Sustainable FM In 2023
As sustainability creeps up the agenda for businesses, Wates’ recently appointed Managing Director for FM, Antony Collett, talks us through what he expects to see from the industry in 2023 and the role that facilities management will play in the journey to Net Zero.
“The Energy Bill Relief scheme announced in September is due to end in March; the bill was created to provide support to businesses with rising energy costs by capping the unit cost of gas and electricity. As the scheme draws to a close, more and more businesses will be turning to their FM providers for assistance on how to reduce their energy costs. How businesses choose to approach this will differ across the board but I would expect firms to be exploring ways to make their premises as energy efficient and sustainable as possible either through building optimisation, innovative technology or a combination of the two.”
The Rise Of Technology In Compliance
“With the staggered introduction of stricter EPC rating requirements, businesses need to be able to turn to their FM providers to find the most suitable solutions to reduce impact on the environment and reduce fuel bills.
“Access to data can easily allow businesses to see how things are running and ensure logs and compliance documents are up to date, but it can also help identify areas where things can be tweaked to optimise buildings and create efficiencies. Checking up on the health and wellbeing of your facilities is important in securing the future of your business, identifying areas of concern and monitoring general compliance.
“Our job as FM partners is reliant on a vast range of data, and in 2023 this data needs to be available at the click of a button. This is why we created ACT, our digitised compliance system, an automated data service that our customers can use, giving them immediate access to all critical compliance and efficiency information at all times.”
Building Optimisation For The Future
“Building optimisation will be key for businesses in 2023 as they look to use their facilities in much smarter ways. Across the board, we are redefining the ways we work; hybrid working has changed our working patterns and the ways we use commercial buildings. In 2023, businesses will have to respond to these changes, to ensure their premises operate at their true capacity.
“The role of FM is vital here. It’s our job to devise strategies for how to achieve the greatest levels of energy and operational efficiency while considering occupant comfort and usage to provide the best solution to the customer.
“Going above and beyond general compliance is what will set businesses apart in 2023. For instance, NABERS ENERGY UK provides market recognition to businesses based on buildings’ operational performance and efficiency ratings above the standard set by general compliance.”
The Power Of Partnerships In 2023
“A business’ choice of FM provider will undoubtedly impact success in achieving sustainability targets in 2023. Having an FM partner, not just a provider allows for a working relationship where the two can jointly identify ways to improve and go above and beyond to ensure buildings are optimised. There is no one-size-fits-all and without partnership working, there is a risk that optimisation and sustainability strategies simply aren’t suited to the needs of the business and, in turn, could be unsuccessful in the long-term.”
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