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  • Evaluating FDD: Finding an ideal match for your facility

    Evaluating FDD: Finding an ideal match for your facility

    Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) plays an important role in ensuring smooth and uninterrupted operation of a commercial building. FDD has emerged as a powerful tool for O&M teams to proactively identify “blind spots” in maintenance and contextualize the operating patterns of building assets to detect faults. It’s time to explore the evaluation criteria of an ideal FDD solution for your facility.    

    Through this article, we will try to answer two major questions that come to mind while considering FDD for a facility

    1)  How one can evaluate the performance of an FDD algorithm/ application?

    2) How to select an Ideal FDD package that aligns with your facility’s needs?

    One of them focuses on the capabilities and accuracy of the FDD tool while the other helps you construct a decision-making framework from the available options in the market.

    The Importance of Evaluation Criteria

    Till now most of the efforts from the individual startups and research organizations have been spent on developing FDD algorithms and methodologies rather than developing a performance assessment framework. Evidently, there are no such standards available to evaluate FDD algorithms. However, we are sharing a mostly followed systematic approach published in NREL’s whitepaper for evaluating the performance of FDD algorithms that leverages and unifies prior work in FDD evaluation. 

    How to define a Fault?

    A commercial Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) tool categorizes three different types of faults: condition-based, behavior-based, or outcome-based fault. 

    A condition-based fault is the presence of an improper or undesired physical condition in a system or piece of equipment. These can be called physical faults. The behavior-based fault is the presence of improper or undesired behavior during the operation of a system. Behaviors that break certain rules or operational logic. While the quantifiable outcome of the process deviates from the ideal or reference value then it can be categorized as an outcome-based fault.   

    It is ideal to have an Fault Detection and Diagnostics software that incorporates all three categories of fault detections. 

    Input Data Requirements for Fault Detection and Diagnostics

    What type of data is required for an FDD to process and produce the outcome is also an important criterion of evaluation. Broadly there are 2 different types of input data samples are used 

    1. A single instant of time: A single set of simultaneous measurements of the system variables, representing a snapshot of system parameters under a certain condition.
    2. A regular slice of time: a continuous set of system variables and parameters under a certain condition. 

    Based on the data frequency one can determine the accuracy and processing infrastructure required for the FDD.

    Performance metrics for FDD algorithms

    Fault Detection and Diagnostics performance metrics are divided into two categories temporal and static. By definition, temporal metrics quantify an FDD algorithm’s evolving response to a time-varying fault signal, while static metrics quantify an FDD algorithm’s performance with respect to a collection of samples independent of their ordering in time.

    Temporal metrics evaluate the time series component of the FDD while static metrics describe the time-independent performance of an FDD algorithm. Based on how the FDD output is reviewed one can depend on temporal or static metrics for the evaluation.

    Once the FM technical team has enough idea on how they are going to utilize the FDD and what metrics they are going to evaluate it, they can move to available delivery mechanisms for their facility. In some cases, both questions can be simultaneously evaluated to reach a conclusion. Let’s examine them one by one.

    1. Cloud-based or On-premises:

    Just like any other FM application, there are multiple possibilities and limitations with each option, hence the decision has to be aligned with the facility’s available tech stack and future roadmap. 

    Cloud application comes with multiple advantages such as scalability, security, speed and most of all SaaS modeling, making it a highly affordable option. There are a couple of On-premise applications available in the market which caters the institutional customers who prefer local data hosting for technical and policy reasons.    

    2. Integration Capabilities:

    Users should have a clear understanding of how the new FDD application/Platform will interact with existing data sources and applications. The use of Data communication protocols, Software connectors and Application Programming Interfaces (API) have to be clearly defined before selecting a service provider or an application. 

    3. Data Ownership: 

    Ownership of the data comes as an important criterion to select an FDD application or services. While you choose the FDD application or service from the 3rd party technical team you have to be clear on who owns the raw data as well as the insights. Will you have the freedom to cross-validate the FDD data with other parameters and what are other ways your FM team can use it further optimize the performance.

    Besides these three main deciding factors there are other elements your FM team should consider, such as flexibility to switch from exiting application to a new one, capability building and training required for technicians and operators to get familiar with the FDD application, etc.

    If you are already using an FDD application then share us your experience of evaluating your FDD application. If you think there is something one should also consider besides the points mentioned in this article then let us know. 

  • 3 aspects to consider while choosing an O&M application for your facility

    3 aspects to consider while choosing an O&M application for your facility

    Every abled facility manager has to go through one of the most daunting tasks of the digital age. It’s not just a one-time affair, he is supposed to perform it daily and emerge successfully to grow in his career and the firm he works for.

    When we all strive to collect more and more data from the facilities, we create more options for us to draw inferences. We create numerous ways for all sorts of building management solutions to fit into our expectations. Thus, ultimately land into a selector’s dilemma – a paradox of choice.     

