REMS - Room Energy Management System

Summary

The Room Energy Management System (Rems) is a cutting-edge solution for hotels, designed to reduce energy consumption while maintaining guest comfort. It uses sensors and software to monitor guest room activity, adjusting power to various systems based on occupancy and environmental conditions. Rems optimizes energy use through four key scenarios: unsold rooms, vacant rooms, occupied rooms during the day, and night mode. The system can interface with Property Management Systems for further savings and is proven to reduce energy costs by up to 50%. Rems ensures energy efficiency without compromising the guest experience, offering significant cost savings and operational efficiency.

Takeaways

• 😀 Rems is an advanced Room Energy Management System that optimizes energy usage while maintaining guest comfort in hotel rooms.
• 😀 The system operates by detecting guest presence and adjusting power to various services such as lighting and temperature, eliminating unnecessary consumption.
• 😀 Rems includes sensors such as door sensors, temperature sensors, presence sensors, and window/balcony sensors to manage energy efficiently.
• 😀 Four main operating scenarios are defined by Rems: Unsold Room, Vacant Sold Room, Occupied Day Mode, and Occupied Night Mode.
• 😀 In the Unsold Room scenario, Rems turns off lights and adjusts cooling until a set threshold temperature is reached, reducing energy use.
• 😀 In the Vacant Sold Room scenario, Rems manages an energy-saving setback temperature and restores the guest’s settings upon their return.
• 😀 In Occupied Day Mode, guests have control over the room’s temperature, but Rems prevents energy waste if a door or window is left open.
• 😀 Occupied Night Mode overrides the guest’s temperature settings to maintain an optimal sleep temperature (22-23°C), reducing cooling needs during the night.
• 😀 Rems optimizes energy usage based on building orientation, room levels, and seasonal factors, ensuring efficient energy consumption tailored to the room’s needs.
• 😀 Integration with Property Management Systems (PMS) like Opera or Fidelio allows Rems to adjust room temperature before guest arrival, saving energy while ensuring comfort.

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by hoteliers regarding energy consumption?

Hoteliers face the challenge of reducing energy consumption while maintaining guest comfort and satisfaction, which are central to their business priorities.

What is the Room Energy Management System (REMS)?

REMS is a state-of-the-art system designed to manage energy usage in hotel guest rooms by detecting human activity and adjusting or suspending power to services based on user requirements.

How does REMS reduce energy consumption in a guest room?

REMS reduces energy consumption by using sensors to monitor factors such as temperature, presence, and window or door status, adjusting the fan speed, two-way valve, and lighting accordingly to minimize energy use without affecting guest comfort.

What are the four scenarios REMS can identify in a hotel guest room?

The four scenarios are: unsold room, sold room vacant, sold room occupied day mode, and sold room occupied night mode.

What happens in the 'unsold room' scenario?

In the unsold room scenario, the fan coil unit and lights are switched off, the two-way valve is closed, and the room temperature is monitored. If the room temperature exceeds a threshold (e.g., 26°C), the system activates cooling to maintain a comfortable temperature.

How does REMS handle the temperature in a vacant guest room?

When the room is vacant, REMS sets an energy-saving setback temperature (e.g., 26°C), switches off lights and appliances, and restores them to the guest's last settings upon their return.

What does REMS do during night mode for occupied rooms?

During night mode, REMS overrides the guest’s temperature setting and maintains a stable temperature of 22-23°C, which is more energy-efficient and conducive to sleep, reducing the cooling load needed throughout the night.

How can REMS optimize energy efficiency based on building thermal dynamics?

REMS can optimize energy use by considering factors like room orientation, level in the building, and seasonal influences to adjust temperature control, accounting for factors like sunlight exposure and heat retention in the building fabric.

How does REMS integrate with Property Management Systems (PMS) like Opera or Fidelio?

REMS can interface with PMS to enhance energy savings, allowing the system to adjust room temperatures in anticipation of guest arrivals, reducing unnecessary cooling or heating when rooms are unoccupied.

What is the potential energy savings from using REMS?

REMS can save 3-5% on gross electrical consumption for every 1°C decrease in cooling or heating load, and can reduce energy costs by over 50%, providing significant energy savings and helping hotels comply with green industry initiatives.

What happens if the REMS system experiences a failure?

In the rare event of a failure, the room controller can be manually or remotely switched off, reverting the room to its original settings before REMS. The system is designed for reliability, with no reported fail rates since 2006.