Intelligent Building Controls: HVAC Controls

No more so is this true than in a busy hotel, that has to heat or cool every room all the time and this is where our unique GEM wireless intelligent control system was developed to control individual hotel rooms, one of the most challenging environments with ever changing guest occupancy patterns. Successfully installed in over 250,000 hotel and meeting room spaces, the system consistently delivers energy savings of 30 – 35% without any impact on the occupant’s comfort.

Ideal for hotels, schools & universities, offices & retail

Although a leading product in the hotel sector, the system can easily be adapted to any room space that has variable and localised occupancy patterns. Potential exists for controlling school and university classrooms, student accommodation, meeting rooms, offices, hospitals and retail outlets.

Using localised wireless technology the system can be connected to control any electrical circuit, such as lighting, but HVAC is an obvious choice due to its larger energy consumption. Easily connected to all major HVAC systems and using wireless technology to connect all the component parts, it can be installed in typically 60 mins to any room space. Unlike other systems it does not rely on sensors alone as this type of solution or a simple key card switch can be easily fooled. The GEM solution works on whether a room is in an occupied or unoccupied status and taking control of the space accordingly to deliver maximum savings.

Typical installation time 60 mins per room

Anyone entering the space would do so via the door and this triggers the system into life, verifying through a complex, but reliable algorithm to change the status of the room. When in unoccupied room status the system measures the ambient temperature to ensure the space never gets too hot or too cold. The single most important piece of information needed for any HVAC solution is whether a room is occupied and the most effective way to find out is through a combination of sensors, including an entry-door monitor and one or more occupancy sensors. Without the combination of an entry door monitor and occupancy sensors, you are compromised: either the system must take a lengthy period of time to determine if a room is unoccupied, or it must risk the occupants’ comfort while they are sleeping. If the system must take a lengthy period of time to determine occupancy, then its ability to achieve energy savings is lowered dramatically.

Every second longer that a system takes to determine occupancy means less efficiency and dramatically-reduced savings. Our GEM solution also means improved guest satisfaction. When they are in the hotel room the system is under their control via the existing thermostat. Unlike many key card solutions, the guest is not even aware that the system is working to save your hotel money. Systems that do not use a combination of sensors to determine occupancy either create unnecessary guest discomfort or less than optimal energy savings.

Effectively the system is a mini building management system but in every room / space, intelligently controlling the space linked to actual real time occupancy, all installed quickly and at the fraction of the cost of a typical BMS system.

We have conducted extensive research at a wide range of hotels and our research showed that hotel guest rooms are often empty for up to 46% of any 24-hour guest stay and during this time you continue to drain cash by heating or cooling the room. Our intelligent system can be installed in under 60 minutes which means that you do not have to lose money by taking rooms out of service.

Energy consumption in a typical hotel

After installation, monitors check whether the guest is in-room and, if not, they switch that room to a money-saving, energy-saving mode. The vast majority of hotels that have installed this solution are cash-flow positive from day one because the immediate energy savings are so high.

Potential for savings when guest is present in room

Take a look at the HVAC Savings with SMCC GEM Wireless that you could be making.

200-bedroom hotel example – consider the typical savings that you could be instantly making.

Generally, hotels have costs associated with seven months of heating and two months of cooling in any given year based on the typical UK climate. Saying that we estimate that there is only two hours in a 24-hour stay where the guest is not present this is when the eco mode is operating – typically the saving would be £38,000 per year.

We have also developed advanced financial modelling tools and comprehensive savings calculators to calculate and verify your hotel’s exact potential savings and reduced carbon footprint.

Please contact us directly to find out exactly how we can help you to start making significant savings and also contribute towards climate protection.

Our innovative financing options could allow you to use your savings to pay for the products avoiding the need for capital. Due to the fact that the immediate energy savings are so high and our financing options for our system spreads the capital expenditure payments, sharing in the savings, the vast majority of hotels that have installed this solution are cash-flow positive from day one.

This is because utility bill savings are generally greater than finance payments. That means you can start enjoying the benefits of the industry’s best HVAC energy management solution without waiting for capital budgeting or impacting your existing operating budget.

Additional Reasons To Cut Carbon In Your Property

The hospitality sector is responsible for over 3.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. It is estimated that energy savings of up to 20%, equivalent to more than £200 million, are possible across the sector.

Taking action on climate change delivers energy cost reductions, enhanced reputation, satisfied and motivated employees and stakeholders, the ability to proactively manage regulatory compliance, and competitive leadership through planning new business innovations.

A structured approach to reducing your carbon footprint by managing your heating and air conditioning consumption, one of the largest energy consumers and cost to your hotel, can save you a surprising amount on your energy bill. Our approach is to help you to make sure you have a consistency across your hotel or hotel chain, by giving you the confidence that you have the same solution installed in every room, that is working to maximize the saving without impacting guest satisfaction, providing the necessary calculators to work out your saving, so you can demonstrate a proven level of carbon reduction and where applicable use this to offset your CRC tax.

The Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) is a mandatory carbon emissions reporting and pricing scheme to cover all organisations using more than 6,000MWh per year of electricity (equivalent to an annual electricity bill of about £500,000).

CRC came into force in April 2010 and aims to significantly reduce UK carbon emissions not covered by other pieces of legislation. The primary focus is to reduce emissions in non-energy intensive sectors in the UK.