Open protocols are a viable option for building automation. This time we will talk about digital control systems for hotels. by Duván Chaverra Agudelo
There are many things that come to mind when we talk about hotels. The most common thing that is commented is that they are places where people stay during a business or leisure trip, and that they offer hundreds of amenities; they are classified by categories according to their services, location and technology and are such indispensable spaces that they are cataloged as an industry that despite the wide competition does not stop growing. But today's guest is much more demanding and wants the hotel he chose for his rest to also be a comfortable, cool, safe place that offers him the best guarantees in performance and efficiency. Before this did not go through the minds of customers. Today it is a very consulted topic prior to the reservation of a room. And to meet all these needs there are technologies that in addition to offering optimal performance allow the hotel to save large amounts of energy, that is, less costs. Digital control systems are a suitable option for the automation of a building, they offer multiple advantages in administration, such as controlling the temperature, managing the lighting of the room or corridor and obtaining all the necessary information on the performance of each of the functional systems of the hotel room. However, it seems that these types of systems are not yet potentially used in Latin America by the hospitality guild. Perhaps their cost or the ignorance of the client prevent them from being marketed in a better way. On this occasion, we invite two expert companies in the field of building automation, such as Johnson Constrols and KMC Controls, with whom we will know, from their own experiences, what recent developments are known in this subject. In addition to what is the behavior of this market. Initially, Rubén Rodríguez, regional manager for Latin America of KMC Controls, stressed that in the region systems with open protocols that allow integrating different manufacturers within the same facility are currently predominating. "Hotels in Latin America, like the entire HVAC control market, have begun to install all the controls and machines with native BACnet open protocol, BTL listed, to ensure interoperability between different manufacturers and thus achieve greater freedom when it comes to expanding or maintaining the digital system," said engineer Rodríguez. Although this protocol is not new, its massification in the region has been slow, even more so in the hotel industry. This protocol was developed by Ashrae and stands out for having created a group of HW and SW rules that provide the possibility of communicating to two devices regardless of whether they use protocols such as EIB, BatiBUS, EHS, LonTalk, TCP / IP, among others. The KMC Controls representative says that his company has had the experience of installing this product in hotels such as the Playa Linda Resort in Aruba and the Grand Palladium Resort in Riviera Maya in Mexico. He also states that the savings that can be presented with the use of these alternatives reach or exceed 10% The same concept has Francisco Sánchez, manager of the commercial area "complex" of Johnson Controls, who commented on the savings offered by these products. "Depending on the season and occupancy of each hotel, the percentages of savings can range from 8% to 25% savings in electricity consumption."
Systems for everyone
All hotels, from the newest to the oldest, can be renovated with digital control systems, our experts say. The representative of Johnson Controls comments in this regard that "all hotels apply, since their needs are practically the same: satisfy the guest or guest (in lounges, restaurants, rooms, etc.) through infrastructure equipment such as lighting and air conditioning, in addition to the own infrastructure for their work, recreation and recreation. The equipment to be controlled is basically those related to the generation of ice water, generation of cold / hot air, ambience through lighting and hot water. " Rodríguez, for his part, spoke on this same topic that "for a correct installation no special requirement is necessary, all the hotels where we have made installations are retrofit of old hotels, which require the systems for the need to lower costs and increase comfort". What about IP technology?
The implementation of IP technology, not only within automation, but in other industries such as electronic security remains low. The main drawback is the cost, as companies with old infrastructure do not dare to raise their budgets by investing in wireless connections if analogous solutions are still offered. "The acceptance of IP solutions for automation is good from the 'desire' point of view, but the resources and financial runs of existing and new hotels continue to prefer conventional systems over digital ones, because the investment cost is lower," said Francisco Sánchez. Meanwhile, Rubén Rodríguez commented on the subject that "The receptivity of the IP in what is retrofit has not been good, because it is much more expensive and laborious to do it in an existing hotel that does not already have the IP infrastructure. By now 100% of the installations have been wired. For future projects where everything is already based on structured cabling (such as telephones, TV, etc.) there it will only be justified that the control also passes to IP. We already have these solutions." Finally, before making an installation in a hotel, it is important to keep in mind that these are spaces where the constant flow of people, climate, maintenance, are factors that influence the correct installation of the equipment that was previously analyzed to meet the needs of the establishment. "The occupational dynamics of the property require specific systems, so where there is a greater flow of people, there must be controls other than places where the flow or dynamics are lower. In the market there are special devices and systems for hotels in all segments: control of air conditioning and lighting, control of TV content, telephony and guest services, access controls and security systems in general, alternative power generation, etc. "said the representative of Johnson Controls. "The teams must be designed to resist the bad treatment that is given to them in the hotel market, in many cases the client abuses the controls, sometimes due to lack of knowledge. For example, the digital display must be protected with a transparent plastic screen of high impact, otherwise in a short time they appear broken or with the typical black spots. The buttons must be well defined and well separated, very robust, because it is operated by children, adults of all kinds and must resist, in addition to not confusing or pressing two at the same time, "said Rubén. In the market there are different automation options. What is clear is that perhaps a little more approach is needed by installers and integrators to a market such as the hotel, which has a great projection and should be a source of good business for the industry. To highlight
Automation software options (BACnet Standard).
As for what is available in the market, Francisco Sánchez stressed that there are management systems for smart and sustainable buildings that integrate, control and optimize all the systems of a building such as air conditioning equipment (HVAC), lighting, fire systems, security, monitoring of electrical systems, hydrosanitary systems, among others. " Current infrastructures are also based on TCP/IP networks, wireless networks and advanced software (ADS, ADX) for special applications, which allow you to manage a property in a single tool, thus obtaining the information where and when you need it. For his part, Rubén Rodríguez, explained about automation software that "allows you to see from a PC or via the Internet all the variables measured by the control system, without any software or additional license. You will be able to observe the current temperatures of each room, if it is occupied / unoccupied, the historical ones of the behavior of the air conditioning to establish strategies of energy saving, control of humidity and dew point, add the control of the engine rooms, the measures of general electrical energy, the measures of consumption of water, gas, etc., everything that normally the management needs for a correct and efficient operation of the hotel".
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