The Energy Management Playbook for Hospitality
The hospitality industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors, with hotels and resorts consuming significant amounts of electricity and gas to ensure guest comfort. And this isn’t cheap - whether it’s from heating the pool, running air conditioning 24/7, or maintaining warm, ambient lighting in lobbies and hallways at night, it’s estimated that the average guest room incurs nearly $2,200 in energy costs annually.
With rising energy costs, growing environmental concerns, and increasing regulations, energy management has become a real top priority in the hospitality industry. In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at how modern energy management solutions can help hotels track and report energy usage, and how they can turn that data into actionable strategies for saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and cutting costs.
How Can Hotels Capture Energy Data?
At the heart of effective energy management is real-time, accurate data. Thanks to innovations in the sustainable tech sector, hotels can now capture their energy usage and ensure they have the information needed to make informed decisions.
IoT Sensors and Smart Meters
Hotels can use Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and smart meters to continuously monitor energy consumption in real-time. These devices capture data from various sources such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting, and even guest room occupancy. Smart sensors can detect temperature variations, air quality, and lighting conditions, providing critical insights into areas of waste and inefficiency.
Integration with Building Management Systems (BMS)
Many hotels already use Building Management Systems (BMS) to control key building systems and mechanical equipment, but integrating these systems with modern energy management platforms amplifies their effectiveness. Cloud-based platforms can gather granular equipment-level data from BMS, storing, trending, and analysing it to offer a comprehensive view of equipment efficiency and energy consumption across different areas and spaces. This helps optimise and fine-tune building operations, minimising operational drift and energy waste.
Sub-Metering
For smaller hotels without a BMS or central plant, submetering can allow hoteliers to track energy consumption at a more granular level, including by floor, space, or piece of equipment. Submetering can help highlight specific areas with inefficient energy usage, enabling more focused reporting and interventions.
So, How Can Hotels Analyse This Data?
Once energy data is captured, it must be analysed and reported to uncover actionable insights. Data visualisations and reporting are essential in transforming raw building energy data into useful information.
Energy Dashboards
Energy dashboards display real-time energy use, making it easier for operators to track trends and spot inefficiencies. Platforms such as ours at Infogrid offer customisable dashboards that allow sustainability teams, engineering directors, and operations heads to view and report on energy consumption and easily identify peaks or anomalies. This provides a clear, actionable picture of where energy is being used and where it might be being unnecessarily wasted.
Reporting Tools
Detailed energy usage reports provide actionable insights for decision-makers. These reports can be tailored to highlight specific metrics such as variance in consumption, carbon emissions, consumption, and cost per square foot. For hoteliers looking to meet ESG standards, comply with local sustainability regulations, and manage reporting to ownership or investors, creating tailored reports that highlight key business metrics of interest are crucial for maintaining transparency.
According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), implementing energy analytics solutions can reduce energy use by 10-20%, which really shows the potential for significant savings through improved reporting and analysis.
Benchmarking
Energy benchmarking allows hotels to compare their performance against industry standards or other similar properties. This comparison helps identify areas of improvement, such as outdated equipment or inefficient systems. By tracking performance over time, hotels can continually refine their energy strategies and measure the effectiveness of their interventions.
How Can Hotels Use Data to Save Money, Energy, and Carbon?
Capturing and understanding energy data is only the beginning. The true value of energy management lies in turning that data into actionable steps that drive energy savings, reduce carbon emissions, and cut costs. Here’s how:
Identifying Energy Waste
Real-time data and automation tools can allow hotel operators to identify and eliminate energy waste. For example, smart controls can automatically adjust lighting and HVAC settings when rooms are unoccupied. This can prevent unnecessary energy consumption, like running air conditioners in empty rooms or leaving lights on during the day. LBNL’s research shows that by detecting operational inefficiencies through building analytics, facilities can save up to 30% in energy costs.
Optimising HVAC Systems
HVAC systems are generally one of the largest energy consumers in any hotel. Optimising these systems based on real-time data can result in significant savings. For instance, systems can be adjusted based on actual occupancy levels or outdoor weather conditions, ensuring rooms are neither overcooled nor overheated. Regular maintenance and predictive servicing, informed by analytics, also ensure that HVAC systems are running at peak efficiency, preventing costly breakdowns and energy waste.
Reducing Carbon Footprint
Energy savings directly contribute to reducing carbon emissions. By using data to optimise systems and reduce waste, hotels can significantly lower their carbon footprint. This aligns with corporate sustainability goals and helps hotels meet increasingly stringent ESG regulations, contributing to a cleaner environment.
Smart Lighting Systems
Hotels can implement smart lighting systems that adjust according to occupancy or natural light levels. For example, motion sensors can turn off lights when no one is in the room, while daylight harvesting systems adjust interior lighting based on the amount of natural light available, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Upgrading to energy-efficient LED lights also contributes to significant energy savings.
How Can Hotels Optimise Building Performance?
Data-driven insights not only help hotels save energy but also improve overall building performance by optimising operations.
Building Automation
Automating building operations with the help of data analytics ensures that hotels can run efficiently without constant human intervention. From adjusting temperatures to scheduling equipment maintenance, automation ensures systems are optimised based on real-time data.
Space Utilisation
Data can also inform space utilisation strategies, such as closing off unused floors during off-peak seasons or adjusting energy usage in event spaces based on occupancy. This ensures that energy is not wasted on heating or cooling areas that are not in use.
Predictive Maintenance
Building analytics can help prevent unexpected equipment failures by predicting when maintenance is needed. This reduces downtime and maintenance costs while simultaneously ensuring that energy-consuming systems run smoothly and efficiently.
Transform Your Hotel’s Operations with Smart Energy Management
Effective energy management is essential for hotels and resorts aiming to reduce costs and boost their sustainability, all while maintaining guest satisfaction. By leveraging real-time data and advanced analytics, hotels can optimise energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and comply with ESG regulations.
The energy management solutions we offer at Infogrid enable hotels to turn energy and equipment data into actionable insights, resulting in more efficient operations and long-term savings.
Don’t let energy waste and rising costs affect your bottom line. With Infogrid’s cutting-edge energy management solutions, your hotels and resorts can save money, reduce carbon emissions, and deliver an exceptional guest experience—all while meeting the growing demand for environmental responsibility.
Start optimising your energy use today and future-proof your hotel’s operations. Book a demo to find out how Infogrid can help your property.
