Shopping centers in Ukraine are currently experiencing difficult times. On the one hand, the growth of tariffs for energy and operating costs of the building, on the other – strengthening of tenants’ requirements to decrease rent payments. In these circumstances, the management companies are looking for ways to reduce costs. The way out of dead-end situation can become energy efficiency improvement of the building. About how this mall reduces energy costs, what benefits a rational approach brings to tenants and management company, the Director of Operation and Construction of the shopping center Ocean Plaza Dmitry Grilberg says.
– At the end of last year, the city government initiated the signing of the “Memorandum about saving electricity” with businessmen in Kiev. What do you think of this document?
Definitely, this is a very right step by the city authorities. Negotiations with the energy consumer is much more effective than unilateral prescriptions with a demand to reduce power consumption. But for SEC Ocean Plaza multilateral memorandum signed between the KGGA, “Kyivenergo” and us does not have any binding force, and rather refers to the format of gentlemen’s agreement. We began to implement a program to improve energy efficiency of the building and reduce the cost of resources long before the city authorities’ initiative was proposed.
– In other words, you expected that. Why did you make decision about saving electricity in your mall?
Given the folk wisdom: Prepare sleighs in summer, and in winter the cart – Energy Efficiency Programme of SEC Ocean Plaza was launched in July 2014 and continues up to now. When we started, first we thought of reducing the financial burden of tenants. But within the framework of the program of energy efficiency costs not only electricity, but also gas and water have been reduced.
– What measures have been taken, whether they have affected the visitors of Ocean Plaza?
All the actions conducted within the program to improve energy efficiency were completely invisible to visitors. The level of comfort in the SEC Ocean Plaza remained the same. To save – does not mean to refuse from something or deteriorate. Saving energy is the control and optimization of costs. For example, we reduced level of lighting of public areas at night (not during working hours), installed LED-lights, put into operation the air recovery system, installed automatic metering of gas in the boiler room, etc.
– What are the results after a year of operation?
The effect of the program realization was evident from the first days. For example, in the period from January to May 2015, during the process of energy saving it has been achieved the optimization of 1,600 KW / h or 32.97% less compared to the same reporting period in 2014. It was also reduced natural gas consumption by 363,000 m3, which is 77.95% compared to the same reporting period last year. And the most important thing is that by improving the energy efficiency of building of the shopping center, we avoided the forced blackout. That, as we know, has a negative impact on the tenants of the complex and the image of Trade Center visitors.
– Do you intend to continue the practice of saving?
It goes without saying. After all, the main purpose of energy saving is reduction of the financial burden on the SEC and the consequent improvement of the conditions of the lease. Moreover, the process is long, at the moment a program to reduce energy costs is not fully implemented. For example, now geothermal pumps and solar thermal collectors are being installed, with a view to a complete renunciation of the use of natural gas for heating of the shopping center. There is still much to be done, and do not count the chickens before they are hatched as famous proverb says. Only after the full implementation of the program, we will evaluate its efficiency and decide on the further development in this direction.
