Building Data and Consulting Services for the Energy Transition, Climate Change Adaptation, and Property and Drinking Water Safety
Initial Situation
In the consortium’s preliminary projects, building and energy data on buildings owned by Protestant and diaconal institutions in Austria were collected and analyzed “manually” in XLS or CSV format. It became clear that, in particular, (private) owners or owner associations and (small) property management companies are increasingly facing the challenge of collecting, storing, and reporting extensive building and energy-related data in compliance with the law (e.g., the Building Register under the Vienna Building Code). The lack of user-friendly web services makes it difficult both to meet these requirements and to conduct an initial, independent assessment of the potential for renewable energy in these buildings. Furthermore, there is a lack of practical support.
Goals and Innovation
The goal of the project is to close existing gaps in the digital collection and management of building, energy, and environmental data, and to create tailored consulting services. To this end, the “GEB_DAT” SME network is developing two key components:
— An innovative web service that provides the SME network, property owners, and property management companies with a user-friendly platform for the systematic collection and storage of building-related data. An integrated dashboard allows relevant information to be clearly displayed and used directly for management and decision-making. This service utilizes open standards and interfaces to enable the efficient management of building data, particularly for small property management companies. A WebGIS integration with freely available, relevant map data is planned.
— A consulting service that offers the services of the SME network to assist property owners and owners’ associations in their transition “away from oil and gas” and toward renewable energy and climate change adaptation (greening and soil restoration) and helps them comply with legal and regulatory requirements regarding property safety and building maintenance (ÖNORMEN, building codes).
Results
The project will establish an innovative SME network and develop services and offerings in collaboration with representative user groups (property management companies, property owners, and municipalities). The key outcome is a web service that collects relevant building, energy, and environmental data to support the transition to renewable energy and climate change adaptation measures, and that streamlines the management of building data subject to reporting requirements and mandated by standards. This provides property owners, owners’ associations, and property management companies with a data-driven foundation for making informed decisions regarding the energy transition, climate change adaptation, and maintenance and building safety in compliance with standards, as well as for systematically managing their building data. Furthermore, the structured collection of data also facilitates compliance with legal reporting requirements as well as sustainability reporting in accordance with common ESG criteria when external financing for investments is needed. The “GEB_DAT” SME network provides practical support that specifically guides property owners and homeowners’ associations through transition processes (Green Deal, building regulations, ESG). In the future, the web service and consulting can be expanded to cover all of Austria and made accessible to a larger target audience.
