Orbital Systems installed its Orbital Shower in a guestroom at Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ first net zero carbon property, featuring on-the-spot water recirculation that treats and reuses water inside the shower. The system is part of a six-month evaluation and is designed to keep shower water warm while cycling it through a closed loop.
The shower’s technology, originally inspired by academic work with NASA, continuously inspects used water, runs it through filtration and ultraviolet purification, then returns it to the flow. It delivers a strong warm stream up to 12 litres per minute and pairs with the My Water platform to record savings in real time, with up to 90% less fresh water and about 80% lower energy use reported.
Because the unit reuses already-warm water, it cuts costs across municipal water purchasing, heating energy and wastewater charges while preserving guest comfort. For hoteliers aiming at operational sustainability, the trial offers a measurable way to reduce utility footprints and support ESG reporting.
Image Credit: Orbital Systems
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Closed-loop Hospitality
- Hotel properties are integrating resource-recirculating amenities that reduce water, energy and wastewater costs while preserving premium guest experiences.
- Real-time Utility Tracking
- Connected platforms that quantify savings from fixtures and appliances are creating new visibility for ESG reporting, operations benchmarking and cost management.
- Comfort-preserving Conservation
- Sustainability technologies that maintain familiar performance levels are reshaping how businesses adopt efficiency upgrades without compromising customer satisfaction.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Hotels and Resorts
- Guest-facing conservation systems offer hospitality brands measurable reductions in utility footprints while supporting net zero property strategies.
- Smart Building Technology
- Sensor-enabled water and energy infrastructure is expanding the role of buildings as adaptive systems that monitor, optimize and document resource use.
- Water Management
- On-site purification and reuse technologies are creating alternatives to linear water consumption models in commercial environments with high daily demand.
