Frequently Asked Questions

With our cloud platform, we offer Germany's leading solution for technical building equipment to reduce the energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and operating costs of buildings by up to 40 %. Our services create added value for all involved parties:

• Owners gain more control over their portfolio and service providers, as well as an efficiently run, sustainable portfolio with stable value. In many cases, they can pass on the costs of aedifion’s services to their tenants.
• Operators receive a tool to ensure the smooth the operation of technical facilities, perform their tasks more efficiently and report specifically to asset management.
• Tenants benefit from optimal indoor air comfort and enjoy significantly lower service charges thanks to efficient system operation.

Our cloud platform works by seamlessly networking the building technology systems using plug-and-play or individual retrofit solutions in collaboration with our extensive partner network. All critical operating data is transferred to our cloud platform in real time and redundantly secured. Additional data can be easily integrated via our API. The data is then structured into digital twins at building, room and data point level, enabling detailed analysis. Artificial intelligence is used to proactively and predictively control your buildings to ensure optimal operating conditions at all times.The functionality of our cloud platform is illustrated by an overview of our products:

• Data availability & monitoring: aedifion.io enables plug-and-play connectivity of all systems in the building and provides the relevant technical data on the platform.
• Operational analysis & optimization recommendations: aedifion.analytics automatically identifies and evaluates optimization potentials and provides prioritized recommendations for action.
• Autonomous, AI-based control: aedifion.controls uses artificial intelligence to autonomously optimize the operation of your building in a predictive and intelligent way.
• Service package around the platform: ‍aedifion.elevate provides you with experienced engineers and support in working with the cloud platform.
• Engineering services on demand: ‍With aedifion.engineering you will get a partner for all questions around digitalization, refurbishment, smart building, white labeling, certification and reporting.

Yes, at aedifion, we offer our solutions as bundles. These bundles contain a comprehensive range of products and services that are optimally coordinated to meet your requirements. This ensures that you always receive the exact components needed to optimize your portfolio.

No, rather our cloud platform complements existing building control systems with its functions for data acquisition, analysis, and optimization of operations. It enables holistic monitoring and control without having to replace existing control systems.

Yes, because facility managers perform a wide range of tasks such as maintenance and repair, safety and environmental protection, as well as cost management and communication with tenants. Our cloud platform supports them in carrying out their tasks more proactively and efficiently. Despite technological support, this form of physical maintenance cannot be fully automated, as qualified personnel on-site and a quick response to emergencies are required. The interpersonal component therefore remains crucial for efficient building management.

Our cloud platform and our service are designed to offer the right solution for every non-residential building from around 5000 m² and for every requirement. In line with our "Leave no Asset Behind" approach, we offer digital access to every building in a portfolio. Simply plug-and-play or via individual retrofit solutions. Our portfolio covers various types of assets: From office buildings, shopping centers and hotels to hospitals or logistics centers.

When optimizing building operations, we consider the entire technical building equipment (TBE). This includes all technical systems and plants required for building operation and user comfort, such as heating and ventilation systems, lighting systems, and the entire building automation system. We ensure that all these systems are taken into account by our solution so that they can be operated in line with requirements and with minimal work and costs.

Yes, with our cloud platform, you can achieve equally effective operational optimization for older buildings as for new constructions. Through a portfolio analysis, we find individual solutions for each building to achieve energy efficiency and smart data availability, regardless of the construction year or technical condition. Whether new or existing, analog or digital - we leave no asset behind!

Yes, our solution is highly scalable. Through our portfolio analysis, all buildings can be classified according to their digital availability in order to find an individual solution for each building. plug-and-play with the help of a small industrial computer or by retrofitting individual sensors or controllers to specific buildings, we can then make every building digitally available. This retrofit strategy enables seamless expansion from individual buildings to entire real estate portfolios. Our cloud platform also allows for cross-border deployment and supports the management of international portfolios through seamless networking and mobile control across different regions.

It is undeniable that buildings vary in terms of their technical equipment and suitability for digital operational optimization. Portfolio analysis is the first step, where we assess building characteristics and evaluate the suitability of each individual object for digital operational optimization. The focus is on the technical building equipment (TBE), as this has a major influence on energy efficiency. A prerequisite for our cloud platform to function properly is data collection and storage in the form of a data lake. At aedifion, the plug-and-play principle is used for this purpose. All relevant operating data is collected from the building and transmitted directly to the cloud via an edge device provided and installed by us. For older buildings in the portfolio that do not have IP-capable technical building equipment, we offer extensive retrofit measures as part of our “Leave no Asset Behind” approach to make every building in the portfolio digitally available.

