MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., whose business divisions include EcoSmart, an energy management technology platform featuring Recovery Time technology, and EthoStream, one of the largest hospitality High-Speed Internet Access providers in the world, announce its EcoSmart Technology has been selected for installation in the five-star Hilton Barra in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The EcoSmart system will be installed in 298 guestrooms. The EcoSmart energy management system was chosen for this hotel build-out because of its ability to reduce energy consumption and equipment runtime by up to 45 percent while maintaining guests’ comfort. The installation covers all of the hotel’s 298 guestrooms...

TROY, N.Y.—Audubon International’s Green Lodging Program has partnered with hotel booking website Bookdifferent.com to encourage travelers to stay in hotels that are certified by eco-labels as having environmentally friendly practices. The Netherlands-based not-for-profit booking site is the first in the world to indicate which hotels have obtained certification.Bastiaan Fronik, chairman at Bookdifferent.com, said, “We believe there is a strong awareness among leisure and business travelers alike for sustainability programs such as Audubon International’s Green Lodging Program, and that will continue to grow.”In addition to making it easy for travelers to book certified hotels, Bookdifferent.com supports charities by donating 50...

DALTON, GA.—J+J Flooring Group announced that it has received two GreenStep Awards from Floor Covering Weekly. The annual awards program honors “organizations and individuals in the flooring industry for their stewardship, initiatives and accomplishments in the area of environmental sustainability,” according to the publication.  J+J Flooring Group was named a winner in the Product Category for Kinetex and received an Honorable Mention for Aquafinity in the Process Category.  Kinetex is a textile composite flooring that combines the key attributes of soft-surface flooring with the long-wearing performance characteristics of hard-surface flooring. The product was selected for its numerous sustainable attributes,...

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.—Structured Finance Associates, LLC announced the origination, structuring and funding of a PACE bond with Los Angeles County in the amount of $6,860,000 for the d2Dusit constance pasadena located in Pasadena, California.“We are pleased to have the chance to work with the owners of the d2Dusit constance pasadena, K2 Clean Energy Capital, the County of Los Angeles, Sustento Group and PACENow to make this financing possible,” said Jean Dunn, CEO of Structured Finance Associates, LLC. “PACE financing for the d2Dusit constance pasadena is an example of the use of a new and valuable financing tool property owners...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Florida-based Liberty Building Forensics Group, a leading building forensics firm that has solved complex building moisture and mold problems, has a warning for hotel design and construction teams. Rigid adherence to brand standards in new hotel construction without factoring in specific regional and climatic conditions can result in significant mold and moisture issues.Design standards are developed on a global basis, not taking into consideration specific limitations of regional climates. Regional violations in design standards have been shown repeatedly to result in extensive and costly mold and moisture problems in hotels.Brands claim their standards are only guidelines, and that...

INDIANAPOLIS—William Roam, a new company creating “Made in the USA” personal care products within the hospitality market, is swiftly gaining momentum, and seeing strong sales since its launch in November of 2013.“We saw an amazing opportunity to turn the amenity market on its ear, and not just with on-trend designs and stunning products, but being a part of a larger movement to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.,” says Ali Murphy, CEO of William Roam. Historically, the hospitality market has a rich history with offshore partnerships, but during extensive competitive research, William Roam made a conscious choice to develop,...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—T&S Brass and Bronze Works announces the release of their ECR-D0810-107, a new ChekPoint Rinse Faucet and spray head. The ECR-D0810-107 combines the reliability of ChekPoint faucets with the rinsing ability of B-0107-series spray heads for use in ware washing applications. The faucet features a rigid 90° riser and B-0107 spray head attached via a 360° swivel, making it easy for users to direct the rinse spray.Other features of the ECR-D0810-107 include: reliable and robust below-deck electronics; heavy-duty brass construction; 4 ‘AA’ batteries included along with 12 ft. (3.66 m) plug-in wall transformer with split-tail with additional...

CARY, N.C.—Civilight North America announces its entry into the LED lighting category and the availability of high quality, high performance indoor LED lamps in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Civilight North America focuses solely on LED products and offers a complete line of indoor LED lamps, with three series—Architectural (highest quality), Professional (best price-performance) and Commercial (best ROI)—in PARs, BRs, linear tubes, bulbs (A19 and candelabra) and spots (MR16s and GU10s). The company also offers LED downlights for an integrated solution. “Civilight believes that LED technology is now at a point where we can provide high quality, high performing...

HONOLULU, HAWAII—Four of Marriott Vacation Club’s resorts in the state of Hawaii recently achieved high rankings in Audubon International’s Green Lodging Program. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club on Oahu and Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club on Maui both achieved Platinum Certification, and Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club and Marriott’s Kauai Lagoons–Kalanipu’u, both on Kauai, achieved Gold Certification.The environmental highlights of the four properties include recycling, use of energy efficient lighting and Energy Star appliances, and window coverings that reduce solar heat gain. The two Platinum Certified properties also have implemented an energy management system that monitors all aspects of the buildings’...

LOS ANGELES—GLP Films (GLP), a hybrid film production and marketing company, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), a leader in establishing and managing standards for sustainable tourism, have formalized a strategic partnership to showcase GSTC destinations at the forefront of sustainable development through a new storytelling initiative. GLP Films will produce compelling new film content celebrating GSTC destinations, with the aim to share these stories with the global travel community to promote sustainable destination development.Both parties agree that storytelling and stakeholder engagement within the travel trade community are essential for sustainable destination development. This partnership pairs GLP Films’...