Biltmore Park Town Square, the...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—Executives of Memphis-based Cooper Hotels, the largest multi-unit operator of Tennessee hotels, announced that two of the company’s hotels are the first Tennessee hotels to utilize solar power. Installation of state-of-the-art solar thermal systems that will provide hot water is now underway at the Hilton Knoxville Airport and the Doubletree Hotel Oak Ridge. “We are proud to be on the leading edge of sustainable tourism in Tennessee,” said Pace Cooper, Cooper Hotels president and CEO. “Our company has been committed to sustainability for years, with all five of our Florida hotels earning green designations by the Florida Department of...

RALEIGH, N.C.—Swiss-Dex USA, Corp., one of Europe’s leaders in radiant heating and cooling solutions, announced they are bringing their energy efficient heating and cooling system to the United States. The Switzerland-based company has been on the forefront of advances in green radiant ceiling heating and cooling systems all across Europe. The company’s opening of a U.S. sales office in the Triangle will now provide both residential and commercial builders across the country with a more effective and environmentally friendly alternative to force blown heating and cooling systems. The Swiss-Dex system has many advantages over the traditional force blown heating and...

FAIR LAWN, N.J.—CALMAC announced that Independence Station, a 57,000-square-foot mixed-use building in Oregon, chose CALMAC’s IceBank Energy Storage System for eco-friendly cooling of the flagship project by Aldeia, LLC. Scheduled for completion in 2010, Independence Station is a $15 million mixed-use development that has the goal to be the highest scoring certified green building in the world, as measured by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) high performance green building rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Independence Station chose CALMAC’s ice storage technology as part of the overall HVAC system to offset...

MINNEAPOLIS—The new Daikin McQuay Pathfinder air-cooled chiller, the first in the Daikin McQuay brand family of products, has been designed to exceed HVAC industry standards for operating efficiency and low sound levels, providing optimum operating costs and comfort throughout the life of the chiller. Unit capacities range from 175 to 515 tons in both 50 and 60 Hz. With three levels of operating efficiency—standard, high and premium—the Daikin McQuay Pathfinder chiller allows building owners to specify an HVAC system that exactly meets their requirements. The standard efficiency model meets ASHRAE 90.1 requirements, while the premium model has best-in-class...