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CRC Scrappage: Winners and Losers

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Today marks the end of the monitoring period for the third year of Phase 2 of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC): the seventh year the scheme has operated.

That means in two years, CRC Participants will be starting to collate, report and then pay for their relevant emissions for the final time. Understandably, that can’t come soon enough for some.

The CRC started with good intentions under a progressive cap and trade scheme that rewarded those who reduced emissions through ‘recycling’ CRC allowances from those who did not. Before the Scheme took off, however, it was announced in the Spending Review 2010 that CRC allowances would not be recycled to participants in the scheme but instead would be used to support the public finances. Thereby, the CRC became a tax for all intents and purposes.

The CRC will be scrapped in 2019 and from this, it is important to understand who are the winners and losers and what actions should be taken now to mitigate risks for the ‘losers’ and take opportunities for the ‘winners’.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Who are the winners and losers of the #CRC scrappage? What are the risks and opportunities?” quote=”Who are the winners and losers of the CRC scrappage? What are the risks and opportunities?”]

A key decision to scrap the scheme was the cost of administration. Back-of-an-envelope maths tells me that the annual £1,290 subsistence fee paid by all 1,869 Participants in 2015/16 equates to an administrative cost of 0.27% of total revenues (£2.4m subsistence fee over £902m revenue through CRC allowance purchases).

For comparison, administrative costs for the Swedish Tax Administration is 0.1 % of total revenues for their carbon tax model.1 The approach used in Sweden (since 1991) will be implemented in the UK to maintain carbon tax revenues once the CRC is scrapped (more on this later).

So the Swedish model appears to cost half as much as the UK CRC model to administer. The true cost, in reality, is far higher once you add in the internal resource time and/or external consultant costs required to administer and meet CRC requirements such as maintaining an Evidence Pack, undertaking an Internal Audit and fulfilling actions to report, order and then surrender CRC allowances. Compared to the £1,290 annual subsistence fee, the true cost to Participants is likely to be three to 15 times higher, dependent on size and complexity, based on our experience. Suddenly, the Swedish models looks much more appealing: it has also contributed to Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions falling by 16 percent between 2000 and 2012, while its overall GDP grew by about 30 percent. 2

The CRC is being replaced by an increase in the Climate Change Levy (CCL): a tax on energy delivered to non-domestic users that is charged per kWh usage. Notably, the CCL is applicable to all energy users (with some exemptions), rather than a select group of CRC Participants. Key to the reduction in administrative cost, is the fact that energy users ‘do nothing’ to calculate their tax liability: a value is calculated and inserted as a line item on energy invoices and collected by the energy supplier. This will be a relief for some, however, the benefits of reporting emissions to improve understanding of impact (and costs) should not be forgotten.

From April 2018 to April 2019, the CCL is going to increase 48% in one year to ensure the CRC revenue of about £1bn is maintained for public finances. This increase will add approximately 3% to the ‘typical3’ energy spend of an air-conditioned office (see Table 1 below for estimated values).

At EVORA, we recommend building owners and tenants take action now to mitigate the onset of the tax hike through identifying and implementing energy efficiency measures that will lead to energy reductions.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Take action now to mitigate the onset of the #CCL tax hike… Identify #energy efficiency measures.” quote=”Take action now to mitigate the onset of the CCL tax hike… Identify and implement energy efficiency measures.”]

However, even with a 48% increase in the CCL, existing CRC Participants will see a net benefit through CRC scrappage, with a tax reduction equivalent to a 5.5% of total annual energy spend (see Table 2 below for estimated values).

The tax saving through scrapping the CRC Scheme (for CRC Participants) is notable at asset level and will be even greater when considered across a portfolio for an existing CRC Participant.

These savings present a great opportunity to budget for energy efficiency improvements that may otherwise have been put on hold. I recommend landlords / energy managers hold early dialogue with tenants / finance directors to discuss the savings and identify the economic case for progressing measures that will deliver attractive returns on investment. A number of measures could be considered, from strategic metering  and Monitoring and Targeting programmes (such as SIERA) to energy efficient retrofits  of LED lighting.

Whether you are a winner or a loser from the CRC scrappage / CCL tax hike, the overall message is the same: if you want to reduce your energy spend, the best action you can take is identify, implement and track the impact of energy efficiency measures.

