United States.
In the city of Oberlin, Ohio, is a new LEED-certified hotel. The Hotel at Oberlin, whose benefits set scholarships for Oberlin University students, celebrates its opening this month. The hotel boasts a number of sustainable features, ranging from solar energy to geothermal heat, as well as recovered building materials and locally sourced food in the hotel's restaurant.
The hotel is one of only five in the United States designed to meet LEED Platinum standards in September set by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is the only hotel owned by a university.
The hotel is also the first in the country to be equipped with radiant heating and cooling that is based on geothermal energy, which is much greener than forced air systems. The hotel will also derive electricity from solar panels to further reduce its reliance on the power grid, aiming to reach net-zero energy status.
