In the new issue of Buzzwords (download now), BNPPRE explores real estate strategies that optimise the building sector in the long term. The 2050 European climate targets under the Paris Agreement encourage the implementation of concrete measures to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. With a view to accelerating this decarbonisation, data and innovation are currently at the heart of building management.

Today, BNPPRE offers you a summary of this 9th issue of Buzzwords and explains how collecting consumption data can help optimise building operation strategies

Real-time energy management through the collection of building data

Collecting and carefully analysing a building’s data is vital to reducing its carbon footprint. IoT solutions can be implemented in order to retrieve this information, make it easier to understand, and monitor buildings. For example, by deploying sensors or metering systems throughout the building, we can measure the natural light so as to adjust the brightness of the lighting, measure the outdoor temperature so as to make the indoor environment comfortable (through heating or cooling), or keep track of electricity or hot water consumption.

Observing these data will therefore allow us to gain a better understanding of how energy is used and to come up with optimisation solutions.

To enable this equipment and other connected objects (IoT) to be monitored, buildings are now equipped with a Building Management System (BMS). By helping to plan the operation of the lighting, heating, ventilation or air conditioning, the BMS can therefore improve the performance, operation, comfort and even safety of the entire building.

Furthermore, the analysis of these consumption data may be shared with the occupants in order to make them aware of their carbon footprint, while encouraging them to adopt environmentally responsible actions and eco-gestures on a daily basis.

Property Data Insight: an innovative management platform developed by BNP Paribas Real Estate

PDI offers a new data visualisation tool aimed at optimising the use of building data. The first trial of this platform was carried out in Metal 57, an iconic tertiary-sector building resulting from the conversion of the Renault workshop (in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris) and which today houses BNPPRE employees.

PDI centralises and unifies data to provide property managers – and also building users and investors – with indicators related to meeting room attendance, office temperature or acoustics, air quality, electricity consumption and so on.

Finally, as well as offering a real-time building dashboard, PDI embodies a desire for transparency and is, above all, a great tool for optimising real estate strategies.