Seamless EV Charging for Hotels: Enhancing Guest Experience with Smart Energy Management

The Challenge

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A premium hotel chain in Sassenheim, Netherlands, faced increasing complaints from guests about limited EV charging options. While Tesla chargers were available, non-Tesla EV drivers had no convenient way to charge. The hotel also struggled with grid constraints, making expansion costly and complex.

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Key challenges included:

✓ Guest dissatisfaction – No charging available for non-Tesla vehicles.

✓ Grid limitations – High power demand from the kitchen, casino, and event spaces.

✓ Underutilised solar power – Existing rooftop solar energy was mostly wasted.

✓ Investment concerns – The hotel needed a clear business case before scaling up.

Background

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A leading European hotel chain sought to improve its guest experience by expanding its EV charging infrastructure. While the hotel already had Tesla chargers, guests with other EV brands frequently complained about limited charging options. Additionally, the hotel faced grid constraints, making it difficult to scale up charging capacity without increasing energy costs. The hotel needed a business case-driven approach to deploying an independent, efficient, and future-proof EV charging solution.

The Solution

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Floading deployed a smart charging solution integrating the HARMON-E energy management platform to optimise energy use, balance the load and maximise solar power utilisation.

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◆ Smart Load Management – HARMON-E ensures that EV charging stays within grid capacity, even during peak hotel operations.

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◆ Mixed charging setup – Installed 3 DC fast chargers (47 kW each) + 10 AC chargers (22 kW each) to serve both short-stay and overnight guests.

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◆ Seamless solar integration – Increased self-consumption of 570 kW rooftop solar power, reducing reliance on the grid.

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◆ Scalability & business model – Created a profitable, scalable charging infrastructure with direct revenue from charging fees.

The Benefits

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Floading designed and implemented an intelligent charging solution using HARMON-E energy management platform, provided by FLEXECHARGE. Key elements included:

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• Load management: Dynamic load balancing ensured that EV charging never exceeded the hotel’s grid capacity, even during peak power demand.
• Mixed charging Setup: Installed 3 DC fast chargers (47 kW each) and 10 AC chargers (22 kW each) to serve both short-stay and overnight guests.
• Seamless guest experience: Guests could charge without interruptions, while hotel operations continued smoothly.
• Solar energy utilization: Integrated solar power directly into EV charging, reducing reliance on grid electricity and optimizing sustainability.
• Revenue generation: The hotel now earns direct revenue from charging fees, supported by subsidies from the Netherlands’ renewable energy program (RBA certificate).
• Rapid commissioning: The entire system, including grid meter integration, solar energy monitoring, and network setup, was fully deployed in a single day.

The Results

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✓  Higher guest satisfaction – Convenient, reliable EV charging for all guests.

✓  Revenue from charging – The hotel earns directly from charging fees, with additional support from government incentives.

✓  Grid efficiency – The HARMON-E platforms dynamically manages power, preventing costly peak demand charges.

✓  Sustainability gains – More solar energy is consumed on-site, reducing grid dependency.

✓  Scalable model – The success in Sassenheim is driving expansion to other hotel locations.