Planning ahead will give you the best chance of success.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Want to reduce #energy spend? Identify, implement & track the impact of energy efficiency measures” quote=”Want to reduce your energy spend? Identify, implement and track the impact of energy efficiency measures.”]

Don’t leave any compliance matters to chance.
Speak to one of our experts today.

1 Ministry of Finance, Sweden Senior Advisor Susanne Åkerfeldt, 2011
2 Worldbank.org, 2014
3 Typical energy usage calculated from Better Building Partnership Real Estate Environmental Benchmarks (BBP REEB) 2015 for air conditioned offices. Typical energy costs based on BEIS Prices of fuels purchased by non-domestic consumers in the UK, December 2016

‘No win, no fee’ – Does this approach have a place in the energy consultancy industry?

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I am one of the three co-founders of EVORA.  Nearly six years ago, we set up the firm because we believed that energy and sustainability consultancy across the real estate industry was not being delivered effectively.

Not for want of interest; our industry was, and still is, affected by legislation, reputational and cost drivers, and the technology is not overly complicated – we are talking about heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems here – not complex manufacturing processes.

However, traditional environmental, sustainability and energy consultancies have struggled to gain a significant foothold. In my opinion, this is for the simple reason that those who work in real estate must understand and work with the complexities associated with managing buildings where landlords pay for energy that is consumed by others (namely, tenants and visitors).

[clickToTweet tweet=”How well does your #energy / #sustainability consultancy understand the #CRE sector?” quote=”How well does your energy or sustainability consultancy understand the complexities of the commercial real estate sector?”]

Admittedly, there is still a long way to go. However, the industry is making significant progress, and I am delighted that we are playing an active role.

It is therefore unsurprising that different approaches, ideas and solutions have been put forward. One of these is the ‘no win, no fee’ energy saving consultancy package. Typically, approaches involve an initial visit and review of performance data. Proposals are then submitted, which highlight that no-cost Building Management System adjustment measures can be implemented to generate energy, carbon and financial savings. The consultant’s remuneration is based on a percentage of cost savings.

On the face of it, a good idea. But be cautious…

There are several challenges that must be considered. From the outset, I would like to set out that I am not against the idea. It can work, and work very well – especially in single let owner occupier buildings or locations, like hotels, where the operator has control over most plant and where budgets and costs are not available to fund consultancy up front.

But, when it comes to commercial multi-tenanted office buildings and shopping centre environments, the complexities highlighted above must be recognised.  Here are some thoughts:

  • Although simple when compared to, say, the nuclear industry, the interaction of heating ventilation and air conditioning systems can cause challenges and must be thoroughly understood at building level.
  • The impact of occupancy changes is notoriously difficult to model.
  • An understanding of other plans for the building must be considered and factored into energy models.
  • Initiatives involve adjusting BMS temperature and time set points.  Changes may at first seem feasible, but leases must also be checked. Leases may specify when office space must be conditioned and must be applied.

In conclusion, if the service charge can cover the cost of an operational improvement programme (which must contain regular review stages), then this is the best way to go.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Be wary of ‘no win, no fee’ #energy consultancy! Understanding buildings is paramount…” quote=”Be wary of ‘no win, no fee’ energy consultancy! Understanding the energy use of different buildings is paramount…”]

We understand the complexities of the commercial real estate sector.
Get in touch to learn more about our approach to making buildings more productive, profitable, and resilient to change.

The 2017 GRESB Reporting Cycle (Part 2): A Review of the Recently Released Reference Guide

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Two months ago, I set out the main changes to the 2017 GRESB Real Estate survey, based on what could be gleaned from the ‘pre-release’ of the questionnaire.

Critically, the full 2017 Real Estate Reference Guide has now been released.

At the time of writing, the Health and Wellbeing module and its accompanying reference guide had still not been released.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Important updates to the 2017 @GRESB survey – Part 2 of EVORA’s series: #GRESB #CRE #sustainability” quote=”Important updates to the 2017 GRESB survey – Part 2 of EVORA’s series.”]

Additional key changes to note

Having read (comprehensively skimmed!) all 203 pages of the new Real Estate Reference Guide, I can share a few additional key changes that are worth noting:

Content

  • Performance indicators: There is a new table to complete as part of the energy question (Q25). Participants must set out the following total floor areas for each property type (the contents of the table are not scored):
    • Managed Assets split across:
      • Common areas, shared services and tenant spaces and/or;
      • Whole building.
    • Indirectly Managed Assets:
      • Whole building.
    • Stakeholder engagement: The question, “Does the entity include sustainability-specific requirements in its standard lease contracts?” (Q39.1) has changed in the last two months (i.e. since the 2017 pre-release) and is now aligned with the BBP Best Practice Lease standard.

