It's no secret that lights left on in unoccupied guestrooms is a leading source of energy waste. So common is the problem that many lodging properties lose thousands to tens of thousands of dollars off each of their bottom lines every year because of it.
There Is a Solution
To combat this, Watt Stopper/Legrand has developed a line of card key switches that give hospitality facilities a simple way to save energy. The HS Series of switches enable or disable power to a select number of electric circuits and loads present inside guestrooms, eliminating the potential for this waste. These card key switches are ideal for hotels, motels, resorts and other lodging properties.
The HS is a line-voltage switch that will serve as a primary or master switch at guestrooms' entrances. A common application for these card key switches is to allow them to collectively control all permanently installed luminaries and switched receptacles in guestrooms (except those in bathrooms if limited by building code).
Operation is simple and convenient: When a hotel door entry card key is inserted in the HS-100/
HS-150's card slot, the controlled circuits are energized. When the hotel door entry card key is removed, the controlled circuits remain energized for 30 seconds, giving the guest time to safely leave the hotel room. After this time delay elapses, the lights will be de-energized. To restore power to the room, the occupant simply need reinsert the hotel card key into the HS-100/HS-150 card slot.
'There are about 140,000 new hotel guestrooms built in the United States every year,' says Carlos Villalobos, product manager for the HS card key system. 'The majority of hotel chains are going green - searching for ways to save energy, reduce their consumption of natural resources and minimize their impact on the environment.
'Hotel managers are looking into becoming compliant with new code standards such as IECC and ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA, which require them to install master switches at the entrances of all guestrooms,' Villalobos adds. 'This interest on energy savings by hotel managers and the amount of new guestrooms being built every year represents a very interesting market for card key master switches in the U.S. that will ensure code compliance while securing significant energy and cost savings in unoccupied guestrooms.'
Profits From Pineapple
The HS Series of card key switches are available through St. Charles, Mo.-based Pineapple Hospitality, a provider of products and services that deliver higher levels of guest satisfaction and increased profitability to the hospitality industry, while balancing environmental and social responsibility.
'The HS card key switch is yet another example of the kind of innovative, socially responsible, profit-enhancing products that Pineapple Hospitality is proud to offer,' says Pineapple Hospitality President Ray Burger, a 30-year industry veteran and former hotel general manager.
'Hotels, motels and lodging facilities across the country are looking for solutions to cut costs and demonstrate their environmental awareness to guests,' Burger adds. 'By simply turning out the lights in empty rooms, the HS card key switches offer hotel managers a simple, unobtrusive way to maximize energy efficiency - very potentially uncovering thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in annual profit.'
'Pineapple Hospitality is an excellent partner to promote these products as Ray knows hotels inside and out, and Pineapple has a strong reputation and foothold in the hospitality industry and possesses rare expertise in promoting green, energy-efficient solutions,' Villalobos adds.
Two-Way Benefits Street
HS card key switches are a much better and more energy-efficient solution for hotels than just standard master switches. The units can control lighting circuits as well as HVAC systems, so the potential for savings in empty rooms is huge.
Guests benefit as well. The HS card key switches' operation is intuitive and will not compromise guest comfort. The HS switches can be easily located in dark rooms as they have two LED locator lights, illuminating slots for door entry cards. Guests will go about their own activities inside or outside of their rooms without any interference or complications due to the existence of the hotel card key switches.
'The HS card key switches are located inside of guestrooms, usually right next to the entry doors,' Villalobos adds. 'Guests are required to enter their rooms and then place their door entry card keys into the HS-100/HS-150's card key slot to supply energy back to the controlled circuits inside of their rooms. The HS-100/HS-150 card key switches are not magnetic strip readers, nor are they connected to guestroom electronic door locks. Rather, they are mechanical switches that close - powering up the rooms - due to the mechanical pressure that the guest cards inside the card key slots apply onto the switches' momentary push buttons.'
