A top concern among hoteliers during the financially-challenging pandemic is to cut costs as much as possible. Careful energy conservation in hotels is one of the central concepts for operating under a tighter budget, and to do so some are investing in more efficient equipment.

Here are some other key methods for optimizing an energy management system for hotels.

Upgrading Heating and Cooling Equipment

Purchasing modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment is ideal for a business that can afford the investment since it leads to future savings. Hotels must provide comfortable rooms to maintain guest satisfaction, but traditional HVAC systems simply aren't as reliable as the new systems for facilitating energy conservation in hotels. A modern method of cooling rooms is known as variable refrigerant flow, which circulates refrigerant to multiple indoor areas using less energy. Another key to saving energy is sizing water heaters appropriately based on the number of rooms and water flow for showers. At the same time, they must provide sufficient heat for washing machines and dishwashers. Water heaters calibrated to avoid wasting heat can be part of the solution. Hoteliers should be open to any technology that cuts waste and inefficiency. Guests can get plenty of satisfaction from innovative and smart minibars, especially those with Wi-Fi-connectivity. The technology is integrated into the hotel's property management system that allows managers to turn off equipment when not in use. If the guest doesn't need the fridge, the system stays off. This long-lasting system is designed to cut refrigeration costs by 85 percent. Modern HVAC equipment encompasses hardware such as air source heat pumps, which allows the heat to be transferred from outside to indoor or the other way around. These units are designed to function as energy-efficient space heaters or coolers, so there's less strain on the central HVAC system.

Exploring New Technology for Energy Savings

The key to future energy management for hotels will involve consideration of various new types of technology. Since climate control is a huge factor for energy conservation in hotels, planners should look into smart thermostats that allow guests to monitor energy consumption. Other types of IoT sensors can monitor room occupancy and peak electricity loads in real-time. Smart lighting is another new development that can cut energy costs. This system automates energy supply that can adapt to real-time demand. Converting to an LED lighting system can cut hotel energy costs by as much as 75 percent. Another new development for conserving energy is predictive monitoring. Utilities are starting to deploy sensors that connect with databases and machine learning software to predict energy consumption. Maintenance staff of hotels can use these sensors to analyze occupants' needs while predicting wear-and-tear on equipment. The system sends alerts about waste and when components need repair. Some online management platforms constantly collect HVAC routine data for every room. It assigns them efficiency ratings. This rating indicates how fast a room can be heated or cooled to the preferred temperature. It also alerts the engineering teams when HVAC equipment needs attention. One of the biggest causes of energy waste is when appliances are off or in standby mode, yet still draw power. This problem can be corrected with automatic shutdown sockets based on smart sensors that detect energy usage. These sockets cut off the power supply when no occupants are in the room. Solar panels are another option for hotels to explore for renovation toward energy efficiency and lower costs. The price of panels has dropped tremendously over the past decade, which has been attractive to businesses of all sizes. Using solar energy puts less strain on the traditional grid system and provides instant backup power in an emergency. Some states allow solar energy producers to sell excess energy back to the grid. The above examples are just some of the significant ways to make hotels energy efficient. Contact Nikki Fox, Nikki@ParkwestGC.com, at Parkwest General Contractors to learn more about cutting hotel costs and maximizing guest satisfaction.