Evidence uploads

  • GRESB has introduced an ‘evidence template’ for use as standalone document or document cover page (see the last page of the guidance document).
  • The attachment feature has been amended, adding in an option to make uploaded documentation accessible to investors. This feature is optional on a document by document basis. The default option will be for documentation to not be made available to investors.
  • It will now be possible to upload multiple documents per indicator.

Response check

  • The deadline for the response check is two weeks earlier than last year (1st June).

Validation

  • The number of respondents subjected to Validation Plus and Validation Interviews, is expected to “increase significantly” this year. GRESB anticipates selecting approximately 25-40% of respondents for Validation Plus and approximately 5% for a Validation Interview.

What Next?

I’m sure many of you will agree that the speed at which these past two months have passed is somewhat terrifying. There are now approximately 100 days left until the 2017 deadline…

As before, these remain my five tips for GRESB survey submission success:

  1. Start early.
  2. Remind yourself what went well and less well last year – consider both the process and individual question responses.
  3. Engagement and education of people that will support you in delivering GRESB. Keep in regular touch with these people, particularly if they will be providing you with information.
  4. Data automation – our propriety software, SIERA, delivered 41 GRESB submissions in 2016, helping clients to seamlessly acquire and report data. Why not take a look at the following blog post: GRESB Data Automation: Ensuring Seamless Does Not Result in Senseless.
  5. Seek external support / advice.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Free eBook @GRESB Survey, Submission, Success! Download now in preparation for your 2017 submission” quote=”Free eBook: ‘GRESB Survey, Submission, Success!’ Download it now in preparation for your 2017 submission”]

Tips for ESG management and performance success

For more general advice on how to implement practical and tailored sustainability solutions, download your free copy of our GRESB eBook.

For market-leading GRESB submission support, please contact our experts today.

 

GRESB Premier PartnerAs a GRESB Real Estate Premier Partner, we are perfectly positioned to provide GRESB support. View our official Premier Partner profile.

We can work with you to complete the submission and understand your scoring, as well as develop a sustainability plan that will improve your future GRESB performance and align with your organisation’s key environmental objectives.

Healthy and Wealthy! Upcoming Event: How to Improve Health and Wellbeing in Existing Commercial Properties

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On Monday 3rd April, EVORA is running an event in partnership with BRE focusing on the health and wellbeing of operational buildings. There has been a lot of attention on health and wellbeing at the design and construction stages, but practical steps need to be considered for our existing building stock.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Event: How to Improve Health and Wellbeing in Your Existing Commercial Properties – book now!” quote=”Event: How to Improve Health and Wellbeing in Your Existing Commercial Properties – book now!”]

As professional sustainability consultants, a key part of our role has focused on reducing the environmental impacts in buildings, especially energy, due to the greater carbon impact and cost.

However, with the World Green Building Council’s Health buy levitra india online https://levitraed.com/ Levitra is a modern medicine that can give me unforgettable emotions during sex. I prefer Vardenafil pills as it rapidly impacts my body, has a long-lasting effect and even is compatible with alcoholic beverages that I like to drink on a date. Wellbeing and Productivity in Offices study referencing that 90% of a typical business’s overheads are staff costs compared to less than 2% for energy, common sense dictates that we must also ensure focus on providing healthy and productive properties for our landlords.

Although far from easy, approaches like the WELL building standard are available to support application in design and construction phases. However, consideration in existing buildings, especially from a landlord perspective, is more challenging. The infrastructure is already in place and the fabric of the building is set, so is there much opportunity to address the key elements of health and wellbeing as defined by the WELL Building Institute, i.e.

  • Air
  • Water
  • Nourishment
  • Light
  • Fitness
  • Comfort
  • Mind

Secondly, where tenants are in situ, what influence can the landlord have? Energy management has generally been straightforward with the majority of managed offices providing shared services of heating and ventilation enabling the landlord to influence the energy efficiency throughout the building. Health and wellbeing is more complex where the real opportunity is in the tenants’ own demises. How should the landlord engage, who pays for an evaluation of the tenant’s space and what are the intended outcomes both for the tenant and the landlord?

