NIANTIC, CONN.—INNCOM International, a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of guestroom automation systems for the international lodging industry, has unveiled a new design-centric energy-management solution made of recyclable glass that controls room temperature, lighting and more. The e4 Glass Series Smart Digital Thermostat and Switch, developed with design team tonychi and associates and lighting design partner Arc Light Design, were introduced at the Hospitality Design Expo and Conference last week.
“The INNCOM e4 Glass Series finally gives designers the much needed flexibility to work in-room electronics into the overall guestroom design scheme,” said Arc Light designer Alejandro Bulaevsky. “The glass face-plate of the thermostat and light switch provide a blank canvas for any image, graphic or identity desired to be etched onto, or colorized into, the system—from the most minimalistic to the most complex designs imaginable. What once was a design challenge due to predetermined room layout and style now has become an exciting, personalized design opportunity.”
The design team from tonychi and associates approached INNCOM eight months ago to develop an elegant, yet highly functional, EMS solution for one of its hotel customers in the luxury segment. The hotel wanted a solution that could blend room controls into the design integrity of its newly renovated guestrooms. The INNCOM e4 Glass Series will be installed at the hotel later this year.
“Only INNCOM had the capability of integrating lighting and room controls and tying both back to the building-management system,” Bulaevsky said. “The end result is unlike anything the industry has seen. The only limits to this solution are those that lie within a designer’s aesthetic creativity.”
Reaction Has Been Positive
“We are delighted to have been given this opportunity to work with tonychi and associates’ design team and develop what we consider to be an energy-management and guestroom-control system that designers, architects, owners and operators will be lining up to install,” said INNCOM CEO Duane Buckingham. “We’ve previewed this product to a few select hotel companies, and universally the reaction is the same: ‘Wow!’
“This is affordable luxury,” he said, “and it’s ideal for any hotel company that is sensitive towards the environment and that is looking for the latest technology achievements available for guestroom controls and guest satisfaction. INNCOM is committed to developing new solutions built with green materials to support both the needs of our customers and the environment.”
The e4 Glass Series Smart Digital Thermostat is a member of INNCOM’s Integrated Room Automation System. Its core is a Direct Digital Control processor capable of controlling virtually any fan coil unit, heat pump or packaged terminal air conditioner. It includes an easy-to-read illuminated Liquid Crystal Display packaged in an innovative light touch switching form factor.
“The system is designed to be simple for guests to use,” said INNCOM president Rick Quirino. “The easy-to-read touch surface can be used to turn the unit to AUTO or turn it OFF. The FAN touch surface lets the guest select among the available fan speeds. The DISPLAY touch surface lets the user toggle between set temperatures, actual room temperature, or outside temperature. The arrow up and down touch surfaces allows the user to increase or decrease the set temperature. The user also can elect to participate in the property’s sustainability practices by touching the ecoMODE touch surface.”
Expandable Smart Digital Thermostat
The e4 Glass Series Smart Digital Thermostat can be expanded to include functionality such as humidity control, outside temperature display, occupancy reporting to housekeeping, automatic control of lights and the patent-pending ecoMODE functionality. When connected to INNCOM’s centrally controlled system, additional energy savings are achieved by using a broader setback band when the guestroom is un-rented.
The e4 Glass Series Switch, a low voltage switch input for lighting, fan, drape or similar applications, also is a member of INNCOM’s IRAS family and is available in various models. The Glass Series Switch can be equipped with up to five touch switches to meet application-specific requirements. Additionally, each touch switch can be equipped with a color LED that acts as an indicator or pilot light depending on the switch’s assigned function.
The Switch is activated when a guest touches the capacitance switching glass surface. Each switch surface is typically identified with an ICON or text. It also is provided with a color LED that can be configured as a pilot light that offers visual orientation in a dark room or an indicator light that provides a visual status depending on the function of the button. When a dimmer switch is used, a quick touch of the switch surface will toggle the light ON or OFF. When the surface is touched and held, the light brightness will ramp up or down depending on the configuration. When a light is toggled ON or OFF, the switch slowly ramps the light on or off, providing a “soft” response to the function being performed.
Also at the Hospitality Design Expo and Conference, INNCOM displayed its new 3056 Tabletop Controller, a six-switch, low-voltage, multi-purpose device designed for convenient bedside guest control of privacy annunciation and maid requests, lighting and drapes and sheers. It comes equipped with an on-board photo sensor that detects the light level in the room and automatically adjusts the intensity of the backlighting. It also has a proximity sensor, which will increase the back light level when a hand is placed in front of the unit.
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