HOUSTON—Houston’s Mayor Bill White unveiled an array of solar energy equipment at the George R. Brown Convention Center to signal the start of a 100-kilowatt pilot program that will generate power from the convention center rooftop with more than 600 solar panels. Facilitated by the Houston Advanced Research Center, the test program is intended to identify and overcome barriers that might plague widespread implementation of solar energy infrastructure. Funding for the installation and initial testing of the systems amounts to almost $1 million—all of it coming from the private sector. Houston is one of a select group of American...

PHILADELPHIA—The Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC’s first LEED registered hotel and its 48th overall—the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia—will open on October 14 in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of the City of Brotherly Love. The $92.5 million, 230-room boutique hotel will be Kimpton’s first in Philadelphia. The 24-story property will occupy the Architects Building, which was the former home of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It was first built in 1929 and historic elements have been preserved. The hotel’s designer is Powerstrip Studio. According to Peggy Trott, general manager, Kimpton is pursuing a LEED for Existing...

ROLLING MEADOWS, ILL.—A coalition led by the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute recently helped Texas join California as the second state nationwide to require high-efficiency toilets (HETs) in all new residential and commercial construction. An HET is defined as a water closet that uses no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush (GPF), or 20 percent less than the 1.6-GPF models mandated by the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct). Texas House Bill 2667, which was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 19, also sets maximum showerhead flow rates at 2.5 gallons per minute and urinal flush...

Tracking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits requires software functionality similar to that required for more traditional construction project management. Consequently, a few leading vendors have re-purposed their technology to make this possible; others have customers who have developed their own work-arounds. A lot more software development is expected as the number of annual LEED projects continues to grow. Here is some information on what is available, how it works and how one can benefit from it. Tracking LEED credits is a document-intensive process. Just ask any experienced LEED Accredited Professional (AP). Submittal documentation includes drawings, receipts, product...

PORTLAND, ORE.—As part of its mission to “transform the global meetings industry through sustainability,” the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) has added the GMIC Oregon Chapter as its first affiliated chapter. “Sustainability, or ‘green meetings’ is not a new concept to Oregon; in fact our communities have been the leaders in this space for many, many years,” says Megan Rooksby, American Express Corporate Meeting Solutions, Oregon Chapter president. “GMIC was founded in Portland, and continues to have an active membership base in this community,” adds GMIC executive director, Tamara Kennedy-Hill. “The meeting and hospitality leaders in Oregon have an...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Hotels Corp. announced the opening of its new global headquarters at Park Place II in the Tysons Corner area of McLean in Fairfax County, Va. As previously announced, the relocation from Beverly Hills, Calif., follows a thorough review of locations that were evaluated against multiple criteria, including costs, proximity to Hilton’s major business hubs and suitability of available commercial space. Hilton’s global headquarters is LEED Gold certified. “The opening of our new global headquarters marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in our company’s rich history,” says Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Hotels...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Investing in the energy efficiency of buildings represents a powerful and strategic energy and climate solution that combined with other non-transportation initiatives could reduce the nation’s energy consumption by 23 percent by 2020, save the U.S. economy $1.2 trillion, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 gigatons annually, according to a study released today by McKinsey & Co. “This confirms a critical path forward that we have long championed,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “Harnessing the engine of green, energy efficient buildings can cost-effectively drive tremendous improvements in...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that a performance by environmental advocate and nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow will help open its Greenbuild 2009 Conference, the world’s premier forum on sustainable buildings and communities. The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is being held this November 11 to 13 in Phoenix. More than 25,000 people attend Greenbuild every year, and its increasing profile and size led USGBC to open this year’s event at Chase Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nov. 11 opening evening will feature presentations and a keynote address, in addition to Crow’s performance. “Beyond...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC—In its 2010-2011 election, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s (CHTA) environmental arm, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), recently re-elected Sir Royston O. Hopkin, KCMG, owner and chairman of Grenada’s award-winning Spice Island Beach Resort, as chairman of CAST for the fourth consecutive, two-year term. “CHTA is delighted that Sir Royston has been re-elected as the chairman of CAST by the CAST Governing Council,” said Alec Sanguinetti, CD—director general & CEO of CHTA. “Sir Royston has been at the forefront of sustainable tourism issues from the very beginning working tirelessly to ensure the sustainability of the Caribbean...

DALLAS—Accor North America has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP). The program, which aims to reduce the use of potentially hazardous chemicals that can result from products and processes, is the latest of many environmental initiatives taken by the company to help minimize the environmental impact of its more than 1,000 hotels in the United States and Canada. In fact, Accor North America’s economy brand, Motel 6, is among the first in the hospitality industry to implement a fluorescent light bulb and battery recycling program at its properties nationwide. “Accor North America is committed...