Many people, many rooms, many spaces… Hotels are a challenge for experts in energy savings and also for the budgets of their managers or owners. Reducing energy consumption in hotels is crucial since there are buildings with a high level of energy consumption.
A greater benefit can still be obtained, if this reduction is made in times of maximum hotel occupancy (summer holidays, Christmas, Easter and holidays, etc.), in which the hotel services are working at full capacity (laundries, kitchens, restaurants and dining rooms with extended hours, greater use of electricity and climate in the rooms, toilets, etc.).
The improvement of the energy efficiency of a hotel is a continuous commitment between achieving a reduction in energy consumption and not adversely affect the comfort of guests. It is therefore about maintaining the quality of energy services in harmony with the interests of its customers. In addition to reducing the electricity bill also decreases the polluting effects and protects the environment.
It is estimated that the energy costs of hotels for air conditioning, lighting and water can be up to 25% their total expenses. Therefore there is obvious value in being able to control and monitor the equipment responsible for air conditioning, lighting and the generation of domestic hot water.
Within the energy costs of hotels, air conditioning is the biggest expense. On average, this expense represents more than 40% of total energy costs. Therefore, air conditioning improvements offer a greater potential for savings. Choosing efficient air conditioning systems is a vital decision since it is the main factor when it comes to achieving energy savings.
There are different ways to optimise air conditioning in hotels. Air conditioning and heating control must be carried out both in common areas and in private areas.
At the air conditioning level, limiting the setpoint temperatures in public areas such as main rooms or large rooms can be very useful. Also, limiting the setpoint temperatures in private areas is important, because, in many cases, hotel customers do not make proper use of system controls in their room. This causes misuse of the air conditioning and leads to overconsumption.
The management of consumption and real time energy control allows for identification and resolution of unnecessary consumption. Current control systems allow monitoring of a large number of variables including for example: setpoint temperature, open window, occupancy, scenes, etc.
Intesis gateways
Part of the HMS Group, the Intesis gateways establishes communications to AC units for supervision and control by thermostats, tactile panels or KNX applications. There is also the possibility of having simultaneous control from KNX and the remote control of the AC manufacturer.
In addition, the KNX Intesis gateways include binary inputs, offering the possibility of monitoring and window sensors, with standard sensors that are much more economical than KNX’s own devices. For example: these inputs can be used to automatically manage turning the unit ON/OFF and adjust the setpoint temperature depending on whether or not there are people in the room. With this control capability, unnecessary electricity costs are avoided and great energy savings are achieved.
From a maintenance perspective, being able to monitor detailed information of errors and alarms in real time (like filter status) allows teams to take immediate action to resolve issues. Faster response to problems improves guest comfort and reduces repair expenses.
Visit HMS on stand C46.