Municipal and public buildings · Domestic hot water
Domestic hot water in municipal and public buildings: what the SRI measures
Domestic hot water covers the boiler or storage tank: is water heated on a fixed schedule or based on use, can the system use cheap electricity or solar heat, and is the circulation pump controlled smartly.
In short
- 1This page shows how domestic hot water performs within the Smart Readiness Indicator for municipal and social real estate.
- 2The domestic hot water domain counts for 1 of 3 weighting factors, less heavily than heating or cooling.
- 3Municipalities often manage multiple building types at once, from town halls to community centres, each with different usage patterns for hot water.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control of DHW storage charging (with direct electric heating or integrated electric heat pump) DHW-1a · A · 3 levels | Automatic control on / off | Automatic on/off control, scheduled charging enable and demand-based supply temperature control or multi-sensor storage management | at least level 1 |
| Control of DHW storage charging DHW-1b · A · 3 levels | None | Automatic charging control based on local availability of renewables or information from electricity grid (DR, DSM) | at least level 1 |
| Control of DHW storage charging (with solar collector and supplementary heat generation) DHW-1d · 4 levels | Manual selected control of solar energy or heat generation | Automatic control of solar storage charge (Prio. 1) and supplementary storage charge, demand-oriented supply and return temperature control and multi-sensor storage management | – |
| Sequencing in case of different DHW generators DHW-2b · 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 domestic hot water performance DHW-3 · A · 5 levels | None | Performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | at least level 1 |
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 8 percentage points (from 31 to 39 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does domestic hot water count in the Smart Readiness Indicator?
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) measures how well a building's technical systems can respond to the needs of users, the electricity grid, and renewable energy. Domestic hot water is one of nine domains that the indicator assesses.
For municipal and social real estate, this domain carries 1 of 3 points available for the total weighting. That is less heavy than heating, but still relevant, particularly in buildings with high sanitary use such as sports halls or community centres.
Which smart-ready services fall under this domain?
Within domestic hot water, the methodology distinguishes several smart-ready services. A smart-ready service is a specific technical function that makes the system more intelligent, with functionality levels from 0 (basic) to 4 (fully automated and grid-connected).
- Control of hot water storage charging, with or without electric heat pump
- Automatic charging control based on local renewable energy or electricity grid signals
- Management of solar energy in combination with supplementary hot water generation
- Priority determination between different hot water generators
- Performance reporting, from actual values to predictive management and fault detection
Each level within these services is evaluated against seven impact criteria, including energy efficiency and grid flexibility. Three key functionalities carry equal weight in this assessment.
What does this mean for a portfolio of municipal buildings?
Municipalities typically do not manage a single building, but a portfolio of town halls, libraries, community centres and theatres. These buildings have highly varied usage patterns, making demand for hot water unpredictable.
A score on this domain indicates how well the domestic hot water systems adapt to that changing demand. Consider scheduled load release or automatic control based on solar energy, rather than fixed on/off regulation.
For buildings above 290 kW installation capacity, building automation has been mandatory since the end of 2024. The Smart Readiness Indicator itself remains voluntary, although the European Commission is working on a delegated act expected to make the indicator mandatory for utility buildings above that threshold by 30 June 2027.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As owner of municipal real estate, it is worthwhile to examine per building what level the domestic hot water control currently has, from simple on/off control to demand-driven storage. Because the portfolio often has access to funding opportunities, a low score on this domain can be a starting point for targeted improvement.
- Tenant
- For users of a community centre or library, this domain manifests mainly in consistent availability of hot water without unnecessary energy consumption. A higher functionality level typically means the system adapts better to busy or quiet periods.
- Advisor
- Pay attention to the distinction between method A and method B when making the assessment, as not every service within domestic hot water counts in both methodologies. Also account for varying usage patterns across the portfolio, as these affect which functionality level is realistically achievable.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?