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Sunseap to install green energy systems for StorHub self storage facilities

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Sunseap Group has installed green energy systems at several StorHub self storage facilities across Singapore as part of StorHub’s decarbonisation efforts. 

The green energy systems comprise of smart air-conditioning systems, electric vehicle (EV) charging points, green roof and solar energy systems, and are split across nine of StorHub’s thirteen facilities. These solutions will help StorHub to join the fight in acting more sustainably and energy efficient.  

StorHub and Sunseap Solutions’s partnership, a subsidiary of Sunseap, toward this goal is in line with  Singapore’s Green Plan 2030, an initiative by the Singapore government to advance the republic’s  national agenda on sustainable development. Sunseap Solutions provides various energy efficiency  initiatives and demand response offerings which help reduce overall energy consumption in buildings.  

Among the solutions adopted by StorHub is the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV)  system, which uses smart technology to detect and optimise the energy consumption of a building’s  facilities while maintaining ideal temperatures. This also allows for the planning of energy usage to  prevent system overuse, ensuring greater safety for customers and premises. 

EV charging points will also be installed in two StorHub carparks to facilitate the use of EVs, which  have lower carbon emissions as compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. 

The installation of Sunseap’s green roofing solutions will reduce up to 90% of heat transmission from  StorHub’s facilities, further contributing to Singapore’s Green Plan 2030.  

The solar energy systems installed across nine of StorHub’s facilities will also provide StorHub with  the ability to generate renewable energy. StorHub has a goal of generating 1.8 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually, and reducing its carbon emissions by a total of 770,388 kg, which is  equivalent to planting approximately 19,754 trees or taking approximately 163 cars off the road. 

Mr Frank Phuan, Chief Executive Officer of Sunseap, said: “Sunseap is proud to be supporting  StorHub in its efforts to achieve greater energy efficiency and its active work towards decarbonisation.” 

Mr Luigi La Tona, Chief Executive Officer of StorHubSelf Storage (Singapore), said: “StorHub is  pleased to be working closely with Sunseap on various green technologies and solutions, by  integrating cleaner energy into our business operations, and achieving our goal in reducing carbon  emissions and a low-carbon footprint toward a greener and more sustainable Singapore.” 

Malaysia’s Sunway Pyramid Mall Cuts RM3 Million In Annual Energy Cost For Seven Consecutive Years With Johnson Controls’ Technology

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Johnson Controls’ integrated solution optimized the chiller plant performance to exceed the mall’s energy efficiency targets within a year of project completion.

Johnson Controls, a global leader in building technologies and solutions, has enabled Sunway Pyramid mall, one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia, to save more than RM3 million in annual energy cost consistently since the retrofit in 2012. The result of a comprehensive chiller plant retrofit, the achievement exceeded the targets set by the Sunway management in its quest for improving energy efficiency and sustainability of the mega mall that opened in 1997.

Johnson Controls was awarded the retrofit contract in a six-way tender exercise. The project scope was to replace the aging original installation to eliminate the use of HCFC refrigerant gas, and to improve the overall chiller plant room efficiency. In addition, the project was to be carried out without downtime to the retailers and shoppers at the mall.

With a total retail floor area of nearly 4 million square feet, the retrofit project is one of the largest for shopping malls and a pioneer for green buildings in this category in Malaysia. It is estimated that green building practices can reduce a building’s operating costs by as much as nine percent, while increasing the building value by 7.5 percent and providing a 6.6 percent increase in return on investment.

“Sunway Pyramid mall is one of the largest shopping centers in Malaysia. Given the size of the retrofit project, it’s imperative that we select a partner with a proven technology, solid track record and good after sales service to support us. Johnson Controls, as one of the top providers of energy efficient chillers in the market, fits the bill. The YORK® chillers have exceeded our expectations in terms of performance and energy savings,” said Mr. Jason Chin, general manager of operations, Sunway Malls.

