With VBoptimum, PATRIZIA works on multiple office buildings to make installations smarter. Not with a one-time optimization, but as a structural second opinion and coordination partner.
Smarter steering, not harder working
In projects such as Antonian (Amsterdam) and Blaak 31 (Rotterdam), the big picture is missing: installers set up systems according to their own methods, and managers only solve problems when a complaint arises.
“You get a kind of short-term approach,” says Hans. “Where one complaint is solved, another is caused elsewhere in the building by manually created imbalance. Everything operates separately.”
VBoptimum changes that: their digital model monitors the building management system (BMS) 24/7, identifies incorrect settings, and translates them into practical improvement advice for installers. “They don’t just give a signal, they think along about what can be improved and also come up with a proposal for a solution,” says Hans.
Coordination between parties
At Antonian, it was about more than just technology. Multiple parties, from installer to property manager, were involved in the building. VBoptimum truly brought them together for the first time.
“Normally these parties hardly speak to each other,” adds Frans Pieper of VBoptimum. “But because we take an integrated approach, joint consultations were established. As a result, fewer things fell through the cracks – and everyone could work more efficiently.”
A concrete example? The correct naming of installations in the BMS, so everyone knows what’s what. Sounds simple, but in practice it turned out to be a blind spot. “Without VBoptimum we would never have seen that,” says Hans. “Especially if the installer checks his own work... Then he’s marking his own homework.”
From quick scan to Digital Twin
VBoptimum’s expertise is also used at other locations, such as Blaak 31 in Rotterdam. There, the climate system had underperformed for years. “Everything was on manual control,” Hans explains. “We were heating and cooling at the same time. You only see that when you really dive into the system.”
The first step then is: get the basics in order. Only after that comes the digital twin – a model that predicts and optimizes the building’s behavior based on, among other things, weather forecasts and occupancy.
Grid congestion? Smart control helps
An additional challenge: grid congestion. More and more owners are being told by their grid operator that their building demands too much power at peak times. “We face that in multiple buildings. Those peaks are predictable: at nine o’clock when the building starts up, and around lunchtime.”
By smartly controlling installations with VBoptimum’s so-called “Digital Twin,” these peaks can partly be avoided. “If you start preheating earlier, you spread the energy demand over a longer period. That helps to stay within your contract capacity,” Hans explains.
Towards a directing role in sustainability
For PATRIZIA, the collaboration with VBoptimum is mainly a way to gain better technical control over complex buildings and processes. With the goal: better performance, satisfied tenants, and a real estate portfolio that’s ready for the future.
“PATRIZIA has the ambition to become fully Paris Proof,” says Hans. “And this kind of collaboration is part of that. Not just software, but also people who understand it. Who pick up signals, think along, and connect parties.”
Want more insight into your building(s) too?
As an owner or manager, do you want to do more than just solve complaints? VBoptimum monitors, thinks along, and helps your building perform smarter – both technically and strategically.
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