Service: Virtual Energy Manager (VEM)
Sector: Hotels and resorts
Note: The company name, Sol del Caribe Hotels, has been changed in accordance with our non-disclosure agreement.

Sol del Caribe Hotels owns and operates three beachfront properties in Quintana Roo, each with several hundred rooms, restaurants, pools, and extensive common areas. Air conditioning, chilled water systems, and lighting drive high electricity consumption.

The engineering teams at each property were focused on keeping systems running and responding to guest issues. The CFO wanted a more strategic approach to energy and emissions across the portfolio, but was not ready to create a full-time corporate energy manager role. Virtual Energy Manager offered an attractive alternative.

Starting challenges

The hotel group faced several issues at the outset:

• Rising energy costs are driven by higher occupancy and hotter seasons.

• Inconsistent energy performance between properties, with no standard metrics.

• Limited visibility into the impact of past capex on chillers and control systems.

• External pressure from tour operators and investors for more transparent ESG reporting.

The objective of VEM was to provide strategic oversight and hands-on support across all properties through a subscription model.

Scope of the VEM engagement

Mexico Energy Partners structured the Virtual Energy Manager service for Sol del Caribe Hotels as follows:

• Centralized review of all CFE bills for the three properties and consolidation into a single energy dashboard.

• Definition and tracking of KPIs such as kWh per occupied room and kWh per square meter of conditioned space.

• Development of business cases for energy projects, including chiller optimization, lighting retrofits, and possible solar installations.

• Support with RFPs and technical evaluation of vendor proposals.

• Preparation of annual Scope 2 emissions estimates and narratives for ESG communications.

This created a virtual "energy office" serving both corporate finance and property-level engineering teams.

Key initiatives and actions

Over the first eighteen months, the VEM program led several important initiatives:

• Standardized KPIs across the three hotels so that energy performance could be compared and benchmarked consistently.

• Reviewed chilled water production data, adjusted setpoints, and optimized chiller and pump sequencing to reduce energy use without compromising guest comfort.

• Designed and justified a multi-phase LED retrofit for public areas, back-of-house corridors, and exterior lighting, including payback and IRR analysis.

• Conducted a high-level solar screening for the most suitable property, assessing rooftop potential and basic economics under different PPA and ownership structures.

• Produced a concise annual emissions summary, aligning energy data with the group's sustainability messaging.

Each initiative had clear responsibilities, timelines, and financial implications.

Results for the hotel group

After two years of working with Virtual Energy Manager, Sol del Caribe Hotels saw:

• Approximately 9 percent reduction in electricity cost per occupied room, even in the context of higher tariffs and increased occupancy.

• Improved quality and speed of investment decisions, with capital directed to projects that offered the best combination of guest experience and energy savings.

• Stronger alignment between finance and engineering departments, as both relied on the same data and analyses.

The group also reported that ESG conversations with tour operators and investors became more concrete and credible.

Strategic value for hotels in Mexico

For Sol del Caribe Hotels, VEM filled a strategic capability gap without adding permanent headcount:

• The group gained access to specialized energy and ESG expertise on a flexible basis.

• Properties benefited from coordinated best practices and shared benchmarks.

• Corporate leadership acquired a clear roadmap for future investments and emissions reductions.

For hotels and resorts in Mexico, Virtual Energy Manager illustrates how professional energy and carbon management can be delivered through an external partner, turning utility bills and capital projects into levers for profitability and brand differentiation.