UK Panel – Improve your building ratings by Mastering GRESB & NABERS

Event Session Recap: London Panel on Sustainable Building Practices and Future Trends

In a recent lively and informative session in London, Bueno Analytics hosted a panel discussion on sustainable building practices and future trends. The event, led by Hugh Amoyal, CEO of Bueno, brought together experts including Alex Steel from GRESB, Rob MacWhannell from Better Buildings Partnership, and Haibo Chen, Head of Global Services at Bueno. Here’s a casual rundown of the key points and strategies discussed during the session.

Setting the Stage

Hugh Amoyal kicked off the session by stressing the critical role of sustainable building practices in tackling global environmental challenges. He shared how Bueno is using technology and data analytics to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings. Collaboration across sectors was highlighted as a must for making real progress in sustainability.

Rob MacWhannell on Better Buildings Partnership and NABERS UK

Rob MacWhannell, Head of Sustainability – Benchmarking & Measurement at Better Buildings Partnership (BBP), provided insights into BBP’s work and its involvement with NABERS UK. BBP, a non-profit organization comprising the UK’s leading property owners and managing agents, plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability in the built environment. Rob explained how NABERS UK, which focuses on the actual performance of buildings in use, complements other sustainability frameworks by providing detailed assessments of energy performance, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions. This bottom-up approach fills gaps where many GRESB members often underperform, offering a more comprehensive view of building sustainability.

Rob also gave an update on the recent changes at NABERS UK, including the transition of administration from BRE to CIBSE. He noted that CIBSE would go live with new registrations soon, which would address the backlog of registrations since December. Rob emphasised the strong uptake of NABERS Design for Performance in the UK, particularly in the office sector, and the exciting times ahead as these buildings start to get their operational ratings.

Alex Steel on GRESB’s Role

Following Rob, Alex Steel gave an insightful overview of GRESB’s efforts in promoting sustainability through their benchmarking and ESG assessments. He talked about how GRESB helps real estate investors and managers understand and improve their sustainability performance. A key takeaway was the rising importance of ESG criteria in investment decisions and the growing need for transparent and reliable data. Alex highlighted GRESB’s structure, its assessment process, and how it supports members throughout their sustainability journey, emphasising areas for improvement such as data coverage and validation.

Alex explained that GRESB’s top-down approach offers a holistic portfolio view, while NABERS provides a bottom-up assessment of individual buildings. This complementary relationship allows for a comprehensive approach to sustainability, where GRESB’s portfolio-wide assessments are enriched by NABERS’ detailed building-level data.

Haibo Chen on Integrating Technology with Building Management

Haibo Chen wrapped up the panel discussion by detailing the tech advancements Bueno has made in building management systems (BMS). He explained how Bueno synchronises data with BMS using legacy protocols, APIs, and BACnet. By integrating IoT devices and sensors, Bueno enables real-time monitoring and optimisation of building operations, which is crucial for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs.

Haibo also highlighted the convergence of data quality requirements between GRESB and NABERS. He emphasised that high-quality data and robust validation processes are essential for connecting operational teams with reporting and compliance teams, ultimately driving improvements in building performance.

Panel Discussion Highlights

1. Blending Technology with Building Management

Haibo Chen detailed the tech advancements Bueno has made in building management systems (BMS). He explained how Bueno synchronizes data with BMS using legacy protocols, APIs, and BACnet. By integrating IoT devices and sensors, Bueno enables real-time monitoring and optimization of building operations, which is crucial for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs.

2. GRESB and NABERS: A Perfect Match

Rob MacWhannell explained how the NABERS framework complements GRESB assessments. While GRESB offers a holistic portfolio view, NABERS dives into the performance of individual buildings, focusing on areas where GRESB members often underperform globally, such as energy performance, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions. This combination allows for a comprehensive approach to sustainability.

3. Data Quality is Key

The panel emphasised the importance of high-quality data. Haibo Chen underscored the need for accurate and reliable data to drive meaningful insights and actions. Bueno’s platform ensures data integrity through automated validation processes and advanced analytics, laying a solid foundation for identifying energy-saving opportunities and implementing effective sustainability measures.

4. Collaboration Between Tenants and Landlords

Rob MacWhannell noted that successful sustainability efforts often hinge on cooperation between tenants and landlords. Sharing data and maintaining transparency are vital for achieving shared energy efficiency goals. He cited examples of how effective tenant-landlord partnerships have led to significant improvements in building performance.

5. The Role of Policy and Regulation

Alex Steel touched on the role of policy and regulation in promoting sustainability in real estate. He mentioned GRESB’s alignment with global sustainability frameworks like the Paris Agreement and stressed the need for policies that incentivise energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

6. Future Trends and Innovations

Looking to the future, the panel discussed emerging trends and innovations in sustainable building practices. Haibo Chen highlighted the potential of AI and machine learning in enhancing building management systems. These technologies can predict maintenance needs, optimise energy use, and provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.

Tying in GRESB’s Approach

Alex Steel’s earlier presentation provided a seamless transition into the panel discussion. He elaborated on GRESB’s structure, its assessment process, and how it supports members throughout their sustainability journey. Alex highlighted key areas of improvement such as data coverage and validation, emphasising that actual performance data is becoming increasingly important. This aligned perfectly with the panel’s discussion on the significance of accurate data and the integration of frameworks like NABERS to address specific performance metrics.

Conclusion

The London session offered valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in sustainable building practices. The discussions underscored the importance of integrating technology, ensuring data quality, and fostering collaboration to achieve sustainability goals. With the real estate sector continually evolving, innovative solutions and supportive policies will be essential in driving energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Bueno Analytics remains committed to leading the way in sustainability through cutting-edge technology and collaborative efforts with industry stakeholders. This event highlighted not just the current state of sustainable building practices but also set the stage for future advancements.