Care sunt beneficiile companiilor care adoptă soluții smart și inovează în Real Estate?

Source: Financiarul.ro.

Bucharest (May 14, 2019) – The second edition of the ‘Smart Building & Innovation in Real Estate’ conference took place on May 8, 2018, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest, attracting over 150 attendees. This event was organized by BusinessMark in collaboration with Facilities Management Services (FMS) and EnergyPal Romania.

As smart buildings increasingly become a staple in modern enterprises, discussions around Smart Building and Smart City concepts are becoming more prevalent. A crucial aspect of these concepts is their implementation within workspaces. Smart buildings are designed to integrate and manage information, occupants, building systems, materials, and construction as a cohesive, adaptable system, aiming to enhance energy performance, efficiency, longevity, comfort, and occupant satisfaction.

The conference commenced with a presentation by Lucian Anghel – Founder and CEO of FMS and EnergyPal Romania, who shared insights from the study titled „Energy Efficiency in Romanian Companies,” conducted by EnergyPal, the only research of its kind in Romania. Based on responses from companies across ten industrial sectors, the study highlights the benefits companies associate with energy efficiency measures. ‘Compared to last year, the percentage of companies implementing energy efficiency solutions has risen to 79% from 66% in 2018,’ noted Lucian Anghel. He further added, ‘62% of companies, up from 55% last year, report having only a general utility meter, while just 17% have detailed automatic readings. Additionally, 64% of respondents indicate they lack a smart metering system for key equipment.‘

The first discussion session focused on trends in Smart Building and the significance of connecting a smart building to a broader ecosystem, which is essential for developing the Smart City concept. ‘It’s vital to have knowledgeable individuals who can implement technology. All elements of a smart city must be interconnected,’ stated Florin Nemțanu – Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest; Director of the ITS Master Programme. He discussed technologies from a mobility perspective, specifically Mobility As A Service (MAAS). Florin emphasized that a proper integration of mobility technologies within a Smart City ecosystem should consider transportation infrastructure, vehicles, equipment, public transport, parking, private transport, bicycles/scooters, and pedestrian pathways. ‘For instance, we can utilize sensor-based monitoring to track pedestrian numbers during specific time frames to adjust traffic light timings.‘

While these concepts are not new, their integration into workspaces with the goal of employee retention is a recent development. The nature of work is evolving, and employers require incentives to attract and retain talent. ‘Digitalization, IoT, and AI are trends we are increasingly adopting. In Romania, the groundwork is still being laid, but there are developers investing significantly in this area,’ remarked Adrian Ursulean – Head of Property Management Romania, CTP Romania. He added, ‘A healthy relationship should exist from the authorization phase through construction between developers and teams integrating smart technical solutions across all segments: wellbeing, commuting, etc.’

Mihaela Gușă – Building Market Segment Manager at Schneider Electric Romania further discussed the importance of energy management for low and medium voltage systems, a service Schneider Electric provides through its Future Ready platform, aimed at enhancing safety, reliability, and operational efficiency while ensuring compliance with standards (where ROI can be achieved in under two years).

‘We propose Ecostruxure solutions, which encompass connected products or equipment, edge control – applications that allow local monitoring and control by personnel who can intervene in case of issues. Local control is crucial. We offer our clients a control platform that ensures low complexity across all project phases: design, commissioning, and monitoring. Ecostruxure solutions also include Apps, Analytics & Services, Cyber Security, and cloud services.‘

In the second session, our guests shifted their focus to new technologies from the perspective of occupants or tenants. They emphasized the necessity of open dialogue between public and private sectors regarding the use of green equipment. The integration of Smart Metering concepts and Building Management Systems (BMS) should be considered from the outset, even if they represent an additional cost for developers. The ROI is substantial and strengthens market positioning: staying relevant and providing the best offerings. ‘Operationally, intelligent systems and proper management can lead to savings of 25-30% in consumption.‘ stated Lucian Anghel – Founder and CEO, FMS and EnergyPal Romania.

Discussing the environmental impact of smart buildings, Răzvan Nica – Managing Director of BuildGreen noted, ‘Smart Buildings can be associated with sustainable buildings. The impact can mean reduced energy costs through intelligent management. Green certifications promote achieving these performance levels, reducing energy consumption, ensuring that all stakeholders benefit from optimal comfort conditions. It’s crucial for users to be involved and express their opinions.‘

Moreover, the legislative framework is not adequately regulated to ensure that newly constructed or existing buildings meet minimum standards for proper functioning and safety. An important aspect is educating the public in this regard. ‘In the case of a major fire, the social response is significant, but we also need a coherent and appropriate legislative framework,’ emphasized Cristian Șoricuț – Vice President, A.R.T.S – Romanian Association for Security Technology. He added, ‘The EU directive states that from 2020, private buildings will not receive construction permits unless they implement green technologies.’

Regarding Artificial Intelligence, Alexandra Cernian – University Lecturer at the Faculty of Automation and Computers, Polytechnic University of Bucharest remarked, ‘Some are frightened by it, while others are fascinated. We should adapt and recalibrate to current trends. There is a growing trend of automation in routine tasks within the job market. We will face social challenges as individuals replaced by robots will need to reorient themselves. For example, call centers already have support centers without human operators. As for IoT systems, we know they are self-learning systems, sensor networks measuring various parameters within buildings, which can lead to better monitoring.‘

To align with minimum standards, Alexandru Theodor Miculaș – Head of Facility Management at FMS emphasized that the elements of a smart building also depend on the implementation team: ‘The team should be viewed as a dynamic ecosystem. We have different projects, which means maintenance plans will vary. For instance, IoT helps us perform maintenance by providing data that indicates when equipment is likely to fail. For older buildings, we need to bring them up to minimum standards before addressing tenant needs and operational requirements. We have all the necessary technical resources.‘

Building maintenance is also a critical consideration: ‘When we construct a building, we design it for the long term, for at least 50 years. However, it cannot remain at the same standards over time. The installation aspect must be well-maintained (wear can reach 7-10 years if not properly cared for). After 20-25 years, a refresh will be necessary for the entire building. Moreover, today’s tenants are educated; they can discern whether a building is of high quality or not.‘ stated Melinda Reikli – Country Manager, S+B Gruppe AG Romania.

The conference concluded with a workshop titled ‘How Can Building Performance Be Enhanced Through Automation?‘ led by Lucian Anghel – Founder and CEO, EnergyPal-TimePal Romania; Horia Voicu – Director, AFRISO Romania; Claudiu Bardaș – Operation Manager, FMS; Dan Alupoai – Product Manager, AFRISO Romania; Alexandru Hanni Alshehari – EcoStruxure Industry Engineer, Schneider Electric Romania; Ovidiu Sfirloaga – BMS Project Manager, ENERGYPAL. They discussed BMS & IoT, smart metering – remote, automatic reading of water meters – the LoRaWAN system, reliability based on digital solutions – Ecostruxure solutions, and augmented reality.

This event was organized by BusinessMark, Facilities Management Services, and EnergyPal, supported by:

CTP Invest, AFRISO, and Schneider Electric Romania

Official radio partner of the event: Europa FM.

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