In our Healthy Buildings event, we bring together a number of industry experts to share their knowledge, experience and latest research to provide clarity and practical application in achieving healthy and productive operational spaces to work in.

The event is split into three sessions: the first focusing on the landlord and occupier perspective; the second provides a consultant’s viewpoint, identifying both the challenges and opportunities; and the final session identifies research and the application of solutions in relation to key elements of healthy buildings including lighting, biophilia, air quality and thermal comfort.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Healthy Buildings: join @evoraglobal @UKGBC @BRE_Conf @ArupGroup @TheCrownEstate + more. Book now!” quote=”Healthy Buildings event: join EVORA, UKGBC, BRE, Arup, The Crown Estate, British Land and others on 3rd April. Book now!”]

Among the 15 speakers are:

  • John Alker, UKGBC
  • Rebecca Pearce, CBRE
  • Darren Wright, Arup
  • Jane Wakiwaka, The Crown Estate
  • Matthew Webster, British Land

I am extremely excited by this event which will challenge the real estate industry on what can be done to make our existing assets healthy and productive places to work.

Don’t miss this exciting event – click here to view the full agenda and book your tickets now.

Are you Future-Proofed for IoT? How SIERA can help you navigate the IoT landscape (part 3 of 3)

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I highlighted in parts 1 & 2 of the series that the Internet of Things (IoT) will have a dramatic effect in shaping the commercial real estate industry but that it also presents significant opportunities to add value. With an emphasis on Big Data, data acquisition, accessibility, visualisation and more efficient reporting tools, the need for a solution has never been greater.

EVORA has created a solution which is fit-for-purpose now, but is also able to be continuously enhanced to meet industry requirements as these evolve. Our platform SIERA (Sustainability Intelligence Environmental Reporting & Analysis) is specifically designed to harness the IoT landscape to navigate and make sense of the data being collected, as I will elaborate below.

Are you future-proofed for IoT?

Our SIERA platform really channels the true potential of the IoT network. SIERA is a solution which draws together data, processes and people. For example:

  • Disparate data sources can be brought together to build powerful reporting analytics; data feeds have been established directly with SIERA enabling mass data acquisition of performance data, property information and data for normalisation.
  • Data can be accessed anytime and anywhere in the world, 24/7. The cloud-based application is available at your fingertips ensuring accessibility, availability and security.
  • Personal logins can be created for different types of users across your organisation.
  • It is built by Commercial Real Estate specialists for the industry, meaning that we share a common language with you to really understand your needs.
  • Powerful data visualisation capabilities, and data validation functionalities ensure data tracking, performance reporting, data completeness and robustness.
  • Our in-house consultancy service is part of the SIERA solution providing you with specialist Commercial Real Estate sustainability support. SIERA can help you harness the value of data to inform your strategy.

Common Issues Addressed by SIERA

I also wanted to summarise some of the most common issues of the industry to explain how, through SIERA, EVORA is providing a solution. If any of the challenges below sound familiar then SIERA could be the solution for you.

Common Issue 1: “My data is held physically on a hard drive. I can only access it when I am on a specific computer. It has been difficult connect all my information together as they are held in different locations.”

SIERA Solution: The IoT is demanding massive improvements in data management, connectivity and accessibility. To truly prepare for the data-driven landscape and extract the value that Big Data provides, we have focused on connecting these different elements together in one simple platform. If you need a better system for data storage and management, SIERA is a cloud-based application enabling data access anytime and anywhere 24/7 via the web. With data capture from various sources, all your environmental data will be held in one, simple and secure portal.

Common Issue 2: “How can I link all my disparate data sources into one place? Can this be achieved automatically?”

SIERA Solution: With the ever-increasing quantity of data available as part of the information age, it is crucial to link different datasets together to identity trends and conduct analyses to extract value. This is the essence of what Big Data is all about. For SIERA, we have really focused on connectivity and data acquisition. Where it is cost-effective and depending on the infrastructure in place, a direct data feed can be established with SIERA. This information is supported under the secure file transfer protocol (FTP) and an application programming interface (API) when can pull data into one place. We also have our consultancy service to support you on devising an appropriate strategy for you, which is informed by your data and reporting requirements.

Common Issue 3: “I already have an existing system, but it’s not working too well. It’s been a challenge to manage data across my portfolios. I want to engage the Facility Managers, Managing Agents and other nominated responsibilities to input and review performance data for specific buildings.”

