NEW YORK—As a result of its $65 million renovation, the historic New Yorker Hotel, located in the heart of New York City, will decrease its use of energy for heating and air-conditioning by 30 to 40 percent, effectively reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, the new air-conditioning system will exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1, an internationally recognized energy conservation standard related to HVAC systems (ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). The $65 million renovation, to be completed in September of this year, is carefully designed to recapture the style and character of the New Yorker...

NATIONAL REPORT—With electricity and natural gas prices about to follow gasoline prices into the stratosphere, there is no better time to consider combined heat and power (CHP) as a means to lower utility bills—especially with CHP system providers offering so many attractive financing options. In fact, with some vendors you can have an on-site utility (power plant) installed with no upfront capital cost. CHP is ideal for hotels with 100 rooms and above. CHP, also known as cogeneration, is generated onsite by a plant powered by any number of systems: fuel cells, reciprocating engines, turbines, or microturbines. Electricity generated is...

APPLE VALLEY, MINN.—The new Climate Control Zoning System from Uponor uses the latest wireless technology for complete radiant control in every room of a building—offering users a system that is more convenient to control and requires less time for contractors to set up and install. “When designing the new Climate Control Zoning System, we wanted to offer our customers a convenient way to control room temperatures while providing a system that would be faster and easier to install,” says Mark Hudoba, senior product manager, Heating and Cooling, at Uponor. “By eliminating the hassle and expense of running thermostat wires through...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand announces the launch of RoHS-compliant occupancy sensors as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the environment. Specifiers, building owners and contractors who select these lighting controls can be assured that they are helping reduce the amount of hazardous waste that will enter the environment, in addition to achieving energy savings. RoHS is the European Union’s (EU) directive on the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU market. It addresses the use of four heavy metals and two flame retardants used in plastics. RoHS compliance requires the design, or redesign,...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading provider of centrally managed solutions for integrated energy management, networking, building automation and proactive support services, has won the contract to supply Main Street Developers with Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE), with the first systems being installed in four new properties during 2008 and early 2009. The hotel development company selected Telkonet after extensive evaluation of competitive energy management solutions, singling out Telkonet’s patented Recovery Time™ technology as a major factor in the contract award. With six to 10 franchised hotel projects underway each year, Main Street Developers plans to implement TSE universally as a core element...

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG Electronics, one of the world’s largest air conditioner manufacturers, unveiled its new MULTI VTM series of commercial air conditioners. The new series launches the company’s extensive portfolio of applied commercial air-conditioning products into the U.S. market, and features design flexibility, industry-leading efficiency, low noise levels and one of the longest refrigeration piping lengths available. “Launching our advanced MULTI V commercial air-conditioning series into the U.S. market builds on LG Electronics’ position as one of the world’s largest suppliers of commercial and residential air conditioner units,” said Steve Schmitt, director, Commercial Air Conditioning, LG Electronics USA, Inc. “The...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading provider of innovative, centrally managed solutions for integrated energy management, networking, building automation and proactive support services, announced that it has won an energy management contract with Cornerstone Hotel Management as part of Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy incentive program. Cornerstone Hotel Management will initially install the in-room, occupancy-driven Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE) energy management system at three of its properties to lower utility bills by eliminating unnecessary heating and cooling of unoccupied guest rooms. Launched in March 2008, Telkonet and Focus on Energy provide eligible hospitality customers in Wisconsin with discounted energy management products and installation...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Control4 Corp., a leader in IP-based control and entertainment systems, announced the release of Control4 Suite Systems, a customized version of the company’s home automation and entertainment control technology. Control4 Suite Systems provides a platform of innovative convenience and automation for the in-room environment by enabling hotel guests to control lighting, room temperature, television/video systems, music, draperies and requests for services through a single remote. “We’ve worked closely with the industry to develop a fully customized room automation platform that is incredibly easy to use, install and maintain,” said Will West, CEO at Control4. “Control4 Suite...

ST. LOUIS, MO.—Emerson Climate Technologies, a business of Emerson, announced the launch of its Big Blue Humidity Control Touchscreen Thermostat. This universal thermostat, which features a large blue touchscreen, controls single-stage, multi-stage and heat pump systems with up to four stages of heat and two stages of cool. The Emerson Big Blue Humidity Control Touchscreen offers two selectable program schedules or can be dedicated non-programmable. It has up to four time and temperature settings per program and can be either battery powered with power stealing assist or hardwired. “Contractors now have an easy sell to their customers that desire premium comfort...

NEW YORK—In a major initiative to reduce energy and carbon emissions significantly, the New York Marriott Downtown, a 500-room full-service Marriott hotel managed by Marriott International, Inc. and owned by Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., celebrated the inauguration of its new “microturbine farm” with a ribbon cutting on June 3 in Lower Manhattan. The installation of two hotel owner-funded PureComfort systems built by UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. company, makes the hotel the first in New York City to use this ultra clean technology to provide its own electricity, cooling and heating on-site. Waste heat generated by the system’s...