Let's Chat

Please select a below topic related to your inquiry and we’ll get back to you shortly.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
The Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudan, South
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

For more information about how Switch handles your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!
Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Using smart building platforms to facilitate green certification

Using smart building platforms to facilitate green certification

The right smart building platform supports green building certification, whether you’re embarking on retro or continuous commissioning.

There are lots of reasons to pursue green certifications for your buildings: reducing environmental impact, tenant attraction and retention, brand differentiation, occupant health and comfort, and operations and maintenance (O&M) cost reductions.

In the first installment of this series, we highlighted the green building certification types that matter most in commercial real estate. In this post, we examine how sustainability teams have traditionally achieved green certification, and how there’s a new, more efficient process now available.

How sustainability teams chased green certifications before

In the past, earning green certification for existing buildings was a time-consuming, laborious, and often frustrating process that involved onsite visits for evaluation, analysis and data wrangling from multiple siloed departments. When a team finally got everything they needed, they would have to enter their findings into numerous spreadsheets to produce the reports and documentation green certifications require.

This process could take months, and by the time a team was done tracking down and gathering information, the data was often outdated, meaning the exercise may have to start all over again. This lengthy process caused many building owners simply to not bother pursuing green certification.   

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is the only certification body to exclusively administer project certifications for various rating systems. GBCI took notice of this outdated process and created Arc. An open platform built to integrate current and future standards, guidelines, protocols and systems, Arc helps bridge the gap between raw data and certification.

The role of smart building platforms in green certification

Smart building platforms are also taking on this challenge, automatically capturing building information for better, more data-driven decision making. They streamline communications between departments and across different sources, helping to efficiently measure progress, create performance benchmarks and determine how to conserve resources.

Smart building platforms remove cumbersome, manual processes from green certification by providing real-time data using Internet of Things (IoT) integrations. Some of these platforms work with your building’s existing systems to optimize old equipment while preparing them for future enhancements. Implementing the right smart building platform supports green building certification in a few key ways:

Retro-commissioning

Retro-commissioning is a process that documents and analyzes existing mechanical and electrical systems to optimize building performance. In addition to supporting the green certification documentation process by gathering data more efficiently and within a single source, retro-commissioning can lower bills, extend the life of existing systems and reduce the volume of required maintenance.

Continuous commissioning

Continuous commissioning is an ongoing scheduled process where system tune-ups occur regularly. Continuous commissioning involves identifying new tenant usage patterns and calibrating systems to their needs. These ongoing, incremental improvements maintain cost savings and create more reliable systems over time.

Streamlining the certification process

Advanced smart building platforms use APIs to continuously share building performance data directly with green certification organizations such as GRESB. This simple pathway toward green certification can save hundreds of hours of manual documentation and analysis. Additionally, because ongoing data collection facilitates continuous commissioning, buildings can continue to gain efficiency, making it easier to maintain green certification once it’s first attained.

If your organization is considering pursuing green building certification, go in with eyes wide open and be sure to understand which certification type is right for you. Closely evaluate the certification requirements because critical documentation could take longer to aggregate and configure than you expect, especially if you rely on legacy methods of data aggregation.

With more certification programs than ever and a growing desire for architects, designers and engineers to consider tenant desires and environmental needs, smart building programs promise a better, faster way to meet these certification demands.  

What are the other benefits of investing in a unique smart building platform? Find out in the final part of our green building certification series.

Talk to a smart building expert to learn more about how Switch helps portfolio managers reach their sustainability goals.

Let's Chat
PUBLISHED
June 11, 2019
Switch Team
Switch Team
Switch Automation
RELATED TAGS
No items found.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Filter by

Thought Leadership

5 articles found

Industry Insight

Smart Building Technology Trends to Watch in 2023

Smart building technology is constantly evolving and improving, and there are several trends that are expected to take center stage in 2023.

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article
Industry Insight

Emissions Regulations for US & Canadian Building Owners: What You Need to Know

When it comes to being a building owner or operator, you have a lot to balance.

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article
Industry Insight

Switch Automation at the Blueprint 2022 in Las Vegas

Switch team had the pleasure of participating in the Blueprint 2022 in Las Vegas last September, convening with the industry's thought leaders and key companies

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article
People Culture

Switch Celebrates Wear It Purple Day

Switch celebrates Wear It Purple Day 2022—an international movement of expression, celebration and support.

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article
Product

How to choose the best building management app

A good building management app helps commercial property managers streamline operations, save time and cut costs. Select the right one by following these tips.

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article
Industry Insight

Investing in the Future of Higher Education and Universities with Digital Facilities Management

With the onset of climate change to drive the global sustainability agenda, energy consumption in the educational sector is both an environmental and financial concern for schools and universities. How can universities leverage the adoption of intelligent building technology to improve energy efficiency?

Switch Team
Switch Automation
Read Article

Latest articles

Industry Insight

Smart Building Technology Trends to Watch in 2023

Smart building technology is constantly evolving and improving, and there are several trends that are expected to take center stage in 2023.

Industry Insight

Emissions Regulations for US & Canadian Building Owners: What You Need to Know

When it comes to being a building owner or operator, you have a lot to balance.

Industry Insight

Switch Automation at the Blueprint 2022 in Las Vegas

Switch team had the pleasure of participating in the Blueprint 2022 in Las Vegas last September, convening with the industry's thought leaders and key companies

Stay connected with us

If you don't want to miss any updates, make sure to subscribe

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.