Optimising HVAC for an island resort

Honeywell is collaborating with Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), a destination resort located on the Singaporean island of Sentosa, to deploy predictive optimisation technologies for district cooling.

Cooling is one of the largest, most expensive and complex energy needs for major resorts, so the new technology is expected to have a significant impact on sustainability and the bottom line. It works by anticipating demand and coordinating equipment before conditions change, thus reducing wasted energy while keeping hotels, attractions and public spaces consistently comfortable.

“Facilities management goes beyond fixing things when they break,” said Kess Chiang, Senior Vice President, Resort Services, Resorts World Sentosa. “It means staying ahead — using technology to make the resort more comfortable, reliable and efficient for every guest.

“A simple example is room and venue temperature. It should adjust itself to humidity, airflow and changing weather conditions, rather than rely on a fixed setting,” Chiang said. “The goal is that our guests should never feel too hot or too cold, while using only the energy that is needed. That is how facilities management can lead from the front in improving guest comfort and supporting responsible growth.”

Munish Suri, President, Building Automation, India and APAC, Honeywell Technologies. Image: Supplied

The initiative builds on Honeywell Technologies and RWS’s 2023 connected-building deployment, in which RWS adopted Honeywell’s cloud technology for large-scale building management. The new project will add artificial intelligence and predictive capabilities to help improve operations and support RWS’s carbon-neutrality ambition for 2030.

In testing the new technology onsite, the two organisations will be aided by the Honeywell Technologies Singapore Sustainable Buildings Centre of Excellence, established in 2025 with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Spanning 49 hectares, Resorts World Sentosa is a vast and complex hospitality and entertainment environment. It is home to Universal Studios Singapore and Adventure Cove Waterpark, as well as ocean institutes Singapore Oceanarium and the Research and Learning Centre. It is also the location of six luxury hotels.

The initiative is made up of three practical programs:

• Smarter air-conditioning: AI will continuously adjust HVAC systems to use less energy while keeping indoor spaces comfortable. This solution is already deployed in Resorts World Convention Centre and Illumination’s Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore.
   
• Cooling that anticipates demand: The district cooling plant will forecast how much cooling the resort will need and decide which equipment should run, and when. This will help RWS avoid producing more chilled water than needed and operate the whole plant more efficiently.
   
• A clearer view of energy use: Honeywell Technologies’ proprietary intelligence platform Forge will bring energy data together and turn them into insights that highlight where energy may be wasted and give facilities teams practical recommendations they can act on across the resort.
   

“The next frontier in building efficiency is not simply automating individual systems such as HVAC, chillers and district energy infrastructure. It is enabling interconnected systems to work intelligently together, continuously and proactively optimising energy use as conditions change,” said Munish Suri, Honeywell Technologies’ President of Building Automation, India and APAC.

Image caption: Sentosa Island. Image credit: iStock.com/preuk13