Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions (BGIS) provides turnkey facility management services for its commercial real estate customers. To help manage costs and optimize operational performance at the site level, BGIS formed a strategic partnership with Enel X to integrate real-time energy monitoring, fault detection, and remote control capabilities for a pilot program across 10 select retail banking sites in North America. BGIS realized an average of 20% in energy cost savings across the properties involved in the project, with some sites reporting savings as high as 35%.
The Challenge
Although energy and maintenance can account for a substantial amount of operational costsin the retail space, few businesses have the resources to get them under control. Problems stemming from issues like faulty HVAC equipment, inefficient startup and shutdown procedures, and overlooked weekend and holiday schedules can long go unnoticed, creating problems that can range from unnecessary costs on energy and maintenance to unidentified safety issues with equipmentin the buildings. Additionally, fixing these issues often requires dispatching techniciansto the site, which can be costly and disruptive to providing an in-store experience that will attract and retain customers.To solve these problems for a retail banking customer, BGIS would require visibility into operational data to identify the root causesof these issues, insights into how they can resolve them, and remote control capabilitiesto implement these measures while keeping maintenance costs and disruption to a minimum.
The Solution
Automatically Identifying Opportunities to Improve Operations
BGIS deployed Enel X’s energy intelligence software to continuously monitor and analyze data created by building automation systems, smart equipment sensors, and baseboard and lighting controllers at 10 of its customer’s sites. Enel X’s platform automatically identifies the issues causing anomalies in energy and operational data, such as simultaneous heating and cooling, opportunities for preventive equipment maintenance, or discrepancies between the buildings’ equipment runtime and occupancy hours. The platform then pushes notifications to analysts working at the BGIS Global Command Center, complete with recommended actions to resolve them.
Remotely Implementing Fixes to Reduce Unnecessary On-Site Maintenance
BGIS analysts are equipped with the ability to adjust equipment and implement energy efficiency measures remotely from the BGIS Global Commend Center, helping to reduce costly service calls and on-site maintenance. When BGIS needs to deploy technicians to make repairs or adjustments on-site, Enel X’s platform provides mobile access to in-depth information, helping to eliminate guesswork and reduce time spent at the site. Project tracking tools enable stakeholders across teamsand locations to collaborate and stay up-to-date on the status of a maintenance call.
Results
In less than a month, Enel X’s energy intelligence software helped BGIS improve efficiency and reduce costs at the site level by:
- Optimizing equipment shutdown procedures
- Eliminating simultaneous baseboard heating and HVAC cooling
- Aligning operational schedules with holidays and weekends
- Using remote triage and control capabilities to reduce service calls and time spent on maintenance
As a result, BGIS was able to implement energy efficiency measures that resulted in average energy cost savings of2 0% in its customers’ buildings, with some sites reportingsavings as high as 35%. In addition to energy cost savings, the remote control capabilities will reduce operations and maintenance costs, while the added visibility will extend the useful life of criticalequipment installed in the buildings. This will play a valuablerole in helping the customer avoid capital investments in new equipment over the long term. For example, thedata revealed that equipment in one of the buildings was overheating, enabling BGIS to mitigate a potential safety risk before it could cause extensive damage. Over the longterm, the ability to diagnose and fix these kinds of issues proactively will reduce the need for capital investments. Based on the success at these sites, BGIS’ customer is exploring a deployment across its entire North American portfolio. BGIS now offers this capability to its entire commercial real estate customer base.
