Constellation, Marriott Sign Load Response Agreement for 250 Properties

Constellation Energy and Marriott International, Inc. announced this morning 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.

As part of the agreement, Marriott will leverage Constellation Energy's VirtuWatt 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.

"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," said Robert Bahl, vice president of engineering and facilities for Marriott International, Americas.

The new program follows a 2010 pilot at 17 Marriott properties.

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. Constellation said that 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.