Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 - (Page 38)

38| Innovate Turning up the heat on energy management Sensor-operated temperature control systems are just the beginning of energy and cost savings nergy consumption and cost is a critical issue in the hospitality industry, both because a hotel can achieve significant cost savings by reducing its overall energy use and because of the increased interest around the globe in making facilities more environmentally friendly. Infrared and ultrasonic motion sensors now are a key part of energymanagement systems, allowing HVAC and lighting systems to automatically shut off when guests leave the room and return to their preferred settings when the guest returns. A number of companies, including Energex, Inncom International, Lodging Technology and Telkonet, offer these systems. In addition, many hotels have begun transitioning to more efficient compact fluorescent and LED lighting systems and installing more efficient HVAC and water heating systems. Amelia Inn and Beach Club in Florida has deployed the GEM System from Lodging Technology to control energy use in guestrooms. In-room sensors automatically switch the heating and cooling systems down when guests leave the room, and the air conditioning automatically shuts off when the sliding glass doors to the guestroom patios are open. “Since all of these hotel rooms are ocean front, it’s important to keep the air and humidity at consistent levels,” says Norman Rowland, director of facility maintenance at Amelia Inn and Beach Club. E Inncom has provided its room automation and energy-management systems to a variety of luxury properties, from the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida, to the opulent Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul (Turkey). Hilton Hotels has installed Inncom’s equipment at several locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and is considering adding them to new properties in the AsiaPacific region. “I’m convinced that the thermostat systems are guest friendly and capable of saving energy for the properties,” says Prakash Kale, director of technical service, Asia Pacific, for Hilton. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts uses a proprietary system called EnergyTrac to monitor water and energy use across its properties in order to track the success of energy management initiatives. One of the most effective programs has been upgrading the lighting in its properties—Fairmont’s Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California, for AMELIA INN AND BEACH CLUB Amelia Inn and Beach Club in Florida uses in-room sensors to automatically switch the heating and cooling systems down when guests leave the room. example, has saved an average of $61,000 annually by converting to fluorescent bulbs. The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, British Columbia, has installed a heat-recovery system that captures steam from domestic hot water tanks and uses it to preheat incoming city water. The process saves an estimated 305,380 kilowatt-hours per year. » BY BRIAN ALBRIGHT A natural energy solution T he Millennium Hotel Rotorua in New Zealand has taken an innovative approach to reducing its electricity costs and lowering its carbon emissions: The hotel has harnessed geothermal energy to generate hot water, to heat the building in the winter, and to heat all of the pools and spas. The entire Rotorua area sits on a geothermal field that includes a number of geysers, hot springs, mud pools and fumaroles, and several commercial buildings throughout the region have harnessed this energy for heating and other applications. The Millennium also has implemented a number of other energy-saving practices: Gas flares and heaters are on timers, and the facility is replacing its lighting with more energy-efficient lightbulbs. MILLENNIUM HOTEL Luxury Hotelier | April 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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Luxury Hotelier - April 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Inform Network Personalities Insight Properties Inspire Deliver Innovate Development Indulge Advertisers Index Editorial Index Source Listing Dossier

Luxury Hotelier - April 2008

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