BUFFALO, N.Y.—The SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Richardson, Texas, is realizing the benefits of wireless energy management by using the Verve Keycard Switch from ZENO Controls LLC. Property operator Lowen Hospitality Management is saving energy and money by empowering guests to control lights, outlets and the HVAC system in rooms. Lowen Hospitality Management is planning on implementing the Verve Keycard Switch at all new-construction projects going forward.
“At Lowen Hospitality Management, our eye is on energy conservation and being green,” said Sanjay Naik, Lowen Hospitality Management vice president. “Rather than investing in costly occupancy sensors and associated technologies, we banked on a system that has a small footprint and is easy to use by guests and staff alike. It enables our guests to be actively involved in saving the planet—and participating is something they tell us they appreciate. Guests don’t always think to turn off lights, hair appliances, irons, or HVAC when they leave the room. The Verve Keycard Switch, combined with thermostats and electrical load controllers, operates these devices automatically. It’s convenient, it conserves energy, and it protects our assets by making sure that all electronics are off.”
Powered by Zeno and enabled by EnOcean, the Verve Keycard Switch is small, wireless, and requires no batteries to operate. When a guest enters the room, he or she places the room key into the slot on the KeyCard Switch which then transmits a wireless signal. When in place, guests have complete control over the lights, outlets and the HVAC unit in the room. When removed, the room is designated as unoccupied and electrical devices will turn off or go into eco set back mode, preventing the room’s temperature from moving outside of a comfortable range on return.
Eliminates Potential for Negative Guest Impact
“With occupancy sensors, hotels run the risk of making an occupied room an uncomfortable temperature if the guest is a sound sleeper and the unit doesn’t register that someone is actually in the room,” Naik said. “Using keycard switches—which is commonplace in Europe and Asia—eliminates that problem. Guests can’t waste energy, so our bottom line and overall performance improves.”
EnOcean-based systems have been proven nationwide in hotels to save between 20 percent and 45 percent in energy, and hoteliers have reported recouping their investment in less than one year.
“We are thrilled that staff and guests at SpringHill Suites, along with executives at Lowen Hospitality Managaement, are so elated with the service that the Verve Keycard Switch is providing,” said Joshua Alper, ZENO Controls LLC general manager. “Travelers loyal to the Springhill Suites brand are extremely tech savvy and environmentally conscious. The Verve Keycard Switch blends user-friendly interactive guest technologies on the front end with planet-friendly energy management on the back end. Reducing the amount of energy used and driving revenues to the bottom line is very important to hotel owners and operators today. As more hotel companies like Lowen Hospitality Management discover the bottom-line improvements that keycard switches provide, we anticipate many more hotels will follow their lead.”
Go to Zeno Controls and Verve Living Systems.
