SR

Building type

Hospital: what the SRI measures

What the Smart Readiness Indicator measures in a hospital, which domains weigh heavily and where the first points are.

In short

  1. 1Hospitals have one of the most complex technical installations of all building types.
  2. 2Due to high heating, cooling and ventilation capacity, HVAC power almost always exceeds 290 kW.
  3. 3This means the Smart Readiness Indicator for these buildings is expected to become mandatory once the European Commission adopts the delegated act.

Which domains weigh heavily

27 services in the calculator.

Characteristics of this building type

Why is the SRI relevant for hospitals?

A hospital operates 24 hours a day and has strict requirements for air quality, temperature and hygiene. This demands heavy installations for heating, cooling and ventilation, often with combined capacity well above 290 kW.

Above this threshold, Article 13 of the EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) already requires building automation. The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) builds on this by measuring how effectively a building manages energy, comfort and flexibility.

Which domains carry the most weight?

For hospitals, heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation, electricity and monitoring and control each receive a weighting factor of 3. This reflects the importance of these systems for continuity of care.

Lighting receives a weighting factor of 2, while dynamic building envelope and electric vehicle charging each receive a factor of 1. This distribution shows that climate control and energy management in hospitals weigh more heavily than, for example, facade automation.

What makes hospitals distinctive within the SRI methodology?

Most hospitals already have a comprehensive building management system (BMS) that centrally controls and monitors installations. Emergency power supplies and energy storage are also common in this sector, offering opportunities for higher functionality levels within the SRI methodology.

The methodology assesses buildings across 9 domains with a total of 54 smart-ready services, divided into functionality levels from 0 to 4. Due to their scale and technical complexity, hospitals also have a realistic option for energy flexibility, for example through storage or demand-side management of electricity.

What does this mean for the future?

Once the European Commission adopts the delegated act by 30 June 2027 at the latest, the SRI is expected to become mandatory for buildings with HVAC capacity above 290 kW. Almost all hospitals will then fall under this obligation.

Until then, participation remains voluntary, but an early assessment gives hospitals insight into where their building automation can still be improved.

What this means for you

Owner
As the owner, have an SRI assessment carried out in good time, even though it is still voluntary now, because the building will almost certainly fall under the future obligation. This gives you early visibility of weak points in domains such as heating, cooling and monitoring and control, which carry significant weight in the score.
Tenant
As a user of a hospital building, you will notice a higher SRI score mainly through a more stable indoor climate and fewer disruptions in air handling and heating. A well-functioning building management system contributes to reliable care conditions without you having to manage this yourself.
Advisor
When assessing hospitals, pay special attention to domains with weighting factor 3, such as heating, cooling, ventilation, electricity and monitoring and control, as these largely determine the final score. Also take account of existing emergency power supply and storage capacity, which offer opportunities for higher functionality levels in the area of energy flexibility.

Next step

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