35% less energy at One&Only, at zero cost.
The prestigious One&Only Cape Town partnered with Augos to hit an ambitious 30% energy reduction target. Comprehensive measurement pinpointed the waste, and a zero-cost, human-centric energy management programme delegated accountability to the teams driving the usage. The result was a verifiable 35% reduction in three months, achieved entirely through behavioural and operational change.
- Measurement pinpointed waste across a large, complex property.
- Accountability was delegated to departments, turning usage into a KPI.
- Every saving came from zero-cost behavioural and operational change.
- The 30% target was beaten with a 35% cut in three months.
The challenge: an ambitious 30% reduction target
The management team at the renowned One&Only Cape Town was tasked with an extremely challenging objective: a 30% reduction in hotel energy consumption within a tight three-month timeframe. Augos was engaged to bring its platform and engineering expertise to bear.
The first phase was a comprehensive measurement installation, to baseline consumption and identify specific opportunities across the large, complex property, moving beyond aggregated utility bills to granular, real-time data.
This project set an early benchmark for behavioural energy management in South Africa's high-end hospitality sector. It showed that significant savings could be achieved through operational and behavioural change before any capital expenditure, proving that efficiency is as much about human discipline as it is about technology.
The human-centric strategy
The key insight from the measurement phase was that, while engineering controls were necessary, rapid savings would require far wider engagement. Rather than limiting responsibility to the engineering team, Augos delegated accountability to the individuals and units responsible for the usage:
- Individual unit responsibility: departments such as housekeeping, kitchen and spa were made responsible for their measured usage, turning consumption into an accessible KPI.
- Targeted interventions: zero-cost behavioural shifts, including HVAC optimisation standards, new check-in and check-out procedures, and frequent spot checks backed by verifiable data.
Supported by the expertise of both the hotel's engineers and Augos, this created personal involvement and rapid buy-in, ensuring compliance and the sustained effectiveness of the changes.
Verifiable results and impact
The three-month programme comfortably exceeded the target:
- Energy reduction: a 35% overall reduction in total energy usage.
- Intervention type: achieved entirely through zero-cost operational and behavioural change.
- Core learning: personal involvement and accountability, supported by granular, accurate data, is the fastest catalyst for cost saving and efficiency in hospitality.
How did One&Only Cape Town achieve 35% savings?
A comprehensive measurement installation pinpointed the waste, then a zero-cost, human-centric programme delegated accountability to the departments driving the usage. The result was a 35% reduction in three months.
Did the savings require capital investment?
No. The 35% reduction was achieved entirely through zero-cost operational and behavioural interventions, before any capital expenditure.
What was the human-centric strategy?
Instead of leaving efficiency to the engineering team, each department, such as housekeeping, kitchen and spa, was made responsible for its own measured usage, turning consumption into an accessible KPI.
What interventions were used?
Zero-cost behavioural shifts: HVAC optimisation standards, new room check-in and check-out procedures, and frequent spot checks backed by verifiable data.
How long did it take?
Three months, against an already tight timeframe and an ambitious 30% target.
Why did measurement matter so much?
Granular, accurate data made each team's usage visible and gave accountability something concrete to act on, which is what made the behavioural change stick.
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