Talking Heads

Without digitalisation there can be no path to net zero

Calls for a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency have escalated the need for companies to take action on the digitalisation of buildings, writes Gavin Holvey

2022 was a year few of us will forget. While the resumption of a more regular business rhythm will have been welcomed, escalating operational costs and the prospect of a lasting recession mean that optimism has not been in plentiful supply. It has also been a year where the scale and speed of climate change has been repeatedly underlined – the relative failure of CoP27 only adding to the sense of crisis.

All of which means that the need for an effective focus on Net Zero is becoming ever more urgent. With buildings accounting for 39 per cent of annual global emissions, forwardlooking companies will already be aware of how vital it is that they optimise the energy-efficiency of their facilities. They will also be apprised of the role that digitilisation and cloud computing play in achieving those goals.

But pretty soon, it will be impossible for any organisation to ignore the call for digitalisation. A wave of new regulations are on the way in many countries, including the UK, where the Government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are set to prohibit commercial buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of Grade F or G being let from 1 April 2023. The scale of the problem is underlined by a recent report from real estate firm Savills that indicates 17.2m square metres of all retail space in the UK could be deemed ‘unlettable’ if the new requirements are not met.

Scramble to improve buildings

With significant swathes of nonresidential property already facing an existential crisis due to the rise of hybrid working, it’s probable that the early months of 2023 will witness a scramble to improve existing building stock. Fortunately, there is a great deal that can be done relatively quickly if companies are receptive to embracing new ideas and technologies – many of which fall under the umbrella of digitalisation

Throughout 2022, energy has been in the spotlight in a more sustained way than at any time since the 1970s. Urgent new questions about security and supply resilience have augmented existing ones about efficiency. On a business level, addressing all of these questions can only be done with the kind of systematic collection and analysis of data enabled by the digitalisation of building management technologies.

In most cases, this digitilisation process will include the following key stages: moving away from an on-premise hardware model; utilising a cloud-based platform that can be managed more easily and remotely; and working closely with internal or third-party IT specialists to monitor and maintain building management.

Cloud-based platforms

Moving to this model makes it easier to monitor and identify areas or applications where energy is being wasted – and then take action accordingly. In addition the inherent scalability of cloud-based platforms allows the supporting infrastructure to evolve in line with the business requirements; something that will only become more important as office environments are configured differently or even shared with other organisations. And unlike on-premise systems, which have historically been subject to occasional and lengthy renewal processes, a cloud-driven, digitised company can take advantage of new updates immediately. This can often be done remotely, bringing further benefits in terms of reduced call-out expenses and emissions.

The improvements garnered from completing this process can be dramatic. On-premise systems are expensive to power and keep cool – especially when compared to the latest generation of highly efficient data centres. A recent collaborative study by Berkeley Lab

It is very likely that digitalisation is the most critical thing that any company can do to further net zero

and Northwestern University in the US reported that cloud computing can reduce energy consumption by 87 per cent when compared to legacy/ on-premise infrastructure. The same report indicated that organisations can expect to save between 60 per cent and 85 per cent in energy costs by moving to cloud-based services

The cost savings are very welcome as energy prices continue to rise unpredictably. But it’s important to note that digitalisation does not have to be complete for energy usage to decline. Even undertaking the process for one aspect of a business, or one particular facility, can bring huge benefits. And once a company has experienced those kind of results, the lure to extend digitalisation will intensify.

Flexible and fl eet-of-foot

Digitalisation’s rewards spread far and wide. In an industrial context, not only does it enable businesses to be more flexible and fleet-of-foot, it also allows them to collaborate and share data more easily with other organisations – something recently identified by a University College London report for the British Council of Offices as being instrumental to achieving Net Zero in the workplace.

In a global context, along with reducing the problem of embodied carbon by minimising the construction of new buildings, it’s very likely that digitalisation is the most critical thing that any company can do to further Net Zero. And at the end of 12 months of often terrifying climate change data, the importance of that surely can’t be lost on many people now.

● Priva’s new White Paper: The role of digitalizing buildings in achieving Net Zero is available for download via their website.

Gavin Holvey