GATLINBURG, TENN.—The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, is on its way to becoming the first LEED certified hotel in Tennessee. The 118-unit property opened on May 28. According to Logan Coykendall, part owner of the hotel and owner of Hospitality Management Solutions, the Sevierville, Tenn.-based management company that operates it, the Hilton Garden Inn should achieve a “solid Silver” LEED rating later this year. LEED, a certification program for new and existing buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council, offers four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The decision to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is commending the House of Representatives for passing landmark energy and climate legislation that includes several significant provisions to incentivize and accelerate the benefits of green building across the country. “From programs that would generate billions of dollars to spur and scale green retrofitting of our existing building stock to inclusion of the GREEN Act, which would create new opportunities for green affordable housing, this bill recognizes that green building is a major part of the solution to our economic and energy challenges,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “With...

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Franklin, Tenn.-based Leak Beeper installed their patented, toilet-leak detection devices in Metro Manor Apartments, a 170-unit building in Nashville, Tenn. over a three-week period from mid-October to early November. With nine months of complete usage data available after the installation, the Leak Beeper was able to reduce the building’s water consumption by a monthly average of 37 percent. Specifically, gallons of water used per unit, per day fell from a pre-installation average of 81.9 gallons to a post-installation average of 52 gallons. Pre-installation average total gallons per day used by the building fell from 13,930 gallons to a...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—Moen Incorporated’s Commercial Division, a leader in hands-free flush- valve technology, introduces a new line of easy-to-operate FreeHand High Efficiency flush valves. These valves promote water and energy savings by using an infrared sensor beam to activate a flush cycle when a user is in range, ensuring efficient water use and sanitary protection. FreeHand High Efficiency flush valves also help to promote water savings with new low flow rates. Water closet flush valves feature a flow rate of 1.28 gallons per minute (gpm), a 20 percent savings from the industry standard of 1.6 gpm. FreeHand High Efficiency Urinal...

HILLSBORO, OREGON—Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets, urinals, and bathroom sinks, announces its newest high efficiency toilet (HET): the Profile Smart. The Profile Smart HET incorporates a sink into the lid of the toilet tank for increased water savings opportunities in the bathroom. The Profile Smart with integrated sink features Caroma Smart technology, developed and mastered over the last decade, delivering a combination of design, water savings, and performance. Like all Caroma toilets, the Profile Smart is dual flush, using 1.28 gallons of water per flush (gpf) for a full flush and 0.8 gpf for the half flush. This...

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.—The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., has been awarded the Florida Green Lodging Program One Palm designation from The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with free technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is the first hotel/casino in the State of Florida to earn this distinction. This designation directly supports Hard Rock International’s “Save the Planet” global philanthropic initiative to make the Earth a safer, healthier and...

CHICAGO—Everpure, a Pentair company, announced that its MRS-600 HE (High Efficiency) Reverse Osmosis (RO) System has received the Kitchen Innovations 2009 Award, presented by the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Show—the second consecutive year that a product from Everpure has won such an honor. A panel of independent industry experts judged and selected the award recipients, who were chosen for having provided cutting-edge products that successfully addressed the growing needs of foodservice operators. MRS-600 HE is currently the highest efficiency foodservice RO system available today. The system dramatically reduces water waste and consumes less energy, while providing the highest quality, premium...

LAS VEGAS—An array of high-profile private- and public-sector organizations, including many household names in the United States and abroad, have lent their support to the second WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, slated for October 7 to 9 in Las Vegas. Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense Program and the American Water Works Association (AWWA), WaterSmart Innovations is the largest and most comprehensive conference of its kind in the world. Other major organizations supporting WaterSmart Innovations are the Alliance for Water Efficiency, Audubon International, GreenPlumbers USA, International...

SHEFFIELD, MASS.—Cypress Bath & Bed, a leading designer and manufacturer of luxurious bathrobes, towels, slippers, and sheets for the hospitality and spa industry, is experiencing a steady and increased adoption of their recently introduced Green Earth towels by California hoteliers. Due in part to the rising energy and water costs associated with laundering standard hotel and spa towels, California hotels have found a way to provide luxury linens, while reducing their operational costs. For these environmentally conscious hoteliers, the definition of product quality involves addressing and mitigating the energy and water costs it takes to launder, while not sacrificing...

LAS VEGAS—PFISTER Custom Faucet Solutions, a custom fixture design program created for the benefit of the hospitality industry, was unveiled last month at HD Expo in Las Vegas. PFISTER Custom Faucet Solutions enables design-focused clients to partner and collaborate one on one with the PFISTER Industrial Design Team, disciplined in traditional applied art and the integration of state-of-the-art technology, to develop unique designs true to original inspiration in as little as eight weeks. “Customization and exclusivity are in high demand in almost every U.S. market segment,” said Nick Kruse, marketing director, PFISTER. “PFISTER Custom Faucet Solutions enables hospitality clients working...