Marriott selects constellation energy to provide load response,
automated curtailment and energy management capabilities
Baltimore--(business wire)--constellation energy (nyse: ceg) and marriott international, inc. (nyse: mar) today announced an agreement to develop over 23 megawatts of load response capability across more than 250 marriott-managed hotel properties in the mid-atlantic, new england, new york, texas and california. load response is the reduction of electrical consumption in response to high wholesale electricity prices, system resource capacity needs or system reliability events. constellation’s load response program is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity costs at marriott properties, while ensuring guest comfort through expanded building automation capability and customized load curtailment strategies. “marriott international sees this program as a direct link to our global sustainability efforts,” said robert bahl, vice president of engineering and facilities for marriott international, americas. “in addition to load response, the associated automation of this program will help to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of our hotels, saving an estimated 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.” as part of the agreement, marriott will leverage constellation energy’s virtuwatttm energy management system in concert with existing building automation to track electricity usage, bid directly into demand response markets and automate load curtailment strategies. marriott properties may elect to receive financing through constellation energy’s load response program to defray the upfront cost of demand response related equipment upgrades, as well as take advantage of load-based utility incentives in markets where available. “constellation energy worked with us and our partners for more than a year to develop a load response program and a customized technology solution platform to complement our specific business objectives and diverse portfolio of hotels,” said douglas rath, energy director for marriott international, americas. “by leveraging marriott’s existing building controls systems, vendor relationships, utility and constellation energy incentive opportunities, we are able to expand our automation capabilities, increase facility efficiency, drive participation in load response programs and accelerate marriott’s sustainability initiatives.” in 2010, constellation energy and marriott conducted a load response analysis and pilot at 17 marriott properties, which identified technology requirements and laid the groundwork for this national scope load response program. “constellation energy is a longtime partner with marriott on energy procurement, and together we’ve created a load response program that is a coherent driver within marriott’s overall energy management strategy,” said gary fromer, senior vice president, demand response, for constellation energy. “providing properties access to real-time usage data and responsive automation capability will allow marriott to maximize energy market revenue and savings opportunities, and in a challenging economic climate, do so with the most efficient use of capital.” through a partnership with automated logic corporation (alc), constellation energy will implement indirect load control at marriott properties where alc systems are installed. constellation energy’s virtuwatt platform will enable marriott properties with other brands of automation to implement pre-set curtailment scenarios for building systems such as generation, pumping and hvac, based on load shortages, electricity usage or real-time pricing. a groundbreaking interface provides facility operators an intuitive web-based interface for selecting specific curtailment scenarios on an as needed basis to match daily business demands. virtuwatt also provides marriott international with a centralized system for load control at multiple sites, an enterprise-view of electricity usage and data grouped by independent system operator or regional transmission organizations. to view an interview with douglas rath, energy director for marriott international, americas, please click here. constellation energy currently manages load response programs for commercial and industrial customers in the pjm, new england, new york, ercot, california and ontario regions. the company’s virtuwatttm 3.0 , which is also available as an iphone® and ipad® app, enables customers to better monitor and manage their electricity use and maximize the financial benefits of load response programs through minute-to-minute metering, real-time pricing information, marketplace bidding capabilities and automated energy curtailment strategies. virtuwatt’s open architecture is compatible with all major building management systems. to watch a brief video about constellation energy’s virtuwatt offering, please click here. iphone® and ipad® are registered trademarks of apple inc. the materials provided and any offerings described herein are those of constellation newenergy, inc. a subsidiary of constellation energy group, inc. about constellation energy constellation energy (www.constellation.com) is a leading competitive supplier of power, natural gas and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the continental united states. it owns a diversified fleet of generating units, totaling approximately 12,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and is a leading advocate for clean, environmentally sustainable energy sources, such as solar power and nuclear energy. the company delivers electricity and natural gas through the baltimore gas and electric company (bge), its regulated utility in central maryland. a fortune 500 company headquartered in baltimore, constellation energy had revenues of $14.3 billion in 2010. about marriott international building on more than 20 years of energy conservation experience, marriott is committed to protecting the environment. the company’s spirit to preserve® environmental strategy calls for: greening our multi-billion supply chain; further reducing energy and water consumption by 25 percent per available room by 2017; expanding our portfolio of green hotels and buildings and green hotel development tenfold over the next four years; educating and inspiring employees and guests to support the environment; and investing in innovative, large-scale conservation projects worldwide. for more information about our sustainability efforts visit www.marriott.com/environment.
