Hotel · Cooling
Cooling in hotel: what the SRI measures
Cooling mirrors heating: control per room, prevent heating and cooling from fighting each other, store cold when electricity is cheap, and let the chiller follow actual demand.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assesses the cooling domain in hotels.
- 2Cooling carries the full weight of three out of three points here, because guests expect individual control and occupancy varies significantly.
- 3The tables display ten smart-ready services within this domain, ranging from room control to reporting and grid flexibility.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooling emission control C-1a · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Individual room control with communication and occupancy detection | highest level |
| Emission control for TABS (cooling mode) C-1b · 4 levels | No automatic control | Advanced central automatic control with intermittent operation and/or room temperature feedback control | – |
| Control of distribution network chilled water temperature (supply or return) C-1c · 3 levels | Constant temperature control | Demand based control | – |
| Control of distribution pumps in networks C-1d · 5 levels | No automatic control | Variable speed pump control (external demand signal) | – |
| Interlock: avoiding simultaneous heating and cooling in the same room C-1f · 3 levels | No interlock | Total interlock (control system ensures no simultaneous heating and cooling can take place) | – |
| Control of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) operation C-1g · 4 levels | Continuous storage operation | Cold storage capable of flexible control through grid signals (e.g. DSM) | – |
| Generator control for cooling C-2a · A · 4 levels | On/Off-control of cooling production | Variable control of cooling production capacity depending on the load AND external signals from grid | highest level |
| Sequencing of different cooling generators C-2b · 5 levels | Priorities only based on running times | Sequencing based on dynamic priority list, including external signals from grid | – |
| Report information regarding cooling system performance C-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 C-4 · A · 5 levels | No automatic control | Optimized control of cooling system based on local predictions and grid signals (e.g. through model predictive control) | highest level |
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 16 percentage points (from 30 to 46 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does cooling weigh so heavily in a hotel?
In a hotel, room occupancy changes constantly. The booking system knows exactly when a room is occupied, but the cooling system does not respond automatically unless it is configured to do so.
For this reason, the cooling domain (C) receives the maximum weight of three out of three points here. Guests expect individual control per room, which differs from, for example, an office with fixed working hours.
Which smart-ready services are included?
The cooling domain comprises ten smart-ready services, from individual room control to grid flexibility. Each service has functionality levels from 0 to 4, with higher levels meaning more automation and communication.
Control of cooling output (C-1a) is directly recognizable in a hotel: level 2 means individual room control per room, level 4 adds occupancy detection. The latter aligns with changing occupancy.
Other services address the back end of the system: interlock (C-1f) prevents heating and cooling from working against each other, and thermal energy storage (C-1g) makes it possible to store cold when electricity is cheap.
How does this count toward the score?
Each smart-ready service is assessed against seven impact criteria, including energy efficiency, comfort and convenience. Three of these are considered key functionality and carry equal weight.
The outcome per domain adds up to an overall score in percentages, divided into seven classes. For hotels, the weight of cooling, along with other domains, determines how heavily these choices affect the final outcome.
What does this mean in practice?
A building automation and control system (BACS) that links room control to the booking system scores higher than a system with central control only. Hot water, which peaks in the morning, and emerging charging points require comparable coordination in other domains.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As an owner, it is worthwhile to explore whether the cooling system can be controlled per room and linked to the booking system, because this directly affects the score. Above 290 kW of HVAC capacity, the SRI is expected to become mandatory for utility buildings, so early insight into the current class avoids surprises.
- Tenant
- As a guest, you notice the difference between a room that automatically adjusts to your arrival and occupancy, and a room with only a fixed thermostat. A higher score in the cooling domain usually means less waiting for the right temperature when you arrive.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the combination of individual room control (C-1a) and interlock (C-1f), because in hotels these two services are often set up independently. Also verify that reporting (C-3) and grid flexibility (C-4) are actually present, as these services are frequently overestimated during audits.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?