LOS ANGELES—Last month the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo offered more than 135 new and innovative products. During the first two days of the show, 1,400 attendees cast their votes for their favorite new products that were on display. The Best Technology Award was presented to Glory Team International for their 100 percent organic, biodegradable single-use tableware. The Best Equipment Award was presented to Scotsman Ice Systems for their cube ice machine, energy efficient and self-monitoring with external diagnostic lights to alert staff when it is time to perform vital performance procedures. The Best Environmental/Safety Award...

BURBANK, CALIF.—Steril-Aire Inc. has published a new application bulletin describing how its multi-patented UVC technology can protect offices, stores and other commercial buildings while reducing costs. The bulletin, titled “UVC and Commercial Buildings,” explains how UVC devices installed in the air handling systems can result in a wide range of benefits, including mold and microbial control, enhanced indoor air quality, and energy and maintenance savings. The bulletin includes an overview of UVC features and benefits, a four-year cost-saving example, and product information on the different types of UVC devices for commercial HVAC applications. Customer testimonials are also included....

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes DBS Lodging Technologies, maker of Entergize, as a Green Product Directory Partner. Entergize guestroom energy control systems reduce guestroom energy consumption by 25 percent to 45 percent. Entergize controls both guestroom HVAC energy costs as well as lighting and electrical loads. Entergize is totally wireless and uses microchip control radio frequency (RF) communication. There is no need to connect parts with hard wires. Go to Entergize for more information.

ALSIP, ILL.—Litetronics International Inc. announces an innovation in cold cathode fluorescent technology. All Litetronics Micro-Brite decorative 3- and 4-watt candelabra base lamps are now dimmable. Litetronics has successfully miniaturized its patented cold cathode technology to bring candelabra-based Micro-Brite into the dimming family. Now it is possible to have the decorative look of candelabra lighting, the long life and energy savings of fluorescent lamps, and the ability to adjust the light level for any situation. The 3- and 4-watt Micro-Brite candelabra base lamps have a 25,000-hour life and offer more than 80 percent in energy savings over incandescent lighting....

PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—Enviro-Solutions introduces its Green-certified Haze Away Neutral Floor Cleaner. With foot traffic, ice melts placed at building entries in wintry climates can leave a hazy white film on hard-surface floors. This ruins the appearance of the floor and also increases the likelihood of slips and falls. Haze Away safely removes ice melt, salts and other mineral deposits, keeping floor and carpet entries clean, bright, and healthy. For more information, visit Enviro-Solutions.

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions has released a white paper entitled, “The Case for Automated Asset Management & Preventive Maintenance.” The document makes the case for implementation of an automated solution such as Mintek’s Lodging Asset Management Suite to protect and extend the life of a hotel’s physical assets. The white paper includes examples of hotels that have implemented the company’s handheld, bar code and ASP-based systems. “Smart hotel owners and operators know that proper maintenance and management of hotel’s assets will result in extended asset life and fewer breakdowns,” says Lind Hutton, executive vice president and c.o.o....

DANBURY, CONN.—FuelCell Energy, Inc. a manufacturer of ultra-clean electric power plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced an advanced cell stack design that boosts the power output of its Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants by 20 percent. The company is incorporating the enhancement across its entire line of power plants. By improving thermal management of electrochemical activity within the stack, the company has increased the power output from each cell and can produce more electricity from the same basic power plant components. The 20 percent increase in electric power output, combined with the company’s progress in its value...

BROADVIEW, ILL.—Air Cycle Corp. introduces its EasyPak line of products to provide a simple way to recycle lamps, ballasts, and batteries, while complying with today’s changing regulations. Each container includes instructions printed in English and Spanish and one price includes shipping costs to the recycling center, recycling fees, and a certificate of recycling. The lamp boxes can hold straight fluorescent lamps up to 8 feet in length, u-shape fluorescent lamps, or high intensity discharge lamps. The battery container holds up to 55 pounds of dry cell batteries and the ballast container up to 55 pounds of non-PCB containing...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—The General Electric Company (GE), through its Consumer & Industrial business, and the Nichia Corp. announced a strategic alliance agreement to support GELcore, LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio. GELcore, formed in 1999, was previously a joint venture between GE and the Emcore Corp. of Somerset, N.J. GE purchased Emcore’s 49 percent interest in the joint venture for $100 million, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to invest in LED technology and the future of lighting. This agreement combines GELcore’s LED system strengths in the Transportation, Signage, Specialty Illumination, and General Illumination segments with Nichia’s extensive phosphor and optoelectronics products,...

MADISON, WISC.—By implementing a guestroom energy management system called Entergize from DBS Lodging Technologies, the Holiday Inn and Suites in Madison, Wisc. is saving more than $17,000 a year in energy costs. Entergize is installed in 157 guestrooms at the hotel. In addition to managing heating and cooling, the controls also work with the master entry switch to activate lighting. Holiday Inn and Suites partnered with Focus on Energy’s Business Programs to implement the new energy efficient technology. Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative offered incentives that helped offset project costs. The project came about when Wisco...