Equans optimises the energy efficiency of this landmark building with an intelligent management system
Equans is actively contributing to the energy transition of the Rogier Tower in Brussels, the headquarters of Belfius, with the implementation of an intelligent management system. This iconic 140-metre-high skyscraper, which has served as the bank's headquarters since 2006, has been the workplace of our technical maintenance and energy management experts for more than 15 years.
What began as a traditional maintenance contract has grown into an in-depth partnership focused on sustainable building management. In line with our Carbon Shift strategy – which helps customers reduce their energy consumption, decarbonise their installations and switch to renewable energy – the contract was extended by ten years in 2020 and its scope was expanded.
An important new chapter in this is the installation of an intelligent energy management system (EMS). This smart technology makes it possible to continuously monitor, analyse and optimise the building's energy consumption. Thanks to this digital solution, we are taking another step towards a low-carbon future, even in a building that already appeals to the imagination architecturally.
Extensive knowledge of the building
HVAC facilities, sanitary installations, sprinklers, lighting, etc. When it comes to the Rogier Tower, our teams know what they are talking about! After all, in a building with almost 93,000 m² of office space, there is no shortage of projects! To name just a few: the installation of charging points for electric vehicles, the lighting of the “black room” for the art gallery, and the maintenance of the sun blinds on the tower's 6,000 windows. Our colleagues are jacks of all trades! It is therefore no coincidence that in 2020, based on the latest technological developments, our teams developed a tailor-made solution to save even more energy in the building.
Innovative solution
"Our contract with Belfius was coming to an end", says Jean-Jacques Montignie, Operation Manager at Equans. "We had undergone a thorough audit on behalf of Belfius, with a positive outcome. However, the customer wanted to go one step further, particularly in terms of energy savings. In a glass building with critical environments such as a market hall and rooms with cash machines in the test phase, not everything was straightforward! We then came up with the idea of installing a new Centralised Technical Management System (our BMS) in combination with OptimiZ, our tool for detecting irregularities, which is fully controlled by our internal Equans teams. We are delighted that Belfius has followed our lead, because thanks to this project, we have been able to reduce gas and electricity consumption for cooling installations by 44% in the second half of 2022.
Primary energy production according to demand
In practice, the solution we implemented led to a change in the way energy is managed in the building. ‘In the past, the outside temperature determined when the boilers or cooling systems were switched on,’ explains Jean-Jacques Montignie. ‘Thanks to the controllers we have installed, it is now the temperature in the offices that triggers the production of primary energy. If an office is unoccupied, the temperature adjusts automatically! What's more, we can now also anticipate interruptions in the production of heating and cooling. This way of working is much more precise and efficient than the previous system.’
What does OptimiZ stand for?
The management system is equipped with OptimiZ technology. This is a detection system developed by Equans that can detect even the smallest faults in the installation. "A leaking tap? An abnormal temperature sensor? From now on, we can detect all malfunctions in real time," says Jean-Jacques Montignie. "And that's not all! By incorporating daily energy quotas into the system, you don't have to wait a year for an overview of consumption. We can monitor energy consumption on a daily basis and immediately identify any excessive consumption. This means that our cost-saving measures can also be measured very quickly."
Covid came to our rescue!
The work took place in 2021 and 2022. The new system and energy meters were installed during lockdowns, minimising disruption to customers and users of the building. During this period, our teams carried out the work in phases to programme the system as effectively as possible. Jean-Jacques Montignie and his team are still reaping the benefits of the successive lockdowns, which have provided them with a wealth of information about the building's behaviour.
What’s next?
The Equans teams still have plenty of ideas up their sleeves for improving the energy efficiency of buildings. There is no doubt that the introduction of a new BMS and an analysis tool such as OptimiZ represent a huge step forward in the energy transition of the Rogier Tower. However, that does not rule out the possibility of countless new developments in the future.
There are already rumours that artificial intelligence could optimise the use of condensing boilers on site, for example. Only time will tell... In the meantime, our teams are constantly looking for solutions to further improve the energy performance of this iconic building. The results are already impressive!
