India’s hospitality industry has been springing back to action from the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns, with tourists flocking to both popular and offbeat destinations after months of isolation. Some of them are even on a revenge travel spree and ‘staycation‘has become quite a common trend where people stay at luxurious resorts to revive themselves and unwind in a peaceful getaway.
The hotel business, among other resources, utilizes a substantial amount of energy to provide comfort and amenities to its customers, often with very low levels of energy efficiency. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, carbon emissions from buildings rose to their highest-ever level in 2019. This included direct and indirect emissions from electricity and commercial heating used in buildings. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) on average consume 50% of the total energy in a building. Given this, there’s a huge potential for improving energy efficiency in hotel buildings through efficient HVAC technologies.
A luxury resort in India saves about 30% of energy with ABB drives
Every year, travelers from all over the globe visit Amanbagh, a quiet and luxury resort nestled in the Aravalli Mountain range of Rajasthan. A significant amount of energy goes into providing comfort- cooling for the guests holidaying in the resort. When it comes to optimizing efficiency in HVAC systems, a variable speed drive is an absolute necessity for ensuring energy savings. Amanbagh installed more than 50 ABB drives on the air handling units and pumps of the resort’s HVAC system. When compared to the conventional damper or valve control solution, drives can adjust the motor speed of fans or pumps to meet the current building needs, thus smartly saving a lot of energy. This way, the resort was able to save around 30% of its energy annually.
“Using ABB drives we could lower our carbon footprint and reduce expenses by optimizing the operations of fans and pumps in our facility, which usually accounts for a significant cost percentage of our operating budget, “said Jitendra Singh Chief Engineer, Amanbagh Resort.
The all-compatible ABB drives make commissioning easier than ever before, and an icon-based control panel makes the drive user-friendly. The built-in control features such as PID, energy calculator, and many others improve the ease of use and helps in optimizing energy efficiency.
“For the hospitality industry, providing personalized luxury and maintaining sustainable operations are two key priorities. There are a lot of opportunities for hotel owners to take the lead and integrate energy efficiency into the heart of their operations. We look forward to empowering these climate-conscious businesses with our latest energy-efficient solutions, “said AR Madhusudan, President, Drive products, ABB Motion India.
Energy savings, building comfort, simplicity, and reliability are the keys to a high-performing building. ABB drives are ideal for all HVAC applications, such as air-handling units, chillers, and cooling towers. They are suitable for use in a wide range of facilities from residential and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, airports, and tunnels.
While the hospitality industry focuses on recovery, tourists are increasingly searching for safe and sustainable travel and stay options, with a growing focus on their carbon footprint. Sustainable tourism is no longer a choice; it is a need, with a big majority of travelers preferring to vacation with companies that instill a commitment to a greener and eco-friendly practices. Hotels and resorts are incorporating smart and innovative technologies into their properties, such as smart lighting, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and data-driven solutions to reduce energy bills and have a positive impact on the environment.