Johnson Controls designed and installed an integrated software to optimize the performance of a series of centrifugal water chillers (comprising seven units of 1,200 TR capacity and one unit of 550 TR capacity). The solution exceeded the mall’s energy efficiency targets within a year of project completion. It delivered a plant room efficiency of 0.75 kW/TR or less, and exceeded the target of 30 percent reduction in energy consumption. The carbon dioxide reduction is estimated to reach 6,400 metric tonnes per year.

The new solution also offers flexibility and improves productivity. It has sufficient redundancy to ensure undisrupted cooling and is able to provide extra cooling capacity during peak periods when there is higher footfall at the mall. The maintenance personnel can better manage and monitor the plant room performance through the system’s automation features and analytics, thereby improving overall efficiency such as faster response time to address any disruptions.

“It’s our mission at Johnson Controls to help facilities owners optimize their buildings for better comfort, cost savings and sustainability. We are honored to play a pivotal role in the transformative journey of Sunway Pyramid, one of Selangor’s most well-known landmarks,” said Fam Wee Chean, country general manager, Malaysia.

Johnson Controls has been selected to work on other properties under the Sunway Group. New projects will include providing energy efficient cooling solutions to properties such as Sunway University, Sunway Velocity Hotel and Sunway Medical Center.

Signify Helps Hotels Save Energy Use And Costs While Maintaining Superior Guest Experience

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The hotel industry faces the challenge to reduce its carbon emissions by 66 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050 to stay within the 2˚C threshold agreed at COP21, a United Nations Climate Change initiative. Commissioned by Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, a study by Cundall shows that for mid-scale and luxury hotels, using Interact Hospitality can deliver significant energy savings without compromising on quality and guest comfort.

This connected guest room management system allows for intuitive guest room management in a single dashboard. Compared to rooms with no smart controls in operation, a luxury hotel can consume 28 percent less energy per guest room at 80 percent occupancy. When the guest uses the Green Mode on the thermostat an additional 10 percent energy saving can be achieved.

Hotels are big players when it comes to energy consumption, consistently ranking among the highest energy consumers of the tertiary building sector, which focuses on delivering services.

One possible explanation for high energy use and inefficient energy practices, is that hotels often prioritize guest comfort and experience over everything else. But much more can be done than asking guests to opt-in to less frequent towel changes and the increasing use of refillable toiletry dispensers Cundall’s study shows how integration of control systems into key building services (air conditioning, lighting and power), can play a major role in reaching the energy reduction targets set by the International Tourism Partnership, while maintaining guest comfort.

“Signify’s Interact Hospitality system has a big impact on reducing energy costs, as it controls the room lighting, air conditioning, power and charging sockets and motorized curtains. For example, hotels can optimize their energy usage in unoccupied guest rooms by adjusting the temperature levels in the room automatically and open curtains only when guests have checked in,” said Jella Segers, Global Lead for Hospitality at Signify.

Cundall’s study shows that 65% of the realized energy savings in the hotels studied were achieved due to the integration between Interact Hospitality and the hotel property management system. The remaining 35% energy savings are achieved due to the real-time occupancy control in the guest room.

“Commonly used temperature setpoints used by hotels often make guests feel too warm or too cold, marking vast gaps between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Working with Cundall, recommendations of temperature setpoint ranges have been created, commonly referred to as adaptive comfort hypothesis,” Segers added. Understanding the bandwidth of comfortable temperature set points gives more options for energy savings.

“Based on seasonal changes, the Interact Hospitality system provides support to automatically update temperature setpoints across the hotel, balancing energy use with optimal guest comfort,” said Marcus Eckersley, Managing Director SEA for Cundall.

“Although this study has presented significant energy savings for hotels in hot climates within Southeast Asia, Middle East and North Africa, we anticipate similar savings from heating for hotels in temperate climates, like Europe and North America. Hotel operators can expect favorable returns on investment, compared to guest rooms without a smart control system in operation,” Eckersley added.

