Hotel Bulair is an emblematic family-run property in the historic center of Burgas, whose building is an architectural monument of culture. Combining the spirit of the old city architecture with comfort and quality, the hotel welcomes guests all year round. Maintaining an optimal climate in the rooms is both a matter of hospitality and a key operating expense, and the significant consumption of electricity is becoming a structural challenge for the business.

The hotel's existing air conditioning systems were outdated, inefficient, and costly. They were unable to maintain a consistent indoor climate in high and low outdoor temperatures, resulting in inconsistent guest service and increased costs. The owners were looking for a solution that would optimize energy consumption, reduce carbon footprint, and improve comfort—all without downtime or a significant upfront investment.

As Sustainability Advisor to the Enterprise Europe Network, Ina Agafonova played a key role in introducing and adapting the opportunities of EENergy - an innovative pilot project implemented within the framework of the European Union's program to support energy efficiency in SMEs, which combines both financial incentives and analytical feedback for participating companies.

The project has a total budget of around 9 million euros, distributed in the form of more than 900 grants of up to 10,000 euros to small and medium-sized enterprises in 37 countries that wish to implement energy efficiency measures.

The EENergy terms and conditions include not only grant funding, but also individual Benchmark analyses prepared by the World Bank for each company participating in the process (regardless of whether it receives a grant or not). These reports provide a detailed comparative assessment of energy efficiency against the company's internal and external context and serve as a valuable strategic tool for making management decisions.

The assistance that DIGIHUB provided to the Bulair Hotel included:

• assessment of current energy consumption and needs;
• development of an individual plan for improving efficiency with specific indicators;
• preparation and submission of the EENergy application;
• assistance in the implementation of the approved measures and the final reporting to the donor authorities.

The approved project allowed the hotel to upgrade its critical air conditioning system with highly efficient inverter air conditioning units (energy class A+++). The financing of 10,000 euros at 100% intensitywas obtained without the hotel's own initial capital contribution, thanks to the successful assistance in the application and management of the process.

The implemented solutions led to a significantly lower energy load and reduced monthly electricity costs. The climatic comfort for the guests has improved, and the system operates more quietly and with higher efficiency.

“For a family hotel, every decision must be reasonable and well thought out. Thanks to EENergy, we were able to replace key equipment without investing our own capital. The difference in costs is visible, and the comfort for the guests is tangible.”

— Rumyana Mareva, owner and manager, Bulair Hotel

“Sustainability is a matter of management, not scale. When the tool is properly structured, even a small family hotel can make a strategic step towards lower costs and a smaller carbon footprint.”

— Ina Agafonova, Sustainability Advisor, DIGIHUB

EENergy is an example of how European policy, combined with analytical support from institutions such as the World Bank and local expert networks such as the Enterprise Europe Network, can help businesses make the leap towards more sustainable and efficient solutions. It is not just about financial support, but about traceable and strategic guidelinesthat support long-term energy and cost management in enterprises.

If your business also wants to improve its energy efficiency and use European support tools, the DIGIHUB team is here to help you.