SIERA Solution: We have really thought about usability when it comes to data input to streamline the process and improve engagements on all levels. In addition to automated consumption data feeds, data can be input by users through a simple tool. Data access and input, views are tailored according to the user depending on the locations they are responsible for as well permissions to appropriately manage security. Along with automated data validation functionalities and bulk data loading capabilities through CSV or Excel, data will be managed in the most effective way. Our audit trail is built into the application which will help you track data changes instantly. Our sophisticated data validation features ensure accuracy and completeness of data. Data variance checks are conducted to identify values above or below a threshold. Any data gaps and overlaps are also flagged. We also have on-going support to provide training where required.

Common Issue 4: “I want to normalise my portfolio performance by drawing in heating degree day (HDD) information to track against targets but I’ve been struggling to manage the information from lots of different sources and prevent errors creeping in. I want to centralise and standardise my data sources for reporting to GRESB and INREV.”

SIERA Solution: The API bringing in HDD and calculating intensity enables performance to be automatically HDD adjusted and normalised to be consistent with the way some of our clients report performance, whether this internally or externally such as for GRESB. Our cloud-based application has powerful automated reporting capabilities for GRESB and INREV. SIERA can model the data for reporting requirements, reducing on time and costs. As part of our integrated solution, we also have our consultancy service where our sustainability experts can support you on your reporting.

Common Issue 5: “I am concerned about the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and risks across my portfolio.”

SIERA Solution: The visualisation capabilities of SIERA enable a quick and easy assessment of data from property management systems such as lease expiries, which can be intelligently analysed and modelled against EPC data to profile MEES risks.

SIERA – Our Solution

We are working hard at the leading-edge to understand our industry needs. We have adopted an agile development and management methodology which has enabled us to situate ourselves within a data-driven landscape. Get in touch to book a demo of SIERA today, which is our IoT platform designed for the information age. We are keen to have personal conversation with you to assess your current infrastructure and where SIERA could help you tap into new opportunities.

To speak to us about SIERA, or for any other enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

EVORA EDGE Appointed by Wrekin Housing Trust for Heat Network Project

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Our new technical engineering division, EVORA EDGE, has been appointed by Wrekin Housing Trust to oversee the re-commissioning and ongoing monitoring of the heat network at their Northfield Village Site in Stafford.

A major challenge with heat networks in the UK is to deliver system reliability with an effective metering and monitoring strategy. Wrekin Housing Trust experienced initial problems with the Northfield Energy Centre and approached EVORA EDGE Director Neil Dady to resolve the problems and provide ongoing monitoring support.

Having overseen some significant remedial repair works, EVORA EDGE has now produced a guide for the recommissioning works, taking into account the requirements of CIBSE CP1: Heat Networks: Code of practice for the UK.

Once recommissioning is complete, ongoing monitoring will be undertaken, including reporting for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

Neil comments:

“Having worked with Wrekin Housing Trust for a number of years delivering energy reduction projects, it is pleasing that we have now been appointed to oversee such a significant project for the Trust”

Both Neil and fellow EVORA EDGE Director Andrew Cooper are CIBSE approved Heat Network Consultants.

To learn more about EVORA EDGE, or for any questions about heat networks, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts today.

INREV and Sustainability Reporting: Mandatory Requirements and Best Practice Recommendations

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INREV is the European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles. It is recognised as the leading platform for sharing knowledge on the non-listed real estate industry and has a goal to improve transparency, professionalism and best practices across the sector.

In 2016 INREV Sustainability Reporting Guidelines were revised to establish a disclosure framework that enables delivery of meaningful data to increase visibility and insight into an investment vehicle’s ESG efforts and also details their next course of action for improvements. The new guidelines aim to present a clear picture of sustainability strategies and require the reporting of energy performance data.  They are aligned, where possible, with other industry standards including GRESB, EPRA and GRI.

The new INREV Guidelines published in 2016 consist of mandatory sustainability reporting requirements and best practice recommendations.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The 2016 #INREV Guidelines consist of mandatory requirements and best practice recommendations” quote=”The INREV Guidelines consist of mandatory sustainability reporting requirements and best practice recommendations.”]

The mandatory requirements have to be reported on an annual basis to claim compliance with the INREV Guidelines. Managers are required to report, based on these guidelines, over the year 2017.

