SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced that Moscone Center has received LEED Gold certification, the first convention center on the West Coast to attain the green building honor. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).“Moscone Center is a vital hub for our convention and tourism economy, and we are very proud to have the first convention center on the West Coast to earn LEED Gold for an existing building,” said Mayor Lee. “This is now our City’s largest municipally-owned green building. Receiving LEED Gold on...

ST. JOSEPH, MICH.—Maytag Commercial Laundry has unveiled its new industrial line of soft-mount washer/extractors. Available in 180-, 230- and 275-pound models, the washer/extractors are designed to help industrial launderers meet the most demanding requests for large hotels and linen-service laundry operations. “With our new, larger capacity washer-extractors, we now better meet the industrial commercial laundry market’s needs,” said Bob English, general manager at Maytag Commercial Laundry. “Engineered with the latest technologies, our Maytag soft-mount washers offer dependability, utility savings and a suspension system that allows for easy installation.” The washers’ high-spin speed extractors remove more water, therefore reducing dry time and...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros Ltd., the U.K. company responsible for the development of “virtually waterless” laundry cleaning, has set its sights on the North American commercial laundry industry, starting in New England. On August 20, 2012 the Xeros system was installed at Manchester, New Hampshire’s Sterling Linen Services, a high-quality linen processing and rental service for area hotels, hospitals and restaurants. Best known for its environmentally-friendly polymer bead cleaning system, Xeros’ technology uses a fraction of the water, energy and detergent required for conventional cleaning methods, and provides significant cost-saving and environmental benefits. These benefits include using up to 90 percent less...

DALLAS—The LEED Gold pursuing NYLO Dallas South Side hotel, a five-story, 76-room property, opened late this past summer and joins NYLO’s collection of three other eco-friendly hotels—two in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The new urban-loft boutique NYLO is the result of the conversion of the 101-year-old Dallas Coffin Co. Building. During the conversion, every possible part of the original building was incorporated into the hotel. For example, the hotel’s guestrooms feature original concrete floors and exposed ceilings. Celebrating the vibrant local arts community, original artworks from local artists are showcased throughout the property, complementing the hotel’s chic interior...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes High Sierra Showerheads as a Product & Service Directory partner. High Sierra Showerheads is the maker of the water-saving High Sierra Shower Head, which provides a luxuriant shower at just 1.5 gallons per minute. The device’s patented FCS nozzle technology delivers an invigorating spray from a single orifice, making clogging virtually impossible. It is made in the United States from solid metal, with an ABS splash guard that is well suited to shower-over-bath installations. Tens of thousands of these showerheads are saving water, energy, and money in...

CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—Outdoors-oriented travelers headed to the Chattanooga area for rock climbing, bicycling, kayaking and other activities can now stay in a hostel that is officially among the world’s greenest. Opened in June 2011, The Crash Pad just recently earned its LEED Platinum designation. According to the hostel’s owners, Max Poppel and Dan Rose, The Crash Pad is the only hostel on the planet to earn LEED Platinum. Only three other lodging establishments in the United States have earned LEED Platinum through the U.S. Green Building Council.Located on one acre in downtown Chattanooga, The Crash Pad sits on a site...

MORROW, GA.—TOTO, a provider of high-performance toilets, enters the ultra high-efficiency toilet (UHET) arena with the Drake II 1G. The new Drake II 1G—with its proven Double Cyclone technology—represents the continued evolution of TOTO’s Drake II HET. It delivers ultra-high-efficiency flushing using only one gallon of water. TOTO’s Double Cyclone technology features two water jets, instead of rim holes. These jets, positioned on each side of the bowl’s interior, deliver powerful swirls of water. The flushing action is strong and all types of waste are flushed away effectively. The bowl and rim are cleansed thoroughly with the flush....

DENVER—Marriott International, Inc. announced the first TownePlace Suites hotel to open as part of its LEED Volume Program—the TownePlace Suites Denver Airport at Gateway Park in Colorado. TownePlace Suites is Marriott’s second brand to construct a hotel built using its LEED Volume program. The hotel will be the brand’s first property using the LEED Volume prototype.Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED Volume Program eases the process for property developers, such as hotel owners who want to build a LEED-certified hotel. Volume certification provides a streamlined path to LEED certification based on a pre-approved prototype...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—When you have 744 guestrooms in multiple buildings, a spa, restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses—all on 3,000 acres—maintaining a high level of operational efficiency is always a challenge. At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the management team has been able to keep up with aging infrastructure thanks to owners who have poured $300 million into the property since 1995. It was in 1995 that renovations began on the historic hotel that was first constructed in 1918.“The main hotel building was built to 1918 energy standards,” says Terry McHale, The Broadmoor’s director of facilities. “It...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Niagara Conservation, a manufacturer of water and energy-saving products, has partnered with Green Plumbers USA, an organization with an accredited training program that helps plumbers to understand their evolving role in improving the environment and public health. The two organizations will work together to customize water and energy efficiency projects for the nation’s leading utilities, using eco-friendly Niagara products and certified Green Plumber Contractors.“We’re extremely pleased to partner with Green Plumbers USA, an organization whose commitment to environmental sustainability aligns well with our company’s conservation goals,” says Carl Wehmeyer, Niagara Conservation’s executive vice president. “In a time...