Through its open Application Program Interface (API), the Interact Hospitality system communicates to various hotel IT systems, from housekeeping to engineering, as well as guest tablets. Other than maximizing energy efficiency and meeting sustainability goals, staff productivity and guest experience are improved.

Operations can be streamlined, and fast turnaround times are possible with minimal guest disruptions, as Interact Hospitality offers an intuitive dashboard with real-time displays of guest requests and room conditions.

Sunseap Group Launches New Subsidiary Called Sunseap Solutions

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Sunseap Group, Singapore’s leading integrated clean energy solutions provider, recently announced the launch of its newest fully-owned subsidiary, Sunseap Solutions Pte Ltd.

The new entity provides integrated efficient energy solutions through energy audits, Green Mark consultancy and energy performance contracting. Sunseap Solutions’ energy performance contracting focuses on LED lighting retrofits.

This will eventually expand to include other forms of M&E equipment (e.g. chiller plants, pumps and lifts). Under the energy performance contracting scheme, lighting retrofits will be fully financed by the Sunseap Group and clients will co-share the energy savings. The equipment will be maintained and warrantied by Sunseap Solutions during the contract period.

Sunseap Solutions also offers the full range of Optigreen green roof solutions and components. The launch of the new business unit is part of Sunseap Group’s plan to provide all-rounded sustainable solutions for its clients. The Group’s other entities are Sunseap Leasing, which provides rooftop solar solutions to the masses, Sunseap International, which is responsible for the group’s regional activities outside of Singapore, and Sunseap Energy, Singapore’s largest clean energy retailer.

Mr Laurence Kwan, Director of Sunseap Energy, said: “We are excited that the Sunseap Group is about to embark on the next phase of its development with the formation of Sunseap Solutions. We are now able to provide the full spectrum of green solutions to our clients with the convenience of a single point of contact.

“This is in line with the Group’s vision of providing affordable sustainable solutions to the masses and is an important step to decarbonising.”

To date, Sunseap has more than 160 megawatts (MWp) of contracted solar project capacity in Singapore, which has been deployed or is in the course of being deployed. Some of its clients include Apple, Housing Development Board, Singapore American School, Raffles Institution, the United Technologies Group and ABB.

Regionally, it is also one of the largest and most established players in the solar energy industry. It has a pipeline of projects in Cambodia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia, including a 168 MWp solar farm in Vietnam, the largest in the country, a 62 MWp utility scale farm in the Philippines and a 10 MWp utility scale farm in Cambodia.

Grundfos Launches New CR Product That Achieves New Efficiency Heights

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Pump manufacturer Grundfos has launched its new generation of CR pumps – which exceeds current energy efficiency limits for multi-stage in-line pumps. Grundfos’ renowned range of CR pumps are the world’s first vertical multistage centrifugal inline pumps, which line up pump pressure and pump suction port in a straight pipe.

The centrifugal CR pumps can transport corrosive, hot, and high-pressure liquids used across various applications including water supply, water treatment and almost all industrial solutions.

The new generation of Grundfos CR pumps introduces three new flow sizes (CR95, 125 and 155) and increases the maximum water flow to 220 cubic metre per hour.

Gary Flanagan, Regional Product Manager – Multistage, Grundfos Asia Pacific Region said the pump manufacturer is dedicated to continuous development and innovation to ensure that this new generation of CR pumps is meeting the evolving needs of industries in Asia and globally.

“The world has changed in many ways since the CR was first introduced many years ago. But our drive to set new standards for our customers has always remained the same. That is why we are so proud to announce the launch of this new generation of Grundfos CR pumps.

“Today, our new CR pump design features a full range of sizes and literally millions of customised solutions to suit the specific needs of companies and engineers.”

Based on extensive research, development and testing of new hydraulic designs, the CR pump is engineered using state-of-the-art production methods – including a fully automated and flexible production line.

Gary Flanagan added, “As industries in Asia expand to meet the growing consumption demand of the region, they need to take a smarter manufacturing approach to make sure their industrial processes are able to produce more with less, while reducing energy consumption and limiting their carbon footprint.

