Energy Management Systems or EMS refer to various computer-aided tools that are used in order to control the energy use in large facilities and organizations. Over the past several years, numerous hotels have started to implement energy management systems to reduce costs and to improve productivity.
In a nutshell, an EMS is a set of applications that are used to control, optimize and lower the energy consumption. Moreover, these solutions use real-time information such as the status of the plant unit controller, the frequency or the actual energy generation to come up with various system changes. Energy management systems are used for a wide range of applications, from lighting systems across to HVAC units.
How Can Hotels Benefit From EMS Technology?
The mechanism is very simple: in addition to reducing energy consumption, energy management solutions also come with advanced monitoring functions that allow users to gather valuable information about the energy use of a particular hotel – the data will be later used to make energy-efficient decisions about the activities that take place inside the hotel.
For instance, sensor-based occupancy systems come in handy for large hotels who want to cut down energy costs: these sensors detect movement (or the lack of it) and they adjust the lighting systems or the air conditioning unit accordingly. If there is nobody in the room, the AC will be automatically lowered and the lights will be turned off. The return-on-investment is positive, as these systems will show pay back within two to three years after installation, based on various factors like the size of the hotel. Overall, these energy-efficient solutions are a great investment in the long haul.
Closer Look at the Benefits of EMS
Energy management solutions have a series of benefits that should not be ignored. Firstly, these systems involve the best practice for energy management in day-to-day operations, which results in lower costs and improved performance and productivity. Besides, energy management solutions also ensure a continual process of improvement and it will help hotel owners (and not only them) comply with the well-known emission reduction and energy-efficiency obligations.
Secondly, an energy management system is environmentally-friendly, given the fact that it reduces the overall energy consumption; therefore it is safe to assume that this system is green technology that is especially designed to help hotels "do more with less".
As numerous statistics reveal, an EMS can result in 10 percent reduction of monthly water use and up to 25 percent energy use reduction. On the other hand, solar powered energy management systems can reduce the energy consumption by up to 50%.
Hotels That Use EMS to Their Advantage
When it comes to EMS, the InterContinental hotel chain is perhaps the best example as these hotels have started to test a type of system for energy management back in 2009 – the system allows them to measure the water and energy consumption, as well as the carbon footprint of each hotel.
The Westin Hotel in Washington D.C. has also implemented EMS back in 2010, and the purpose of this occupancy-based energy management solution is to dramatically reduce the guest room utility costs.