Plug Smart Helps Detroit Hotel and Event Center Lower Costs While Increasing Energy Efficiency and Comfort

DETROIT, Aug. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy solutions provider Plug Smart partnered with Reliable Controls—manufacturer of sustainable building controls—to lower energy costs and increase efficiency and comfort for the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. An iconic feature of the Motor City skyline, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is a full-service conference hotel, with 100,000 square feet of meetings and event space.

Thirty years ago, Plug Smart team members installed the facility's original building automation system (BAS) and have since acted as energy and systems advisers. Now also having managed the renovation, improvements included replacing the conference center's aging BAS without disruption to facility operations. With Marriott's commitment to the native Building Automation and Controls Network (BACnet) protocol that easily integrates and communicates with other building systems, Plug Smart helped select Reliable Controls as the best solution for the next generation of their BAS.

Saleem Siddiqui, Director of Engineering at Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, championed the project. He collaborated with the Plug Smart team to identify innovative energy-saving solutions and lead the strategy to ensure hotel operations continued without disruption. Most recently, Siddiqui reported that the hotel has already saved more than $150 thousand during a 6-month period when it simultaneously experienced a 1.5 percent increase in occupancy. The simple payback is projected to take less than three years.

The Plug Smart team worked extensively with the Marriott's engineering staff to implement various energy conservation strategies. Lucas Dixon, Plug Smart's Controls Business Unit Leader, said the project was "A giant step forward in the hotel's ability to monitor and control their building to maximize guest comfort, while saving energy." The project included integrating the complex's electricity, water, steam, and chilled water meters into a dashboard to provide real-time tracking of energy savings goals. 

The team achieved these savings through advanced control strategies in the hotel main lobbies, meeting rooms, and ballrooms. Other benefits of the retrofit include: less HVAC system downtime, increased access to a modern web and mobile-enabled graphical user interface, and future service and expansion options via the BACnet open protocols. For easier temperature controls in the hotel's guest rooms, the new system allows for future integration to those spaces as well.

Plug Smart team members continue to provide innovative energy-saving solutions for hospitality clients, and the company has a proven track record of delivering projects on time and under budget. If your hospitality facility has aging infrastructure that needs attention, contact Lucas Dixon, at (734) 494-0830.

SOURCE Plug Smart