“We’ve gone the extra mile in infrastructure provision, design and engineering innovation to offer our customers not just peace of mind, but competitive edge".
Neil Pennell, Head of Engineering and Design, Landsec
Landsec as sustainability pioneer
Landsec Group plc is the largest commercial property development and investment company in the UK. This Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) now owns and manages 23.6M sq ft. Landsec is at the forefront of sustainability innovation. Landsec prides itself on the quality of its properties in terms of occupant well-being and environmental sustainability.
Landsec is the first commercial property company to declare a science-based target for the reduction of CO2 emissions and to switch to 100% renewable energy. Carbon emissions per m2 will be reduced by 40% by 2030. Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems are responsible for two-thirds of these emissions. In the latest Landsec’ property developments, tenant well-being has been a high priority and the new WELL building standard has been adopted.
Sustainability research and development
In 2014, Landsec’s Head of Engineering and Design, Neil Pennell, agreed to include the major new development One New Change in a Demand Logic-led R&D project funded by InnovateUK’s Future Energy Management of Buildings programme. Demand Logic developed a technology platform which acquired all of the data from the One New Change BACnet Building Management System (BMS) to analyse building performance. This analysis was extended to 20 Fenchurch Street and several other properties in the Landsec London portfolio, monitoring both individual pieces of equipment, meters, sensors and the portfolio overall.
The Demand Logic analysis was originally focused on energy wastage in these buildings and the analytical findings have been used in this R&D project to improve the EDSL TAS energy modelling software utilised in the design of new developments. In 2016, InnovateUK’s Building Performance Evaluation found that, on average, new commercial buildings consume 3.7x more energy than their design model calculated. This use of operational data by Landsec to improve design will close the performance gap in new buildings.
Connecting energy performance with occupant comfort
Using Demand Logic software for building performance data analysis has enabled Landsec to monitor in real-time the performance of HVAC equipment, utility meters and the BMS. This includes the main supply-side plant which supplies heating and cooling, i.e. the boilers, chillers and air-handling units (AHUs) which are the largest energy consuming units. Importantly, it also includes the demand-side equipment on each floor of the properties which place demands on the main plant, i.e. the terminal units and sensors for temperature and air-quality. These demand- and supply-side systems are completely inter-connected, so a complete understanding of building operations must see both sides of this engineering equation.
Demand Logic analysis has helped Landsec and the FM team improve the performance of the HVAC landlord plant. These views below of AHU major plant show their operational hours in 2016 and again in 2017. In 2016 there was extended operation shown in red which has been reduced in 2017 - this wasted energy would also shorten plant life.
Before Demand Logic installation
After Demand Logic Installation
By providing a view of each building’s tenants’ demand-side operations the energy wastage on any floor can also be correlated to tenant comfort issues and the required maintenance action. For instance, where a space on a floor is too cold it can lead to a complaint from that tenant. If that space is running too cold then the terminal unit, in the ceiling, supplying that space is not operating at the right control temperature. This unit is running more than it should and is wasting energy. More importantly it is demanding that cooling is supplied from the main chiller and AHU plant when it is not required, which wastes even more energy. The use of Demand Logic software by the Facilities Management (FM) team means that a maintenance action can be focused on specific pieces of equipment to improve comfort and reduce energy use. The example below shows a single Fan Coil Unit on the 19th floor operating 24 hours asking for cooling permanently which is targeted for maintenance by the tenant’s engineers. This proactive approach to maintenance is not the normal delivery model for FM maintenance. It is proving to be effective in reducing energy consumption, focusing engineering time and reducing the number of hot/cold complaint calls requiring reactive maintenance.
Example of Fan Coil Unit Cooling then Heating, then cooling constantly
Engaging tenants with data insights
In most Landsec buildings there are multiple tenants. The management of the building’s performance on a day-to-day basis is split between the landlord and tenant’s FM engineering teams. This is common for multi-tenanted buildings and this often presents a challenge for reducing operational energy consumption. At some sites, the Landsec team use Demand Logic data visualisation to engage with the tenants. The view below shows the range of temperature set points causing high energy demand and comfort issues, costing both the tenant energy and the landlord for main plant energy.
The below occupant agreed to re-set the temperature set-points and to widen the temperature range. The tenant was able to make these changes themselves and the impact was immediate, as monitored by Demand Logic. The view below shows the subsequent 27% reduction in demand of both heating and cooling in March 2017.
Example Views of the Demand Logic Solution
Portfolio League Table Benchmark operational performance live across all properties
Building Performance Overview
See operational progress trend to green over time
Terminal Unit Rogue Finder - 28 March 2015
Exception report shows terminal units operating outside of expected thresholds - lower left corner is best
Terminal Unit Rogue Finder - 28 March 2017
Shows improvement in terminal unit control reducing energy demand - lower left corner is best
Monitor Comfort & Productivity
Monitor Air Quality for Wellness Demonstrate best practice for customer service - CO2 level monitoring
