Balancing act: Responsible and responsive commercial real estate for sustainability, occupant comfort and operational efficiency

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Today’s commercial real estate managers are at a crossroads. They must ensure their investments are profitable and address the challenges of meeting sustainability targets while creating buildings that attract and retain top talent. Rising energy costs, stringent ESG regulations, and increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions make this task even more imperative.

I see this challenge—and the opportunities—firsthand. For example, when a customer asks how to reduce energy use without compromising comfort, it’s a call to rethink what building outcomes are possible to optimize energy use, enhance occupant comfort, and drive operational efficiency.

150 Holborn: A blueprint for the future

Smart building technology—including IoT-enabled devices, data analytics, and integrated building systems—can transform buildings into dynamic ecosystems that respond to real estate owners’ and occupants’ needs.

150 Holborn, the headquarters of Sidara, a global collaborative of specialist design, engineering, and consulting firms, demonstrates a shift in mindset. The state-of-the-art building is a testament to what’s possible when innovation helps deliver sustainability.

Among its innovative efficiency applications is the use of occupancy setbacks, a type of energy conservation measure (ECM). Our recent research study conducted with Sidara evaluated the application of occupancy setbacks in conference rooms to determine what energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and other benefits might be gained from occupancy-based room conditioning. With setbacks applied:

• Meeting rooms operated in a more energy-efficient state 76% of the time
• Indoor air quality (IAQ) metrics consistently remained in healthy ranges
• An average of 22% savings in operational energy
  use and carbon emissions delivered

Data drives smarter decisions

Data and modern technology are at the heart of 150 Holborn’s success. With solutions like Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Data Platform, Planon IWMS, and over 6,000 sensors monitoring everything from energy use to occupancy patterns, the building operates like a living organism, constantly adapting to occupant needs. Sidara’s facility team can make real-time data-driven decisions to optimize building performance and occupant well-being. For example, data revealed that some meeting rooms were oversized, leading to smarter space utilization; an underutilized café prompted reduced operating hours on Fridays, saving energy and resources.

“Data improves maintenance processes over time; that improvement never stops unless the data stops flowing. Our building is almost like a living and breathing entity. It will contact the right people to look at issues when they occur rather than us discovering the problem two days later.”

–Dan Cope, Head of Technology at Sidara

Looking ahead: The smart building revolution

It’s clear that sustainability and occupant well-being are not mutually exclusive–they go hand in hand. The success at 150 Holborn is a model of collaboration, cutting-edge technology, and continuous improvement that commercial real estate owners and building operators can—and should—aspire to.

If you’re ready to explore how smart building technology for commercial real estate can address today’s challenges and opportunities, I invite you to read about the ECM study at 150 Holborn. Also, join us at MIPIM through March 14^th to discover how Schneider Electric is shaping the future of responsible and responsive real estate.