CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—Ellerman House has launched an initiative to become Cape Town’s most eco-friendly boutique hotel. Through newly implemented green projects such as solar panels, LED light bulbs, heat pumps, earthworm farms and recycling systems, the property aims to be Cape Town’s leader in eco-friendly luxury hospitality by September 2013.In order to measure the carbon footprint for the entire property, including the main house, villas, spa, art gallery and all administrative housing and offices, Ellerman House hired an energy efficiency company, BrightBlack, as a consultant and to administer extensive energy testing. The staff at Ellerman House began taking...

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—Mario and Annemarie Delicio of Dematech are the owners behind Hotel Verde. Dedicated and passionate about sustainability, they have transformed what was initially just a sensible business proposition into a showcase for some of the most advanced environmentally conscious technological installations as well as construction and operation practices in the world.“We have a responsibility as a company, as an employer and as a visitor on this planet to live as sustainably as possible,” says Mario Delicio. “This is the only way we can survive long-term and hand over to our children in a responsible manner.”Construction on...

LAS VEGAS—Registration is now open for the sixth annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition, scheduled for October 2 to 4 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.Full registration for the urban water efficiency conference includes admission to the WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards luncheon October 3, hosted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program.Since its debut in 2008, WSI has drawn attendees from 45 states and 27 foreign nations. This year’s conference will again feature a full slate of comprehensive professional sessions and an expo hall...

PORDENONE, ITALY—Electrolux Professional announces the global launch of its Line 5000 series washer extractors and tumble dryers, designed to meet the most demanding needs of the hospitality laundry sector. The new Line 5000 range has been shaped with contributions from users and experts in the professional laundry field all over the world, whose insights and know-how helped drive improvements in product mechanics, ergonomics and design. Special attention has been given to the particular challenges faced by professionals: regions with extreme climates, high temperatures or humidity; locations with unstable power supplies; and even areas affected by rodent populations.“Our close association...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes National Energy Technologies as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. National Energy Technologies is a commercial facility conservation consultant specialist. The company introduces, prices, procures and coordinates installation of specifically targeted technologies designed to maximize utility savings with the shortest ROI. The company’s techniques will save from 5 to 25 percent on electricity, cooling, water, refrigeration, lighting, laundry, compressed air, and many other resource depleting activities. National Energy Technologies performs energy auditing, corporate counseling, public speaking services and can consult on renewable energy, demand response, deregulated...

PHILADELPHIA—National Energy Technologies is introducing laundry ozone injection as their latest conservation strategy that will save considerable fuel, electricity, detergent waste and water as it delivers a higher quality laundered product. This process is the only proven method to kill laundry resistant deadly superbugs, and the natural biocide ozone does it in cold water.Businesses with large laundering facilities suffer high utility costs from that activity due to the combination of all of the gas, electricity, water/sewer, and detergent necessary to get the job done. A properly sourced and designed laundry ozone system will dramatically outperform traditional laundering in operational...

VISTA, CALIF.—Waterless Co., the first manufacturer of no-water urinal systems in the United States, has earned one of the highest scores—4.5 out of a possible 5—in the new Environmental Leader Technology Reviews Program. The program recognizes excellence in products and services that provide companies with energy and environmental benefits.A panel of independent judges, from such well-known companies and organizations as PepsiCo, Staples, The University of California (Berkeley), Owens Corning, Yahoo Inc., and others, determined the scores.According to one judge, no-water urinal systems manufactured by Waterless Co. are “a great product for saving fresh water and eliminating the generation of...

NEW YORK—Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront, all-suite hotel located in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, has been awarded LEED Gold for New Construction Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). This is the first LEED Gold New Construction major renovation project certified under the latest rating system in New York. Since its inception in 1998, LEED is the nation’s top rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods.The Conrad New York, having already achieved ISO 9000 certification...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International’s announcement that it will require U.S. Econo Lodge hotels to participate in its Room to be Green program should elevate its overall number of Room to be Green participants to approximately 2,000 U.S. hotels by the end of the year. Currently, Room to be Green is an optional program for Choice’s other brands. Created in 2008, Room to be Green includes three elements: compact fluorescent or LED bulbs in all guest fixtures, excluding ceiling lights; a towel/linen reuse program; and recycling for guests and staff. Choice hotels that participate in Room to be Green...

MONROE, WIS.—Arthur Bartsch, owner of Wisconsin’s Super 8 of Monroe, has spent the last 15 years trying to figure out how to remove inefficiencies from his 54-room property in Monroe, Wis. He is way past the “low hanging fruit” and well on his way to running one of the greenest lodging establishments in Wisconsin and possibly even the entire United States. The Energy Star rating for the Super 8 of Monroe in 2012, the first year he ran his numbers in the Energy Star Portfolio manager? A 95. That means the hotel, from an energy efficiency standpoint, has been...