A survey commissioned by Nasdaq-listed Fortune 100 technology company Honeywell on building sustainability and energy management has revealed that energy efficient lighting, predictive maintenance software, and HVAC optimisation are now common areas of investment among building managers.
Approximately 76% of surveyed Middle East business leaders and decision makers in the UAE and KSA, and 58% of the respondents in Egypt, confirmed that their organisation implemented air quality measures in their building during COVID-19.
The respondents consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to be a top business priority, with a focus on energy management and occupant safety and well-being.
The survey of more than 300 business leaders and decision-makers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have revealed that over the last two years, ESG has grown in importance within organisations, driven by an increased focus on the need for sustainability improvement, and an immediate requirement to support cost-efficiency improvements and occupational health and safety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key findings among building managers
- 89% of respondents say that environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are important to their organisation’s strategy with 84% saying that energy management and sustainability are important to their organisation today
- 80% of respondents say that the importance of energy management and sustainability in their organisation has increased over the last two years
- Occupant health and safety (50%) is the most commonly invested in area of ESG
- 43% of respondents say that COVID-19 helped accelerate their organisation’s energy management and sustainability initiatives, versus only 21% who say the pandemic hindered such initiatives
Technology taking centre stage in ESG initiatives:
- 80% of respondents believe that an autonomous control or a predictive maintenance solution would improve their organisation’s energy management operations
- 80% of respondents believe that digital-based solutions available today are effective in improving energy efficiency of buildings
Honeywell’s building technologies help enable smarter buildings and portfolio management, simplify facility operations, and increase operational and energy efficiency driving business growth.
Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management software-as-a-service can drive digital transformation, while reducing energy consumption and delivering operational efficiencies.
For example, Honeywell Forge Energy Optimisation, is a patented, cloud-based, closed-loop solution that connects to existing HVAC systems to optimise energy consumption.
This closed-loop solution operates without the need for human intervention by regularly analysing near real-time conditions data – such as weather and occupancy – with predictive, machine learning models that compute and adjust set points automatically over a facility’s entire HVAC distribution system.
This solution supported the United Arab Emirate’s first accredited smart university to achieve double-digit energy savings.
With Energy Service Company (ESCO) accreditation in the UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Abu-Dhabi, Ras al Khaimah) and Saudi Arabia, Honeywell is licensed to provide energy services to customers in building management through Energy Service Performance Contracting (ESPC), Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) and retrofits.
Globally, Honeywell has completed more than 6,000 EPC projects, delivering more than $10bn in guaranteed energy and operational savings.
The President of Honeywell Building Technologies, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, George Bou Mitri, said: “As an active ESCO in the region, we understand the challenges of driving energy efficiencies across facilities.
“By treating buildings as dynamic entities and deploying the right technologies, it’s possible for owners and managers to achieve both goals of meeting their energy efficiency targets and creating a healthier indoor environment for their occupants.”
Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT) is transforming the way every building operates to help improve the quality of life.
The firm is a leading building controls company with operations in more than 75 countries supported by a global channel partner network. Commercial owners and operators use its hardware, software, and analytics to help create safe, efficient, and productive facilities. Its solutions and services are used in more than 10 million buildings worldwide.