    It might sound counter-intuitive but the facility management applications and systems that we look out for to make the FM team’s life easier and help them make the right decisions are often hard and confusing to zeroth down. Considering the new challenges and expectations today’s facility managers are facing this job becomes even more difficult. 

    Hence, to simplify those options and help you decide the ideal facility management application for your team, we have come up with this three-point framework to reduce the intelligent guesswork and make it real data & evidence-backed decision. 

    Key points to consider while investing in a Facility Management Application

    Enable remote management:

    Around a decade ago when CAFM / CMMS applications started coming in the form of mobile apps, everyone wanted to grab that opportunity to try that out first. Although the apps were not compatible enough for data entry and reporting features, they did provide an option to check the status of your work order or critical assets anywhere in the facility. We saw the same level of excitement when existing CAFM applications started adopting cloud-based delivery mechanisms.

    This pandemic has introduced an old term in new packaging and in a much larger scale – Remote working. Yes, in the last 1 year if anything that is more prominent in nature in the office environment then it has to be the concept of hybrid work. Although it is meant for the employees and tenants of the facility it has direct connections with the staff and facility management teams. 

    Facility management isn’t a desk job anymore. Choose solutions and devices that don’t require you to be in a dedicated location (right from the data collection, processing to the final reporting tools) go for the internet-connected smart sensors, temperature controls and other devices that connect to the cloud, and mobile FM apps that allow you to submit, access, and complete work orders from anywhere.  

    Digital or operational twins whichever is feasible to your needs, just explore it. At least start a couple of trials at multiple sites with the Facility Management application. Anything that helps your team to move from physical inspection of the assets will be beneficial to your team in the long run.

    Data with no boundaries

    There is no point in purchasing a Facility management application that only shares raw data or insights with selected mediums. (often with proprietary applications) again it becomes an apple vs android comparison. Both the ecosystems have their own advantages but when it comes to scalability and building analytics, open data protocols always triumph over closed ones.

    Data is the key component of every successful FM team. The best way to make the right decisions for your property is to be able to see the big picture of all departments of your property at the same time. This is possible when every part of the solution communicates freely with each other (integration-friendly) When choosing an asset performance management solution, make sure that it integrates information from all aspects of your property or properties.  

    Look for a Technology partner, not a vendor 

    In one of our previous articles, we have discussed the build vs buy argument in detail. In this hyper-competitive age of business, one can not depend on price as a differentiator, at least not for the solutions that are higher in the insights hierarchy (as explained in Gartner’s Pace-Layered Strategy), FM applications that required continuous up-gradation or customization according to the client’s needs can not be soured from the 3rd party vendor. It may create strategic as well as logistical issues.  

    When considering new technologies, you must consider the company that envisions your expectation from the product. Partner with you not just for the support but also for the co-development of the new features. Create something unique and exclusive for your (yes exclusivity has to be there in the product offering).  

    Even for medium to large scale FM firms, it makes sense to partner with a startup that has deep expertise in both the asset management domain and data analytics to help them with:

    • Assess FM’s current technology status
    • Suggest ways to achieve the targets.
    • Create data and business intelligence roadmaps

    We hope that these three aspects can guide you to select the right Facility Management application for your O&M teams. If you need any help on making successful trials of new Facility Management application then please reach out to us at [email protected]    

  • HVAC analytics: most prized possession of any asset performance management application

    HVAC analytics: most prized possession of any asset performance management application

    HVAC system is responsible for the highest energy consumption in buildings. On an average, it use more than 35% of a building’s energy. We all know, HVAC system is made up of one of the most complex interconnected networks (mechanically and structurally) in a building environment. Yet, when it comes to optimizing or analyzing its data there are very few solutions that do more than scratching a surface. 

    HVAC network, a jackpot of numerous data points (if recorded correctly) that can give sleepless nights to an operator or an entire maintenance team if they do not figure out how to optimize it. And yes it is way more than setpoint correction or chiller sequencing.  

    Facility management teams are struggling with two primary hurdles to be able to fully optimize HVAC systems A) Inadequate sensors and data capturing infrastructure B) Deep insights from applications and tools that can interpret operational patterns. 

    How would an ideal HVAC analytics application look?

    Ideally, a sophisticated HVAC analytics applications should be able to provide the following features:

    • Visualization of key operating parameters of AHU, chiller, etc
    • Data trending and pattern analysis
    • Fault detection, forecasting
    • Alerts and Notification 

    How does HVAC analytics works?

    HVAC analytics look into individual asset/component-level data and overall operational output to identify trends, it also analyzes the impact of certain changes that are made on the asset level and their effect on the entire system. It collects historical data for basic comparisons such as inlet/outlet temperature, humidity, or temperate variations. Detect anomalous behavior of the asset based on the asset’s maintenance history and contextual data and provide alerts to maintenance personnel .

