With increasing concern for building energy efficiency, domestic hot water (DHW) supply systems, which have significant energy-saving potential, have drawn more attention from both practitioners and academia. In this study, we conducted a field study on seven centralized hot water supply systems in Beijing, measuring the water temperature and flow rate in primary or secondary pipes and collecting the operating records of hot water usage, gas consumption, and electricity consumption. In addition, we discuss the main problems existing in the current centralized DHW system. Based on measured data, this paper further analyzes energy losses from each link in the hot water supply system. A mathematical model is then proposed for simulating the energy consumption of hot water supply systems under various conditions such as various boiler efficiency, thermal insulation thickness, water pipe network structure, and hot water usage. The model is also used to explore the main factors that lead to low performance of centralized DHW systems in China. Finally, we analyze the applicability of diverse heat sources (e.g., electricity, gas, and heat pumps) in centralized DHW systems in China. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.