Stunning innovation steers Econowise Drives and Controls to top award
Saving a client almost £4 million in predicted yearly energy expenditure, Econowise Drives and Controls raced to victory at this year’s BCIA awards evening, taking home the coveted Energy Management Award.
With the client, Savills, keen to improve energy efficiency across its sites and continue its journey towards the 2050 net zero target, Econowise Drives and Controls utilised a data-driven approach to deliver the Sentinll Analytics program. This innovative digital technology was designed to ensure the enhanced, reliable and sustainable operation of the modern facilities across the UK.
The technology has since been installed in 35 individual facilities, helping Savills achieve significant yearly savings through plant operational analysis and optimisation workshops. As a result, around 32 million kWh of energy is predicted to be saved each year, reducing the amount of CO2 produced by 7.54 million kg, and saving around £3.75 million in cost savings.
Andy Jackson, the Head of UK Engineering at Savills, revealed how the utilisation of this innovative technology had significantly reduced their energy consumption. He said: “The deployment and evolution of Sentinll across our Central London RISE portfolio has had a profound impact on our ability to drive building performance through data, not only have we seen a reduction in energy ranging from 20% - 40% but we have developed practices with Sentinll to operate an energy first culture and provide a path to a fully data led maintenance model.
“Our colleagues, teams and clients are no longer reliant on out-of-date theoretical paper methods. Sentinll allows us to make informed data led decisions.”
With the UK commercial property market in perpetual growth, at least 166.5 billion kWh of energy is consumed per year. Between 20% and 50% of that energy consumption is wasted, due to poor understanding and incorrect system management. With this in mind, and following a successful pilot program, the Sentinll Analytics digital technology was developed.
The innovative system is a digital real estate management platform designed to offer cutting-edge analytics, homogenising data relating to user engagement and comfort, plant efficiency and energy consumption.
Offering an unmatched, scalable, and cost-effective solution, the Sentinll Analytics program analyses data from a building’s central control and metering systems in addition to harnessing occupant comfort data. Utilising a combination of real-time operational and comfort data and the predicted power grid makeup enables sustainable building portfolios that have efficiency, low carbon, automatic optimisation, and ESG in mind.
In fact, this level of technology is ensuring considerable advances are made in the promotion of sustainable real estate operation.
Aimed at nurturing change within managing agents’ respective business units and encouraging the adoption of cross-site collaboration strategies by internal management teams, the Sentinll Analytics program helps clients, including Savills, achieve substantial savings with respect to utility consumption and cost.
Mike Carr, the General Manager at 2 London Wall, revealed the technology had transformed their approach to reporting energy consumption. He said: “We can truly see the impact and power that data offers. Sentinll has reduced the energy consumption at 2 London Wall by more than 40% compared to the same period in 2022.”
Head of Judges and former BCIA President Graeme Rees praised the incredible innovation on display. He said: “With sustainability such a crucial aspect of building automation, especially with the UK’s target of net zero by 2050, the Sentinll Analytics program could have a huge impact on the sector and the built environment as a whole.
“The significant reduction in energy consumption generated by this technology was outstanding and, despite the other incredible nominations in this category, Econowise Drives and Controls was a deserving winner of this award.”