The project has been funded under Programme I – Investiga, promoting technological innovation in the tourism sector of the Balearic Islands.
SAMPOL has developed an innovative Digital Twin for hotel energy management, validated using real data from a hotel in Mallorca. The project has been funded through Programme I – Investiga, under the grant scheme supporting innovative projects through cooperation, aimed at identifying, implementing and digitalising innovative sustainable solutions in tourism establishments across the Balearic Islands, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme.
The initiative addresses one of the tourism sector’s main challenges: improving energy efficiency without compromising guest comfort. Traditionally, hotel HVAC systems have operated using fixed setpoints and trial-and-error approaches, limiting the implementation of advanced energy-saving strategies due to the risk of causing thermal discomfort.
The Digital Twin developed by SAMPOL makes it possible, for the first time, to predictively link the HVAC system’s supply temperature to guests’ actual thermal comfort, using physical models, data analysis and advanced optimisation algorithms. The solution integrates operational variables, weather data and thermal behaviour models to simulate different scenarios before their real-world implementation.
The tool incorporates an advanced visualisation system that enables users to compare the energy impact and expected comfort levels of each scenario, facilitating data-driven decision-making. This allows hotel management to select different operational strategies — ranging from prioritising energy efficiency to maximising comfort — with a quantified assessment of the economic impact and potential risk of guest discomfort.
Furthermore, the system integrates economic variables, such as electricity market price forecasts, expanding its optimisation capabilities and positioning it as a solution aligned with emerging energy management models and demand-side flexibility.
This project represents a technological proof of concept with significant strategic value, laying the foundations for the development of future commercial solutions focused on decarbonisation and energy efficiency in the tourism sector. Its replicable nature opens the door to implementation in other hotel establishments, contributing to improved energy sustainability across the Balearic Islands.
Through this initiative, SAMPOL reinforces its commitment to applied innovation and strengthens its position in the development of advanced technological solutions for the tourism sector.
