Discounted LCA and Economic Assessment of Heat Pumps and PV in HORECA Laundry Services

Beatrice Marchi; Enrico Bertagna; Lucio E. Zavanella; Simone Zanoni

doi:10.66506/ed.43

Discounted LCA and Economic Assessment of Heat Pumps and PV in HORECA Laundry Services

Energy Demand. European Journal for Studies in Energy Demand, Efficiency and Resource Use

Volume 1 (2026): Issue 2

By: Beatrice Marchi , Enrico Bertagna, Lucio E. Zavanella and Simone Zanoni

Open Access

|Jul 2026

Abstract

Commercial laundry operations serving the HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering) sector are among the most energy-intensive activities in the hospitality supply chain, yet rigorous combined environmental and economic assessments for this segment remain scarce. This study presents an integrated environmental and economic assessment of energy transition pathways for a commercial laundry facility serving the HORECA value chain in northern Italy. Based on twelve months of monitored utility consumption data, three investment options based on photovoltaic (PV) systems and heat pump (HP) technology are evaluated against the current configuration. The analysis combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), carried out according to ISO 14040/14044 standards and the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) methodology, with a techno-economic evaluation based on conventional investment indicators. In addition, a Discounted LCA (DLCA) framework incorporating a PESTEL-based Social Discount Rate is applied to account for the temporal distribution of environmental impacts. Results show that the combined adoption of PV and HP technologies provides the most effective decarbonisation pathway, substantially reducing climate-change impacts and fossil resource dependence while maintaining strong economic performance. A particularly relevant finding is that heat pump deployment alone may not be economically attractive under current Italian energy market conditions, despite its environmental benefits. This result challenges the common assumption that electrification is inherently cost-effective and highlights the importance of coupling heat pumps with on-site renewable electricity generation. The DLCA results further indicate that the environmental benefits of the proposed solutions can offset their additional embodied impacts within a relatively short time horizon. Overall, the study demonstrates the value of integrating environmental and economic assessment tools to support investment decisions in small and medium-sized service-sector facilities. The proposed framework can support the evaluation of energy transition strategies in commercial laundry operations and similar energy-intensive activities within the HORECA supply chain.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.66506/ed.43

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Language: English

Page range: 1 - 1

Submitted on: May 8, 2026

Accepted on: Jun 25, 2026

Published on: Jul 29, 2026

Published by: European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee)

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

social discount rate,

HORECA

© 2026 Beatrice Marchi, Enrico Bertagna, Lucio E. Zavanella, Simone Zanoni, published by European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 1 (2026): Issue 2