MOONACHIE, N.J.—Expanding its line of energy efficient lamping alternatives, BULBRITE has added a full line of new GU24 Twist & Lock Compact Fluorescent lamps to its extensive line of compact fluorescents. BULBRITE is a leading manufacturer and supplier of light bulbs and energy efficient lamping solutions for the residential, commercial and specification markets. As part of BULBRITE’s Greener Solutions, the full line of GU24 Twist & Lock CFLs fits standardized line voltage sockets promoted by Energy Star. BULBRITE’s GU24 CFLs, which are featured in the company’s Energy Wiser brand, offer a long life, with an average of 10,000 hours....

LONDON—Park Plaza Hotels believes that sustainable environmental practices reflect the expectations and desires of its guests, employees, stakeholders and partners in business. Throughout its nearly 40 hotels in the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East and Africa, the company is committed to finding and implementing ways to mitigate its environmental impact through its TREE (Total Responsibility for Everyone’s Environment) and SEASON (Save Energy and Switch Off Now) initiatives. These focus on responsible water and energy usage and waste management. Several innovative energy- and water-saving efforts already are underway at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, which is set to open in...

MENLO PARK, CALIF.—HID Laboratories, a provider of intelligent high-intensity lighting solutions, unveiled a high-efficiency, high-performance smart lighting and control platform. The company’s new SmartPod Luminaire enables HID lighting solutions that are up to 60 percent more efficient, delivers superior lumen performance, and eliminates the need for building owners and lighting engineers to replace or rewire existing installations. Unlike traditional HID lighting solutions, the new SmartPod incorporates intelligent lighting controls for further reducing energy use in commercial buildings and lighting engineering applications. In the average warehouse, outdoor venue, commercial building, or industrial facility, lighting accounts for 30 to 60 percent...

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—As of July 20, the owners of the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort had spent $250,000 less than they had expected to spend on energy this year. According to David Hansen, director of engineering at the 400-suite property, the hotel could come close to a total of $500,000 in energy savings by the end of 2009. When comparing the first six months of this year against the first six months of last year, electricity consumption dropped by 575,000 kilowatt hours ($98,902 savings) and natural gas consumption by 9,314 dekatherms ($67,709 savings). The hotel...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes PestWest LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory Partner. PestWest is currently offering its Vapor Vacuum Lamp Compacter for the disposal of fluorescent lighting. The Compacter contains used lamps in a secure container, while at the same time removing the hazardous mercury via a specially designed filter system. PestWest also offers professional insect light trap systems and other flying insect management products. For more information, call (941) 358-1983, e-mail info@pestwest.com, or go to www.pestwest.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—When The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte opens in October, it will be the first LEED hotel to open in the greater Charlotte, N.C. area and the first Ritz-Carlton property anywhere to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED designation (the company is also pursuing LEED for its new Lake Tahoe property expected to open later this year). The 146-room hotel has been designed to earn LEED Gold certification once it opens, to be followed by LEED Gold for Existing Buildings certification a year later. The luxury hotel, which is managed by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., will minimize its environmental impact...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Two new lamps from GE Consumer & Industrial—a 7-watt GE Energy Smart LED PAR20 lamp and a 10-watt GE Energy Smart LED PAR30 lamp—enable restaurants, retailers and other commercial customers to make significant strides toward general lighting with white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These products, available as spots or floods, feature advanced optical control to concentrate the white LED light on the targeted area and effectively diminish wasted extraneous light. “One noticeable technology achievement is the superior beam,” says Gus Lanese, manager of growth initiatives, GE Consumer & Industrial. “It’s a better directed light. Some retailer customers have already purchased...

SCHAUMBURG, ILL.—Aero-Tech introduces its Evolution-Bulb compact fluorescent. It is now available in Candelabra “Small-Base” for decorative bulb applications. It is ideal for ceiling fans, wall sconces, chandeliers and more. The bulb is available in 11 watts and 14 watts, and 2700K (warm white), and 5,000K (full-spectrum) color temperatures. Go to Aero-Tech.

PHOENIX—With a focused eye towards being more environmentally conscious, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel has planted a 120-square-foot seasonal garden on the fourth-floor deck of the 31-floor hotel. In addition, the hotel is working with a vendor to determine possible CFL or LED technology for custom lighting fixtures that currently only work with traditional incandescent bulbs. These two initiatives are amongst many eco-friendly practices of the new hotel, others of which include a comprehensive banquet recycling program, installment of a water filtration system to purify water and reduce waste, and an internal green team that regularly meets to proactively...

ATLANTA—Recommendations on achieving 30 percent energy savings over minimum code requirements are contained in the newly published “Advanced Energy Design Guide for Highway Lodging.” The energy savings guidance for design of new hotels provides a first step toward achieving a net-zero-energy building. “The recommendations allow the building industry to create more energy-efficient hotels while maintaining the quality and functionality of the space to provide a pleasant guest experience,” said Ron Jarnagin, chair of the committee that wrote the book. The book, published by ASHRAE, gives guidance to architects, engineers, contractors and other building team members on how to easily achieve...