Exergy as an indicator for enhancing evaluation of environmental management performance in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Abstract The importance of investigating both energy and exergy flows for assessing the environmental profile of buildings has long been acknowledged. Nevertheless, although an ample number of standalone case studies have performed energy analyses in the hospitality industry, empirical studies focusing on exergy are scarce. Extending this line of research, the present study aims to exemplify the conduct of exergy analyses alongside energy ones in optimising environmental management intelligence and improving decision making processes in hospitality accommodation. In doing so, hotels located in international tourism destinations, where tourism has a significant economic impact on the respective countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP), participated in the study. Energy data from two hotels situated in the Dominican Republic and, from two hotel units located in Greece was collected and analysed in a comparative manner. Findings revealed that energy flows and energy efficiency alone are not sufficient for a comprehensive assessment of hotels' energy profiles. Thus, it is suggested that corresponding exergy flows and efficiency rates should also be estimated along with the energy ones. This study infers that location and hotel star rating classification do not seem to be key parameters in assessing lodgings' energy quality profiles, which suggests the need for further research. The practical implications for hotel managers are also discussed.