Mandatory Requirements

  • Describe the overall approach to setting a long term ESG strategy for the vehicle
  • Detail the vehicle’s approach for ensuring compliance for current legislation relating to ESG issues is in place
  • Set out the annual objectives and associated targets for the coming 12-month reporting period
  • Detail objectives for the next 12-month reporting period for ensuring compliance with current legislation in relation to ESG and about preparations for any future legislation that may be undertaken in this period
  • Report against annual objectives and associated targets set for the vehicle
  • Report against compliance with current legislation requirements and objectives and associated targets for preparations for upcoming legislation
  • Disclose absolute and like-for-like environmental data for the proportion of the vehicle’s portfolio that is in the fund manager’s operational control.  This should cover:
    • Energy
    • GHG Emissions
    • Water
    • Waste

Best Practice Requirements

  • Detail any additional key material aspects for the ESG strategy for the vehicle
  • Detail additional information on other annual objectives (related to key material aspects referenced above) and associated targets for the vehicle based
  • Report against the annual objectives and associated targets as set out above
  • Disclose absolute and like-for-like environmental data for the available tenant data for the vehicle’s portfolio

Whilst this blog focuses on INREV, EPRA – The European Public Real Estate Association – sets out CORE and Additional Requirements in much the same way.

EVORA, supported by our proprietary software, SIERA, is highly experienced in the collation, analysis and reporting of data.  For further information, please get in touch.

The Internet of Things: Thinking Smart in the Commercial Real Estate Sector (Part 2 of 3)

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There is no doubt that the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the commercial real estate sector. It has emphasised the use of space in buildings, tapping into the connections of people and the environment. For real estate investment and management, buildings, people and energy performance form part of the network which can benefit from the IoT movement.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Exploring the role of #data and the #IoT in the commercial real estate sector #CRE #sustainability” quote=”Exploring the role of data and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the commercial real estate sector.”]

In Part 1, I eluded to the IoT as the ecosystem of things that are interconnected through sensors and connections. A building is a perfect example of this. When we start to connect the dots between the elements of a building’s design and operation, we can use the data to tell us more about what is going on in that building and how we can manage it in a better way.

What are the opportunities for the IoT in buildings?

Many sensors in the building can ‘sense’ the environment and gather information in real-time. The types of information that can be collected are light, humidity and temperature etc. With the IoT, it is possible to collect, compile and analyse data remotely about that building, which can be conveniently accessed via the cloud. As I mentioned in Part 1, data is the currency in this age.

Here are five ways the IoT can add-value:

1. Energy Efficiency

IoT technology can help increase efficiency through enhanced building performance and better management of the portfolio. One way this can be achieved is through looking at how spaces are being used. Data exchanges can give an insight into the value of processes and interactions between occupants and building operation. The building will become a smarter hub, where data can inform systems which can directly engage with occupants and adjust for their needs and the environment. From this, we can create more targeted energy distribution strategies and tenant engagement programmes.

2. Connectivity to the Cloud

IoT enabling technologies such as sensors can ensure data availability and visualization without being on-site at the building. Data can give an indication of how the building is operating and patterns can be identified in energy consumption or temperature for example. From this, many metrics can be linked together to give the larger picture on building performance.

3. Improved Living and Working Spaces

IoT is the step forward in making the environment more comfortable and reduce wastage; this creates new avenues for revenue generation through tapping into the essence of building use and adjusting where necessary. In the future, we can expect smart building technologies to have self-learning capabilities, like the human brain, to recognise patterns and make real-time adjustments.

4. Sustainability strategies

Building sustainability management strategies can be informed by data, which can lead to more accurate predictive capabilities and better asset management. The building can be optimized and operational costs reduced through IoT-enabled Building Management Systems (BMS). For example, occupant comfort is an opportunity and the use of better zoning controls can help achieve this; keeping occupants happy whilst reducing operational costs.

5. Building Design

Sensors collect data on how spaces are being utilized and this data can feed into the mathematical models for building intentions at the design-phase.

[clickToTweet tweet=”5 ways the #IoT can add value to the commercial real estate sector. #CRE #sustainability” quote=”Five ways the Internet of Things can add value to the commercial real estate sector.”]

Overall, the IoT movement has the potential to generate new avenues for revenue generation by tapping into the connections between people and buildings. As the world is becoming an increasingly interconnected place, cities are becoming smarter and the need for data applications accessible through the cloud is necessary.

Why not look at our software, SIERA, which has been created specifically for the commercial real estate sector? In Part 3, we will explore SIERA in more detail.