    HVAC analytics can come as a part of the asset performance management software or standalone application. It collects data from the Building management system, Building automation system on a real-time basis and process it on cloud-based applications. 

    Types of HVAC analytics packages

    In general, there are two types of HVAC analytics packages available in the market. One that comes with default hardware such as sensing and data transmitting devices and another one that comes as an analytics solution only which depends on the existing data infrastructure and communication protocols.

    There are solutions like 75F that provide entire building automation systems along with analytics applications. One of the key benefits of these type of solutions is that they close the feedback loop that means from insights to automated controlling can be handled by the application. They can also extend a great level of comfort to the visitors and tenants as every minute aspect of the HVAC network can be controllable. Of course, these solutions do not come cheap since they built entire data infrastructure sound existing assets they tend to cost more for that added level of comfort and controllability.

    On the other hand companies like sensewave have built their platform around predictive maintenance and energy management capabilities. Their platform Adaptix provides insights on chillers, heaters & pumps. They claim to deliver true alerts on anomalies along with the detailed root cause analysis. With as minimum as 2 months of historian data, Adaptix can start functioning. 

    Although HVAC analytics comes in a variety of product offerings each solution focus on different use cases such as automation, energy optimization, control or visualization. Accordingly, they provide insights, alerts on a different depth. For example, some applications may not provide detailed audit history of particular AHUs while providing a great level of control.  

    It is the Facility management team’s responsibility to understand their needs first also the requirements from clients as well and ensure the product delivers what they committed to and before finalizing on analytics tool. The smarter move would be to look for an asset performance management software that includes HVAC analytics.

    Hope now you have a clear understanding of what HVAC analytics can do and why it’s the crown jewel of asset performance management applications.   

  • 3 ways you can get your O&M team to work in data first Environment

    3 ways you can get your O&M team to work in data first Environment

    It wouldn’t be wrong to say that in the past couple of years, asset or process-specific data mining and analysis has delivered hockey stick growth across numerous sectors, whether it’s manufacturing or service. According to Fortune Business Insight, Big Data Analytics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% during the forecast period (from 2023 to 2030). As the commercial facilities management space moves toward a data-driven business model, the importance of a well-trained operations and maintenance team grows.

    In the recent few years, the growth of digital transformation applications has accelerated. It has evolved to the point that the essential ecosystem of end-users or key stakeholders hasn’t had the opportunity to reciprocate. The resulting gap has caused severe issues for decision-makers in streamlining their teams for continual transformation.

    In the history of O&M, a lot has changed, and technology has been at the center of it all. The move to a data-first environment is on the rise, sooner or later, it will be the default setting for smarter buildings, therefore it’s vital for operations and maintenance teams to be a part of this plan for personal and organizational success.

    Digital transformation is opening doors to solving the imminent problems like energy efficiency, sustainability etc. There is no denial that Facility management and sustainability goes hand-in-hand.

    In this article, we’ll look at three ways that leadership may enable their O&M team to prepare for and thrive in a data-first environment.

    1. Inclusive Processes

    It is important to set up a pathway for their growth. Individual engineers and technicians may have varied definitions of growth. However, they would like to advance in their work in a better and resistance-free environment. Grasping this aspect while deploying a new application would benefit transition managers greatly.

    FM Leaders can consider highlighting the implications of new technologies for the O&M team’s existing work. For example, factors such as work efficiency, elimination of redundant work, improved time planning, and so on and so forth. This not only provide an easier way to fulfill the Facility manager’s KRA but also reduce a lot of headaches for technician or engineering teams. These well-defined benefits for a technician can push them to implement change because it will ultimately help them grow professionally.

    2. Upskilling and capacity building

    Repositioning the existing workforce has also been a challenge for many facility management firms and there couldn’t be a right time to address that. If prepared properly, up-skilling and cross-skilling can be two impressive approaches. We don’t expect a technician to become a data analyst, but he or she should have a basic understanding of mobile and desktop applications. Using various tools to ensure that they are obtaining the correct data from the systems and that key indicators are being monitored.

    Capacity-building exercises can be planned in a phased manner by identifying overheads from contracts. Such additional workforce can be categorized further for cross-skilling or upskilling based on expected future demands. This will help them nurture the candidates from the existing talent pool without paying for new hires.

    Mitie has launched an apprenticeship program under the ‘Mitie Technical Services Academy’, it is a noteworthy initiative to offer learning and development opportunities for employees at every stage of their career. Programs like these can also boost the morale of existing employees by creating a sense of belonging.  

    3. Purpose-built applications

    Facility Management is known as a people’s organization, any changes in the work process that would be made by undermining the blue-collar workforce will face friction during deployment and commissioning. Therefore, building a technological roadmap keeping a bottom-up approval helps them cope with expectations will always be advantageous for all. 

