Cornerstone Hotel Partners with Telkonet under a New Energy Saving Contract

As part of Wisconsin's Focus on Energy incentive program, Cornerstone Hotel Management announces a new energy management contract with Telkonet, Inc. Cornerstone Hotel Management will initially install the in-room, occupancy-driven Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE) energy management system at three of its properties to lower utility bills by eliminating unnecessary heating and cooling of unoccupied guest rooms.

Launched in March 2008, Telkonet and Focus on Energy provide eligible hospitality customers in Wisconsin with discounted energy management products and installation on a low cost, lease-to-own basis, as part of a drive to save millions on kilowatt-hours per year across the state. The program is one of the country's strongest energy efficiency incentives to help manage rising HVAC costs and implement energy-related best practices in the hospitality sector. Hotel owners benefit from special promotional pricing of $2.57 per room per month over a three-year term to cover the cost of the TSE system, and typically achieve a rapid return on investment within just 18 months.

Reducing energy costs is at the top of Cornerstone Hotels Management's priority list, as president Brian Brandstetter explains, "We are truly excited about Telkonet SmartEnergy and believe that our HVAC cost savings will be substantial. Telkonet's system takes the guesswork out of managing out PTAC equipment, automatically adjusting a room's temerature when rooms they are unoccupied, compared to previously, when we were relying on housekeeping's ability to remember to set the heating and cooling at a specific temperature when rooms are vacant. We also envisage realizing energy savings in our public areas, such as in our bars, where the thermostat was never turned down when closed. TSE's applications are numerous, such as eliminating problems with frozen pipes that break once thawed and avoiding air conditioner freeze-ups from running continuously in the summer. The networked version of TSE will also be invaluable in the future, with its ability remotely to adjust temperatures online."

Cornerstone Hotel Management, which operates seven hotels in Wisconsin, is initially installing TSE at three properties: at Comfort Inn and Suites in DeForest, the Holiday Inn Express at DeForest, and the Best Western in Sparta. TSE will control a variety of manufacturers' PTAC units, with energy management occupancy sensors and PTAC controllers installed to manage each room's heating and cooling.