The integration of our cloud platform into the building is carried out in various ways, depending on the existing building technology and individual requirements:

• Plug-and-Play: By installing our edge device on the building automation, data from systems in IP networks can be easily and quickly integrated into the cloud platform. The installation only takes a few minutes, and the data then flows into the cloud in real-time and redundantly secured.
• Gateway Retrofit: Additional smart meters or gateways can be installed to easily capture consumption, even for non-IP-capable systems.
• Extension: If manufacturers have closed communication systems, a solution can be found in cooperation with them to enable access to the data.
• Retrofit: If existing systems are no longer compatible with current standards, retrofits can be carried out, such as with radio-based sensors for capturing energy flows and temperatures to gain valuable insights.

Many buildings already have comprehensive digital communication interfaces. We guarantee maximum manufacturer independence, so usually no new hardware needs to be purchased for these buildings - even with different technologies and manufacturers. However, should this be necessary, e.g. for older buildings, we support the procurement and installation of additional hardware via our partner network.

The plug-and-play installation of the edge device only takes a few minutes, and from then on, data flows in real-time and is redundantly secured. Our engineers conduct the data technical assessment of the building, create digital twins, and set up the frontend. This process can be completed quickly in many cases. If your building requires additional smart meters, individual adjustments, or retrofits, we will also implement these as quickly as possible.

No, the ongoing operation of your building will not be interrupted while we carry out the installation.

The online user interface of the aedifion cloud platform presents comprehensive information on building performance and efficiency. In a transparent and user-friendly way, our platform provides exactly the data you need. Whether it's energy consumption, ESG metrics, asset KPIs, or the condition of the plants, our frontend offers tailored data for your reporting. This allows you to see direct savings and necessary actions at a glance or delve deep into your building's operational data. You can find a detailed overview of the functionalities, integrations and possibilities of our platform in our documentation.

Yes, despite autonomous control, you can always keep an eye on the AI's decisions and measures via the dashboard and intervene manually if you wish. However, we generally recommend prior consultation with your contacts from our engineering team.

We ensure that all stakeholders are thoroughly trained in using our cloud platform and have the necessary knowledge to fully exploit its potential. In the kickoff phase of the project, we present our platform to the operations team and asset management in a workshop, explaining its functions and benefits. Throughout the entire duration of this .elevate service (part of our bundles), we are available at any time to answer questions about implementing optimization measures and to support the handling of the software solution. Additionally, you can schedule regular digital meetings with our team. At least once a quarter, we also hold a general .elevate meeting with the involved contacts to improve technical building performance, advance building decarbonization, and address questions about using the dashboard.

With few exceptions, our solution is billed monthly as a classic SaaS (Software as a Service) model, making it an ongoing and object-related item in the operating costs. In many cases, it is therefore possible to pass these costs on to the tenants. The allocability of our solutions is based on the current legal framework, including the Operating Costs Ordinance and the Heating Costs Ordinance. In addition, we recommend to consider the possibility of reimbursement of costs as part of incentive programs.
Please note: Our research and assessments are based on the current legal situation, but do not constitute valid legal advice.

With our bundles of software and service packages, you can achieve energy, CO₂ and cost savings of up to 40% as well as targeted recommendations for refurbishment, with no upfront investment and a positive cash flow within six months. We can prove these savings by comparing them with existing consumption histories, among other things. If these are not available, we develop solutions to extract the consumption data from the building to determine the savings.

No, our cloud platform offers significant advantages for increasing tenant satisfaction: comfort, service and security as well as transparency and participation. Through intelligent control of the technical systems, it ensures a pleasant indoor climate, allows proactive detection and correction of malfunctions, and motivates participation in energy-saving measures. Additionally, we can determine and display the comfort factor of a building for orientation purposes. Based on a comfort analysis, this is made up of thermal comfort (e.g. temperature, humidity) and indoor air quality.

Information security and data protection are of the utmost importance to us. Our software architecture guarantees that your building data is and remains protected at all times. We use multi-layered, redundant security mechanisms and have obtained certification according to the Information Security Standard DIN EN ISO/IEC 27001 to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your information. When renting our servers, we only work with certified hosts in Germany and the EU.