Hotels or hotel chains are one of the main consumers of energy because they are operational 365 days a year. They provide a variety of services and amenities and operate round the clock. With current growth potential for the hotel construction set to increase, it will lead to a massive power consumption. As we head towards an energy-efficient and sustainable future, we need an energy management system to focus on the activities of the hotels to achieve energy saving objectives.

Here are a few challenges staring them as they look to explore energy management for a sustainable future.

• Temperature regulation

  Energy in the hotel is consumed by temperature regulation which makes for up to 70% of energy consumption. Out of 70%, close to 64% power consumption is by heating and hot water and the rest of the 6% by air-conditioning. Lightning also accounts for 12% of the energy costs in the hotels. The roof and walls, windows and doors are the common places to look for energy losses.

• Media filters

  Media filters are used in the air handling units of many hotels to filter air pollutants. However, these filters create resistance for the air, leading to higher power consumption, which in return affects the energy efficiency. So, there is a need for the use of cleaners to clean indoor air more efficiently in commercial buildings such as hotels with much lower energy loss.

• Food preparation

  Food preparation in the hotels is one of the factors that increase the energy consumption. It takes close to 6% of the energy cost while refrigeration consumes 2% of the cost. So, preheating a broiler for an extended period of time or at an excessively high-temperature wastes energy and could alter the food quality and taste.

• Conserving water usage

  Another challenge that the hospitality industry is facing is the conservation of its water usage. Excessive use of water by the tourists staying at their premises is another problem as they consume 16 times more water than locals on an average.

Solution for the few challenges of the hotel industry

• Water conservation and architectural design can play a crucial role in efficient water resource management
• Rainwater harvesting could be a water conservation method along with a selection of the right fittings and fixtures.
• Installation of water meters which not only help identify areas of high-water usage but could increase efficiency by monitoring reduction in the consumption

Final note

HVAC equipment typically consumes at least 40% of energy in a commercial building. They allow losses through piping, ductwork, stacks, dampers and rooftop units. So, taking measures like switching to the latest technologies and installing variable frequency drive, reducing cooling loads such as improved window glazing or lighting improvements, installing de-superheater, duct static pressure sensor, chiller optimizer, high-efficiency Chiller, can make a huge difference. Apart from all these solutions, you can integrate IoT technologies in the operation. Through IoT, one receives real-time data. It communicates to other devices to reduce the wastage of energy resources in those areas.

How Minionlabs can help the hotel industry?

We at Minionlabs can help hospitals reduce electricity costs, and improve productivity by providing real-time device-level electricity consumption, using a smart energy device delivered through our analytical platform. It is available as Single-Phase Energy Monitor and Triple Phase Energy Monitor. This energy management saving platform can help the businesses save 10-30% of the annual saving. Hotels spend a good part of their operating costs on energy and utility bills. Thanks to intelligent technologies, hotel owners can review energy consumption and implement efficient ways to increase financial savings.