To speak to us about SIERA, or for any other enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

EVORA EDGE Supports Guildford Borough Council to Develop Planning Policy

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We are delighted to announce that EVORA EDGE, our new technical engineering division, has been instructed to undertake a strategic technical study for Guildford Borough Council. The study is to analyse the policy and cost-effectiveness of increasing the target carbon emissions rates for new build properties as part of the council’s proposed local plan.

Legislation allows local planning authorities in England and Wales to include policies imposing reasonable requirements on developers for:

  1. a proportion of energy used in development in their area to be from renewable sources in the locality
  2. a proportion of energy used in development to be from low or zero carbon sources
  3. development in their area to comply with energy efficiency standards that exceed the energy requirements of building regulations.

EVORA EDGE will undertake analysis on whether it is cost effective for developers to use renewable energy, or low or zero carbon technologies, in order to meet a proposed council increase to the target emissions rate.

EVORA is delighted to call Guildford Borough Council a new client, and to be working with it on this interesting project which will potentially inform planning strategy in the borough for years to come.

Andrew Cooper, our EVORA EDGE director who will be heading up the study, says:

“This is an exciting step for EVORA, having only launched EVORA EDGE a few weeks ago to increase our technical and engineering capabilities. This new project demonstrates the scope of technical work that we are now able to provide to our clients.”

To learn more about us, or about EVORA EDGE specifically, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

We already need a new Energy Consultant to join EVORA EDGE! Click here for details.

A Connected World: An Introduction to the Internet of Things (Part 1 of 3)

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The world is becoming more interconnected than ever before. The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) is an exciting development for many industries and disciplines. You do not have to be a technology expert to realise the potential of IoT.

This blog series takes you on a journey to demystify the IoT concept. Throughout the series, you will understand the implications for real estate investment and management and applications to energy and sustainability performance and we will give you an insight into our very own SIERA platform.

Let’s begin with the concept of the Internet of Things. What is it?

The IoT is a network of physical objects, an ecosystem of devices, buildings and other ‘things’ connected to one another electronically, through software, sensors and connections. Data flows between these ‘things’. They are internet-enabled with links between devices, apps and services, data and the cloud. This sits within something called the ‘Internet of Everything’ which is the connection of data, processes, people and things. As the world is becoming an increasingly interconnected place, some people have even called this phenomenon the 4th Industrial Revolution.

What’s all the fuss about?

It’s all about data and how it interacts with the ‘things’. Through data exchanges, we can begin to get a deeper understanding of the value that can be extracted from core processes and interactions. For real estate investment and management, buildings, people and energy performance forms part of the network. Later in the blog series, we explore the opportunities of IoT for the industry. Many industries are now future-proofing for IoT; attention has been drawn to big data and data management.

Gartner summarised it quite nicely by framing ‘data’ as the currency of the IoT, from which the value can truly be harnessed if the data can be translated to information which can create business transformation and inform strategy.

Four Impacts of the IoT

Impact 1:

The IoT will transform and shape the future for many industries including the commercial real estate sector

Impact 2:

Connectivity and platforms are crucial. There is a requirement that data can be accessed anytime and anywhere in the world. Whether you are in Hong Kong, New York or London – your data is there, anytime, anywhere, in any context and on any network.

Impact 3:

It is not just about connectivity, but accessibility, availability and security are also important. We found that in the real estate investment and management sector, data management has been a key issue – data is traditionally stored on numerous computers, held offline on paper and data loss has been a core risk. Nowadays, data is no longer restricted to a hard drive on a desktop computer, or a USB, but the cloud is a popular means to store data.

Impact 4:

A big focus on data. Data visualisation, data analytics and data mining approaches will be some of the ways to interrogate the data in more detail. Data validation and verification will be essential to question the data and ensure it is meaningful.

Sustainability Intelligence Environmental Reporting & Analysis (SIERA)

We are working hard at the leading-edge to understand our industry needs. We have adopted an agile development and management methodology which has enabled us to situate ourselves within a data-driven landscape. Get in touch to book a demo of SIERA today, which is our proprietary sustainability management software designed for the information age. We would love to have a personal conversation with you to assess your current infrastructure and to discover how SIERA could help you tap into new opportunities.

Part 2 of this series will focus on the implications and applications of IoT for commercial real estate investment management, sustainability and energy performance.

To speak to us about SIERA, or for any other enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.