NATIONAL REPORT—For many reasons—aesthetics, noise reduction, energy efficiency—hoteliers have been opting for vertical package terminal air conditioners (vertical PTACs, aka VTACs) instead of PTACs for their guestrooms. VTACs, which are placed discreetly in an enclosed corner closet, are being implemented most often in suite environments with multiple rooms but also are appropriate for single-room configurations. “There are different reasons for opting for VTACs, but cost is an important one; they are less expensive than two PTACs,” says Jim Benz, marketing manager for air-conditioning products for GE Consumer & Industrial. “Looks are also important. It looks like you have central air...

PEACHTREE CITY, GA.—In an effort to educate Californians on the excessive cost of heating water with inefficient tank water heaters, Rinnai Corp., a leading tankless water heating company, has posted a billboard on California’s 405 freeway displaying the millions of dollars wasted in California each day by homes and businesses heating their water with inefficient water tanks. According to an annual estimated cost from the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA) and Energy Factor (EF) from the May 2007 Consumers Directory of Certified Efficiency Ratings, the 13 million single-family homes in California waste approximately $5.1 million daily heating water with...

CLEARWATER BEACH, FLA.—The Sandpearl Resort, slated to open in August, has been designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification requirements. JMC Communities, the resort’s developer and owner, is resolute in following the specific LEED requirements, which include elements that preserve the beauty of Clearwater Beach so that it can be shared with generations to come. A prime example is the resort’s salt bromine pool filtration system, which, while costing twice as much as a standard system to install, was a required element of the owner. The Sandpearl resort is passionate about not putting chlorine waste into...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—A green facility since it opened in 1987, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) is on track to triple its size in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The addition to the existing building will be a dramatic one and will include a six-acre green “living” roof, seawater heating and cooling, a fish habitat built into the building’s foundation, and an on-site water treatment facility. Forty percent of the addition will sit over the water, creating a striking contrast to the famous fabric roof sails that are part of the original building. According to Catherine Wong, vice president...

NIANTIC, CONN.—With the simple push of a green button on the INNCOM International e4 smart digital thermostat, guests can make the choice to participate in a host of environmentally-friendly and energy-saving programs predetermined by the hotel. ENVIRO-MODE will debut in Booth #1025 at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exhibition and Conference (HITEC) June 26-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. “Our customers—hotel owners and operators—want to better respond to guests’ demands that hotels be more environmentally friendly,” says Duane Buckingham, chairman and CEO of INNCOM. “While INNCOM has always been at the forefront of guestroom innovation,...

BANGKOK, THAILAND—Six Senses Resorts & Spas’ Soneva Fushi, in the Maldives, is the first of the group’s properties to implement a program to offset its guests’ flight emissions. This step will make Soneva Fushi carbon neutral by 2008. The resort has a goal of being carbon free by 2010. The resort is a main contributor to the Six Senses Carbon Offset Fund, which initially will support the Converging World project. This project will establish alternative energy production methods—such as wind turbines—in communities of developing countries before they become dependent on energy from fossil fuels. The first initiative is...

NATIONAL REPORT—State-of-the-art concrete building systems can save a hotel owner money through energy savings. But equally important, concrete systems can provide hotel guests with a comfortable, healthy, environmentally friendly place to relax during their time away from home. Concrete can provide a sustainable structure that will maintain its durability, energy savings and beauty for the full life of the building. Hotels built with concrete wall, floor and roof systems that incorporate rigid foam insulation with concrete, have optimal energy performance because of their inherent thermal mass properties. Thermal mass has the ability to store heat during the hottest periods of...

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Temperatures are heating up for the summer season and that can only mean one thing for your property—higher energy costs. To keep your guests and staff cool and content while keeping your energy costs as low as possible, Mintek Mobile Data Solutions recommends the following 10 action steps: 1. Find and seal air leaks that cause drafts and make your cooling system work overtime. Sealing and insulating your building can prevent the loss of cooled air and help save up to 10 percent on your energy bills each year. To ensure a sufficient level of indoor air...

NEW YORK & BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Hilton New York, a prime 1,980-room property of Hilton Hotels Corp. in New York City, has completed the rigging of a PureCell Model 200 Commercial fuel cell power system, one of the cleanest power generating technologies available today. Nearly three times more energy efficient than the electric grid when used in combined heat and power applications, the fuel cell will operate without combustion to continuously provide power and domestic hot water for hotel operations. Hilton New York installed the PureCell system on May 20, 2007, in keeping with New York City Mayor Michael...

ATLANTA—The Atlanta Marriott Marquis, known for its stunning 50-story atrium, is using its ambitious resource-saving initiatives as a launching point to attract groups interested in holding green meetings. The 1,663-room hotel began its green push in April with a press release highlighting the hotel’s environmental accomplishments. Green meetings make a lot of sense, according to Chris Anderson, director of sales and marketing at the hotel. The Atlanta property is doing the little things that are part of green meetings—using recycled paper, and mugs instead of paper cups, for example. However, a more significant component of the hotel’s program is the...