One of the most important words to look for when considering energy-efficient equipment for your hotel is “variable.” I come across it often. In some cases, the technology has been available for years; in other cases, not. The main idea with “variable” is to not be running on 100 percent all the time. This past week in my feature on the very green Revisn aparthotel in Raleigh, N.C. you will see mention of a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heating and air-conditioning system. By operating at varying speeds, heat recovery VRF units work only at the needed rate allowing for...

RALEIGH, N.C.—Almost seven months since opening in Raleigh’s Glenwood South district, business at Revisn has been great and the aparthotel has been at full capacity, says Dicky Walia, CEO and Managing Director of Welcome Holdings which developed the “green” Revisn brand. Large corporations are renting the residences. According to Welcome Holdings, Revisn combines the “spacious comfort and relaxing convenience of a luxury executive apartment residence with the hospitality of a boutique hotel.” What Revisn also does is provide guests with a low-carbon experience thanks to its high-tech approach to power generation and heating and cooling. Atop the 48-unit building is...

WAUKESHA, WIS.—The installation of an energy management system (EMS) is an investment that pays for itself over time (typically two to five years), by reducing energy consumption and streamlining workflows. Engineers at Telkonet, Inc. analyzed the primary factors that affect EMS payback. They did this by looking at over 10 years’ worth of granular data about customer energy usage. Telkonet identified five primary drivers of EMS project payback. The company set out to learn which are the most powerful drivers affecting project payback. Telkonet gathered 10+ years of real-time savings data, and analyzed the following elements that affect each of its...

KENNESAW, GA.—Carrier recently invited its channel partners and Controls Expert contractors to participate in the Carrier Controls Expert Expo in Orlando, Fla. Carrier Controls Expert contractors are certified professionals who install, service and deliver Carrier’s i-Vu building automation system. The Expo is part of the Carrier Controls Expert continuing education training program that launched in 2013 and currently has more than 600 certified contractors in over 20 countries. Carrier, a world leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, is a part of Carrier, a leading global provider of innovative HVAC, refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies. More than...

OTTAWA, ONT.—DewAir Corp., an Ottawa-based, leading manufacturer of HVAC and IAQ products, has introduced the RH-Cube 18, the HVAC industry’s first split-system mechanical dehumidifier using a compact, energy-efficient counter-flow heat exchanger for dedicated humidity control. The RH-Cube 18 reduces air-conditioning energy costs up to 55 percent and increases indoor air quality (IAQ) for restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare clinics, athletic facilities, offices, grow-ops, factories, museums, warehouses, residences and many other applications with small to medium spaces requiring humidity control. The 18,000-BTU/hr, 600-CFM unit independently supplements any air-conditioning system by removing up to 206 lbs and 273 lbs (93 or 123 kg) of...

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—Capstone Turbine Corp., a leading clean technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, announced that Innovative Energy Corporation (IEC), Capstone’s exclusive distribution partner in Jamaica, has secured a second follow-on order for a C800 Signature Series microturbine along with a 20 year Factory Protection Plan. The C800 Signature Series will be installed in a combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) configuration at the award-winning Couples Tower Isle luxury all-inclusive resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This will be the third Capstone microturbine installation at a Couples Resorts property in Jamaica as the luxury resort management team for multiple locations across...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—CIRQ+ has expanded its unified system capabilities to deliver an advanced Smart Technology Platform. CIRQ+ is the only patented modular Smart Device in the hospitality industry. The award-winning and future-proof platform has been engineered to enhance guest experience, improve hotel efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs. “With our ultra-modern design, the first multimodal interfaces and voice combinations, CIRQ+ has now elevated the standard for Smart Room controls by continuing to consolidate numerous products into a unified IoT solution that sets itself apart from the competition,” said Yani Deros, CEO and co-founder of CIRQ+. “Hotels striving to catch up...

ATLANTA—Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, announced enhancements to its INNCOM INNcontrol 5 (IC5) Energy Management and Guestroom Control System that will allow multi-property scalability for full portfolio management. Honeywell also launched a new mid-market product offering to make cost-effective, simplified energy management available to a wider range of properties. The IC5 system lets operators monitor and manage energy and guestroom controls for an entire hotel property—and now across an entire hotel portfolio—in real time to identify and resolve issues before they affect guests, track energy usage, and deliver better operational efficiency. IC5 collects guestroom data and presents it...

MINNEAPOLIS—At HITEC Minneapolis, Volara is partnering with CIRQ+ to augment the company’s new multimodal interface system that includes a guest Opt-in capability that takes voice privacy and security in the guestroom to new levels. Volara’s conversation-management software and secure integrations will enable guests to use voice to communicate through the CIRQ+ Smart platform, an embedded room control and energy-management system, while enhancing the guests’ stay with optimized comfort and convenience. Now, when guests enter their hotel rooms, they can speak commands to the CIRQ+ supported voice assistant selected by the hotel (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or IBM Watson) to control...

SALEM, ORE.—Onity, a global leader in electronic locking, access control, and mobile key solutions for the hospitality industry, is simplifying today’s connected room architecture by melding connectivity, door locks, and smart devices into a new, mobile-centric approach for smart hotel rooms. “As a leader in mobile credentialing, Onity continues to advance its hotel access solutions to offer a simple approach to the future of the connected-guest experience,” said Fayyad Sbaihat, President, Onity and Supra. “We are set to provide an easy, flexible path to in-room connectivity.” Based on the latest DirectKey mobile access system and Trillium door locks, Onity’s smart guestroom...