The company Green Invest in Berlin has set itself the goal of CO2-free living and is a joint customer of Habitalix and KUGU, two PropTechs for the digitalization of the real estate industry. Together, the two partners invited Green Invest for an interview to illustrate the cooperation of the two digital service providers with a successful practical example.
Green Invest - CO2-free living in Berlin
Green Invest pursues the goal of making CO2-neutral living possible. To this end, CO2 consumption is first optimized through energy-saving renovations (wall insulation, new windows, replacement of the heating system with heat pumps/solar thermal systems/ventilation with heat recovery) or investments in low-investment efficiency measures. Finally, the remaining consumption is compensated by the purchase of CO2 certificates or the financing of CO2-reducing projects.
In recent years, the focus has been on testing the functionality and efficiency of various energy efficiency services. In this context, it has been shown that relatively CO2 savings can be achieved with just a few investments. Green Invest now consistently uses these technologies (e.g., smart heating control, hydraulic balancing, pump replacement) in its buildings to significantly reduce heating and operating costs.
Lack of transparency, inflexible service providers, and a lot of "paperwork"
Despite a clear vision and energetic implementation, there are also some hurdles in Green Invest's day-to-day work. In the area of building management, these are primarily the lack of possibility to view consumption data via open interfaces. In addition, many service providers on the market are often inflexible in their working methods.
When managing properties, it is important for Green Invest to take a digital approach to tenant management. "Paperwork" should ideally be replaced by digital processes to enable transparency, but also fast process handling and thus high tenant satisfaction.
Digital PropTech Solutions Provide Remedy
Both KUGU and Habitalix have set themselves the goal of creating solutions to these challenges, which also affect many other market participants. Both service providers offer digital solutions to make ways of working smart, efficient and transparent.
KUGU transforms building management with a digital, open building management plattform
KUGU Home GmbH offers housing and energy companies real potential for saving energy and CO2 with the help of a digital and innovative energy data platform. The modular software-as-a-service solution makes energy data transparent in real time, evaluates it using artificial intelligence and visualizes the results on the platform. In this way, KUGU optimizes plant efficiency and makes energy measurable, transparent, and easy to bill. The PropTech's plug&play software consists of various modules, from digital boiler rooms to simple billing systems and CO2 monitoring, which can be booked individually according to customer needs. In this way, KUGU is already helping its customers to significantly improve their carbon footprint and to make buildings ESG-compliant and future-proof.
In the case of Green Invest, KUGU's open platform has made data viewing and transmission more efficient. Via the digital platform, third-party contractors commissioned by the owner can also access relevant data and use it to optimize the heating system, among other things.
But the tenant side is also included here for holistic transparency. The app developed by KUGU makes it easy for tenants to read their consumption data themselves, and the visualization gives them a good insight into the current situation. For Green Building, all these advantages were decisive for a good cooperation.
Habitalix puts an end to "paperwork", poor service & non-transparent administration
Habitalix, founded in 2016 by Celine Danto, now manages 1000 units throughout Berlin and Brandenburg and focuses not only on the "classic" management of apartment buildings and condominiums, but also on the smart and climate-neutral development of real estate.
The specially developed owner portal enables maximum transparency regarding current management processes and portfolio issues. Communication is massively facilitated for tenants and owners, as small concerns can be answered via chat at any time. At the same time, the digital portal also means the end of paperwork and eternal binders. All documents & reports are regularly made available via cloud and the portal is accessible from anywhere and at any time, regardless of location.
Despite its digital approach, Habitalix continues to rely on personal exchange and can be contacted personally at any time for all important concerns. Green Invest greatly appreciates this hybrid approach. The topic of smart building solutions is also in good hands with Habitalix: „We are not only property managers but are also very familiar with smart home solutions and their integration. We advise our owners in partnership on all value-relevant issues of a property. In addition to technology and yield optimization, this also includes sustainability issues. “, emphasizes Céline Danto, founder and managing director.
What makes the combination of Habitalix & KUGU so unique?
According to Green Invest, "Both partners are very flexible, willing to learn and responsive to the constantly adapting needs of customers. This makes working with both partners particularly pleasant and efficient." This is precisely what reinforces both KUGU and Habitalix in their visions of simplifying processes, increasing transparency, and conserving resources. It is precisely these associations of experts and companies that are driving the energy turnaround to a significant degree and are of great importance for achieving the climate targets.
