The PMI Energy Heatmap is a visual tool that helps hotels understand how energy is consumed across time. It provides a clear overview of consumption patterns, making it easier to identify inefficiencies, anomalies, and opportunities for optimization.

By visualizing energy data, the heatmap supports faster decision-making and more effective energy management.

What the Energy Heatmap Shows

The Energy Heatmap displays energy consumption across a time-based grid, typically showing:

  • Days (horizontal axis)
  • Hours of the day (vertical axis)
  • Energy consumption levels (color-coded)

Each cell represents energy usage for a specific hour on a specific day.

Color intensity reflects consumption levels:

  • Lighter colors indicate lower energy usage
  • Darker colors indicate higher energy usage

This makes it easy to identify patterns at a glance.

Why the Energy Heatmap Is Useful

Traditional reports often show totals and averages, but they do not reveal when energy is actually used.

The heatmap helps answer key operational questions:

  • When is energy consumption highest?
  • Are systems running outside of operational hours?
  • Do patterns match occupancy and demand?
  • Are there unusual spikes or inconsistencies?

This allows hotels to move from reactive to proactive energy management.

Identifying Typical Energy Patterns

A well-functioning hotel typically shows predictable energy patterns.

Examples include:

  • Higher energy use during peak guest activity hours
  • Lower consumption during night-time or low occupancy periods
  • Consistent daily patterns during stable operations

These patterns should align with occupancy levels and operational schedules.

Detecting Inefficiencies

The heatmap is particularly useful for identifying inefficiencies.

Common issues include:

  • Base load too high – High energy use during low-demand periods
  • Systems running overnight – Equipment not shutting down as expected
  • Irregular spikes – Sudden increases that may indicate faults or incorrect settings
  • Inconsistent patterns – Variations that do not match operational activity

These insights help engineering teams investigate and correct issues quickly.

Linking Energy Use to Operations

To get the most value from the heatmap, energy data should be interpreted together with operational data.

Examples:

  • Compare energy patterns with occupancy levels
  • Align peaks with restaurant or banquet activity
  • Review energy use during low-demand periods

If energy consumption does not follow operational demand, there is likely an optimization opportunity.

Supporting Energy Optimization

The heatmap supports several optimization actions:

  • Adjusting HVAC schedules
  • Optimizing start/stop times for equipment
  • Reducing base load consumption
  • Identifying equipment running unnecessarily

By visualizing when energy is used, teams can take targeted actions rather than relying on assumptions.

Using the Heatmap in Daily Operations

The Energy Heatmap is not only a reporting tool — it should be used regularly by operational teams.

Best practices include:

  • Review heatmap patterns weekly
  • Investigate anomalies immediately
  • Compare periods (weekday vs weekend, seasonality)
  • Use insights to adjust operational settings

Regular use improves awareness and control over energy consumption.

Summary

The PMI Energy Heatmap provides a simple but powerful way to understand energy usage.

By:

  • Visualizing consumption patterns
  • Identifying inefficiencies
  • Linking energy to operations
  • Supporting targeted actions

Hotels can improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen sustainability performance.

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