DUBAI, UAE, 23 May 2022: Netix Controls, which provides smart buildings solutions, said it is possible to reduce OpEx by up to 50% and save nearly 20% on energy use through retrofitting existing buildings with IoT iAL/ML technology. Making the announcement through a Press release, Netix said it will be demonstrating this ability it possesses during its participation in the RetrofitTech Abu Dhabi Summit, from June 1 to 2 at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. Netix is the lead sponsor of the event, which will be co-hosted by Abu Dhabi Energy Services (ADES), and which it said is being billed as a precursor to the upcoming UAE-hosted COP28.

As the essentiality of concrete climate actions finds consensus across the globe, the UAE has ramped up its efforts by mobilising all stakeholders in industries that are generally considered energy-intensive, Netix said. RetrofitTech Abu Dhabi Summit is particularly geared towards the real estate sector, which accounts for 40% of global energy consumption and at least one-third of all GHG emissions. Lighting and HVACR systems, which together account for 60–70% of total energy consumption in buildings, typically are the primary focus areas, Netix said.

Sanjeevv Bhatia

“The global decarbonization and sustainability discourse has a strong real estate concomitant because of the sector’s unsustainable energy and carbon footprint,” said Sanjeevv Bhatia, CEO, Netix Controls. “While there are cutting edge, novel solutions that promise energy efficiencies and green outcomes, they are seldom applicable to existing, old building stock and systems, which are the majority of total stock. So, retrofitting and unlocking novel ‘smart’ outcomes in old buildings are the need of the hour — which is our strong suit.”

Netix said it has the distinction of leading a “brownfield revolution” in the Middle East through its Netix-Novus Partner Program and open-protocol solutions. Known as the “Android Approach”, due to its open-source nature with high flexibility and integration capabilities, its retrofit solutions eliminate vendor lock-ins and integrate siloed systems in old buildings to achieve “smart” outcomes, such as centralised operations, data-driven insights, energy optimisation and high efficiencies, Netix said.

Bhatia said: “Retrofitting in buildings is, in a way, upholding their ‘Right to Repair’. The legacy, multi-vendor systems and mode of operations are inefficient, energy and OpEx intensive, and ill-suited to the experience economy. However, without totally overhauling them, we can leverage IoT and AI-led plug-and-play solutions for integration and optimization. In doing so, we can unlock multi-fold value and induce sustainability in buildings. Therefore, summits like RetrofitTech are particularly timely and significant in the Middle East.”

Based on a number of case studies, Netix said, it has achieved up to 50% reduction in OpEx by optimising resources and reducing requirement of skilled labour while avoiding system breakdowns by 80% in old buildings. The company said it intends to touch upon such demonstrable results at the second annual edition of the RetrofitTech Abu Dhabi Summit. The dignitaries, it added, will include government and municipality representatives, the developer community, consultants, and solutions providers, among other stakeholders.