If you want to make sure that a building is attractive to potential tenants, it is best to opt for a smart building. But how can building owners prove and use the intelligence of their building? To improve comparability in an extremely diverse market, SmartScore is now the first international certification for digitized smart buildings.

Smartscore: New certification for smart buildings

Almost exactly a year ago, I published a blog post here called "EFFECTS OF BUILDING DIGITIZATION IN SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION" published here. In it, I looked at the advantages and disadvantages of sustainability certifications in construction (e.g. DGNB) from my own perspective. One key aspect was how the use of our smart building operation platform Thing-it ensures the long-term sustainability of a building in operation.

Now, a year later, I am once again tackling the topic of building certification as part of a new project. This time it's a slightly different certification - namely one that identifies the degree of digitalization and the digitalization potential of a building: SmartScore certification from WiredScore is becoming increasingly important and is being used in more and more new-build projects.

WiredScore launches its second standard on the market with SmartScore.

SmartScore is a new certification from WiredScore and the company's second global standard. A panel of over 90 leading real estate experts developed SmartScore in spring 2021 to evaluate all the functions and technologies of a smart building. The standard is intended to provide a basis for better assessing and comparing the level of digitalization of buildings in the future.

In a SmartScore certification, all implemented functions are evaluated for the users. SmartScore also takes into account the processes, methods and technologies on which the smart use cases are based. Tenants and interested parties therefore have a basis for decision-making and know which functions they can count on.

What exactly is certified by SmartScore?

SmartScore building certification has four main areas of focus:

A. User experience: How can digitalization ensure a better user experience, for example through personalized services and flexible working concepts?

B. Building sustainability: How does digitalization support the sustainable operation of the building? One example would be an improved CO2 balance over the entire service life - achieved by using technology to operate the building more efficiently.

C. Cost efficiency: How does digitalization in buildings help to increase cost efficiency? This would be possible, for example, by optimizing building performance without compromising the user experience.

D. Future readiness: Is the building equipped for possible new requirements through digitalization, for example by installing and evaluating new sensor technology?

The certification level is evaluated on the basis of several criteria using a standardized scorecard. In addition to the "normal" SmartScore certification, there is also a silver, gold or platinum version depending on the requirements.

What are the specific benefits of building digitization certification?

New technologies require new standards in order to classify and compare properties. With SmartScore certification, you can show that your building is well positioned for the future and meets high standards of user-friendliness, safety and efficiency. In this way, you ensure maximum transparency and have a solid foundation for further development and future investments.

SmartScore-certified buildings even have a double added value: on the one hand, the value of the building increases and with it the rents that owners can demand. At the same time, the digitization measures implemented offer greater efficiency and cost transparency. Ultimately, you optimize the profitability of a building.

Sounds good. But what does the SmartScore certification have to do with Thing-IT?

That is, of course, the key question. Building owners who want to be certified must present a digitalization plan. Based on the SmartScore criteria, this must show which of the use cases will be implemented in the building. This is where Thing-it can help: We have developed an asset that precisely describes the SmartScore use cases. It also contains information on how these use cases can be implemented with the help of Thing-it.

If you are aiming for SmartScore Platinum certification, you can already implement most of the use cases by using our platform. We will be happy to help you put together the right package to achieve your desired level of certification. Would you like to know more? Below we show an example for each of the certification focus areas.

SmartScore factor 1: User experience (room and workplace booking)

Desk Sharing made easy: Thing-it offers two entry points for booking workstations and meeting rooms - via the quick booking menu and via the search function.

When integrated into Office 365 or Google Calendar, the meeting rooms are synchronized. This means that the status is always the same on all systems.
On request, Thing-it transmits booking information to tablets that can be hung in front of the meeting room (digital signage) Users can see whether a room is occupied or not and can book free rooms directly.
Based on the roles/rights concept, it is possible to introduce individual booking rules. Certain rooms can then only be booked by individual teams or board members, for example.
Users can appoint deputies to create and maintain booking rules.

Screenshots of a booking software for meeting rooms, a map of a meeting room on a tablet, and a digital overview of the occupancy of a room, all in German.

SmartScore factor 2: Building sustainability (energy efficiency)

Thing-it connects to the relevant systems (primary installations, meters, attendance) via BACnet or Cloud-2-Cloud integration. Equipped with a BIM reference, the software brings together all data points in the Thing-it Data Lake in the cloud.

The Thing-it Advanced Service "Automation" calculates a large number of KPIs from the raw data of the relevant systems.
The Thing-it Advanced Service "Automation" is able to make higher-value decisions and, in coordination with the BMS/BMS, e.g. ventilation, heating and cooling to the measured building usage.
Where the consumption for an area cannot be measured directly, it is converted on an area basis.
The energy and sustainability dashboard provides operational users with drill-down detailed views of the floors, rooms or consumption types authorized for them. The portfolio dashboard can consolidate data for all buildings in a portfolio.
Secured by the roles and rights system, the raw data from the systems and the derived KPIs can be further processed via Thing-it API.

Data overview on a dashboard with KPIs for energy consumption, energy impact and diagrams for chiller load shifting and performance

SmartScore factor 3: Cost efficiency (capacity utilization analyses)

The Thing-it Utilization Dashboards allow you to analyze a variety of occupancy KPIs - for example for workstations, meeting rooms or parking spaces. The dashboards allow you to perform detailed demand analysis via powerful dicing and slicing capabilities, such as by building, department and type.

Thanks to extensive filter options, you can see, among other things, how high the utilization of the space allocated to tenants is or whether the ratio of "quiet workstations" to "collaborative workstations" is correct for certain tenant departments. This information forms the basis for continuously optimized space utilization that adapts to your actual needs.
Thing-it Utilization Dashboards can utilize sensor data in addition to booking data and thus enable data-based space management, especially in desk sharing environments.
Thing-it supports a wide range of commercially available sensors. Tenants can use these as part of the tenant fit-out to record the occupancy of individual workstations.
You can provide your tenants with all occupancy data via the role rights system - with all the necessary tenant-specific information.

Two laptops with dashboards, one showing a floor plan with heat map, the other data visualizations and analyses.

SmartScore factor 4: Future readiness (fault diagnosis)

Thing-it makes it possible to closely monitor device and system-specific aspects of building operation (BMS, IoT sensors, elevators). Operating states, in particular errors and alarms, are visualized. If required, the function covers your entire building portfolio.

When fault conditions are detected, the maintenance tasks already described can be maintenance tasks and their execution can be initiated.
Fault detection by third-party systems can be seamlessly integrated into the above mechanisms.

Screenshot of a dashboard with various graphical representations and data in German

What will happen to the digitalization of buildings in the future?

I personally believe that the construction industry is just at the beginning of a very exciting digitalization journey. The sustainability potential of a building will always depend very much on the construction method and the materials used. More and more digitalization platforms such as Thing-it will have to be used in order to exploit the full sustainability potential during operation and retain it for decades to come.

To ensure that the properties of the future are fit for purpose, we need to combine innovative and sustainable construction methods with digital solutions - with the aim of promoting sustainability in operation too. Certifications such as SmartScore are therefore hugely important for the future.

Do you still have questions about SmartScore or would you like us to advise you on the certification options? Please feel free to contact me or my team.

https://WiredScore.com/certify-a-building/smartscore/