Mandatory energy audits: which hotels are affected and what they cover

An energy audit is not just good practice for everyone: for part of Spain's companies it is a recurring legal obligation. In hospitality it creates confusion, because a group with several properties can be covered even when each hotel looks small on its own.

Who is covered

The obligation applies to large companies, meaning those above the headcount, turnover and balance sheet thresholds set by Spanish energy audit rules. The test is applied at group level, not building level: if the hotel group is above the thresholds, its properties are covered. SMEs are outside the obligation, but not outside the value: the diagnosis is still the basis for any grant application.

What gets reviewed

• Actual energy consumption over recent years, split by source: electricity, gas and other fuels.
• The uses that dominate a hotel: HVAC, domestic hot water, kitchen, laundry, lighting and pool.
• Improvement measures with estimated savings, investment and payback period.
• A minimum share of the total energy consumption of the audited scope.

How often it repeats

The audit is renewed periodically, on a four-year cycle from the previous one, and has to be reported to the administrative register of the relevant region. Holding a certified energy management system that includes the audit is an alternative route to compliance.

Arriving prepared

Most of the time spent on an audit goes into collecting invoices, contracts and readings scattered across several supplies and several years. If that history is already tidy and comparable, the audit can start where it matters: which measures make sense and how much they can save. That is the work Noola does with your invoices before anyone visits the building.

This piece is part of our guide on how to reduce hotel operating costs: start from the bills, prioritise by payback and verify the saving afterwards.