    For example, if a technician is made to monitor certain parameters either by physical inspection or by a mobile application that prompts him to spend more time catering data or calculating final findings rather than acting on insights. That application will eventually eat up a lot of his time. Instead, an application that delivers clear actionable insights to the proper user (different for technician and manager) based on his time constraints, analysis capabilities, and decision-making skills would be an immediate success and experience a significant rate of adoption within a few days of deployment.

    Hence, ideally, every facility management leadership team should strive to create a strong culture around O&M teams that can adapt, nurture and maintain inclusive growth for the company and the end client. 

    How does your company manage O&M teams across multiple facilities? 

    Are they up for the challenge of achieving the digital transformation goals that your leadership team has set for them? Is there any other method to get the data ready? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • 3 Effective ways to empower Operations and Maintenance teams at asset management

    3 Effective ways to empower Operations and Maintenance teams at asset management

    Remember the time when Apple launched the ‘assistive touch’ feature in IOS 5? How was life before that? How many steps did you have to go through to open a certain application? And all of a sudden that little circle gave so much control to your thumb. If you look back, you would realize it was the single feature that literally changed the way we use touch screen phones and further differentiated the iPhone from others. And if you wonder why it became so successful? That is because it was thoughtfully designed to eliminate complex multiple tasks and do more with a single touch.

    Now if I ask you to pinpoint the feature that changed the way we look at the asset performance management software or energy management application, would you be able to do that? I know there are some fabulous workplace management applications (CAFM/CMMS) available that are designed considering the psyche of the user. But when it comes to subsets like asset performance management or energy management we are still revolving around outdated dashboard-centric applications. It’s not just about the design and features, but the way insights have been delivered to the operator.

    (Well even switching to new CAFM/CMMS is not that easy. This article on taking that leap might help you select the ideal one for your need and get you prepared all things that matters)

    Ideally, an asset performance management software provides a window into the complex O&M data. They enable O&M teams to cut through the noise of data overload and focus on a subset of metrics that help them make better decisions. They are more than just a fancy pie chart and a drop-down menu of parameters placed in ascending / descending order. But unfortunately, that is very rare to find.

    If we want to list down the traits of an ideal asset performance management software / application that O&M teams would love to use, then it should be as bellow:

    Make them feel at home:

    One of the main reasons why most of the applications failed to impress the shop floor workforce is because they make them feel vulnerable around it. They feel that the application will highlight their shortcomings and they would have to face the consequences. Instead of that, if it could complement a technician’s work by providing a clear call to actions on upcoming opportunities and improvement and focus on progress then it could create harmony between them and improve the adoption rate. It should help them to make informed decisions and avoid problems before they occur.    

    Helps them to be more productive:

    If we look into an ideal day in the life of an O&M manager, we realize that they spend much of their time on inspecting the assets and planning for maintenance. If we are somehow able to bring order into the tasks then it would help them to schedule their day in advance. Also, automate dat-to-day repetitive tasks that consume most of their time. Organising and prioritising tasks are only going to help them in the future as we move towards performance-based contracts.

    Provides access to data and insights on demand:

    An ideal asset performance management software should be able to help operators reach the depth of the insights, may it be a holistic view of all of his key assets, the historical performance of the particular asset or data on performance changes since the last maintenance, etc. Graphs and indicators are good to convey the status of the operations while the system generated alerts and notifications provided the context and next set of actions.   

    So whether you are planning to buy an asset performance management (APM) software for your O&M team, make sure to take a trial and decide based on these factors for longevity and successful implementation.

    If you are already using APM software then let us know where it stands on these 3 aspects. If you have any suggestions or want us to talk to our facility management team on what’s inevitable in digital transformation, then feel free to write to us.

  • Why Predictive Maintenance is Gaining Popularity in FM

    Why Predictive Maintenance is Gaining Popularity in FM

    Is your approach to facility management largely focused on planning, scheduling, and assigning maintenance tasks at regular, fixed intervals? This approach, called planned preventive maintenance, is still widely used at most facilities. However, in order to further maximise equipment uptime and utilisation rates, many facilities are switching to a newer, more data-driven style of maintenance – predictive maintenance (PdM).

    To put things in perspective, the global market for predictive maintenance was valued at $9.15 billion in 2023. The market is now set to grow at a CAGR of 24.2% from 2023 to 2033 and is expected to reach a whopping $79.9 billion by 2033!

    The first in a series of four, this article covers:

    • the basics of predictive maintenance, 
    • how it differs from its more traditional counterpart (preventive maintenance),
    • some scenarios where it is becoming popular among facilities today, 
    • how it improves the bottom line for businesses, and
    • some questions for you to decide if it’s right for your facility

    What is Predictive Maintenance?

    As the name suggests, predictive maintenance is a “forward-looking” maintenance strategy designed to predict when an asset needs to be fixed, replaced or when any corrective action needs to be taken to optimise asset performance. Also known as condition-based maintenance, it involves the use of sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics and other smart building technologies to monitor the condition of assets during day-to-day operations and schedule maintenance before the asset breaks down. 

