Retrofitting is becoming increasingly popular with time.
And it’s even more critical now that the world is facing a global economic, health, and environmental crisis.
With the pandemic, the global warming issue seemed to have been put on hold to fight something more urgent and imminent. But in 2021, worldwide nations met again in the COP26 to find solutions to this issue and understand what everyone can do to achieve zero emissions in the next decades.
The hotel industry is a booming multibillion-dollar market. Technology has confined the market, so continuous innovation is necessary for hotels to stay relevant and competitive. Retrofitting instead of building new is a way to try and fight the current crisis that strongly hit the hospitality industry.
What is retrofitting?
Retrofitting is the addition of new technology or features to older systems, for example, home energy retrofit or the improvement of existing buildings with energy efficiency equipment. These modifications aim to improve energy efficiency or decrease the energy consumption and demand of the building usage, enhancing the commercial building performance. Retrofits related to energy efficiency also reduce operational costs, as they can use technology and technological automation to optimize operational efficiency.
Retrofitting in the hospitality industry can include, for instance, added technology that allows guests to customize their room’s heating, conditioning, and lighting to make their ideal environment without having to tune and change each device manually. At the same time, hotel owners can also profit from these technologies that will help them save on energy costs, be more sustainable for the environment, and save on operational costs.
Addressing the climate crisis
One of the biggest problems faced by the hotel industry is the energy crisis, as the world is moving towards clean and green energy. Retrofitting can not only make the hotel customers’ experience more pleasurable, but it can also help solve the energy problems and cut down their energy costs by up to 30%.
While staying in hotels, guests expect great comfort, ease, luxury, and convenience. With post-pandemic new standards and interests, older hotels need boosting, and this is where retrofitting can help improve the hotel quality and efficiency without investing significant capital.
Addressing the pandemic requirements
With the pandemic still ongoing, hotels should consider using technologies to improve the safety conditions of their space. When planning this year’s retrofitting, for example, hotel managers can consider adding an oxygen saturation monitor that constantly monitors the number of people in the hotel room. This can be beneficial as it can help ensure the room’s capacity in meeting health and safety standards.
The use of technology can also apply to different situations; for example, automated lock door systems and automated light switches can help avoid direct contact with other people and meet the Covid safety requirements.
These past years have brought many changes and challenges in the hospitality industry to revive tourism and better customer experience. We at SensorFlow strongly support retrofitting in the hospitality industry with our smart solutions for hotels.
With SmartREM, for example, SensorFlow installs occupancy sensors that detect when a guest is no longer occupying the room, which then sends data to the room thermostat to turn off or switch the HVAC system to a more energy-efficient setting. When the guest returns to the room, SensorFlow’s occupancy sensor identifies the guest has returned and automatically turns the HVAC back to the original setting.
If you’d like to apply for a smarter, more sustainable hotel, fill in this application form, and we’ll be happy to help.