Power over Ethernet (PoE) is technology that passes electric power over twisted-pair Ethernet cable to powered devices, such as wireless access points, IP cameras, and VoIP phones in addition to the data that cable usually carries. As mentioned last week, The Sinclair, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of hotels, has taken the traditional use of PoE and gone much farther. Sinclair Holdings, the hotel’s developer, opted for PoE, utilizing Cisco Digital Building Switches, to power the hotel’s lights, window shades, smart mirrors, and minibars. The hotel opened a year ago in Fort Worth Texas. I interviewed Hannah Walker, Chief Operating Officer for Sinclair Digital, the company that handled PoE integration for the project, and she said her company designs and implements this type of low voltage DC system in buildings.
The next time you renovate or build new you should consider PoE.
“By powering devices directly with low voltage DC instead of high voltage AC, we save anywhere between 10 to 15 percent on energy conversion loss alone,” Walker said. “By also combining the power with network communication, we’re saving an additional 30 percent by utilizing controls and sensors. By utilizing this technology, we found labor savings as we were able to utilize a lower cost installer versus a licensed electrical contractor. We also found savings by eliminating circuit panels and using low voltage wire instead of metal jacket cable. The wires are run anywhere where power is needed, behind ceilings and walls, and they do not require conduit.” Walker adds that the Ethernet power cannot shock you or start a fire.
I mentioned PoE’s data carrying ability. This comes in very handy for the hotel’s maintenance staff. If a lightbulb goes out, the Ethernet system knows and alerts appropriate personnel. “Every cable going to a light fixture is sending power, but also data communication,” Walker says. “When a fixture goes out, data stops sending.” All lighting at The Sinclair is LED.
Innovative Backup Power System
Also unique about The Sinclair is its backup power system. “Every high-rise building is required by code to have a back-up generator to provide power to emergency systems: elevators, lighting, stairway pressurization,” Walker says. “This is typically in the form of a diesel generator which requires onsite diesel fuel, has to be run every month for maintenance which releases fossil fuels into the atmosphere, requires expensive ventilation, is extremely bulky, unreliable, and cannot fit down an elevator. The Sinclair Hotel has developed with LG the world’s first lithium-Ion battery that is UL924 rated for emergency systems. It is called the LG ESS. The benefits include: zero maintenance, no reliance on fossil fuels, extremely reliable, and can be connected directly to solar power or other renewable energy sources.
When asked if the HVAC system is currently connected to the Ethernet system, Walker indicated not yet but said, “The system can be programmed to power down any device in the room when a guest is not present. We are currently working with Marriott to pull access from their management platform to receive guest reservation information.”
What Sinclair Holdings and Sinclair Digital has done is create a lot of buzz in the media with mentions on the NBC Today Show, in Fortune Magazine, Premier Hospitality Magazine, Fort Worth Business Magazine, Star Telegram, among others.
When asked if she would recommend a PoE approach to others either renovating a building or building new, Walker said, “We would recommend this approach to anyone building a new building or doing a full building/floor gut/renovation,” adding that her company has not seen any major failures or issues with the technology that has not been resolved with software patches or occasional equipment replacement.
Kudos to Sinclair Holdings for seeking out and implementing cutting-edge, eco-friendly technology.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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