Nido, a leading operator in purpose-built student accommodation (‘PBSA’) and residential for rent, has partnered with Utopi, the multi-award-winning ESG technology solutions provider, to reduce the carbon footprint of its PBSA assets in its European portfolio, starting with Ireland and Denmark.
Using Utopi’s multisensors and data insights platform, Nido can efficiently track the carbon impact of its assets, starting with Nido Bryggen in Denmark, Nido Ashlin House and Nido Curraheen Point in Ireland. Through being able to measure and contextualise the energy consumption within each building, and by engaging with residents, Utopi estimates that Nido will have the opportunity to reduce energy use and the carbon impact of the buildings by up to 20 percent over three years.
Utopi’s data insights showed that the average site temperature for Nido Bryggen at the start of the project was 23.5°C, with average temperatures of 21.4°C and 21.3°C respectively for Nido Curraheen Point and Nido Ashlin House.
Nido has been working in collaboration with Utopi to develop a resident engagement plan to help educate residents and to influence their behaviour regarding energy use through heating, with a target of reducing the average temperature of the sites during heating season to 20°C in the first instance.
Over the last two months, through sharing accurate data engaging with residents on their impact, and providing tips and advice, the average temperatures at Nido Curraheen Point and Nido Ashlin House have reduced to 17.39°C and 18.18°C, exceeding the target and demonstrating how small behavioural changes can drive efficiencies and savings. The next stage in the process will be looking at other outliers which can reduce the environmental impact of the buildings and drive further positive outcomes.
Jonathan Burridge, CEO and Co-Founder of Utopi, says: “If you set parameters for temperature, and monitor real-time data, it becomes easy to see where people are working around these measures. This could be using plug-in blow heaters to provide extra heat, using windows to regulate heat, etc. Having real-time data allows building operators to identify these outliers, do a root cause analysis and make targeted interventions. And ultimately that’s what we’re all about – action.”
Utopi states that for every 1°C, a space is heated over 20°C, an estimated 2kWh is required over 24 hours for an electrically heated asset. By lowering the site average from 21.43°C to 20°C, there is a potential 272kWh saving per day. Over a 200-day heating season, this equates to a saving opportunity of 54,400kWh or 11,424KG of CO2 emitted from the atmosphere.
Darren Gardner, CEO of Nido, comments: “We are conscious of our environmental impact as asset operators and helping our residents reduce their carbon footprint is a priority. Our partnership with Utopi recognises that sustainability is linked to residents’ attitudes towards energy consumption and, following measurement and target-setting, we now have the consistent, real-time data we need to journey towards significant reductions in energy use and carbon emissions at Nido Bryggen, Nido Curraheen Point and Nido Ashlin House.”
Nido’s deployment of Utopi technology is being delivered by managed service provider, ASK4. Speaking of Nido’s journey, Tracy Ellison, Chief Customer Officer of ASK4 comments: “Nido’s commitment to effecting sustainable change has made them an ideal partner for trailblazing the Utopi solution in the student housing sector. The team’s dedication to the process, which requires active engagement from operational and comms teams, has not only benefitted the performance of their assets and the well-being of residents – it has also paved the way for others in the sector to gain the most value from Utopi’s award-winning technology.”
