HONG KONG—Swire Hotels announce recent measures dedicated to developing sustainable and environmentally friendly hotels at EAST Hong Kong, Beijing and Miami. Swire Hotels is committed to making a positive impact on the environment through implementing new and innovative programs to strengthen the priority given to the sustainable operation of its hotels. These measures form part of the new sustainable development strategy launched by Swire Properties, Swire Hotels’ parent company. Swire Properties developed this new strategy with vision of becoming the leading sustainable development performer in its industry globally by 2030. Under this new strategy, Swire Properties identifies and manages the...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added an Electrolux Professional case study to its website. The case study details the installation of Electrolux Professional high-spin washers, Electrolux Professional dryers, and a flatwork ironer at the Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg, Calif. Electrolux high-spin washers provide water and energy savings, higher productivity, and superior wash results. Electrolux Professional dryers offer faster drying, less gas consumption, and no over-drying. The flatwork ironer makes crisp sheets and perfectly pressed table linens easy. “In the hotel business, the laundry is the third largest energy consuming area,” says Paolo Petron,...

HANCOCK, MASS.—In 2007, when Jiminy Peak installed a $4 million 1.5 megawatt (MW) wind turbine on the western flank of its mountain, many thought the 70-year-old resort was taking a huge financial risk. Last month, 10 years after the switch was thrown, Brian Fairbank, Chairman of The Fairbank Group that runs the resort, looks back at a risk worth taking. The 253-ft. high turbine paid for itself in seven years, and today, combined with a 12-acre 2.3 megawatt (MW) solar field and 75 kWh cogeneration unit at the slopeside Country Inn at Jiminy Peak, the resort can claim to be...

LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM—The world’s first cistern to use condensate from air-conditioning units to flush the toilet has been launched and would save 4.7bn liters of water a year for the 1,477 U.S. hotels currently being built. Encore is the most environmentally friendly cistern as it uses a free, sustainable water supply that has previously been drained to waste. Encore is also suitable for offices, apartments, leisure centers and anywhere with toilets and air-conditioning. In another first for cisterns, Encore allows architects, consultants and specifiers to secure two extra LEED points—the US Green Building Council’s gauge for sustainability. Encore Technical Director, David Davis, said,...

WINDHAM, VERMONT—If a building becomes as one as possible with its surrounding environment, can it be energy self-sufficient? Yes, it certainly can. Just ask Bob Shannon, President of The Fourth Corner Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit that runs A Stone Wall Inn in Windham, Vermont. Shannon, an architect with two degrees from Yale University, first thought about the 10-room inn on 12 acres in 1969. The three-building inn with a post-modernist feel is heated entirely by solar energy and wood stoves. Every aspect and angle of the well-insulated inn was designed to maximize the power of the sun. “We are making...

KOHLER, WIS.—Kohler Co. was awarded the US Water Prize for its water conservation efforts by the US Water Alliance during its One Water Summit in New Orleans. The Water Prize is presented annually in five categories, including a private sector organization for outstanding achievement in advancing sustainable solutions to water challenges. Water Alliance leaders recognized Kohler as this year’s private sector honoree for its development and promotion of water-efficient products that meet the EPA’s WaterSense efficiency requirements. “Since 2011, the US Water Alliance has worked to advocate for the true value of water and promote policies and practices that ensure safe...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a HydroTech Solutions, LLC case study to its website. The case study details the success a Fortune 100 headquarters had in utilizing HydroFLOW electronic water conditioning for its cooling system to improve water conservation, energy savings and chemicals reduction. The headquarters campus features two buildings; each with a 1,000-ton cooling tower situated on the rooftop. The cooling towers exhibited scale buildup on infrastructure, fill, and piping. The chiller units are opened for cleaning and inspection annually, with scale accumulation at entry sections. Three cycles of concentration were allowed...

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.—California Faucets introduces Aqua Pella, its latest Pixar-inspired video introducing the company’s new lineup of single-hole faucets. In the tradition of Tub Filler Fever, which went viral in the industry, Aqua Pella is the fun and memorable story of five faucets showing off their unique design personalities while performing before judges in a singing competition. The headliners stepping up to the stage in the video production include the clean-lined Arpeggio, the geometrically inspired Bel Canto and the sleek Zen-like Morro Bay. Each single-hole faucet in the group auditions in a different size or artisan finish from the company’s...

WOODRIDGE, ILL.—Gerber, an industry leader in high performing and decorative plumbing fixtures, has introduced its newest water-saving high-efficiency toilet—the Viper 1.0 Toilet. This two-piece high efficiency toilet flushes at 1.0 gallons per flush (3.8 liters per flush). The toilet is WaterSense certified, saving 20 percent in water consumption than recent 1.28 gpf toilet options. To ensure a powerful flushing performance (even at this lower flow rate), the Viper toilet has a 2” trapway (51 mm) for clog-free waste removal, a 3” flush valve (76 mm) for faster water flow and flushing power, and a best-in-class Fluidmaster 400A fill valve for durable,...

ATLANTA—The Ellis Hotel has a heart of green. The recently renovated property, downtown Atlanta’s only independent hotel, has earned Silver certification to Green Seal’s Standard for Hotels & Lodging Properties (GS-33). This achievement, which has only been attained by four other Georgian hotels, is based on a rigorous, independent evaluation of The Ellis Hotel’s features, operations and processes. “We salute the Ellis Hotel for its leadership in sustainability as a Green Seal-certified hotel,” said Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D., Green Seal’s president and CEO. “Its continual innovation shows how sustainability can position hotels at the cutting edge of the market and...