The majority of hotels in the U.S. have independent switches that control individual loads in guestrooms. Typically, one single master switch does not control all of the lighting loads in guestrooms. European hotels are different, Villalobos says. Many hotels in Europe have single switches by guestroom doors that enable or disable lighting.
'For most guests who have traveled outside of the U.S., such as to Latin America, Europe or Asia, the existence of card key switches in their rooms is almost a given,' Villalobos adds.
Energy Savings Add Up
Studies show that hotel lighting usage patterns do not reflect a significant dip in energy consumption from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., when guestrooms are typically unoccupied. Rather, researchers have found that hotel guests or housekeeping staff will leave lights on 20 to 25 percent of the time in unoccupied rooms during this time period.
Watt Stopper/Legrand's HS Series Card Key Switches will positively impact the energy management behavior of housekeeping staff and guests without the need for any special training. Now hoteliers have a significant opportunity to achieve maximum energy savings during their utility's peak load time of day by simply installing HS Series Card Key Switches into the entryways of all of their guest rooms. Installation is simple and the product pays for itself in a few months, with substantial savings to be reaped for years after that.
SOURCE: 'Lighting Energy Savings Opportunities in Hotel Guestrooms' (from a Research Study at the Redondo Beach Crowne Plaza) by Lighting Research Group Building Technologies Department, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
HS-100/HS-150 Features
• Attractive, low-profile styling,
• Choice of five decorator colors,
• Backlight card key slot for visibility in darkened rooms,
• 30-seconds egress time,
• Compliant with IECC/ASHRAE/IESNA,
• Ensures all controlled circuits will power off when guests leave their rooms, unlike master wall switches,
• Compatible with building automation systems, energy management systems and lighting control panels, and
• Zero crossing for reliability and increased product longevity (HS-150).
About Pineapple Hospitality
Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality(TM) is an EPA ENERGY STAR(TM) partner bringing fresh ideas to hospitality guests' doors and owner/operators' bottom lines - including FreshStay(R) (www.freshstay.com), Environmentally Sensitive Amenities(TM), the greenSPA(TM) luxury amenity and dispenser system, Numi(TM) Organic Teas, Project Planet(TM) Linen
Re-Use programs, Guestat(TM) programmable thermostats, Oxygenics(TM) water-efficient showerheads, the Nature's Mist(TM) deodorization system, and dozens of other products and programs. To get a taste of Pineapple's sweet solutions helping thousands of hotels bolster business and cut costs, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call Ray Burger at 636-922-2285.
About Watt Stopper/Legrand
Watt Stopper/Legrand is a leading manufacturer of efficient lighting controls for commercial and residential use. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Watt Stopper helps customers find convenient ways to save energy, meet green initiatives and comply with energy codes with a comprehensive range of products, program, and services. Legrand, located in Limoges, France, is the world specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks. Visit www.wattstopper.com for more information.
Energy Saving Tips for Hotels
• Place energy and water conservation reminder cards in guestrooms,
• Offer guests the opportunity to change linens less frequently,
• Ask guests to draw shades and blackout curtains when not in their rooms,
• Check refrigerator door seals regularly to make sure they're airtight,
• Keep evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up,
• Regularly clean lighting fixtures inside and out,
• Replace incandescent lights with fluorescent bulbs,
• Insulate supply pipes and hot water tanks, making sure to leave air intake vents uncovered,
• Clean heat exchangers and perform routine maintenance on refrigeration equipment vacuum coils, and replace worn door gaskets,
• On the outside, repaint building exteriors using light colors to reflect more sunlight and heat,
• Install motion sensors for turning on lights only when needed,
• Use shading strategies (e.g. window coverings, reflective window film, awnings, trees, shrubs and trellised vines) to shade sun-exposed windows and building walls, especially southern and western exposures.
Source: California Travel and Tourism Commission
'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.'
- Mahatma Gandhi
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