Combat energy cost rises by optimising building performance and eradicating energy wastage
There’s been plenty in the media about the recent soaring costs of energy for both households and businesses. With this news, it’s no surprise that building owners and managers are beginning to look a little more closely at how their properties use energy, and consider how they can cut their usage and limit any wastage. Several ‘hidden’ factors, from the age of a building to unoptimised control strategies, can contribute to energy costs as well as the obvious use factors.
On average, 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings goes to waste. This could be accounted for by simple resolutions such as turning off air conditioning and lights in unused rooms, but it’s largely down to inefficient running practices. And now more than ever, running your building efficiently will pay off both financially and environmentally.
Reducing costs and impact
The cost of energy in commercial buildings is something that is growing in importance and concern for many property stakeholders. For those with green targets and sustainability focuses within their businesses, it’s likely that they’re slightly ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing or limiting their outgoings: and now, that will be paying off – quite literally.
Most businesses will have found that they are not protected by the energy price cap and so this might be the time for them to embrace sustainable change. In addition, according to the Green Alliance think tank, thousands of UK office buildings across five cities are losing a combined £60 million in wasted energy each year with the total across the entire country likely to be significantly higher. It bears the question: will businesses that haven’t tackled their building inefficiencies care more now the impact is on their top line, rather than just the environment?
Soaring prices - a positive for sustainability?
For many, this energy crisis compounds the need to invest in cleaner, more efficient forms of energy.
The good news is that, right now, more businesses than ever are being held to account by the net zero targets. But to be in with any chance of reaching those 2050 sustainability goals, UK buildings will need to reduce their energy usage by up to 80%. The research, which was carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) for ISG, used the most recent data sets available to the public. It found that all regions of the UK have a long way to go to achieve carbon neutrality in their buildings. But it's not simply those occupying and managing buildings that are to blame for these high levels of emissions.
The construction industry as a whole is in need of a radical overhaul if it stands any chance of reaching the 2050 net zero pledge. This is in part because many builders are not trained to understand the ways in which their work impacts the future operational efficiency and energy performance of the building they’re responsible for. There also needs to be an onus on developers and construction companies to think more carefully about their projects.
It’s not just about green materials and advanced technologies – even a matter as seemingly insignificant as the size of a hole drilled to fit a wire can impact the air-tightness, and therefore the energy performance, of a building.
Measuring your impact
The data in buildings will be imperative in the world’s mission to achieve net zero targets, however, we still have a long way to go before it is more widely used across the entire sector. It’s been found that under 1% of global projects in the built environment sector calculate and report on their lifecycle emissions. Now, these building projects are being asked by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to assess their greenhouse gas emissions and adopt a new, whole lifecycle approach to their reporting.
This same industry plays a critical role in reducing the UK’s emissions, especially in response to the pandemic leading to more people working from home. For example, commercial buildings must look deeper into the ‘background’ of energy usage and alter facilities like air conditioning and heating in buildings that are currently still occupied at a lower capacity than they were pre-pandemic.
Achieving carbon reduction with PropTech
Now, as more workers return to the office for at least part of the week, it’s clear that developments in PropTech can help building owners and managers to adapt to the needs of employees without negatively impacting their energy bills, or the environment. Retrofitting buildings with greener alternatives, or tech that optimises the way facilities are run throughout commercial buildings, presents an easy and effective opportunity to improve their energy performance.
These solutions can also decrease the overall energy demand of a building, as well as providing an agile system to help lower emissions, reduce operational costs, respond to tenant requirements, and attract new tenants to hire spaces.
This is where Building Analytics services come in. The data procured from PropTech integration systems, like Demand Logic, can help both tenants and building management teams keep a closer eye on the energy they use each month, and transform the way they understand their buildings and the value they can gain from running them more efficiently.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, email info@demandlogic.co.uk or call +44 20 7193 4212.
