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Lantronix PoE++ Switch Helps Power Hotel Marcel Net-Zero Energy Hotel
November 2022 by Marc Jacob
Lantronix Inc., a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and the Intelligent IT market, announced that its Smart Managed Gigabit Power over Ethernet++ (PoE++) SM24TBT2DPB switch was utilized in powering the net-zero energy Hotel Marcel. Built in 1970, the hotel is designated as a historical building and is part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a group of historical boutique hotels.
"To create the net-zero energy Hotel Marcel, we used alternative resources, such as the Lantronix PoE++ switch, to power the entire hotel, including the lighting and even our window shades," said Bruce Redman Becker, FAIA, LEED AP of Becker + Becker and owner of the Hotel Marcel.
Case Study Overview
With advanced technology contributions from Lantronix and its Value Added Reseller (VAR) Sinclair Digital Services, Hotel Marcel is the country’s first net-zero energy hotel that operates completely on its energy-efficient DC microgrid. The hotel’s renewable energy solution is powered in part by Lantronix’s cutting-edge PoE++ switch.
Challenge: Support Creation of a Net-Zero Energy Hotel
The hotel owner had an ambitious goal of creating a model for environmental sustainability by building a net-zero energy hotel that would operate entirely on the energy it creates.
Challenges included:
Identifying and implementing the most efficient energy technologies
Retrofitting a 50-year-old historic building
Accommodating a very tight timeline
Solution: Lantronix Smart Managed Gigabit Ethernet PoE++ Switch
The hotel’s team turned to Lantronix, a leader in delivering high-end Power over Ethernet solutions for smart buildings; and Sinclair Digital Services, experts in delivering sustainable, safer power sources that enable efficiency, cut costs and provide a positive experience for building occupants.
To provide power to support the hotel’s renewable on-site energy generation solution, the hotel’s team chose Lantronix’s PoE++ switch. The only UL-certified switch with true 24x90-watt power and direct high-voltage DC power, the switch supports the latest PoE standard, ensuring the highest possible integration with the other smart building solutions. The Lantronix team worked with its partner to customize the functionality to ensure that it would meet the hotel’s unique power needs.
Results: Hotel Generates 100 Percent of Its Own Power
Supported by Lantronix’s customized PoE++ switch and a smooth and integrated installation by Sinclair Digital Services, the hotel generates 100 percent of its own electricity and energy to power, automate and control all its electrical systems, including lighting, automatic window shades, heating and hot water as well as the guest room refrigerators.
The country’s first net-zero energy hotel, Hotel Marcel is also one of the first Passive House-certified hotels and one of fewer than a dozen LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum-certified hotels in the country.
Built in 1970 and located in New Haven, CT, the 165-room Hotel Marcel was designed by Bauhaus designer and architect Marcel Breuer, after whom the hotel is named. Originally built as the headquarters of the Armstrong Rubber Company, it subsequently became the Pirelli (tire) Building. Unoccupied since the late 1990s, in 2021, it was converted into the Hotel Marcel. Designated a historical building, it is now part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a group of unique, historical boutique hotels.
