Westin Buckhead Manages Guestroom Energy Use; Reduces Room Cooling Cost by 35%, Winter Energy Use by 55% with INNCOM System
ATLANTA, January 7, 2015 – The Westin Buckhead Atlanta implemented an INNCOM Energy Management System as part of a comprehensive strategy to support its Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ “30/20 by 20” environmental initiatives. The 358-room property installed e4 Smart Digital Thermostats with the patented ecoMODE® feature, INNcontrol 3 Central Room Management software, and a full INNCOM property management system interface.
Westin Buckhead taps advanced system to achieve energy conservation standards
“The goal of Starwood’s “30/20 by 20″ program is to reduce energy use by 30 percent and cut water consumption by 20 percent by 2020 at every property,” said Robert Attaway, director of engineering for The Westin Buckhead Atlanta. “We implemented INNCOM’s guest room energy management system technology throughout our hotel to meet these aggressive standards.”
“Thanks to INNCOM, we are well on our way to reach our goal,” said Attaway. “Our results with INNCOM are so good that I feel bad for hotels that don’t have the system.” Attaway said his property also retrofitted LED lighting throughout the property to further reduce energy consumption.
The property’s INNCOM E528 Smart Digital Thermostats with room occupancy sensors enable precise temperature management. Room controls are linked to INNcontrol 3 software via a Deep Mesh Network that monitors guestroom condition and status and reports in real-time to INNCOM’s System. INNCOM is a Honeywell brand and a leading global provider of integrated room automation systems for the hotel industry.
Westin’s goal is guest comfort
“Our ultimate goal at the Westin Buckhead is guest comfort,” Attaway said. “INNCOM’s thermostats have sensors that show when a room is occupied. This informs the system’s configurable temperature setbacks to keep empty room temperatures within comfortable limits. We know INNCOM delivers energy savings because the system automatically checks its own processes daily. It takes a small number of guestroom thermostats off the setback control, then compares energy usage against when the room is controlled by INNCOM. We see savings of 35 percent in cooling in shoulder months, and between 50 to 60 percent energy savings in winter.
INNCOM detects rooms with incorrect setback temperatures
INNCOM also identifies rooms that show an incorrect setback temperature to maintain energy efficiency and guest comfort. “I review the setback report daily and dispatch my team to listed rooms to verify if repairs are needed,” Attaway said. “Guests appreciate it when we proactively come to their room to check the system. It shows our attention to their comfort.
“We hosted an NFL team that required its rooms continuously be at 68 degrees,” Attaway said. “For special guests like this, we override the setback to provide the desired temperature.”
