Energy use is one of the most important societal and financial subjects in the hospitality industry. Fortunately, there are many companies standing by with advice and technology to help hoteliers monitor, manage and control their properties’ energy usage.
According to Brian Stuckey, sales representative—ControlIQ at Systems Associates (SAi), remote monitoring and control of energy-intensive systems such as HVAC via cloud-based building management system platforms offers scalable, real-time data access and system control. This can be supplemented with remote/mobile access that allows quick response to issues and helps optimize operations.
Stuckey noted that smart sensors can gather data about a building’s environment, such as temperature, humidity, occupancy, light levels and air quality 24/7.
“Real-time monitoring and control of building systems helps ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency,” Stuckey said. “This data enables hotels to implement load-shedding strategies during peak demand periods to reduce energy costs, and also to leverage Internet of Things (IoT) devices to allow for seamless system connectivity.”
Stuckey also recommended that hoteliers adopt condition-based monitoring (using sensors and analytics to monitor equipment conditions and schedule maintenance based on actual wear and tear rather than at fixed intervals), as well as fault detection and diagnostics (using advanced analytics to identify equipment performance issues and address them proactively before they lead to costly repairs or energy waste).
Your EMS is Your Friend
Neha Jaitpal, global general manager for Honeywell's hospitality business, advised hoteliers to consider investing in an energy management system (EMS) that allows them to manage and control guestroom HVAC energy usage. This includes using smart thermostats and sensors with IoT capabilities for guestroom occupancy and rental state detection to provide the data, insights and trends needed to make smart energy decisions.
“Combining motion sensors with other in-room technologies, such as central electronic door locks, allows for precise detection of when guests are in the room or away, empowering the hotel to make smarter operational decisions and the EMS system to automatically reduce the HVAC energy usage,” Jaitpal said.
She added that smart lighting also can help improve energy management both inside and outside the guestroom. Not only can it make a positive impact on the guest experience, but sensors in the guestrooms combined with scheduled lighting controls throughout the property will add to the overall energy savings.
“Go a step further by connecting smart drapes and other in-room automation integrations, reducing energy use even more,” Jaitpal suggested.
The Big Elephant in the Guestroom
Lodging Technology Founder and President William Fizer noted that the “big elephant in the guestroom” is HVAC, which accounts for 80 to 85 percent of room energy usage. To keep the elephant from running wild, do not allow guests to heat or cool the outdoors.
“Turn off the HVAC system if exterior entry / balcony doors and windows are opened, and leave it off until they’re closed again,” Fizer said. “Not only will this save energy, it also will mitigate the formation of mold and mildew.”
According to Fizer, properly designed and installed occupancy sensor-based systems can save 40 percent of room HVAC energy and reduce the total hotel utility bill by 8 percent to 20 percent, depending on factors such as local climate, type of property and type of HVAC equipment.
Fizer added that in addition to tight HVAC control, occupancy sensor-based lighting controls will significantly reduce energy consumption and utility expense in areas that are frequently unoccupied, such as breakfast areas, public restrooms, laundry, exercise rooms, storage areas, and maintenance shops.
A Broad View
Nicolas Aznar, president, Americas, at Vingcard, and Jeff Johns, global VP of EMS Business Development at Nomadix, offered a broad view of energy management.
“Energy usage is one of the most important subjects in the hospitality industry today and our focus is to help properties and owners make the right decisions based on cost and benefit with a variety of solutions,” Aznar said. “From identifying access events in room occupancy and who the specific occupant entering the room is, to integrating with industry leaders and offering a full range of energy management options, the goal is to help management companies and owners track and control their energy consumption.”
Aznar added that these abilities can be provided to a single property on-premise or multi-property environment via the cloud, minimizing costs while not affecting guest comfort.
Johns said technologies that provide above-property visibility boost staff efficiency by offering specialized and centralized resources to support multiple properties remotely.
“Hoteliers also can use these cloud-based systems to eliminate more on-premises servers, which simultaneously reduces IT issues at the property level and energy use from these components,” he noted.
A Global Effort
The quest for energy efficiency does not stop at the Atlantic Ocean. Across the pond, Piercarlo Gramaglia, CEO OF VDA Telkonet, suggested that hoteliers employ an advanced EMS with technologies that not only automatically reduce energy consumption in unoccupied rooms but also optimize the time needed to return the room temperature to the desired set point upon guest return.
“These features, combined with real-time monitoring, help minimize waste and enhance energy efficiency without compromising guest comfort,” Gramaglia said.
Working with a provider that offers training to your staff is essential to fully understand the potential of an EMS, Gramaglia added, noting that a detailed, rapid estimate of energy and cost savings simplifies decision-making and helps optimize return on investment.
Ritika Bakshi, associate marketing manager, Europe Business Development, Verdant Energy Management Solutions, reminded hoteliers not to overlook simple technologies that can make a big difference.
“Smart thermostats offer plug-and-play installation, meaning you can integrate them into your existing HVAC system with minimal downtime,” Bakshi said. “The installation is seamless, saving you time and effort—and your hotel starts benefiting from energy savings almost immediately.”
According to Bakshi, Verdant’s smart energy management thermostat offers a patented feature that allows its thermostats to gradually adjust the room temperature before guests return, preventing sudden energy spikes.
“This smart feature ensures that rooms are comfortable upon guest arrival, while reducing the strain on your HVAC system,” Bakshi explained. “It’s a win-win for both guest satisfaction and energy management.”
A Toast to Energy Management
Finally, look beyond HVAC and lighting for opportunities to reduce energy usage (and, perhaps, to celebrate a job well done). Bartech offers a system that manages hotel minibars’ energy usage in the cloud, allowing the temperature of each minibar to be controlled online.
According to Bruno Agrario, Bartech’s vice-president of sales and marketing, cooling only at the right times and to the right temperatures results in energy savings and lower costs without sacrificing the guest experience.
"By scheduling cold production for specific times—whether for individual rooms, wings, floors, or the entire hotel—we eliminate the need for minibars to run 24/7,” Agrario said. “This level of control not only boosts energy efficiency but also contributes to significant reductions in operational expenses.” Cheers to energy savings!