Transparency of all relevant data is the basic requirement for comprehensive ESG management. In the latest Progress Report, ista shows how customers can maintain the value of their properties over the long term and which products and services help them to do this.
Daniel Glubrecht is responsible for ista’s ESG Manager and reveals why the new product is a real game changer.
“What counts for our customers is that they can keep their eye on all ESG-relevant data,” says Daniel Glubrecht. “Doing this has never been as quick and convenient as with the new ESG Manager from ista.” The 29-year-old has been responsible for the data analysis tool since March 2023. After just under two years of preparation and the launch in January, he took a spontaneous decision to switch “from the sidelines” to the position of product owner: “I didn’t have to think about it for long as I am absolutely sold on the tool. The ESG Manager is a perfect fit with ista. And it has a direct impact on CO2 reduction in the real estate sector; that made the decision easy for me.”
Immediately ready to go thanks to existing data pool
Systematic sustainability management is becoming increasingly important for the building sector. The basic requirement for this is a reliable database. However, collecting all the necessary readings and data can be a very laborious process. This is where the ESG Manager offers a distinct advantage: “The product is immediately ready to go as we already have up to 75% of the emission data available,” Daniel Glubrecht explains.
Many customers already have their heat and water consumption recorded by ista so the software for the data analysis tool can be quickly implemented: “It takes just a few days from the very first consultation to onboarding, where our customers can see the first analyses of existing data.”
The ESG Manager makes all energy consumption, emissions and costs completely transparent. All data for complex stocks of residential or commercial properties are recorded, from the building to the portfolio level. Data that ista does not register on site using its own metering technology, for example electricity or gas consumption, can be easily integrated thanks to the open, flexible structure of this software solution. Data from waste disposal companies can also be fed in to complete the emission footprint.
Benchmarking and reporting
“Transparency is the first step in any sustainability management,” says Daniel Glubrecht. “I need a detailed overview before I can formulate precise goals and come up with practical measures.” This is how the ESG Manager helps users to manage their properties in a more energy-efficient and climate-friendly way. But the product offers even more.
Comparison data from the ista stock of 14 million units worldwide provide the basis for extensive benchmarking. From the second half of 2023 onwards, the software will also support sustainability reporting: the data can then be processed and exported in line with the usual reporting standards, such as ECORE or GRESB. Customised advice on reporting is part of the onboarding process.
Game changer with sustainable added value
Daniel Glubrecht describes the new product’s place in the market environment: “Up to now, ESG data management has been above all a business for start-ups.” These young firms often programmed smart solutions for analysing data, but collecting the data remained a complex task and required a lot of time and effort from them and the customers. ista has turned the entire principle on its head: “We already have the data anyway, now we are adding the analysis tool on top.”
The company has long been considering how to make more out of the metering data that ista collects than simply using them for standard heating cost billing, Daniel Glubrecht explains. With the ESG Manager, ista has drawn on its own strengths – with good prospects of success: “With the launch of this tool, we have given the market an extremely strong game changer that offers real added value and also promotes our brand vision: CO2-free properties by 2040.”
With energy for a climate-friendly future
In talks with customers Daniel Glubrecht often notices that many companies just can’t cope with the whole subject of ESG management: “Gas price brake, the German Buildings Energy Act (GEG) and the EU Taxonomy: our customers are currently facing quite a few challenges. The first thing I often have to do is give guidance on how to handle ESG data.”
Some companies are, however, tackling the subject head on. They are well aware that sound ESG data management is the basis for the decarbonisation of their property portfolio. “You can’t start early enough as many people underestimate how much time it takes to compile the necessary data,” says Daniel Glubrecht.
He views his job as his vocation: doing a job that goes hand in hand with commitment to sustainability always appealed to him, even as a schoolboy. His focus turned to energy very early on: “At some point I realised energy is used everywhere, it keeps everything going. But the way we produce and use energy is bad and inconsiderate.” Daniel Glubrecht combined a degree course in electrical engineering with classic business administration. For he knew: “Technical solutions alone will not make the world a better place, you need to have business impact, for example through a cool product.”
Strong product, strong team
He then joined ista in 2021, first in the Corporate Strategy department. There it was all about assessing technical solutions and deciding whether they fit into ista’s product portfolio. “That was a completely different level,” says Daniel Glubrecht. “As the ESG Manager product owner, I am now at the workbench for the first time.”
He particularly appreciates the shared motivation that unites him with his team: “Everyone knows that we can make an effective contribution to decarbonisation with our product. That is what counts for me.”