    Predictive maintenance has been around in the industrial world since the early 1990s, but its implementation is still fairly low in comparison to more traditional methods like preventive and reactive maintenance. When utilised timely and correctly, PdM can help facilities increase efficiency and productivity, while allowing asset lifespan to be maximised and maintenance costs to reduce over time. 

    Preventive vs. Predictive Maintenance – What’s the Difference?

    Predictive maintenance and preventive maintenance are both proactive approaches, but work toward the same goal of keeping facility assets in best working condition in different ways.

    Preventive maintenance is maintenance that takes place on a regular basis irrespective of asset conditions. On the other hand, predictive maintenance is carried out only when it’s needed, depending on asset conditions.

    Preventive maintenance is primarily performed on the basis of time-sensitive triggers (i.e. weekly, monthly, or annually), or on the basis of usage (i.e. after every 100 times used).

    A downfall of preventive maintenance is that it may lead to doing too much maintenance on an equipment. It relies on the assumption that consistent checking will uncover any faults and give you enough time to correct them before they cause failure. Alternatively, predictive maintenance allows maintenance frequency to be much lower, and at the most convenient and most cost-efficient moment, before the equipment has been compromised. 

    3 scenarios where predictive maintenance (PdM) is gaining popularity
    1. Facilities are spread across different geographical locations

    Consider a provider of commercial refrigeration storage units to food retailers across the country. Under a preventive maintenance program, workers would be dispatched on a regular basis to inspect the units. This method ignores the potential of anything going wrong in between scheduled visits. In this case, the costs could be high, with emergency repairs, food waste, and lost revenue during downtime bearing heavily on the business .

    Under a predictive maintenance program, all units would be fitted with IoT sensors to measure various aspects of their operation, including humidity levels, compressor vibrations, temperature, etc. With real time data analytics indicating when a component is likely to malfunction, a maintenance technician can be dispatched to rectify the problem before it even occurs.

    1. Facilities have pieces of equipment that are critical in nature or belong to a high-risk industry

    Not all pieces of equipment and systems are equally critical to a facility’s operations. Highly critical assets often impact organisational safety, compliance with regulation, cost, or regular business functionality. Failure of these assets can result in major setbacks.

    An offshore oil platform, for example, is a high-risk facility that has a number of critical production assets such as heat exchangers, pumps, and compressors. If a problem emerges with any of these assets between routine preventative maintenance inspections, output could be halted permanently, or worker safety could be compromised. Predictive maintenance, on the other hand, allows you to detect any anomalies in the performance of these critical assets and instantly alerts you to an impending failure. 

    1. Asset owners want a more cost-effective approach to maintenance

    Early detection of equipment faults provides a number of advantages. These include reducing downtime, preventing last-minute emergency repairs, and prolonging the usable life of your equipment. So, for asset owners looking to save money for the company, PdM is a better option than preventive maintenance. 

    Predictive maintenance can also increase productivity, and eliminate as much as 30% of all time-based preventive maintenance tasks. Preventive maintenance can sometimes accelerate failure of asset components, since disassembling and/or reassembling can potentially increase the probability of a future breakdown. This becomes especially critical in situations where downtime can be disastrous, product/service delivery quality is at stake, and machinery replacement costs are extremely high.

    Does predictive maintenance really pay off?

    According to Gartner, decision automation in the form of predictive maintenance will offer the most business value for heavy asset enterprises.

    A report by Deloitte confirms that, on average, predictive maintenance improves productivity by 25%, and slashes maintenance planning time by 20-50%. It also reduces equipment breakdowns by 70% and increases equipment uptime by 10-20%. 

    Further, research from the US Department of Energy shows that a successful predictive maintenance program can result in a 10 times increase in ROI, a 25-30% reduction in maintenance costs, and a 35-45% reduction in downtime.

    Is predictive maintenance the right choice for your facility?

    Predictive maintenance requires significant investment in terms of capital, technology, and personnel training. While these investments may appear intimidating to a company, the ROI on PdM typically transcends any initial costs. To decide if it is the right choice for you, ask yourself the following questions:

    • What is the estimated value of my facility assets or equipment?
    • Are the assets critical to business operations and continuity?
    • What do past records reflect in terms of downtime, faults, losses, and potential safety hazards?
    • Is my company currently able to afford or invest in predictive maintenance technologies or experts?

    If your answers to these questions match the three scenarios we discussed in this article, you should focus on implementing a predictive maintenance software for asset management at your facility.

    Want to read more on predictive maintenance? Head over to the next article in this series!

  • ESG Leadership: Biggest Movers And Shakers In Real Estate & Facilities Management

    ESG Leadership: Biggest Movers And Shakers In Real Estate & Facilities Management

    In this article, we examine the “Top Movers” in the Real Estate and Facilities Management industries based on ESG impact, highlighting the companies that have taken the biggest strides towards decarbonization of buildings and bear the lowest environmental risk.

