The EnergyEfficiency4HORECA (EE4HORECA) project has mapped how energy is consumed across the entire HORECA value chain, identifying key consumption hotspots and the suppliers that influence them. This work supports practical self-assessment and collaborative energy-efficiency actions for hotels, restaurants and catering businesses across Europe.
As part of one of its core activities, the project published a major report analysing both direct energy use within HORECA facilities and indirect consumption linked to suppliers and services. Developed to stimulate collaboration among value-chain actors and stakeholders, the report highlights where energy demand is highest and provides practical guidance to help businesses understand and act on their energy use.
In hotels, energy consumption is largely driven by heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), which typically accounts for around half of total internal energy use. This is followed by sanitary hot water, lighting, kitchen operations and room-related loads. Restaurants were identified as particularly energy-intensive compared with other commercial buildings, mainly due to cooking equipment, kitchen ventilation and refrigeration, which significantly increase energy consumption per meal.
For catering services, energy use extends beyond kitchen activities to transportation and logistics, reflecting the operational demands of food preparation, storage and delivery. Beyond individual businesses, the value-chain mapping also covers key suppliers—including laundry services, food and beverage cold chains, transport and energy providers—revealing upstream energy demand that contributes to the sector’s overall footprint.
Together with its companion deliverables, the report offers a simplified and practical approach to help HORECA managers understand energy use across services and processes, while identifying collaborative solutions to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact across the value chain.
Read more about these outputs here.