SKANSKA selects Synapsys

Synapsys spotlights green solutions

The SIPe energy monitoring solution from Synapsys Solutions has been selected by leading construction group Skanska to provide easily-accessible energy performance information to staff and visitors at its UK head office.

Skanska is an organisation with strong sustainability credentials, and one of the group’s many services involves working with organisations to reduce buildings’ energy use to decrease costs and tackle carbon emissions. To demonstrate to clients how this can work in real buildings, Skanska is using Synapsys energy monitoring at its Hertfordshire headquarters to create public information displays on current energy performance.

Scalable hardware-based solution

The SIPe system is a scalable hardwarebased solution with no ongoing licence or service costs, making it very cost-effective. A useful feature is the intuitive graphic ‘dashboard’ user interface, which allows key performance information to be presented in an easy-to-read format, ideal for creating interesting and thought-provoking public displays. Featured information feeds can include a video player, RSS feed, image widgets and there is also the option to use corporate colours and branding elements.

Increasing employee awareness

At the Maple Cross offices, the SIPe system helps Skanska increase employees’ awareness of energy consumption, track performance against targets and directly communicate green solutions and initiatives being implemented.

The system monitors approximately 30 measuring points around the estate and its systems. To give a detailed overview of energy use, readings are taken from all meters and sub meters for water, gas, electric, biomass heating, chillers, car park lighting, and solar PV system, using a SIPe meter logger with Vision firmware for enhanced functionality.

The system is able to monitor individual zones; for example, it can split out energy used for core services including washrooms and lifts, for which the landlord has responsibility. The system can also provide energy information by usage type if required, such as separating the respective energy demands from light and power.

Bespoke solution

Sean says: “Synapsys worked with us to develop the extra functions we wanted. The team there was very accommodating, flexible and helpful – they were happy to go away and develop a bespoke solution.

“With the system in place, it’s easy to create different user accounts,” he continues. “We have three separate admin logins; one for the FM team so they can change the public displays, one for the green team so they can use the system to monitor energy performance, and one for the communications team so they can upload information to the system.”

“The FM team really likes the new system, as the graphical display makes it easy to see if there’s an unexpected spike in energy use at the weekend, for example, so we can investigate any anomalies.”

The digital communications team is also keen to integrate the SIPe dashboards into its internal communications strategy, to make use of the interactive digital screens in the reception and other public areas in the building to communicate with users.

Keystone of green solutions

Richard Byers, Associate Director at Skanska explains “Getting an accurate picture of a building’s energy performance is a keystone of the green solutions we offer our customers. We have found that the SIPe system not only gives us accurate and timely information on how we’re performing, but it presents it in a way that is relevant to building users and visitors. We’ve found it a useful tool to show customers how we can work with them and measure and verify our performance.”

Our previous building controls system didn’t include an energy monitoring capability, so we worked with our BMS partner ACME to look at several energy monitoring options, and Synapsys’ SIPe stood out for several reasons.

We wanted a system that’s easy for our communications team to use to upload information, with an RSS feed and a video capability for more varied, topical and eyecatching displays. Also we needed a system that works with tablets, due to the high number of mobile devices we use. And of course we liked the fact with the Synapsys system there’s no ongoing charges for software, so we settled on SIPe as the front end of the new energy monitoring programme