As a former hotel General Manager, Kyle Fulcher understands that energy costs typically rank first or second on the list of highest hotel expenses.
Kyle is currently an Account Executive at Telkonet and has an insider perspective on hospitality management.
“From my past experience as a General Manager, I know that energy costs for a property are usually number 1 or 2 in terms of the top expense, right up there with labor for the hotel.”
During peak seasons, it’s challenging to control heating and cooling costs when most or all rooms are sold and occupied. Certainly, an energy management system allows utility savings which are transparent to the guest.
Fulcher continues, “When occupancy drops during slow times, a property is sometimes forced to adjust labor accordingly in order to save money. An energy management system (EMS) can also help mitigate revenue loss during those slower periods. Telkonet’s EcoSmart platform saves energy year-round.
“But when occupancy is low,” Kyle explains, “Telkonet’s smart thermostats can produce even more energy savings. The EcoSmart platform can move your thermostats into a ‘deep setback’ profile when rooms are unsold.”
What’s the difference between “setback” and “deep setback”?
In “setback” mode, the EcoSmart thermostat senses the room is not occupied, and has “learned” how far a temperature can drift and still return to setpoint within a specific period of time (e.g. 10 minutes). This serves a dual purpose: maintaining guest comfort while saving energy.
“Deep Setback”, on the other hand, is a profile that can be assigned to groups of thermostats. When you know certain rooms will be unoccupied/unsold for an extended period of time, the temperature will be allowed to drift further than in regular “setback” mode. This saves even more energy since occupant comfort is not a consideration.
Another EcoSmart advantage during slow periods is being able to save on labor by streamlining processes. When guests check out of their rooms, they typically don’t adjust the temperature. Housekeepers and other staff are often assigned to visit individual unsold rooms to manually adjust the temperature. With an energy management system, this adjustment can happen automatically.
Talk to an industry insider. Contact Telkonet today.
