From 36 To 4 Months: Accelerated Commissioning At A Landmark Mixed-Use Office Tower

From multi-year manual commissioning to an integrated digital risk platform that reduces capital spend and delivers a 10-year energy savings forecast of $10.1M.

From 36 To 4 Months: Accelerated Commissioning At A Landmark Mixed-Use Office Tower

From multi-year manual commissioning to an integrated digital risk platform that reduces capital spend and delivers a 10-year energy savings forecast of $10.1M.

Solution Provider: Novem Digital | Customer: A landmark mixed-use office tower in a major Canadian city | Location: Canada | Asset: Mixed-use office tower with integrated plant and systems

BACKGROUND: A Flagship Smart Building With Complex Systems

A landmark mixed-use office tower in a major Canadian city was designed as a sustainability and technology showpiece. The site integrates a shared central plant, photovoltaic array, uninterruptible power supplies, generators, HVAC, security, lighting, car chargers, life safety, operable windows, and irrigation systems.

These integrated systems generate large volumes of data that must be managed in real time if the building is to meet its performance targets and brand promise.

THE CHALLENGE: Manual Commissioning On A Highly Integrated Asset

The developer’s previous projects relied on a manual commissioning process that typically took 2 years and cost approximately $300K. For this tower, the complexity of integrated systems created operational risk and the potential for extended commissioning timelines.

Key challenges included:

• Integrating multiple vendor systems into an open, secure platform
• Aligning diverse stakeholders across finance, design, technical, construction, operations, and HR
• Establishing an information management program including alarm management and performance scorecards
• Educating stakeholders on the value of a proactive, predictive operating model

Leadership wanted to accelerate commissioning, improve performance, reduce wrap-up liability costs, and prove the long-term financial value of the investment.

THE SOLUTION: Digital Risk Platform And Automated Continuous Commissioning

Novem Digital deployed its Digital Risk Platform with Automated Continuous Commissioning to reduce commissioning timelines and turn integrated systems into a source of financial insight.

Identifying And Resolving Issues At Scale

After the platform was implemented, analytics identified more than 900 issues across building systems. Over roughly 4 months, Novem’s algorithms, combined with targeted reporting, helped the project team reduce the issue count from more than 900 to 10, each with a clear path to repair.

By capturing and resolving issues early, the project team improved building performance while reducing risk of future claims and operating inefficiencies.

Accelerated Commissioning And Reduced Capital Spend

Automated continuous commissioning reduced the commissioning and optimization period from the typical 36-month cycle to approximately 4 months. The approach also allowed the team to eliminate infrastructure redundancies and save approximately 2% of infrastructure capital.

The project delivered energy intensification roughly one third below peer office towers in the same market, supporting a 10-year forecast energy savings of approximately $10.1M.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Impact

• Commissioning reduced from 36 months to approximately 4 months
• More than 900 building issues identified and reduced to 10 with clear resolution paths
• Approximately 2% of infrastructure capital spend avoided through design and integration efficiencies
• Energy intensification approximately one third lower than peer towers, supporting a 10-year savings forecast of $10.1M

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

By compressing commissioning timelines, the developer reduced wrap-up liability exposure and began operating at target performance levels much earlier. Avoided capital spend and energy savings directly improve project returns and support a stronger long-term Total Cost of Risk Ownership profile.

For executives, the building now functions as a proof point that integrated smart systems can deliver measurable financial outcomes, not just a sustainability story. Performance data underpins a 10-year, $10.1M energy savings forecast and validates infrastructure savings at the board and lender level.

This is a clear example of monetizing data. Real-time and historical performance data are used to cut commissioning time, avoid capital spend, and prove energy performance, turning the building’s data exhaust into a financial asset over the life of the tower.

THE TRANSFORMATION: From Data Overload To Predictive Operations

For owners and investors: The tower demonstrates that a digital risk platform can transform a complex smart building into a predictable financial asset, with transparent performance data for boards, lenders, and tenants.

For operators and facility teams: Embedded analytics and automated continuous commissioning help staff detect inefficiencies, identify potential risk areas, and act proactively to keep systems within specification.

For tenants: While most will never see the technical details, they benefit from improved comfort, reduced downtime, and the assurance that the building is operated to high environmental and operational standards.

LOOKING FORWARD: A Template For Future Developments

The developer can now apply this approach to future projects, using the Digital Risk Platform as a repeatable template to accelerate commissioning, control capital spend, and demonstrate energy performance. Over time, the portfolio benefits from consistent data and a shared operating model.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND NDA

This case study is anonymized to protect customer confidentiality. Under NDA, Novem Digital can share full customer identity, underwriting evidence, and detailed financial and technical results with qualified insurers, lenders, and strategic partners.

ABOUT NOVEM DIGITAL

Novem Digital is an AI powered digital risk platform that transforms operational data from real estate into measurable financial returns. Novem predicts and prevents equipment failures before they happen so leaders can reduce Total Cost of Risk Ownership, protect cash flow, and manage risk-related costs with confidence.