Empira x Comgy: Case Study

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Executive Summary

Streamlining ESG Reporting with Real-Time Data

Empira relies on a digital metering infrastructure to monitor energy consumption in real time and automate ESG reporting. By integrating energy data APIs, Comgy provides a centralised platform that reduces manual processes and significantly increases efficiency. With ComgyOS, Empira obtains reliable data for an important part of its portfolio, improves its ESG certification, saves valuable time and creates a solid basis for forward-looking decisions.

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Introducing Empira

Driving Sustainability Through Data and Innovation

The Empira Group is a leading real estate investment manager in Europe (€9 billion AuM). Empira has a comprehensive sustainability strategy. A key objective is to reduce the CO2 emissions of its real estate projects by 30% by 2030. The operational use of a property's lifecycle is critical to achieving this goal. Empira also recognises that regulatory ESG requirements will continue to increase and that early preparation is essential.

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Data availability and transparency is a prerequisite for both meeting ESG requirements and enabling energy savings in building operations.

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Empira decided to digitise its metering infrastructure for the following reasons:

• Real-time monitoring of energy flows, including alerts
• Automatic reporting for ESG requirements
• Reliable data base

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To achieve this, Empira relies on both the use of a meter point operator and direct data collection from the device with wM-Bus gateways from Lobaro.

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The meter point operator is used to collect market-relevant energy consumption values at meter points in the regulated space (general electricity supply). Using gateways and digital meters, data can be collected in the non-regulated space, especially in the space of heat and water supply

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Starting Point and Challenge

Unifying Data Sources for Greater Efficiency

Empira faces the challenge that different data sources are available for the collection of metering and submetering energy data. Data from different APIs needs to be integrated and standardised. In addition, consumption data read directly from the meters needs to be processed.

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The key question is how to bring together data from the entire property portfolio in a single solution to efficiently support ESG requirements and the decarbonisation strategy.

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The Solution: Comgy and Its Role

A Comprehensive Platform for Data-Driven Decisions

ComgyOS enables the integration of energy data both via APIs and directly from the device. This creates a consistent real-time data flow across all media. Regardless of the data source, consumption data is seamlessly merged.

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A particular strength of ComgyOS is its ability to decode OMS payloads. This function enables the collection of meter data in the non-regulated area (sub-metering). Combined with numerous integrations with meter operators in the regulated area, ComgyOS offers the flexibility and scalability required for comprehensive data mining.

SLAs

In addition to data aggregation, ComgyOS offers continuous monitoring of the data infrastructure. If data is no longer available after a pre-defined period of time, the user receives a notification and can initiate the necessary measures.

Energy Central

The Energy Central provides a digital twin of the different energy flows (multi-metering). Empira uses the Energy Central to understand the relationships between energy sources, processors (which store or convert energy) and users (e.g. electric vehicles) and their consumption. KPIs based on the data enable faster identification of potential savings.

Energy source KPIs

For example, Empira uses the energy source KPI, which represents the aggregated energy quantities of all energy sources. The KPI provides a quick overview of the aggregated total energy consumption and total energy production of a property, both as a simple sum and per medium.

Virtual meters

The option to create virtual meters allows for flexible breakdown of data, e.g. for ESG reporting. Virtual meters are useful when it is not possible to install a physical meter to readout consumption. The consumption of a virtual meter can be calculated by aggregating or subtracting other physical meters. Simplified example: Tenant electricity = Total electricity - General electricity.

Export

To support the ESG reporting process, the automatically prepared ESG data can be exported manually, via API or directly into an ESG solution such as Deepki.

Emissions

Empira can also use the Energy Central in ComgyOS to determine and calculate a building's emissions. This enables differentiated monitoring of the environmental impact of the portfolio as well as the collection and export of data for ESG reporting.

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Results and Benefits for Empira

Daten in Dekarbonisierungserfolg verwandeln

By implementing ComgyOS, Empira receives reliable consumption data for an important part of its portfolio at high frequency - up to every 15 minutes - directly from the meters or via API integrations.

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Empira saves a lot of time by eliminating alternatives such as manual meter reading or downloading bills. All data is bundled in a centralised solution, eliminating the need for complex API integrations into their own system or the use of multiple dashboards.

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Automated ESG reporting, e.g. for BREEAM, becomes more efficient and even earns additional certification points.

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Continuous monitoring of energy consumption also enables detailed analysis of portfolio performance and provides key insights for optimisation. Additional features such as SLAs combined with automatic alerts help to identify problems in both energy consumption and metering infrastructure at an early stage.

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The virtual meters offer a flexible and cost-saving alternative to physical meters.

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Empira believes it is well positioned for the future, as real-time understanding of consumption data is essential not only for many use cases, but also from a regulatory perspective. As a result, the company is already benefiting from time and cost savings, as well as more informed decarbonisation decisions.

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Customer Feedback

"Without ComgyOS, we would not be able to meet our external and internal multimetering requirements, especially in the context of ESG. For us, multimetering is the basis for sustainable and significantly decarbonised building management. With Comgy, we have our energy/water consumption data under control in a scalable, flexible and transparent way."

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Conclusion and Outlook

Scaling Innovation for a Greener Future

Empira will continue to expand the use of digital metering infrastructure. As soon as the metering infrastructure in other Empira buildings has been upgraded or digitised, they will also be integrated into ComgyOS. The aim is to be able to access the energy data of the entire portfolio in one system and to achieve the ambitious decarbonisation targets of its own portfolio.

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Comgy: Who we are

Empowering the Future of  Real Estate Management

Europe's largest asset managers and building operators use Comgy to fulfil their regulatory obligations and to identify new decarbonization opportunities for their portfolio.

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We provide a single interface and data warehouse through which building owners and managers can access validated real-time consumption data (electricity, heating and water) for their entire portfolio.