NATIONAL REPORT—If you are reading this article, it can be assumed that you either own or operate a heated swimming pool. If so, you probably would like to reduce your pool heating costs and save money. Beyond turning down the pool’s thermostat and keeping the pool covered, your options are limited. The purpose of this article is to explore those options. Businesses such as hotels, motels, resorts and water parks have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature. Fossil fuel prices fluctuate significantly and are expected to rise over the next decade. Commercial pools are perfect...

TORONTO—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference & Expo kicked off in Toronto yesterday with 23,000 delegates from around the world learning about the latest in green building products, technologies and innovations. Beginning with an opening plenary celebration event at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday evening, 2011 marks Greenbuild’s 10th year. Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference & expo. “This is the first time Greenbuild has been held outside of the U.S. and Toronto is a fitting place to celebrate 10 years of Greenbuild,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “Last night’s...

BALTIMORE—The majority of architects and interior designers, 87 percent and 86 percent respectively, acknowledge that they are concerned with how products are manufactured with regard to sustainability, according to new research released by IMRE. The research showed that the number of sustainable projects performed by architects and interior designers is projected to rise in the next year, and that sustainable products are often associated with higher cost. These are some of the results released from the survey in which 812 architects and designers responded to an online survey fielded between September 19 and 23, 2011. The survey was spearheaded by...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. is closer to reaching its goal of 300 LEED-certified hotels by 2015—now that three of its brands—Courtyard, TownePlace Suites and Residence Inn—have all earned LEED Volume pre-certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Courtyard Scottsdale Pima in Arizona, scheduled to open in early 2012, and the TownePlace Suites Frederick in Maryland, will be the first of their brand categories to be built using Marriott’s LEED Volume pre-certification. Residence Inn projects are under development. “We live in a world where concerns about the environment and about sustainable development are a necessary and growing consideration for everyone,”...

NATIONAL REPORT—The faucets go by a number of different names—hands free, electronic, touchless, sensor—but they are all geared toward improving hygiene, simplifying cleaning and maintenance, and conserving water and energy. Ideal for public restroom facilities where there is a continuous flow of different people, hands free faucets are also finding a home in commercial kitchens where employees are required to wash their hands. Several industry experts said there may come a day soon when hands free faucets are accepted in hotel guestroom bathrooms—as an “amenity upgrade,” one vendor said. Hands free faucets have been available for the mainstream public restroom...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International has been named among a select group of leading international hotel companies that will work together to standardize carbon footprint measurement and communication within the hospitality industry. The Carbon Measurement Working Group includes members of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). At present, customers, guests, investors and other stakeholders are unable to compare the environmental impact of different hotels. MGM Resorts was asked to be a part of this select group of hoteliers that is undertaking the groundbreaking work to develop a single method for calculating and communicating...

BURLINGTON, VERMONT—Ground was broken for a LEED-eligible hotel as local developers Jay Canning and Chuck DesLauriers announced the commencement of construction on the new 125-bedroom Hotel Vermont and Hen of the Wood Restaurant in Burlington. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Commerce Secretary Lawrence Miller attended to commemorate the occasion on September 21, 2011.   The new Hotel Vermont will open at in Burlington 100 years after the original Hotel Vermont first welcomed guests. The property will be locally developed, owned and operated with design, construction and management teams all Burlington-based. NBT Bank and the US Department of Agriculture collaborated...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK—Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts has received a top 2011 environmental achievement award from the National Park Service (NPS) for initiating a comprehensive composting program for Yosemite National Park. Delaware North operates Yosemite’s visitor services, including lodging, dining, recreation, retail and transportation services as a national park concessioner. The global hospitality management and food service provider launched the composting program in August 2009 to expand its longstanding recycling efforts at the park. Through November 2010, Delaware North’s composting initiative diverted 216 tons of organic waste—including food waste and paper products—from Yosemite’s kitchens and restaurants to Mariposa County’s...

TORONTO—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and expo is making its way to Toronto next week to celebrate “what’s next” in green building. Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference and expo and is expected to make an economic impact of $26 million CAD, bringing 25,000 delegates from more than 115 countries to the event. A release from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre earlier this week also stated that Greenbuild will generate a positive impact on the local economy of more than $58 million from delegate spending. Toronto was selected by USGBC as the host city for...

SAN DIEGO—The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina expanded its commitment to sustainability and green practices with the official launch of a comprehensive food waste recycling program. The hotel’s food scraps are now diverted to the City of San Diego’s Greenery, where restaurants and hotels are able to turn breakfast, lunch and dinner leftovers into renewable products, including compost. In mid-summer, the Sheraton teamed with Waste Management of San Diego (WMSD) to implement a comprehensive program aimed at diverting 100 percent of its food waste and capturing the majority of the recyclable commodities from its waste stream. With their sights...