“Sustainability is a very important part of Grundfos’ DNA and we aim to create cleaner and more energy efficient technologies to help our customers reduce their carbon emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement commitments.”

Marina One Wins Best Innovative Green Building At The MIPIM Awards 2018

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Marina One has won Best Innovative Green Building at the MIPIM Awards 2018. The MIPIM Awards celebrates the most outstanding property projects globally. This year, the 28th MIPIM Awards took place on 15 March 2018 at a gala ceremony held in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

Developed by M+S Pte Ltd (M+S), Marina One together with its sister project DUO are two landmark properties borne out of the historic 2010 Singapore and Malaysia land swap deal.

“The team at M+S is extremely proud to win this prestigious accolade. Since the inception of the project, we have set out with a clear vision to be a game changer in the way people live, work and play. Marina One’s Green Heart was a bold decision on our part to have a diverse garden which binds the four towers together. This creates a park-like environment where the community can meaningfully interact with nature, within a development that is designed with sustainability at its core,” said Kemmy Tan, CEO of M+S.

Marina One is designed by Christoph Ingenhoven from Ingenhoven Architects, a world- renowned leader in sustainable architecture. The Green Heart, a core feature of Marina One, was designed in close cooperation with London-based landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman and ICN Design International, its local partner.

The Green Heart was conceived as a civic space which serves as an urban oasis for workers in and around Marina One to enjoy. Today, the development is home to global multinational corporations including Swiss private bank Julius Baer, consultancy PwC Singapore, co-working space provider JustCo, financial services provider Prudential, ride hailing platform Grab, agri- business Olam International, BP Global, Daiwa Capital, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). The Green Heart provides a sanctuary for people from these companies as well as the area around to enjoy respite from the hustle and bustle of the Central Business District (CBD).

Spanning 65,000 square feet, the Green Heart houses a total of 386 different plant species and special technologies to recreate a three-storey waterfall. Featuring an open, heart- shaped green core with multiple stepped gardens and designed with lower and mid-level sky terraces and waterfalls, the Green Heart is the only biodiversity garden within the Marina Bay CBD of this scale. Together with the rest of the greenery housed within the development, it forms a space equivalent to five Olympic sized swimming pools.

As a sustainable development, Marina One has set the standard for the rest of Asia to follow, achieving LEED Platinum pre-certification and BCA Green Mark Platinum certification. The organic shape of the building complex with its iconic louvres and the verdant greenery contributes to an improvement of the microclimate and richness of biodiversity within the development.

The compact and efficient layout is complemented by energy-saving ventilation systems, highly effective external solar screening devices, and glaring that reduces solar radiation into the building. Other sustainable features include rainwater harvesting to promote water efficiency, regenerative lift braking, LED lighting controlled by motion sensors and advanced air handling units, to enable energy efficiency.

“M+S has been a pioneer in delivering large-scale integrated projects which have changed the Singapore skyline and achieved new heights in defining sustainability within developments. This award, together with our success in attracting new homeowners and global MNCs to the development, is an endorsement of our efforts in pushing the boundaries of integrated living and sets our developments apart as coveted properties of the future,” concluded Kemmy Tan.

Singapore Solar Developer Sunseap Donates Solar Array To Green School Bali

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Green School Bali students and friends are one step closer to getting their campus off the grid, with the support of Sunseap, one of the largest clean energy solutions providers in Singapore.

Sunseap, a Singapore-based solar developer, generously donated PV solar panels that will power one of the world’s greenest maker spaces: The Green School Community Innovation Hub. The “iHub” is a green, rapid prototyping facility that is changing the face of education, and is where inspiring entrepreneurial problem solving, student ideas are incubated, tested, rethought, refined, and finally brought to life, under the guidance of the community, visiting entrepreneurs, local artisans and teachers.

