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Customer application 10 March 2020
The Blu Hotel Turns Green

The Radisson Hotel Group in Germany is undertaking a comprehensive modernization and modification of its buildings.

This work has already been completed in Cologne, resulting in lower energy consumption levels and greater guest comfort. An open building automation system in the Blu Hotel now enables a more controlled, coordinated interplay of heating, ventilation, sun shades and lighting.

Energy-Efficient Building Automation

  • Flexibility for Modernizing Existing Buildings with Open Automation Solutions from WAGO

     

  • The modular structure of WAGO controllers allows for new room automation functions.

Due to aging building technology and structural restrictions, the modernization of existing buildings demands that designers be flexible and willing to improvise. The Radisson Blu Hotel project in Cologne is an excellent example: Although the building was constructed in the mid-1990s and designed as a hotel from the start, “even the best technology, even with the best maintenance, eventually runs its course,” says Detlef Brunke, managing partner of DBU Planungs- und Projektmanagement GmbH. For this reason, the building technology of the Radisson Blu was subjected to a fundamental rejuvenation – which was accomplished during ongoing operations, on schedule and on budget.

“We wanted to implement something innovative – a sustainable and cost-optimized solution for the investor Pandox, instead of simply replacing old technology with new,” says Brunke, recalling the initial planning. A fundamental goal of the modernization was replacing the building management system (BMS) and connecting the hotel rooms to the new BMS. “We had originally intended to set up a new network using WAGO controllers,” explains Ingo Andrä, project manager for ICE technology and building automation at Kynast Elektroanlagen. This company was awarded the contract to implement the building automation that DBU designed. However, a substantial problem arose because ETHERNET was not available for a distributed I/O system. Fire safety considerations meant that a TCP/IP network could not be retrofitted. The ETHERNET cables would have to be run through the hallways – and then only in specific fire protection ducts. “That was simply not acceptable here,” recalls Ingo Andrä.

Resource Conservation as the Main Goal in Building Automation

For the connection to the higher-level BLS, only the two-wire connections from the LON® network that had originally been installed were available. “We were able to use that for BacNet TP,” explains Steffen Poranski, an ICE programmer at Kynast. Even though everyone involved in the project would have preferred a stronger bus system, “two wires still gave us enough freedom to take a large step toward sustainable building automation.”

The primary concern in the Radisson Blu project was to increase energy efficiency and guest comfort. Specifically, this meant better control of the heating, ventilation, blinds and lighting in the hotel rooms. It also meant the hotel had to operate more efficiently, with a greater emphasis on conserving resources. “Thanks to the new control technology, we can see which buildings within the group of companies have the lowest energy consumption, how much water and primary energy are consumed, and what shape the sun shades are in,” says Marcus Moll, providing examples. In addition, presence sensors ensure that rooms run in an energy-optimized mode when vacant. The base temperature is maintained by the central BMS, and the ventilation levels are dialed back.

MM-13435 Reference Story Radisson Blu_1_2000x1125.jpg

Modern automation technology provides the perfect lighting and climate in hotel rooms.