Reducing Power Consumption - Energy Management Aids Conservation
An Alerton energy-management system links critical building areas at a Phoenix hotel. The energy management aids conservation and brings improvements to the hotel.
Author:George EvansSep 03, 2024195 Shares48.6K Views
The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel, a Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. property, is designed and built from the ground up to be a model of water and energy conservation, while providing maximum guest comfort.
With 1,000 guest rooms and suites and 80,000 sq. ft. of meeting space that includes a 29,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and 17 meeting rooms, the hotel is the largest in Arizona.
The property’s conservation efforts extend to energy, including:
- heating
- ventilating
- air conditioning
- water
- lighting
To effectively monitor the building’s systems for optimal energy savings, hotel management chose a BACnet-based (Building Automation and Control Networks) solution from Alerton, Inc. (Redmond, Washington), installed by Climate Building Technologies Group (Phoenix, Arizona).
Energy Management System
The biggest challenge for Dan Abel, director of engineering for the hotel, was getting to know a new energy management system (EMS) and how best to use and maximize its capabilities.
Abel said:
“„To really maximize the system’s capabilities, we worked with Climatec to strategically customize a refrigeration-monitoring system for approximately 80 refrigeration units within the hotel.- Dan Abel
Climatec installed Alerton Building Suite front-end software to manage the hotel’s HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system and to integrate a number of other building systems and devices.
The energy-management system provides energy-efficient operation, including occupancy-based HVAC control, scheduling, and notification.
The Sheraton Phoenix project also includes:
- chill and hot water systems
- air-handling units
- refrigeration units
- VAV (variable air volume) units
- an emergency generator
The system monitors the electrical demand for four power meters located in the hotel’s electrical room at ground level.
Abel and his staff are already working on integrating auto-demand load-shedding programming in the EMS that will allow even more effective energy conservation for the property.
Refrigeration units are monitored by the Alerton EMS through VisualLogic unitary controllers. The custom-built, walk-in refrigeration units store food and beverages for the hotel, including dining, room service, and event banquets.
Sensors provide Abel and his staff with temperatures every five minutes.
Programmed notifications let the staff know if a refrigeration unit is running temperatures that are too high or too low. Adjustments are then made so the unit is operating at maximum energy efficiency.
Abel said:
“„We create log files on all our Alerton-monitored equipment-even our refrigeration units.- Dan Abel
Scheduling Energy Savings
Nightly schedules program the hotel’s cooling for the following day.
Schedules are also used to request fan cooling or heating in the meeting spaces. Flexible scheduling within the system allows the staff to temporarily modify settings before the system returns to pre-set parameters.
For instance, if a ballroom is scheduled to turn on its heating or cooling at 8:00 a.m., but a potential customer would like to tour the area at 7:00 a.m., the staff can override the schedule and energize the ballroom for a set period of time, for example, 30 minutes.
After the default run time, the ballroom shuts down until its regularly scheduled start-up time. One of Abel’s next projects is to integrate the lighting into the EMS as well, and time it with the heating and cooling.
Currently, Abel’s staff uses Admiral cell phones from Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Schaumburg, Illinois) to communicate with the Alerton system.
Climatec created a number of custom graphics for the phones that allow viewing and response to the most common critical issues.
Building technicians use the phones to view and adjust setpoints and receive and respond to notifications. The phone system even allows one engineer to help another without both having to be at the problem site or at a console.
With the system in place, Abel doesn’t yet have a baseline to compare year-to-year energy savings, but he looks forward to the possibilities.
One work already in progress is the auto-demand, load-shedding interface that will allow staff to shed electrical loads when the demand reaches a predetermined level.
Abel said:
“„I can tell you that once we put the load shedding in, I can review the past year and find out, for example, how many days and the exact times I went over our demand. I can show quantifiable savings.- Dan Abel
He added:
“„If you can think it, you really can create it. The scalability - the ‘buildability’ - is endless. That’s what I like about Alerton.- Dan Abel
Final Thoughts
For Dan Abel, the key to the success of the hotel’s energy-conservation efforts is BACnet compatibility and the flexibility and openness that communication protocol provides.
As he shared:
“„I’ve worked with other systems that are proprietary, and you are simply restricted in expansion capabilities.- Dan Abel
Abel added:
“„When I work with other vendors, the first question I ask is, ‘Is your system BACnet compatible?’- Dan Abel
As energy management aids conservation, he finds his work at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown more fulfilling.
George Evans
Author
George Anderson, an exceptional architectural designer, envisions and brings to life structures that transcend the realm of imagination. With an unwavering passion for design and an innate eye for detail, George seamlessly blends form and function, creating immersive spaces that inspire awe.
Driven by a deep appreciation for the interplay of space, light, and materials, George's innovative approach redefines the possibilities of architectural design. His visionary compositions leave an indelible mark, evoking a sense of wonder and transforming the built environment.
George Anderson's transformative designs and unwavering dedication continue to shape the architectural landscape, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and inspiring generations to come.
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