Working behind the scenes, Siemens is networking previously un-networked cabins both in service and during drydock. As a result, cruise lines can now see and adjust energy consumers by cabin, resulting in 15 to 30 percent in energy savings, said Jared Herrick, account executive ships division.
“Now you have data on 2,000 or more cabins, and you can know the temperature and occupancy,” he said. “You can see if the balcony door was open, if they ran the shower too long, and if there was an exhaust fan failure, for example.
“You can also control everything in the cabin, even down to whether the TV is on,” he added.
The updates require new cabin controllers. One recent example included doing the work in service, with one new controller per two staterooms, he said.
As ships have aged, Siemens has been able to solve energy problems that have arisen.
For example, one cruise line had its stateroom temperature sensors under the cabin’s desk. As more guests brought laptops and placed them on the desk, stateroom temperatures were not reading correctly, resulting in excessive energy usage.
Gary Baldevia, account executive, ships division, pointed to an energy study done for another cruise line, identifying savings opportunities with air handlers, ventilation changes, and demand flow.
A report for one ship can look at up to 3,000 data points and is then reviewed by an engineer to identify operational issues.
The report can range from five to 30 pages and present various energy savings solutions with ROI numbers.
In one recent case, new motors for engine room ventilation were recommended and would cost $1.6 million, but would pay for themselves in about a year and a half, added Baldevia.
Siemens has also inked agreements for hotel technical services with a number of cruise lines, meaning a company technician can be used to repair various equipment ranging from dishwashers to coffee machines. Those technicians are also available to help remotely.
According to Herrick, this gives a cruise line a one-stop shop for maintenance, with one technician able to service various different pieces of equipment.
