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Remote energy management benefits in retail building portfolios

Eeva Määttänen (Real Estate Business, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland)
Riikka Kyrö (Real Estate Business, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland)
Anna Aaltonen (ISS Palvelut Oy, Vantaa, Finland)
Anna-Liisa Sarasoja (Real Estate Business, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland)
Seppo Junnila (Real Estate Business, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland)

Journal of Facilities Management

ISSN: 1472-5967

Article publication date: 28 January 2014

707

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the effects of a remote energy management service to the energy consumption of retail buildings. The study focuses on analysing the changes in energy consumption after the implementation of a facility service concept where building processes are optimized with a remote energy management system. The paper seeks to demonstrate that remotely operated building management practices, which allow high competence service for all facilities, have a positive impact, beyond traditional facility services, on energy and environmental performance of buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

The research analyses the metered energy consumption of two retail building portfolios comprising altogether 44 properties. Additionally, secondary data are collected from archive reviews, observation and interviews.

Findings

The research shows that remote energy management service reduced the total energy consumption during the two-year service period by 12 and 6 per cent depending on the portfolio. Electricity consumption was found to decrease by 7 per cent and heating energy by 26 per cent on the average in the first portfolio, and 7 and 4 per cent in the second one, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

Variation between buildings was found to be relatively high as the individual characteristics and history of the different buildings inevitably affect the achieved results.

Practical implications

The study indicates that remote energy management offers an effective means to reduce the energy consumption and costs, and ultimately climate impacts derived from buildings.

Originality/value

The study adds to the knowledge of facilities management in context to energy management and environmental performance of buildings.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and ISS Palvelut Oy for inspiring and funding the research.

Citation

Määttänen, E., Kyrö, R., Aaltonen, A., Sarasoja, A.-L. and Junnila, S. (2014), "Remote energy management benefits in retail building portfolios", Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 56-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-09-2012-0043

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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