Many business owners and managers are well aware of the problems caused by hard water—from clogged pipes and iron stains to spotty glassware and inferior drinking water. What they’re not always aware of, however, is the impact of hard water on energy use and the associated costs. In hotels there are several types of equipment that can be affected by hard water, in terms of impaired efficiency and wasted energy: boilers, hot water heaters, cooling towers, humidifiers, washing machines, dishwashers, and shower heads to name a few. Let’s take a look at how hard water affects the energy efficiency of boilers....

MADISON, WISC.—Upon entering the Arbor House—an Environmental Inn, you may want to watch where you step. The door mat is made from recycled truck tires. That is just one of the many ways the eight-room inn lives up to its name. Many of the items found in this historic Madison property were added or kept with the environment in mind. “Arbor House’s mission is to provide the art of hospitality within a model for urban ecology,” the inn’s website says. “Our goal is the wise use of resources and providing guests with an unparalleled combination of natural design, features, fabrics,...

LEAVENWORTH, WASH.—Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat was recently presented with the 2006 Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices. Governor Christine Gregoire recently presented the award to Sleeping Lady, along with four other businesses and a not-for-profit group, in Olympia. The 2006 award marks the second Governor’s Award for Sleeping Lady, with their first win in 2001. This year’s honor was the Continuing Excellence award, which recognizes the retreat’s continued commitment to the high standards that garnered it the award five years ago. “We are obviously honored, and are grateful that this award exists, to help get the word out about...

NATIONAL REPORT—Even though energy prices have dropped recently, there is no good reason to put off investing in a guestroom energy management system. It just makes too much sense to have one. With heating and cooling accounting for 40 to 80 percent of a property’s monthly expenses, many systems can cut those costs by 25 to 45 percent. What is hot in guestroom energy management technology? There really are only a handful of major players in the lodging market. Several of those companies have added wireless options to their wired systems. Others have introduced Web-based interfaces to give users the...

VANCOUVER—Florida’s Fairmont Turnberry Hotel has chosen Energex Inc. to design and build its proprietary guestroom energy management solution. “Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a leader in hotel management,” says Rami Y. Belson, president and c.e.o. of Energex Inc. “It is another solid vote of confidence in favor of our technology.” The Energex SentryWatt system is based on advanced passive infrared occupancy sensors which are installed in each guestroom and adjusts the temperature according to the room occupancy status. If guests leave the rooms with the HVAC running, the sensors automatically reset the room temperature to a more...

KELOWNA, B.C.—Anyone skeptical about using the power of the sun to heat and cool a hotel should give Greg Salloum a call. He is c.e.o. of Salco Management Ltd., the owner of the 154-room Best Western-Kelowna in British Columbia. For more than six years now, the hotel has been heated and cooled with the help of a solar and geothermal system. In 2000 and 2001, 102 hot water solar panels were installed on the hotel’s roof. At that time, two five-ton heat pumps also were installed in the hotel’s basement. The system cost $258,000, of which $53,000 was paid by...

ROSWELL, GA.—Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products has become an Energy Star Partner. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products will use its Energy Star Partnership as part of its efforts to help commercial, institutional and industrial facilities improve their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system energy performance. Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products supplies HVAC system air filter media with lower pressure drops than conventional air filtration media, which translates into reduced energy costs to operate the...

ADDISON, TEXAS—Hospitality Air Solutions, a supplier of heating and air-conditioning equipment to the lodging industry, has increased its commitment to reduce greenhouse gases and protect the environment by partnering with companies that manufacture highly efficient products. Most recently, the company has joined with Daikin to sell its energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment. Daikin selected Hospitality Air Solutions exclusively for its North American lodging sector sales. Daikin’s VRV system, which Hospitality Air Solutions is now selling, uses the latest technology and offers a high degree of energy efficiency. Daikin gives hotels the capability to control the temperature of their...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Friedrich Air Conditioning, an American manufacturer of energy-efficient window and specialty air-conditioning products, has been awarded the San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) top environmental distinction—the Environmental Excellence Award. Friedrich operates a manufacturing and warehouse facility in San Antonio, Texas. Recipients of the award must demonstrate best management, water conservation, and pollution prevention practices as well as innovative educational initiatives. SAWS serves over one million people in the ninth largest U.S. city. Friedrich Air Conditioning was selected for this honor because of recent changes it has made to its paint processing system. Many air-conditioning parts and...

AMERICAN CANYON, CALIF.—The Gaia Napa Valley, a hotel incorporating environmentally friendly building design and technology, has opened here. The 133-room hotel, set on four acres, was designed to appeal to ecotourists. The hotel is pursuing gold LEED certification. The hotel will use solar power, water-saving techniques and certified wood, harvested with the long-term health of forests in mind. A mural by world-renowned artist Yuan Lee reflects on the spirit, beauty and resources of nature in the Napa Valley and surrounding areas. The hotel’s half-acre lagoon has its own ecosystem and is surrounded by a lush garden with...