This topic connects to the day-to-day management of a hotel. Learn about our management approach, explore the operating platform and contact the team to discuss how it applies to your property.
A useful decision depends on information the team can find and act on, not merely a written rule. This guide offers a working method; confirm the property’s procedures, asset conditions and responsibilities before applying it.
- Track energy and water against a relevant operating measure.
- Record temperature, demand peaks, comfort issues and system condition.
- Use qualified technical assessment before sizing or changing equipment.
Establish a baseline that reflects hotel use
Before replacing a boiler, heat pump, storage tank or controls, collect data that describes the existing system under normal operation. Record energy consumption by fuel and, where possible, hot water volume. Note occupancy, occupied room nights, food and beverage activity, laundry volume and periods when the property or specific outlets are closed. A monthly bill alone may show a trend but rarely explains which end use caused it.
Where equipment allows, use sub-metering to separate hot water from other loads. The neZEH practical guide for hotel owners recommends tracking energy use, establishing a baseline and applying sub-metering to identify areas with savings potential. Keep the period long enough to capture meaningful operating variation, and document unusual events such as a plant failure, renovation or extreme weather. Do not compare two months as if occupancy and guest behaviour were identical.
Measure service conditions as well as consumption
Energy savings are not useful if the change creates unreliable hot water or discomfort. Record temperatures at appropriate points, recovery time, pressure complaints and periods of low or peak demand, using safe measurement practices. Identify the system layout, recirculation loop, storage volume, controls, insulation and known maintenance issues. A qualified engineer should select measurement locations and assess the design against applicable safety and water-hygiene requirements.
Ask staff to log repeat problems with date, location and operating conditions. Guest feedback may reveal a service issue but does not identify the engineering cause. Separate a complaint about slow delivery from a temperature concern or a supply outage. Avoid collecting unnecessary personal details. Patterns by room stack, time of day or outlet may point to balancing, control or distribution problems that a central energy bill cannot reveal.
Normalise the data and define the decision
Choose comparison measures that fit the question: energy per occupied room night, hot water volume per guest night or energy per unit of laundry output. These indicators are not interchangeable. State the denominator, meter boundary and period so that another person can reproduce the calculation. If no hot water sub-meter exists, label any allocation as an estimate and include its basis.
The Portuguese energy certification system describes energy assessment as examining building operation, energy vectors, use profiles and technical systems; it also assigns defined responsibilities to qualified experts. Use this as a reminder that a system change may need professional assessment, not as a substitute for an engineer’s design. Compare options on the same service boundary and operating assumptions: capital cost, energy, water, maintenance, downtime, controls, space and expected equipment life.
Plan a safe trial and verify results
If the change can be staged, define a controlled pilot with a baseline period, the affected system area, expected outcome and a review date. Monitor the same energy, water and service measures after commissioning. Account for occupancy, weather, laundry activity and any simultaneous renovation. Confirm that controls are configured, staff know the set points and the maintenance team has documentation. A lower bill during a quiet period is not evidence by itself that a new system caused savings.
Before expanding the change, compare measured results with the original business case and document unresolved issues. Check that water hygiene, safe temperatures and applicable building requirements have been considered by qualified professionals. Maintain a fallback and escalation plan during commissioning. For properties exposed to heat, drought or supply disruption, LNEC’s AdaPT AC:T tourism work can help frame climate vulnerability, but site-specific risk and engineering advice remain necessary.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the baseline period be?
Long enough to represent normal operating patterns and relevant seasonal variation. The appropriate period depends on available meters, system behaviour and project scale.
Can utility bills show hot water performance?
They can show total consumption trends but may combine several uses. Sub-metering and operating records improve attribution.
Should hot water be measured per occupied room?
It can be useful, but choose a denominator tied to the actual demand and state its limits. Guest nights, laundry output or outlet activity may also matter.