Environmental impact assessment within Asset and Property Management: proposal of measurement and monitoring of energy consumption and efficiency indicators through an IWMS

Abstract

Uno de los principales retos a los que se enfrentan actualmente las organizaciones del sector inmobiliario es alcanzar los objetivos Net-Zero carbon y Net-Zero Energy Buildings en 2050. Para encontrar un mecanismo adecuado para enfrentar estos desafíos, esta tesis se enfoca en desarrollar una propuesta para recolectar, administrar y monitorear indicadores de consumo y eficiencia energética durante la fase operativa de los edificios utilizando un IWMS como herramienta tecnológica. El contenido de esta tesis se divide en tres partes que estructuran la metodología definida para lograr el objetivo propuesto. En la primera parte, se realiza una revisión bibliográfica para presentar la aplicación de IWMS durante la etapa de operación de los edificios y los indicadores que actualmente utilizan diversas organizaciones de renombre mundial. La segunda parte consolida los indicadores identificados y presenta cómo, utilizando la información dentro de la base de datos de un IWMS, estos indicadores pueden calcularse eficientemente. Finalmente, la tercera parte implementa un caso práctico dentro de la compañía italiana eFM que concluye con la integración de la propuesta de indicadores dentro del módulo de gestión energética del software ARCHIBUS, el cual es utilizado como principal IWMS en la empresa seleccionada para el caso práctico.

One of the main challenges that the organisations in the real estate sector are currently facing is achieving Net-Zero carbon and Net-Zero Energy Buildings goals by 2050. This means that, to achieve these objectives set at the national and international level, companies will need to have reliable information that allows them to take decisions more efficiently. To find an adequate mechanism to face these challenges, this thesis focuses on developing a proposal for collecting, managing, and monitoring energy consumption and efficiency indicators during the operational phase of buildings using an IWMS as a technological support tool. The content of this thesis is divided into three parts that structure the methodology defined to achieve the proposed objective. In the first part, a literature review is carried out to present the application of IWMS during the operation stage of the buildings and the indicators currently used by various world-renowned organizations. As a result of the literature review, the second part consolidates all the indicators proposed by the different sources and identifies how, using the information within the database of an IWMS, these indicators can be measured and retrieved efficiently. Then, the third part implements a practical case within eFM Company that concludes with integrating the proposal of indicators within the module used for energy performance management and new user-friendly dashboards at asset and portfolio levels. The interpretation of this thesis results shows that measuring and monitoring energy performance information within an IWMS can be considered a consistent mechanism for real estate companies to understand their consumption patterns, take necessary actions, measure the effectiveness of these actions, and report them to all interested parties.