This past week, I attended the Algal Biomass Summit in Seattle, WA. Over 600 scientists and entrepreneurs gathered together to discuss the emerging industry of algal-based fuels. The concept is to convert CO2 from the stacks of power plants into algal biomass which can then be converted into biodiesel and ethanol among other valuable by-products. There are several advantages for algal fuels compared to current corn-based ethanol: 1) algal biofuels don't compete with food production since algae don't require valuable crop land and require very little water; 2) algae can be grown on nutrients from wastewater treatment plants; and 3) algae have much higher growth rates than terrestrial crops and can be harvested throughout the year.

Investments are also flooding into this nacent industry. Some estimate that nearly 200 companies have sprouted up in the last 5 years and that nearly $1 billion has already been invested by venture capitalists and major backers. Industry partners ranging from traditional energy companies to airlines are also getting in at the early stages as well. Government support may be coming soon as Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) encouraged attendees to contact their elected officials to encourage more support clean biofuel technolgy.

For more information about the Algal Biomass Summit visit the Algal Biomass Organization at http://algalbiomass.org/

The JBG Companies and Marriott International, Inc. officially broke ground on two major hotels, the Renaissance Crystal City Potomac Yards and the Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards. The hotels are owned by The JBG Companies and will be managed by Marriott. Both properties are also anticipated to be LEED® certified “green” buildings when complete – the first hotels of such distinction in Arlington County.

The properties will also feature an energy saving “green roof’ with plants and trees, providing a relaxing space for guests overlooking the U.S. Capitol and Potomac River. Guests at the ground breaking ceremony were offered blue spruce saplings as gifts - but were given the opportunity to donate the tree on their behalf to the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources. Over 50 trees were donated to Arlington County to be planted in parks in the area.

Anticipated to open in winter 2010, The Renaissance Crystal City Potomac Yards Hotel and The Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards will create approximately 500 new jobs. The location adjacent to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will also appeal to guests visiting the Washington, D.C. area for both business and pleasure. In addition to bringing 625 new hotel rooms to Arlington County, the hotels will offer 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms to satisfy the rising demand for conference space, with additional amenities that include 10,000 square feet of retail space and over 500 underground parking spaces.

The 13-story, 300-room full-service Renaissance will feature an expansive lobby, restaurant, branded coffee shop, and an amenity floor with a 10,000 square foot grand ballroom and 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms. The property’s design includes a large glass façade along Potomac Avenue, which will provide picturesque views of the Capitol and Potomac River.

The southern end of the building will house the 325-room Residence Inn, Marriott’s popular extended-stay brand. Rooms will be equipped with kitchens providing full-size refrigerators, coffee makers, microwaves, and dishwashers as well as full silverware and dishware sets. The lobby will feature a lounge and business center, and an outdoor hearth will be centrally located in the park at Potomac Yards. The Residence Inn’s lobby has been designed for unique identification by its large tower which will be at the corner of Potomac Avenue and 29th Street.

Proximity Hotel and its Print Works Bistro in Greensboro, North Carolina, have achieved the highest-level LEED status, putting them among the country’s “greenest” buildings. The hotel and restaurant are the first U.S. venues in the hospitality industry to receive platinum certification.

Here is a sample of what the Proximity Hotel did to achieve LEED Platinum Status:

- Recycled 87% of the hotel construction debris
- Sourced more than 40% of building materials locally
- Sourced more than 90% of the furnishings locally
- Uses 40% less energy than a typical hotel
- Uses 30% less water than a comparable hotel
- Uses geothermal energy for restaurant refrigeration units
- Solar panel roof heats 60% of hotel's hot water
- Restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream

Proximity Hotel

A new eco friendly hotel project is in the planning pipeline vital for the development of tourism in the Patagonia, Argentina area. The hotel will demand a 120 million USD investment and is expected to be open in 2011, adding 350 rooms and 240 houses with hotel service, three restaurants, two pools, a spa and a convention center for 2,000 people to the city.

Towns and cities in the south of Argentina have higher environmental awareness than Buenos Aires, and that is why the project for the hotel had to consider green actions and was presented as "eco friendly."

The eye-shaped building was designed by well known Argentinean architect Mario Roberto Alvarez, also father of the Buenos Aires Hilton, and will cover 60,000 square meters of the 50 hectares the IMOCOM group owns in the Dos Hermanos hills (25 kilometers from the center of Bariloche).

The investors behind the hotel project say it will have the following green features:

- A green roof that will integrate it to the mountain colors thorough seasons,
- Efficient use of water and energy,
- The largest private plant of liquid waste water treatment in the area
- The hotel will occupy 60,000 square meters of the 51 hectares area, leaving the rest of the space with the natural wildlife,
- The building will be located in an area of semi-volcanic rock and no native species will be cut down, the trees that will have to be cleared are mostly pines (as said by Imocom CEO to ANBariloche)