    Companies now have a much greater responsibility to effect positive change on the environment. This begins with ensuring they’re not wasting energy and are proactively following sustainable practices as outlined in their ESG roadmap. 

    The same is extremely relevant for building owners, operators and managers because buildings are the source of almost 40% of the world’s carbon emissions. With a bold vision and clarity on the action required for sustaining business and the planet as a whole, a number of real estate and facilities management companies are leading the charge on ESG initiatives within the built environment. To achieve these targets, it has become extremely crucial to have sustainable facility management solutions for a carbon free future.

    Let’s take a look at some of the biggest movers and shakers… 

    Dexus Property Group, Australia                                    

    Of the 52 real estate leaders that made it to the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook for 2023, Dexus Property Group secured the top spot (Gold Class) with an industry best ESG score of 89.

    In another score on ESG related risk by Morning Star company Sustainalytics, Dexus Property Group received a Negligible Risk rating of 6.8, the 9th best rating out of 1058 real estate companies in total. 

    Dexus recorded a 62% annual decrease in emissions intensity per employee in FY22. The company also met its target of 1 million sq. m. of office space rated at a minimum 5 star NABERS Energy. To reach this milestone, Dexus increased energy efficiency across approximately 500,000 square metres of office space in the last five years, including properties where its corporate tenancies are situated.

    Further, the company has ramped up its net zero ambition by aligning its Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions reduction target with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 

    Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, France

    Since 2007, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has had a bold CSR strategy focused on sustainability – minimizing the ecological footprint of its activities while increasing property values. The property group received a Negligible Risk ESG Rating of 4.7, which earned it the number 2 rank out of 1058 real estate companies in this year’s sustainability scores by Sustainalytics. 

    Between 2006 and 2015, the group reduced energy intensity per employee by 33.8 percent and carbon intensity by 65.1%. URW is advancing its CSR strategy and has established new long-term goals as part of its “Better Places 2030” program. One of the core commitments of this program is to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% from 2015-2030. Some of its other initiatives include:

    • Improving the energy efficiency of assets by 30% by 2030
    • 100% of assets to include a climate change risk plan by 2022
    CBRE Group, Inc., United States 

    CBRE Group, Inc. secured an ESG score of 79 in S&P Global’s ESG Scores for 2023. The group is also ranked No. 17 on Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings out of 1058 real estate companies with a Negligible ESG Risk of 7.6. In the Top 50 Best ESG Companies by Investor’s Business Daily (IBD), CBRE is #23 and the only commercial real estate services firm on the list.

    CBRE Group has signed The Climate Pledge as part of its 2040 net-zero emissions plan, committing to achieve net-zero carbon 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement objective. This commitment includes carbon emissions from the company’s core activities and buildings managed for investors and occupiers, as well as indirect supply chain emissions.

    CBRE listed and benchmarked 5,941 buildings in the ENERGY STAR programme in 2021, totaling more than 346.9 million square feet. Thirty-six CBRE-managed facilities in the United States increased their ENERGY STAR rating by at least 10%, resulting in a total decrease of 23,233 metric tonnes in GHG emissions.

    This year, the company also joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, which is being driven by the SBTi in collaboration with the UN Global Compact and the We Mean Business alliance.

    Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL Inc.), United States

    S&P Global granted JLL Inc. a strong ESG score of 72 for the year 2023. The real estate services firm also ranked 7th out of 1058 companies with the lowest ESG risk, securing a 6.7 Negligible Risk Rating by Sustainalytics. 

    By signing The Climate Pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, JLL has shown the pathway for real estate to accomplish sector-and-economy-wide sustainability goals. To meet the promise, the company will fully abate 95% of its 2018 baseline greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, JLL has set an aggressive science-based target that covers Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions from over 380 offices in 40 countries around the world. The real estate services company also joined the WGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, which strengthens its existing goals and reinforces its ESG leadership in the built environment.

    DLF Limited, India

    With an overall ESG score of 75, DLF Ltd. is the only Indian real estate company to be recognized globally for its ESG performance and included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The company has also been named S&P Global Industry Mover in the real estate category for the year 2020-21. 

    DLF is driving ESG leadership in India’s built environment by linking its initiatives with the most relevant SDGs, and working on KPIs to track progress towards them. DLF has significantly reduced energy consumption through measures such as use of energy efficient lighting and equipment, and management of HVAC systems, etc. 

    Following are some of the sustainable facilities management initiatives taken by DLF in its existing buildings: 

    Using FY 2019-20 as a baseline, reducing energy intensity in their rental assets by 15% by 2030.

    Using FY 2019-20 as a baseline, reducing water intensity in rental properties by 10% by 2025.

