Z-Wave Alliance member MCA Systems focuses much of its energy … well, on energy. More accurately, ways businesses can curb their energy consumption by utilizing pre-configured turnkey smart systems to actively monitor and manage the environment.
Headquartered in Columbia, the team at MCA Systems has devised a simple solution that’s making a huge impact in the hospitality industry. Comprising several Z-Wave-enabled devices and custom software running on a Z-Wave controller, its proprietary Horus Smart Energy platform is helping two luxury hotels in Columbia, cut their monthly energy bills by as much as 20%. Since using the system for almost two years, the Holiday Inn Cartagena Morros and Sonesta Valledupar recorded a 15% and 20% decrease in electricity consumption, respectively.
For the Holiday Inn, this equates to an overall savings of $32.388.790 COP; for Sonesta Valledupar, $220.710.824. None of the savings sacrifice the quality of the guest experience. In fact, guest rooms equipped with the Horus system make their stay all the more convenient, comfortable, and enjoyable by ensuring the lights, thermostat, and motorized shades are always set at the right level when they’re in the room and off when they’re not.
The incredible impact of MCA Systems’ Z-Wave-enabled Horus platform on each hotel’s operating expenses hasn’t gone unnoticed. The savings earned the integration firm a prestigious Energy Efficiency award from ANDESCO (National Association of Public Services and Telcos) and the Energy Ministry in Columbia. “The energy efficiency generated by our energy management platform is enough to cover the investment and generate surpluses,” says Tito Ardlia, Horus Smart Energy CEO & Founder.
Guest rooms hold a key to greater energy efficiency
Hotel properties inherently eat a significant amount of electricity. With 24-hour 365-day operations, they are one of the highest energy and water consumers per square foot, according to Better Buildings Hospitality, a DOE-sponsored initiative. It’s hard to get a handle on how consumer behavior influences energy use in large, common areas like fitness rooms, conference rooms, and dining establishments. It’s feasible in a more controlled, self-contained environment making guest rooms the ideal candidates for a wireless energy management system such as Horus.
All the more incentive for the Holiday Inn and Sonesta Valledupar to implement the Horus solution into guest rooms is this staggering statistic from Better Buildings Hospitality: The average guest room pre-COVID incurred nearly $2,200 in energy costs annually. As a reference point, in 2019 the average monthly bill for residences in the U.S. was $1,380 a year! These figures aren’t likely to change; in fact, now that consumers have resumed travel, costs could climb. The Holiday Inn and Sonesta Valledupar are well-equipped and -prepared, however. With hundreds of smart Z-Wave devices running at maximum efficiency at each property for more than two years, these two properties will be able to streamline operating costs and rebound quickly.
Buckling down to banish waste
During its preliminary assessment of each property’s energy use, MCA Systems discovered that 33% of consumption occurs when rooms are unoccupied. They, therefore, designed the Horus system to alter the operation of each room’s electronic amenities based on the comings and goings of guests. Integrated into each of the 140 rooms at the Holiday Inn and 108 rooms at Sonesta Valledupar, the Horus controller communicates with motion and door sensors to monitor activity within each room. Based on this information, the controller adjusts lights, thermostats, TVs, and other electronic devices for maximum energy efficiency. The system requires no interaction of guests or service by hotel employees and unifies the operation of the most power-hungry devices under a single controller to simplify control, management, service and updates to the system. For example, should a room require an additional sensor, MCA Systems can quickly install it and modify the Horus controller’s custom software for seamless interoperability with the room’s existing Z-Wave ecosystem.
MCA Systems programmed its proprietary software specific rules for the Horus-controlled Z-Wave devices to follow as guests come and go. The well-orchestrated automation sequences are fluid and transparent—a natural extension of the room environment requiring no effort or change of routine of guests. Each time the door of a guest room is opened, the system enables power to the room. Lights, AC and TVs operate normally. Once the door has been closed, the system monitors movement in the room for 15 minutes. If it detects movement, it leaves the power enabled for an indefinite period of time until the door opens again and the system restarts its work cycle. If no movement is detected during the 15 minutes, the system disables power until the next opening of the door.
Efficiency drives additional operational and environmental benefits
Naturally, the less frequently a device is used, the longer its lifespan, not to mention fewer service calls and maintenance. These benefits streamline operations for the hotel workforce, bringing a significant boost to their bottom line and customer satisfaction. The energy cutbacks also validate each property’s commitment to a greener, more sustainable environment and compliance with environmental regulations. The energy saved over the past two years by the Holiday Inn and Sonesta Valledupar minimized their carbon footprint by 541 and 363 tons, respectively.
Cloud-based management reduces operating costs
Another important component of each hotel’s Horus solution is the facilitation of remote management and service. Connected to the cloud, the Horus controller feeds real-time data to MCA Systems technicians’ mobile devices and central monitoring station. From one dashboard they have complete visibility of the status of every device in every room. Should a device fall offline, for example, the technicians are alerted immediately; often the problem can be resolved remotely even before guests are aware.
Deeper insights into guest behaviour leads to smarter systems, better customer service
The wealth of relevant information gathered and shared by the Horus Smart Energy Management platform enables MCA Systems and hotel administrators to make management decisions based on real usage and consumption data. They can see when energy use is highest for example, which devices draw the most power, how long rooms are occupied/unoccupied, and which devices guests engage with most. Based on these reports, each hotel can modify and expand the system for even greater efficiency and customer satisfaction. The system provides a clear, well-defined roadmap for MCA Systems for appropriate technological refinements and updates, keeping the system as fresh and relevant as it was the day it was installed.