Hospital · Heating
Heating in hospital: what the SRI measures
The heating domain looks at how smartly a building controls its heat: per room or centrally, based on occupancy and outdoor temperature, and whether the boiler or heat pump follows demand. Heat storage and fault reporting are part of it too.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses the heating domain in hospitals.
- 2Hospitals almost always have HVAC capacity above 290 kW, which means the heating domain counts in full.
- 3For this building type, heating accounts for 3 out of 3 points, the highest possible weighting.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat emission control H-1a · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Individual room control with communication and occupancy detection | highest level |
| Emission control for TABS (heating mode) H-1b · 4 levels | No automatic control | Advanced central automatic control with intermittent operation and/or room temperature feedback control | – |
| Storage and shifting of thermal energy H-1c · A · 3 levels | None | HW storage vessels controlled based on external signals (from BACS or grid) | highest level |
| Control of distribution pumps in networks H-1d · 5 levels | No automatic control | Variable speed pump control (external demand signal) | – |
| Thermal Energy Storage (TES) for building heating (excluding TABS) H-1f · 4 levels | Continuous storage operation | Heat storage capable of flexible control through grid signals (e.g. DSM) | – |
| Heat generator control (all except heat pumps) H-2a · A · 3 levels | Constant temperature control | Variable temperature control depending on the load (e.g. depending on supply water temperature set point) | highest level |
| Heat generator control (for heat pumps) H-2b · A · 4 levels | On/Off-control of heat generator | Variable control of heat generator capacity depending on the load AND external signals from grid | highest level |
| Sequencing in case of different heat generators H-2d · 5 levels | Priorities only based on running time | Control according to dynamic priority list (based on current AND predicted load, energy efficiency, carbon emissions, capacity of generators AND external signals from grid) | – |
| Report information regarding heating system performance H-3 · A · 5 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | highest level |
| Flexibility and grid interaction H-4 · 5 levels | No automatic control | Optimized control of heating system based on local predictions and grid signals (e.g. through model predictive control) | – |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 28 percentage points (from 24 to 52 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does heating carry such weight in hospitals?
A hospital faces one of the most complex heating requirements among all building types. Different departments have different temperature needs, from operating theatres to wards, and installations run continuously.
This is why the heating domain (H) receives the full weighting factor of 3 on a scale of 3 for this building type. Every smart-ready service within this domain therefore counts towards the maximum share in the final score.
Which smart-ready services fall under this domain?
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) methodology divides the heating domain into nine services. These range from regulating heat emission per room to controlling multiple heat generators and reporting faults.
- Regulation of heat emission, including individual room control with occupancy detection
- Emission regulation for thermally active building elements (TABS), such as concrete core activation
- Storage and shifting of thermal energy, including hot water tanks controlled by the building management system (BMS)
- Regulation of distribution pumps and heat generators
- Sequencing of multiple heat generators
- Performance reporting, including predictive maintenance and fault detection
- Flexibility and interaction with the electricity grid
Each of these services has functionality levels from 0 to 4. A higher level means more automation, better communication between systems, and greater ability to respond to external signals.
What does this mean in practice for a hospital?
Hospitals often already have an extensive building management system, emergency power supplies, and sometimes energy storage. This provides a good foundation for achieving high functionality levels within the heating domain.
However, the presence of installations does not automatically result in a high score. The Smart Readiness Indicator looks at the degree of automation and communication, not merely the presence of equipment.
Because hospitals almost always exceed the 290 kW threshold, this building type is expected to fall under the future requirement that the European Commission must adopt by 30 June 2027.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Map which smart-ready services within the heating domain are already present and which functionality level they achieve, because this domain counts for the full weighting in the hospital's score. Targeted improvements, for example in performance reporting or heat generator control, therefore have relatively significant impact on the final result.
- Tenant
- As a user of a hospital building, you will notice a well-regulated heating domain primarily through stable indoor climate per department and fewer heating supply disruptions. A higher functionality level typically also means faster recovery when problems occur, because faults are reported automatically.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the distinction between method A and method B, as some services in this domain are only assessed within method A. Also verify that existing storage and flexibility systems are actually controlled by external or grid-related signals, because this determines the functionality level, not the mere presence of the installation.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?