TH Real Estate has set a target to reduce its energy intensity by 30% ahead of 2030 so has been challenging its property managers to identify building efficiency. 

Subsequently, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) is always seeking innovative technology to deliver ‘cutting edge’ sustainability and energy management solutions for its properties. 

So LSH sourced and implemented a cost effective smart building technology through 4D monitoring that delivers energy savings, improves building performance and enhances occupier comfort conditions at a cost that is deliverable across all building complexities.  LSH had the opportunity to influence the product development and the project has been delivered through a collaborative approach by all stakeholders – LSH, 4D Monitoring, contractors and THRE as building owners.

Energy consumption data has been collected for many years, however the data is prone to inconsistency and offers high level ‘summary’ reporting only.  LSH used this data to deliver a range of energy saving initiatives but many of these rely upon further investment.  There are existing solutions for building optimisation but they are generally priced against potential savings. The cost and complexity of such projects make them very difficult to justify in anything but the largest of buildings.

LSH partnered with 4D Monitoring to provide a solution that provides immediate visibility of plant and equipment performance to property managers and owners. The data is live, immediate and easy to interrogate which allows quick identification of faults, run time errors and energy wastage.

4D Monitoring is a cloud-based system allowing all system participants to directly monitor the building environment and the performance of plantroom equipment. Sensors fitted to critical assets transmit data to the 4D Monitoring Gateway, collate the information received and send it to the 4D Monitoring Portal. The range of available low cost sensors is significant allowing for multiple and matrix monitoring opportunities within a live building. LSH actively monitors temperatures, pressures, flow rates and run times etc. however footfall, people movement and air quality monitoring trials have now started. 

TH Real Estate and LSH both view occupant health, wellbeing and productivity as critical to the investment performance of the portfolio, we are therefore keen to ensure that thermal comfort, air quality and light levels are a key part of this initiative.  Solutions for retail parks and industrial parks are being considered currently (e.g. car park light monitoring).

LSH approached THRE to pilot the 4D project across their London portfolio. Within three months of agreement for the trial, 4D Monitoring had been installed in 27 buildings with an initial 388 sensors fitted and feeding data back to our live portal via 36 active gateways.  The aggregate cost to install was in the region of £2,000 per building allowing it to be installed at all sizes / types / ages of office building.

From day one LSH has been able to interrogate the live performance data to quickly establish where plant room equipment is operating inefficiently.  This would not be immediately evident from meter readings, monthly service inspections nor remote or legacy and closed protocol BMS systems. Using alerts on pre-set parameters, buildings can call for works in response to simple alarms.  An example is on air filters - by placing an air flow sensor on either side it can be changed when required, rather than on a standard PPM schedule.

On one site alone, the trial has resulted in a 32% reduction in chiller and boiler operation and 35% in AHU operation over a seven day period through incremental adjustment, equating to a significant energy and cost saving to the client and occupiers.

4D monitoring has also allowed us to monitor contractor activity and will allow LSH to score and rank their performance on our Elogbooks CAFM platform. 4D monitoring data will also inform future target setting for contractors, as well as set annual sustainability performance objectives for our property and facilities managers.

By sharing data with occupiers we are finding a real desire to include demised areas with coverage of temperature, lighting levels and air quality to allow them to address their own sustainability and staff wellness agendas.

In collaboration with 4D Monitoring, TH Real Estate and LSH have implemented a ‘Smart Building solution’ that is British designed and manufactured. It has been tested, rolled out and refined in advance of future installations and new, emerging applications for the whole of our national, managed portfolio. The benefits are tangible and the opportunities limitless and it is already driving change across our portfolio with THRE.

For more media information contact:
Emma Radcliffe , Marketing & Communications Manager
Tel 0161 242 7040, Email eradcliffe@lsh.co.uk 
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