Honeywell today announced the launch of INNCOM Direct, an easy-to-install energy management system that uses automation to improve energy efficiency in mid-range hotels. The launch of INNCOM Direct supports Honeywell’s alignment of its business with three key megatrends, including automation and energy transition.
Since more than 30% of hotel rooms in the U.S. are typically vacant at any given time, INNCOM Direct enables a hotel to more efficiently manage energy-intensive HVAC systems during periods when guest rooms are vacant.
“Hotels are becoming more carbon conscious and taking meaningful steps to show they care about their environmental impact,” said Billal Hammoud, president and CEO of Honeywell Building Automation. “Until now, mid-range hotels have had fewer options to better manage their HVAC systems using automation. Now INNCOM Direct is leveling the playing field with an affordable, cloud-based energy management system.”
INNCOM technology was previously only available to high-end hotel operators. Now, this combination of hardware, software and cloud monitoring provides mid-range hotels, including limited-service hotels, with rapid setup and portfolio analytics that can be accessed from mobile devices or a dashboard and used either for a single property or for an entire portfolio.
Because empty rooms and common areas do not require the same level of heating or cooling, INNCOM Direct uses a proprietary detection system to identify empty rooms and adjust the temperature autonomously without compromising consumer comfort. Similarly, unrented guest rooms can be set to a specific setting that can be heated or cooled to a more comfortable temperature after a guest checks in. If a guest leaves a room for an extended period of time, INNCOM Direct can change the temperature to a more environmentally friendly temperature, which is then automatically adjusted when the guest returns.
When Halifax Hospitality began construction on its fifth hotel in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the company was looking for ways to control the use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, which can account for as much as 25% of the utility bill, so it chose INNCOM Direct. At 8,400 square feet and 159 rooms, this hotel is twice the size of what the company would have built ten years ago, resulting in higher operating costs.
“Hotel rooms are getting bigger and we needed something that would allow for energy savings, especially when guests are not using the room or a common area is empty,” said Hitesh Patel, vice president of Halifax Hospitality. “Operating costs are increasing like everything else. We’re always looking for the next big thing to reduce costs where we can.”
