Making a building more sustainable while improving comfort at the same time – Spectral’s BRIGHTER makes it possible. The software is a smart solution to make buildings more sustainable. Listed office investor NSI is also participating. In a pilot at Motion Building in Amsterdam Sloterdijk, BRIGHTER saved 19.2% in heat (normalized for COVID-19), while making the building more comfortable. Reason enough to roll out to 26 buildings. There, the smart control will save more than 20% on heat and 3% on electricity. Good for the environment and for NSI, but also for the users of the building. The climate will become more comfortable and heating costs will go down.
This is achieved through active control. BRIGHTER’s self-learning algorithms based on artificial intelligence analyze different data streams at all levels. Data is collected through the link with the building management system, (smart) main and intermediate meters, sensor data, and weather data. The self-learning algorithms learn how the building reacts and will calculate the optimal settings based on history, weather forecasts, and current conditions. BRIGHTER optimizes the equipment every 15 minutes. For example, the system turns off the heating because the sun will shine in an hour. Without active control, it would become too hot in the office and the cooling would then have to cool the excess heat produced.
The choice of BRIGHTER fits in with NSI’s sustainability strategy, which focuses on Future-proof buildings, Energy & Carbon, and Health & Well-being. ESG is an integral part of the organization and that was rewarded in 2020 with five GRESB stars. That is the highest possible score. This means that a portfolio is recognized as a market leader in the field of sustainability.
Jeroen Solleveld, Head of Technical Asset Management at NSI: “The first step towards savings is to prevent waste. BRIGHTER helps us to make the buildings more efficient, sustainable, and comfortable for our tenants.”
BRIGHTER ensures that energy is used more efficiently. This reduces the demand for electricity and gas. This ensures a lower energy bill, but also less pollution, greenhouse gases, and the use of fossil fuels. Because BRIGHTER has a positive impact on comfort and costs remain low, such systems are becoming the new standard in commercial real estate, scaling up the impact. And that is exactly what we need to make real estate worldwide more sustainable and to achieve climate goals.
This project was made possible thanks to a subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
