ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG Electronics USA announced it will voluntarily reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 percent by the end of 2020, compared with a 2007 baseline. Like most companies, LG’s energy use represents the vast majority of its GHG emissions. LG Electronics USA, the principal North American subsidiary of global leader LG Electronics, has operations in a dozen states with facilities using about 19.4 million kilowatt hours annually. “LG Electronics has long been proud of how our highly efficient Energy Star qualified products help consumers reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Wayne Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality, a distributor of “green” hotel products and marketing programs to the hospitality industry, has donated more than 90,000 bottles of eco-friendly body washes, lotions and conditioners to improve comfort and dignity for children and families in distressed situations throughout the United States. The donations will be received by Clean the World, an Orlando, Fla.-based organization that recycles and distributes hygiene products to people in need.“We’re all aware of the economic and social distress so many families are experiencing in our own country and around the world,” says Ray Burger, CEO and president at Pineapple Hospitality....

ATLANTA—Seeking to promote best practices and offer a “how-to” approach, ASHRAE has released updated guidance on building energy audits. While energy audits are a commonly used component of the industry, there is great diversity in the services delivered to customers, and little industry standardization. The second edition of “Procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits” promotes best practices, provides “how-to’s” and fills a void in available information for engineers, building owners, managers and government entities. The new publication includes time-saving tips for energy auditors, how to hire an auditor, what to ask for in a comprehensive audit report and how...

MERRILLVILLE, IND.—White Lodging recently announced that the Marriott in downtown Indianapolis has been named a Certified Green Hotel. The Green Seal Certification was bestowed upon the hotel by the Washington, D.C. based nonprofit Green Seal.“We are the first hotel in Indiana to be recognized by Green Seal and only the third Marriott hotel in the nation,” said Phil Ray, the property’s general manager. “This is truly an honor.”The Green Seal Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties (GS-33) is one of the most stringent environmental standards in the hospitality industry. In order to receive GS-33 certification, the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown...

SAN FRANCISCO—BuildingIQ, an energy management software company, announced the availability of ManagerIQ, the latest addition to its growing suite of SaaS Predictive Energy Optimization applications. ManagerIQ enables the remote configuration, monitoring, and management of the BuildingIQ suite of energy applications for facilities, campus, and real estate portfolio owners, as well as BuildingIQ’s partners who implement and service the BuildingIQ product suite for multiple customers and multiple sites. “As a partner of BuildingIQ we see ManagerIQ as a valuable platform to help us better service the buildings we manage for our customers,” said Scott Wallace, general manager of Syserco Energy Solutions....

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Wood Products announced the introduction of a new line of 4’x 8’ architectural-grade veneered panels milled from reclaimed North American wood, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff. Viridian’s sliced veneers—derived from old-growth redwood previously used in wine tanks, Oregon black walnut reclaimed from urban salvage, and old-growth Douglas fir from warehouse deconstruction—are produced domestically and laid-up on urea formaldehyde-free, FSC-certified medium density fiberboard (MDF) in a variety of thicknesses, including fire-rated cores. Mitchoff said more species are being sourced for launch in the future. “These are distinctive, beautiful and rich in history, a befitting use of some amazing wood,”...

CHICAGO—Cintas Corporation has released a complimentary white paper for hotels. The paper provides hotel owners and operators with critical information on how to maximize the appearance, quality, and longevity of assets such as tile and carpeting and air-conditioning (A/C) units through deep cleaning solutions. Offering an in-depth overview of the process—complete with statistics and testimonials—the white paper reveals how deep cleaning solutions improve guest satisfaction, audit scores and the bottom line. “Tile, carpeting and A/C units undergo a lot of wear and tear and are significantly expensive to replace,” said Todd McKeown, vice president of Hospitality, Cintas. “The white paper...

NEW YORK—Raw, an InterfaceFLOR modular carpet tile product created from yarns derived from a combination of salvaged fishing nets, post-industrial waste, and fibers from the company’s own processing of reclaimed carpet products, is among 100 products named “Best of What’s New” for 2011 by Popular Science magazine. In naming Raw to this noteworthy list, Mark Jannot, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, said, “For 24 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us—those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future. The ‘Best of What’s New’ Award is...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Luxurious Organics as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The company is a wholesale supplier of organic textiles and apparel. It works specifically with organic cotton, bamboo viscose, silk and hemp. Luxurious Organics can customize any product, size or private label. The company’s specialties include: sheets, duvet covers, comforters, blankets, throws, rugs, towels, bathrobes, and pajamas. Call (503) 481-0106, e-mail luxuryorganics@aol.com, or visit www.luxuriousorganics.net for more details.

BALTIMORE—Constellation Energy and Marriott International, Inc. announced an agreement to develop more than 23 megawatts of load response capability across more than 250 Marriott-managed hotel properties in the mid-Atlantic, New England, New York, Texas and California. Load response is the reduction of electrical consumption in response to high wholesale electricity prices, system resource capacity needs or system reliability events. Constellation’s load response program is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity costs at Marriott properties, while ensuring guest comfort through expanded building automation capability and customized load curtailment strategies. “Marriott International sees this program as a direct link to our...