Improving the efficiency of our buildings

At ABB, our team of real estate experts has been practising successful corporate real estate management for 25 years. Energy management is an integral part of their role, guided by the ABB Green Building Policy and now, supported by the Green Corporate Real Estate Management (Green CREM) strategy developed by ABB in Germany.

The Green CREM system, launched in 2007, aims to increase energy efficiency and improve sustainability within the entire real estate portfolio. It is an analytical evaluation tool applicable to individual sites which determines a so-called Green CREM Index indicating potential or necessary improvement measures at the site. Regular re-evaluations provide before-and-after comparisons following the implementation of measures, as well as an objective overview of the level of environmental performance achieved.

The Green CREM system comprises two stages: First is an energy efficiency analysis of buildings which involves implementing an energy monitoring system based on ABB technologies, followed by a technical assessment of the existing building envelopes, automation and management systems. This results in a customized list of improvement projects, based on optimized cost and savings potential.

The second stage involves an analysis and evaluation of the ecological quality of complete sites, giving the Green CREM Index. This stage considers further sustainability-related issues, including design of outdoor areas, access to public transport, building quality, water and waste management, quality of indoor space and area management.

The Green CREM system has been implemented across the 20 main sites of ABB in Germany, allowing online analysis of energy data and ongoing implementation and tracking of improvement measures. So far, the program has reduced energy consumption by 35,000 MWh and CO₂ emissions by 8,000 tons.

Green CREM has been so successful in Germany, we are now implementing stage one (energy efficiency) of the CREM system across Europe. The program is being rolled out to more than 100 locations in 15 countries. All sites larger than 5,000 m² will be evaluated and improvement measures identified and assessed, with the aim to develop a “top ten” customized project list for each country. By the end of 2014, the energy monitoring phase will be substantially implemented across Europe.