In less than one year, installation of Verve wireless guestroom controls, ZENO gateway products and InnPoint software delivered Salvatore's Grand Hotel a sizeable return on investment; NYSEG presents owner Russell Salvatore with a $48,988 rebate check in less than 11 months

[Buffalo, NY — December 3, 2013]— Last November, Buffalo's famed Salvatore's Grand Hotel became the first hotel in the world to benefit from a joint technology partnership between ZENO Controls LLC and its subsidiary Verve® Living Systems. Using the wireless Verve® Keycard Switch (enabled by EnOcean energy harvesting technology) to communicate with room PTAC-air conditioners and bedside lamps via the ZENO gateway with InnPoint Software, Salvatore's Grand Hotel was able to dramatically reduce its overall energy consumption. Today, property owner Russell Salvatore is reaping the rewards of his investment, being presented a rebate check last month in the amount of $48,987.83 from local utility company New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG). This represents more than a 50 percent ROI delivered in less than 11 months.

Matt Moose (left), President of ZENO Controls LLC, and Brian Mead (right), ZENO Business Development Director, present a rebate check to Salvatore's Grand Hotel Owner Russell Salvatore (Center). — Photo by Zeno Controls, LLCMatt Moose (left), President of ZENO Controls LLC, and Brian Mead (right), ZENO Business Development Director, present a rebate check to Salvatore's Grand Hotel Owner Russell Salvatore (Center). — Photo by Zeno Controls, LLC
Matt Moose (left), President of ZENO Controls LLC, and Brian Mead (right), ZENO Business Development Director, present a rebate check to Salvatore's Grand Hotel Owner Russell Salvatore (Center). — Photo by Zeno Controls, LLC

"We partnered with ZENO Controls to get this property's energy consumption under control," said Owner Russell Salvatore. "We looked at several technology options, but only ZENO presented a hands-on approach to guestroom controls that did not inconvenience our guests or take any rooms out of inventory. Better yet, ZENO projected a return on investment of less than two years by local utility companies. Today, just shy of 11 months, we are seeing our investment pay off. We didn't anticipate the ROI would be so significant or come so quickly. When ZENO says it will deliver a quick ROI, believe it.

"Today Salvatore's Grand Hotel is maintaining a 5-Star guest experience while dramatically saving energy, thanks to this innovative technology integration," he said. "We could not be more pleased with the results, and we anticipate energy savings will continue to mount. Our guests are voluntarily choosing to participate in our efforts to save energy and help the environment. This confirms that we made a wise investment."

The Mesh network installed at Salvatore's Grand Hotel reduces energy consumption when sold and unsold guestrooms are left vacant. Heating and air conditioning units (PTACs) drop back to pre-set temperatures and bedside lamps turn off when rooms are empty. All in-room control systems are networked together to facilitate remote guestroom control through the cloud and at the hotel front desk.

Based on occupancy, front desk staff can put a stop to energy waste by turning on or off room lighting and HVAC units when guests are not in their rooms. This not only reduces energy costs, but it is respectful of the guest experience. In addition, because these controls are managed in the cloud, it is possible to monitor energy consumption online from anywhere in the world.

"Many hotels are unaware that rebate programs and tax incentives exist for their energy efforts," said Joshua Alper, ZENO Controls general manager. "Over the next three months, hotels that upgrade or expand to the Zeno network can still receive considerable rewards on their investments – just as Salvatore's did. Utility companies are only too willing to offer rebates to businesses who make a commitment to saving energy. When hotels combine both room controls with lighting packages to truly maximize their building's energy savings, the ROI is astonishing. ZENO Controls has put a lot of time and effort into building relationships with utility companies to make these types of rebates possible. We strongly encourage hoteliers to call Zeno today to see what packages we can put together that will deliver substantial returns."

Financing Program Coming Soon

Over the next 30 days, ZENO Controls will unveil a new financing program that will enable hoteliers to install Verve wireless guestroom controls, ZENO gateway products and InnPoint software with no upfront costs or out of pocket investment. The program will be structured as an 80/20 revenue share with returns coming from energy rebates. After a pre-determined contract term, the hotel will own the ZENO/Verve solution outright. The program and technology package is customizable and can be expanded over time.

"Hotels need to find ways to conserve energy, and at ZENO Controls, we will do whatever we can to make it easy and affordable," Alper said. "Our financing program is designed for hotels needing to build an energy-management program from scratch and those looking for the last piece to the install puzzle. Hoteliers interested in the financing program or who wish to learn more about rebates through ZENO Controls, should contact Andrew Pragel at 716-523-9473 or [email protected]. For information on Zeno Controls LLC solutions, visit http://www.zenocontrols.com.

About ZENO Controls LLC and Verve Living Systems®

ZENO Controls LLC is a company providing wireless gateways that connect families of intelligent devices to central controls. ZENO provides packaged solutions that include pre-configured, pre-scripted and pre-linked lighting and HVAC system controls. The end-devices, hardware/firmware and software components perform as a Complete Building Management System, or as a Wireless Device Gateway to existing communication protocols such as BACnet. ZENO is headquartered in Buffalo NY. Verve Living Systems® provides energy-efficiency control products that enable simple and affordable control of lighting, temperature and electrical loads in new and existing buildings. Based on wireless and energy harvesting technologies, Verve Living Systems® sensors are wireless and battery-less, making them cost effective and eco-friendly. Verve Living Systems® product solutions can provide an effective return on investment through energy savings without compromising occupant comfort. Verve Living Systems® is headquartered in Buffalo, NY.

Joshua Alper
(312) 296-8910