MILWAUKEE—In response to increasing global demand for renewable energy, Johnson Controls Inc. is expanding its business direction in the areas of designing, installing and servicing geothermal, solar, biomass, wind and other renewable sources as energy supply options for customers. “We expect demand from businesses and organizations for onsite renewable energy to escalate as fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas increase in price and concern grows about their economic and environmental impact,” says Bruno Biasiotta, vice president, solutions, Johnson Controls. “The real opportunity for customers involves combining renewable technologies with innovative energy efficiency strategies.” Don Albinger,...

CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE—Carbonfund.org and The Inn By The Sea have joined forces to launch a new carbon offset program designed specifically to provide guests with a simple way to green meetings and vacations. The announcement was made by Craig Coulter, Partnerships Director at Carbonfund.org. The all new Carbofree Meetings and Carbonfree Vacations programs make it easy for guests to neutralize their travel-generated carbon emissions with support for Carbonfund.org’s domestic tree planting projects, which help reduce greenhouse gases. The new program is straightforward enough, but educating guests as to why they want to neutralize their carbon footprint can be...

CLEVELAND, OHIO— GE Consumer & Industrial’s Lighting division, a leader in the development of energy-efficient lighting products, announced advancements to the light bulb invented by GE’s founder, Thomas Edison, that potentially will elevate the energy efficiency of this 125-year-old technology to levels comparable to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), delivering significant environmental benefits. Over the next several years, these advancements will lead to the introduction of high-efficiency incandescent lamps that provide the same high light quality, brightness and color as current incandescent lamps while saving energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The new high-efficiency incandescent (HEI) lamp, which...

ASPEN/SNOWMASS, COLO.—Aspen Skiing Co. has selected Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to be the “Official Coffee of Aspen/Snowmass,” as well as its newest resort partner. As part of the partnership, guests of Aspen/Snowmass will enjoy daily complimentary samples of Green Mountain’s Fair Trade Certified Organic French Roast coffee at the base of all four resort mountains—Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. Aspen Skiing Co. will also serve Green Mountain coffees exclusively at on-mountain restaurants, offices, The Tavern at The Little Nell hotel, and The Snowmass Club. Aspen Skiing Co. and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters have both received accolades...

DANBURY, CONN.—FuelCell Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean electric power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced that the federal government’s recent extension of the Income Tax Credit (ITC) for fuel cells will continue to provide additional incentives for its ultra-clean power plant products through the end of 2008. Enacted as part of the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005, the ITC established a range of incentives for “green” electricity produced by non-traditional means. The company’s low-emission fuel cell power plants qualify because they run on renewable fuels (such as gas produced by breweries and other...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Alsons, a leading manufacturer of distinctively-styled shower products, announces the launch of patented fluidics spray technology that delivers a reduced, water-saving flow while giving the user a superior showering experience. There are fluidics showerheads available with a 1.85 gallons per minute (gpm) spray, a 1.75 gpm spray and, for a 36 percent water savings over the standard 2.5 gpm, there is a 1.6 gpm spray. Also available is a convenient two-spray unit that allows the user to switch between a water-saving 1.85 gpm and standard 2.5 gpm with the turn of a lever. “The fluidics technology describes...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Meeting Strategies Worldwide (MSWW) has launched the MeetGreen Calculator, a gauge for environmentally friendly meetings. The Web-based calculator is available to anyone who wants to measure the environmental impact of their meetings and conferences. To assess an event’s environmental impact, the MeetGreen Calculator compares practices of a specific event against the greenest alternative practices. Results provide a benchmark for future events and a comparison with other green events. For example, environmental practices include use of locally produced food, selecting meeting sites where attendees can walk or use mass transit, and diverting a significant portion of garbage by...

BOULDER, COLO.—After completing a successful pilot launch, NSF International (NSF) and Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced the official launch of the new Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP) Program. The STEP certification program addresses consumer and travel industry concerns regarding negative environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts. Areas addressed include environmental pollution, introduction of invasive species that could potentially cause harm to ecosystems and human health, loss of cultural heritage, and leakage, which occurs when a tourism business buys supplies from outside the region, providing no assistance to the local economy. In many parts of the world, tourism standards...

MINNEAPOLIS—Honeywell has launched Energy Manager, an advanced energy management and information system that integrates with building systems, and allows users to view and control energy use in a facility. With the tool, organizations can analyze data—including weather reports, market conditions and systems demand—to create a comprehensive picture of energy usage patterns so they can lower total consumption and utility bills. “In times of energy market uncertainty, ‘best guesses’ don’t cut it for effective energy management,” says Mike Taylor, vice president of Americas marketing for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Companies need to know not just how much energy their facilities...

EL DORADO HILLS, CALIF.—CulinAire Systems, based here, has teamed up with the Melink Corp. of Cincinnati, Ohio, to bring the Intelli Hood demand ventilation system to the West Coast. Most commercial kitchen hoods operate at 100 percent capacity all day long, even during idle, non-cooking periods, costing the food service industry more than $2 billion annually in wasted energy. Using a microprocessor and sensors, the Intelli Hood solves this problem by reducing fan speeds during idle cooking times, saving both fan energy and conditioned air, saving thousands of dollars per hood in annual energy cost. These proven...