Mr. Rob Khoo, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Sunseap Group, said: “Sunseap is delighted to support Green School Bali in its efforts to go green. This donation is part of Sunseap’s corporate social responsibility initiative to help people in the region become more aware of the impact of their daily activities on the environment and how they can switch to renewable energy sources to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Sunseap’s donation puts the power into the hands of young people to be the change makers they want to be. This project represents the entrepreneurial mind-set and collaborative problem solving that are the hallmarks of both Green School and Sunseap.

In combination with micro-hydro turbine on the banks of the local river, this gift of solar panels will expand an existing solar array on campus, adding another exciting element to the student-driven energy sustainability project “Operation Rain or Shine”. The ultimate goal of Operation Rain or Shine is to become a model of renewable energy production and storage for the school and local community—a showcase of resilient and reliable clean energy. The hybrid renewable energy micro-grid will now be expanded through the generous support of Sunseap.

AGC and Kinestral Technologies Join Ventures to Accelerate Global Adoption of Smart-Tinting Glass

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AGC Asahi Glass, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, and Kinestral Technologies, maker of Halio smart-tinting glass, announced the creation of three joint venture companies that will sell, distribute, and service Halio to meet increasing global demand for smart city solutions. Formed to accelerate the adoption of Halio, the new ventures – Halio North America, Halio International, and Halio China – will be the exclusive sales and marketing agents for Halio smart-tinting glass in the commercial and residential housing industries.

Halio China includes a third partner: G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp. (GTOC), a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. The three partners have been introducing Halio in their respective markets since the product was first unveiled in January 2017 at the BAU Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems in Munich, Germany.

“Partnerships are integral to the successful roll-out of HalioTM smart-tinting glass in the Asia Pacific region to support the growing number of green buildings. As such, joining forces with AGC gives us access to a global sales and support infrastructure, as well as decades of expertise in the use of glass in facades, while GTOC bolsters our manufacturing expertise and provides us access to China, one of the fastest growing markets for smart-tinting glass,” said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral Technologies.

The technology

Halio technology enables glass to tint, reducing glare and blocking unwanted solar heat – automatically or on command. It looks like ordinary clear glass until it tints, achieving its darkest shade in less than 3 minutes, thus improving occupant comfort in smart homes and buildings while achieving up to 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency.

“We are convinced that Halio technology is poised to transform the glass industry,” said Jean- François Heris, senior executive officer of AGC and president of AGC Building and Industrial Glass Company. “Natural light is the #1 most desired feature in office designs, but conventional glass requires blinds, shades, awnings or architectural elements that block heat and glare. Halio gives people the best of the outdoors while meeting increasingly stringent energy codes.”

Jim Arnold, former senior vice president of sales at Control4 and DIRECTV, will head Halio North America. Alain Jardinet, a veteran executive of AGC Glass Europe, will lead Halio International which will sell to all markets outside of North America and China. Halio China will be headed by Alex Jiang, an executive of GTOC.

Innovative Smart and LED Lighting Products at HKTDC Exhibitions

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The 19th HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will be held from 27 to 30 October 2017 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair attracts around 2,670 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions. New exhibitors from Denmark and South Africa are participating for the first time. With a record-breaking number of exhibitors, the fair continues to serve as an ideal platform for global buyers and exhibitors to exchange views on global lighting trend and to discuss business.

Thematic Zones to Facilitate Sourcing
The latest lighting products are showcased in themed zones for buyers to navigate with ease. Highlighted zones include Hall of Aurora, LED & Green Lighting, LED Essentials, Commercial Lighting, Smart Lighting & Solutions and Household lighting and more, offering innovative yet multi-purpose lighting designs and customised lighting solutions.

IoT and Smart lighting
On the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), lighting manufacturers are keen on developing smart lighting system. Smart lighting system these days become incredibility versatile and can be implemented into different environments to make life simpler and easier.

LED Lighting in Focus
Apart from smart lighting, green lighting is another prevailing trend in the lighting industry. With the advocacy of energy-saving and the banning of most incandescent light bulbs in major markets, LED lighting products continues to be the popular alternative in the market and its technology is increasingly mature.

