ATLANTA—ASHRAE’s newly renovated headquarters effectively serves as a laboratory without walls to extend the society’s knowledge and information worldwide. ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. “Our Living Laboratory provides value to ASHRAE members and the industry by allowing for evaluation of the ongoing energy and operational performance of the building at a level that is unprecedented in current commercial buildings,” Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president, said. “The lab allows ASHRAE to contribute significantly to reducing energy use in buildings via future development of research and educational materials.” Completed in July, the $7.65 million renovation includes a...

SALT LAKE CITY—RoomEnergy announced a fundamental commitment to protect the environment by becoming an Energy Star partner. RoomEnergy, through its voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program, will work to improve energy efficiency and fight global warming. RoomEnergy is the maker of a keycard-based energy conservation system. Using a guest’s room key, RoomEnergy’s wireless keycard switch can reduce energy consumption by up to 25 percent. Using patented, proven technology, RoomEnergy’s wireless switch produces its own power and does not require wiring or batteries. This communicates with the HVAC equipment to indicate occupied or unoccupied, much more...

ROANOKE, VA.—The Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center in Syracuse, N.Y., has installed Lodging Technology’s GEM System Energy Management in all 236 guestrooms. At the Sheraton, GEM System is interfaced directly to their existing SIEMENS Apogee Building Automation System to further enhance energy savings. GEM System, an infrared sensor-based guestroom energy management system, reduces room energy costs 35 percent to 45 percent. “We are very excited to start utilizing the system and begin to realize (increased) energy savings”, said David Heymann, hotel general manager. The SIEMENS Apogee system allowed the Sheraton to maintain setback temperature levels in unrented rooms,...

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels announced that The Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, the Proximity is the first hotel and Print Works is the first restaurant to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification. “When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41 percent less energy and 33 percent less water without...

ATLANTA – Chicago, with one of the most recognizable skylines in the world, has long-standing status as a livable urban center. That the city has stood the test of time makes it the perfect backdrop for ASHRAE’s 2009 Winter Conference. The theme will be “Sustainable Urban Design: Engineering Tomorrow…Today.” With a focus that resources must be conserved and environments respected even in urban settings, the ASHRAE Conference takes place January 24 to 28 at the Palmer House Hilton. Held in conjunction with the meeting is the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo, January 26 to 28 at McCormick Place. Meeting highlights include...

GOLDEN, COLO.—The new Andaluz, formerly the La Posada de Albuquerque Hotel, will reopen later this year in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico with a 73-panel solar thermal system from Novan Solar Inc. of Golden, Colorado, that will provide domestic hot water for the hotel. The Novan system is part of the hotel’s redevelopment by Albuquerque developer Gary Goodman, representing one of the first historic remodels in the United States to conform to the energy efficiency and sustainability standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Goodman’s firm, Historic Hotels, will have spent more than...

EAST FREETOWN, MASS.—Heat Transfer Products has unveiled a new 30-tube solar collector panel that will deliver up to 39,000 Btu per panel per day, depending on available sunlight. The collectors are engineered to maximize energy efficiency even at high Delta T temperatures, making them ideal for colder regions or applications demanding higher outlet temperatures. Each panel assembly consists of 30 twin-glass, evacuated tubes to absorb solar energy for heating water. They are shipped with a ready-to-assemble 439 stainless-steel frame for easy rooftop mounting. Rather than wrestling with a cumbersome, prefabricated collector panel on a rooftop, the technician builds the collector...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading provider of centrally managed solutions for integrated energy management, networking, building automation and proactive support services, announced that it has entered into a two-year, $1 million line of credit facility with Thermo Credit, LLC, a funding company specializing in the telecommunications industry. The proceeds from this line of credit, together with the Thermo Credit $2.5 million receivable financing agreement signed in February 2008, will be used for the working capital requirements of the company to support growth opportunities and accelerate revenue. “As we discussed in our second quarter conference call, this completes our goal of...

MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL.—ESCO Institute announces the release of Green Awareness, a new publication that provides a basic understanding of green concepts, terminologies, systems, and the latest in green mechanical technology. Every day the word “Green” enters our lives. We read about it in the news, we see it on TV and we hear about it on the radio, but what is it and how does it affect us? When it comes to mechanicals, (HVAC/R, plumbing and electrical) “Green” means maximizing the energy efficiency of existing equipment, specifying the most efficient systems available for the application and the available...

ATLANTA—Energy use in buildings can be reduced by 10 to 40 percent by improving operational strategies in buildings, according to a study by the Energy Systems Lab at Texas A&M University. A new certification program from ASHRAE helps building owners know they are hiring and retaining employees and consultants who know how to take advantage of such strategies. The Operations and Performance Management Professional Certification (OPMP) program helps earners demonstrate their knowledge of the management of facility operations and maintenance and their impact on HVAC&R systems’ performance. The program will launch at the ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Chicago in...