Frost: Building Automation Systems Ease Minds of Hotel Owners
October 30, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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As hotel owners operate in an industry with high overheads, they are eager for a system that offers precise communication between devices, as well as decreases maintenance, energy and operational costs.
According to Frost & Sullivan, appropriate implementation of building automation systems (BAS) connects all of the hotel's subsystems into a single platform.
Recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan of the North American hospitality BAS market found that when building and hotel owners become aware of the availability of open and interoperable solutions, they are no longer apprehensive about investing in rapidly evolving building automation technologies.
The most critical part of a hotel manager's job is to ensure maximum guest experience and retention while minimizing energy consumption.
Analysts said integrating controls saves costs as operators are better able to view equipment performance and be more proactively involved in preventative maintenance.
Through this converged network, hotel staff gain further value from the BAS to exceed guest expectations by determining and resolving problems before guests are affected. With the ability to reduce energy consumption, analysts said BAS is a huge asset in positioning a hotel as a green building.
Advanced BAS enable hotel operators to view systems in real time, analysts said, allowing them to maintain equipment with greater ease. Similarly, wireless sensor networks in BAS can help end-users achieve unprecedented levels of functionality.
"Wireless technology in BAS offers major labor savings for facility operators; as a plug-and-play application, the control center for wireless control and automation systems can be placed anywhere in the building," said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Jorge Moreno.
"There is no need for wiring back to the control server since there are no retrofits."
Hotels with medium to low occupancy do not find systems with motion sensors profitable. Analysts said once suitable building automation hardware and software are identified, they can be used to control room temperature and air quality.
For BAS to be a greater commercial success, decision-makers and building automation practitioners have to be educated about the technology's availability and capabilities. Analysts said manufacturers need to highlight the benefits of improved guest services, as well as lower energy, repair and replacement costs. Once all the building's stakeholders are completely aware of these advantages, they can work together to enhance building integration.
"BAS manufacturers have to develop cost-effective, flexible and well-integrated automation solutions that can be easily manipulated to meet the demands of end-users," said Moreno. "The ability to create advanced strategies in building automation as a whole is essential for manufacturers to survive the current revolution in wireless and central controls."
Source: Frost & Sullivan.