Assembly of Outdoor Lighting Products at AsiaWorld-Expo
The Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo returns with its second edition from 26 to 29 October 2017 at the AsiaWorld-Expo. The fair attracts around 410 exhibitors from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, and continues to showcase lighting for outdoor, professional, industrial and advertising uses. In line with the smart lighting trend, the Expo will feature a new Lighting Solutions and Systems zone that incorporates multiple technologies of energy-efficient and cost-cutting lighting systems and solutions.

Photo byWankaman

Market Intelligence through Seminars and Networking Activities
Apart from thematic zones, a series of seminars, forums and networking activities will take place during two fairs to shed light on different hot topics in lighting industry. At the Lighting Fair, a seminar themed “Putting People First: The Revolution of Human Centric Lighting” will be staged featuring representatives from MEGAMAN, Philips and leading academia from The University of Sydney to discuss how this revolutionary concept alter and connect our life.

International experts from different testing and certification companies will also share the updates on LED lighting products in the seminar, “The Latest Standards and Requirements for the Global LED Industry”. To navigate with the market trends, two seminars on smart lighting with be organised with China Illuminating Engineering Society and Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Lighting Association respectively, featuring prominent speakers from LENOVO, Tencent, Xiaomi, LEDUS and many more.

At the Hong Kong International Outdoor and Teach Light Expo, famous lighting designer Simon McCartney from Illumination Physics, representative of the international leading integral lighting solutions supplier Zumtobel Group, and chief editor of the Germany lighting magazine Highlight are invited to share their insights on the topic of “Future Way of Outdoor Lighting”. Co-organised with the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification, there will be another key seminar discussing the testing and certification services of lighting products in Hong Kong.

For more information, visit the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) or HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo websites.

JLL Introduces Command Centre to Improve Building Performance and Reduce Risk

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Global real estate company JLL is adding to its portfolio of services with the launch of its Command Centre in Asia Pacific. The new product provides real estate owners and occupiers with advanced analytics and operational knowledge for real time, remote monitoring of buildings and facilities.

The platform analyses data captured through a series of data inputs coming from a building, including Wi-Fi sensors that are easily retrofitted. It identifies trends and anomalies allowing for continuous monitoring and fine-tuning of building services to improve operations and maintenance, reduce costs and save energy.

“With the increasing prevalence of smart buildings, investors are getting savvier about new solutions they can harness to make their assets work more efficiently, enhance occupant experience and be more attractive to tenants,” says Albert Ovidi, Chief Operating Officer of JLL Asia Pacific.

“JLL Command Centre is particularly helpful for those who own, occupy or manage large real estate portfolios because they can compare their buildings or the space they occupy and improve those that are not operating at their best.”

Peter Hilderson, Head of Engineering and Operations Solutions, JLL Asia Pacific explains: “We developed this service to answer the needs of real estate owners and occupiers who are looking to make improvements in cost efficiency and reduce operational risk. It allows them to address issues before they become complaints, problems or failures. For instance, if an office building registers higher than comfortable temperatures in certain areas and the system detects a fault in the air conditioning system, it notifies a technician to rectify the problem, minimising disruption to occupants.”

The deployment of inexpensive Wi-Fi sensors enables quick detection of potentially dangerous issues such as a water leak in an electrical switch room. JLL Command Centre can then raise an alert to technicians who can quickly fix a leaking pipe, thus avoiding an electrical hazard, property damage and disruption to business. In the case of a data centre, it can alert a building owner to a problem such as overheating which, if left unattended, could result in a major loss of data and damage to business operations.

According to Mr Ovidi, “Digitising assets and embracing technology goes beyond mere energy savings. Our clients care about getting the most out of the assets they own and the space they occupy. This is why we’re investing in new technologies like Command Centre that ensure assets are working hard for investors and occupiers.”

Click here for more information about the JLL Command Centre.