Erwin, Facility Manager in a Challenging Building
How do you tackle the challenge of keeping a large building, over 40 years old, comfortable while meeting sustainability requirements?
That’s the daily task of Erwin van Gorkom, Facility Manager at De Goudse. De Goudse has been active in insurance for 100 years, and uses a building from 1980 in, of course, Gouda. With over 30 years of experience at De Goudse, Erwin knows the building better than anyone.
Sustainability has always been important
“At De Goudse, we’ve always been intrinsically motivated to monitor our energy consumption. That’s why we started monitoring it in 2004. But our long-term agreements with the government also play a role,” says Erwin.
With a building from 1980 and installations that naturally got older over time, there was plenty to do.
End of manual optimization
A former colleague of Erwin’s was particularly dedicated to optimizing the indoor climate.
“He was working every day to get everything set optimally. He continuously monitored the air treatment, and kept an eye on the weather. But all of this was done manually. If he was on vacation or sick, people noticed right away,” Erwin remembers.
His colleague retired last year, and Erwin didn’t want to take over this manual work. That’s when he came into contact with VBoptimum.
Construction fault found that wasted energy
Erwin: “Through our contact with Van Beek Ingenieurs, VBoptimum was recommended to us, and that gave us the confidence to go for it, even though we didn’t know how much we would save.”
After the start, there was a particularly challenging period due to COVID, making things less predictable. However, the research eventually provided very valuable insights. For example, a costly construction fault in the heating system was discovered: due to a reversed connection of the distribution manifold, much more energy was being used in the building than necessary.
“That was really an eye-opener. From that moment, we started saving 30%. And the great thing is, it continues to optimize itself. As a result, we’re now saving 35%,” Erwin notes with satisfaction.
Users now notice that issues are dealt with faster: the ecoBuilding software can figure it out more quickly than people.
Smooth collaboration with VBoptimum and the installer
For De Goudse, it was easy to work with VBoptimum. The inspiration for the approach came from brainstorming with director Frank. With technical specialist Jorret, Erwin even had an old acquaintance on the team.
“Jorret had previously worked at De Goudse through Coneco. He had already been in the field for years. So, it was nice and convenient to work with him again; after all, he already knew our installations. And he’s also enthusiastic – when he talks, he really gets into it – way too smart, that guy,” Erwin laughs.
The installer was also involved in the project. “They found it exciting and interesting. A fun train to jump on. That obviously helps too.”
Looking forward to the future
Erwin looks forward to the renewal of the building’s installations, which are now reaching the end of their lifespan.
“We are currently researching that. When we get new installations, we’ll also be working with ecoBuilding again. That way, we can use the latest version and apply deeper monitoring. And with the new installation concept, we can save even more because we can control each space individually,” shares Erwin.
In the meantime, De Goudse has expanded the number of thermostats, which has already provided benefits.
The energetic collaboration with VBoptimum
“There’s energy in the people, in the collaboration,” Erwin says about the partnership with VBoptimum.
“They’re very proactive – I get more than enough suggestions. Jorret calls me because he’s seen something. And twice a year, we go through everything and fine-tune it further. I’ll tell you, if all my suppliers worked like them, my life would be a lot easier,” Erwin smiles.
Because he’s so satisfied, he also contributed to a promotional film for VBoptimum. Erwin: “I don’t do that for just anyone, of course. It was quite an experience for me. But Frank and Jorret’s enthusiasm was contagious.”
Are you curious about what VBoptimum’s approach could mean for your building? Or would you like to have a chat with Frank or Jorret?
Feel free to contact us, we’d be happy to tell you more.