    By 2030, DLF plans to have at least 90% of its overall rental portfolio certified as green and in compliance with all regulatory standards.

    MITIE Group PLC, United Kingdom

    Mitie Group has been conferred a Low ESG Risk Rating of 12.5 by Sustainalytics, which places it among the leading ESG companies in the world. Mitie’s Social Value Report for 2022 shows that the UK facilities management company is well on course to reach zero operational emissions by 2025, 25 years ahead of global net zero commitments. 

    Mitie emitted 23,661 tonnes of carbon in FY22, less than their aim of 25,230 tonnes. The company launched a Plan Zero initiative that lays down the roadmap for decarbonizing all its sites across the UK, with nine sites becoming net zero in 2022 itself. An additional 8 sites are planned to be decarbonised by next year. Mitie has also committed to initiatives such as LED lighting, insulation, modernising obsolete equipment, and asset management, which will save 26 tonnes of CO2 each year.

    Cushman & Wakefield PLC, United Kingdom

    As a global real estate services provider, Cushman & Wakefield has planned to achieve net zero emissions in its own properties all over the world as well as those of its clients by 2050. In 2020, the company offered energy and sustainability services for 370 million sq ft of space in the United States alone, according to its CSR Report.

    Cushman & Wakefield emitted 18,827,178 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 GHG emissions through its operations in 2020. In comparison to 2019, this implies a 2.5 percent reduction in overall emissions.

    Cushman & Wakefield GHG Emissions 2019-20  

    To further boost its ESG leadership, the company has committed to a 50% reduction in scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions — by 2030 from a 2019 base year, a target which has also been endorsed by The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 

    Driving the Future of ESG in the Built Environment

    Numerous studies have confirmed the benefits of implementing an ESG plan, indicating that buildings with a clear sustainability purpose will see a higher return on investment. Setting specific and achievable ESG targets will aid in lowering operating costs and carbon emissions, as well as improving productivity and the overall performance of the facility. It is important for companies to have sustainable facility management solutions.

    ESG initiatives should now be a main focus for Facilities, Real Estate, and Property Managers who want to stay ahead of the game. This will allow them to create KPIs and report on performance to stakeholders, as well as ensure that their buildings are appealing to both investors and occupiers.

    If you enjoyed reading this article and want to take action, we want to hear from you! Get in touch with us.

  • Connected Buildings, Retrofit Opportunities, and Human-Centered Design

    Connected Buildings, Retrofit Opportunities, and Human-Centered Design

    You don’t need me to tell you that smart buildings are here to stay and not just a passing fad in the Real Estate industry. As the built environment needs to become more environmentally friendly and efficient, there is an increasing demand for smarter technologies. When it comes to smart buildings, there is both an opportunity and a risk. The application of smart building technology in Brownfield projects or retrofit environments presents a much larger opportunity than in Greenfield projects.

    In this post, I’ve highlighted key insights from Umesh Bhutoria and Justin Kirby‘s podcast episode, in which they discuss everything from technology, smart buildings, human-centered design, and how marketing plays a role in all of it. You can listen to the full episode just below or hang on till the end of this post to get a gist of their conversation. 

    The Starting Point: Connecting Everything

    The vocabulary around smart buildings is broad – such as Intelligent buildings, autonomous buildings, connected buildings, and so forth. In other domains, there are many models, such as the MA model known as the ladder of participation in the social impact space, which demonstrates the degree of participation in co-creation, collaborative innovation, social innovation, and so on. Other models include maturity models, progressions, and experience economy.

    A smart building is not the endpoint, but rather the starting point. And this is sometimes overlooked in discussions around ‘smart’ because, if you have a maturity model or a ladder of progression, where do you start? Is a building an autonomous creature that can run without any of us having to do anything? 

    The first step, Justin says, is to connect everything; without connecting everything, such as operational technology, IoT, physical equipment, digital devices, and so on, there will be no data.

    Smartness is about sustainable buildings and a better understanding of building usage, as well as improved customer and user tenant experiences. So the beginning point has to be how you connect everything, and hence ‘connected buildings’ is the term to use.

    The Two Ends of Smart buildings: The Technology and the User

    The majority of the plot in Star Trek revolves around Captain Kirk and the bridge. The engine room is only revealed when the Dilithium crystals are no longer functional. The same thing is happening with smart buildings. What intrigues everyone is what you can accomplish with various apps and platforms because it is tangible. You can observe the dashboard and its representation of the possible delivery. But none of it is possible without what lies beneath it, which is usually obscured and not thought about.

    That is the distortion field surrounding smart buildings because all of the enthusiasm is focused on one end of it, but it will not be achievable without the other end. Any human-centered or user-centered design must begin by putting yourself in the shoes of the person for whom you are designing for.

    Talking about connectivity – Greenfield versus Brownfield

    Buildings that are newly planned are undoubtedly more efficient, yet 70% of the buildings that will be existing in 2050 have already been constructed. We should look at the difference between the two and see which one of them presents a better opportunity.

    Greenfield Projects

    • In a Greenfield project, connectivity is established from the start, mostly at the construction stage. So there are specifications for everything and no margin for deviation. 
    • A large investment goes into new plants and other operational technology. You must consider the devices as well as the network and how everything will be integrated into the construction plan.
    • The disadvantage is that these standards are written two or more years before the building actually goes live and leaves no room for more iterative thinking making it extremely costly to change anything. 
    • In addition, the number of stakeholders in Greenfield is restricted.
    • Often one company that did the construction and also owns the asset, and there are no handover process involving facilities management companies. 

    Brownfield or Retrofit Projects

    • In the brownfield or retrofit scenario, you must first consider how to make it a connected building before considering smart, autonomous, or intelligent.
    • It has to begin with a roadmap, determining what existing assets there are and what physical and digital assets will be required. 
    • A certain investment goes into other digital assets to improve tenant and user experience, such as air quality monitoring, density monitoring, energy optimization, and so on. 
    • You have to begin with collecting data from all of the plants and various operational technologies then consider the converged or integrated network and how to scale it. Not only that, but above the network is the edge or data integration layer, which is frequently done through platforms such as Tridium Niagara to help move data from various devices to a platform at the other end of it.
    • There are far more stakeholders. There are multiple companies that deal with applications and hardware, including BMS companies, facility management companies, and others. This makes things considerably easier for Brownfield projects because several fields are involved. 

    The true challenge is, how can you bring them all together? When there are too many people in the room, the path and the end goal must be established.

    Facilitating conversations between multiple stakeholders

    When a large number of individuals are involved, a goal must be established and everyone must work together to achieve it. Prior to that, you must bring people from across the industry in one place to communicate with one another and facilitate a conversation. 

    There is no one-size-fits-all solution for a Brownfield or Retrofit situation. The ideal solution is to have a progression route. There is a need for a platform that is designed for estate management or big portfolios with multiple assets as well as building operations and management. We require a platform that can address issues like when to service the elevator or perform fire checks.

    Is Single Pane of Glass (SPoG) the solution we need?

    Several companies have multiple platforms for different areas with expertise in their fields. These best-of-breed platforms exist in the first place because the people who create them have a greater understanding of the users for whom they have been developed.

    However, having a single enterprise-wide platform where everyone looks at a single dashboard and has one SLA on it will be challenging. So anyone offering a one-size-fits-all solution would have to demonstrate that each of the several components they offer is at least as good as, if not better than, the best.

    A single pane of glass (SPoG) doesn’t necessarily have to be one solution. It could be anything that collects data from many sources and displays it on a dashboard for different users or stakeholders inside the firm. But on the other hand, a platform cannot be a culmination of applications within your own app platform.

    Do Brownfield Projects require a leader among the many stakeholders?

    Returning to the point that there aren’t many independent conversations going in the market about Brownfield or retrofit environment. There must be a leader among the stakeholders who has a broader influence on the issue and brings everyone together to lead this conversation because there is a lot of divergent thinking adding confusion in the market. This divergence exists in the minds of those who provide solutions.

    Conversations with other people in the ecosystem enable us to understand what is going on in the industry and how it is changing the way we think about these things. When we put on our design thinking hats and look at it all, it’s just an extended part of the discovery phase. 

    There have been attempts to facilitate conversations through educational remits, research or through content marketing. However, there are too many people doing remits, particularly in the content marketing space. The issue with this approach is that it has become a part of the problem it was supposed to fix because everyone is a thought leader now. There are numerous white papers and expert opinions. Its success is assessed by how much attention it produces, not by the outcomes or insights and intelligence gained from the process.

    Even though it benefits the business but doesn’t assist in understanding the market or the requirements and wants of the users. The goal should be to gain insight from these conversations that significantly help in rethinking or redesign the business. As a result, it reintroduces marketing and research into its place, and it becomes more of a strategic business function rather than just a promotional business function.

    Need for Human-centered Design

    When you understand what are the problems and challenges users are encountering, you can try to find a potential solution. This alters the priority mapping of the primary difficulties that those people face.

    This connected thinking method helps people to see where to begin. The end might change or influence your progression. Progression is essentially the larger possibility that the Brownfield or retrofit environment gives us.

    Not many companies have issued a specification for a network refresh while also committing to a targeted drive to net zero. They must plan for operational technologies as part of their network renewal. You won’t get there unless your buildings are operational and all of your assets are connected. So, if your company is committed to drive toward net zero, you must bring your IT and building services teams together with other stakeholders to understand employee experience and user functionality.

    Listen to the podcast episode to know more about connected buildings, human-centered design and smart building solutions.

    Let us know what you think about smart buildings and the retrofit environment. What is the best approach, in your opinion, to bring people together and imagine a future?