EFFECT4buildings Multi Service Contracting tool

Published on 19 November 2020

Denmark

About this good practice

The Interreg project EFFECT4buildings has developed a toolbox of financial tools and instruments for implementing more energy efficiency measures in buildings. The target group is building managers.
In Multi Service Contracting (MSC), the building owner takes a holistic approach to the renovation process, adding value to planning and contracting by including parameters such as indoor climate, maintenance and operation management .
Currently, buildings are renovated with a certain purpose and expected performance, but the average renovation process is neither monitored nor evaluated, nor is its performance followed up.
This situation calls for general re-defining and re-scoping of currently run projects, in order to prevent public stakeholders from experiencing additional unnecessary costs pushed up by ill-designed or ill-implemented building renovation processes.
In MSC, the building owner signs a contract with a constructor. The contract focuses on more parameters than just energy, including indoor climate, reducing the backlog of maintenance, and facility management. The contract also forces both parties to follow-up the performance of buildings after the buildings have been renovated, by determine key performance indicators. Extending the planning phase and involving an MSC supplier from the very beginning of the project increases the chance that the renovation will meet the building owners expectations.
The tool includes also a guide for planning indoor climate.

Resources needed

Implementing an MSC project needs enough destinated resources to be successful. It requires necessary specific professional expertise to make the public procurement process and cooperate with the supplier. Specific knowledge is required from the start, especially to design functional requirements

Evidence of success

The Multi Service Contracting has been tested in Denmark with good results showing increased values for investment money.
The guidelines for planning of good indoor climate in schools has been widely used in Sweden, attracting large numbers of building managers and school staff to several training sessions, proving that this is a topic and knowledge needed.

Potential for learning or transfer

The tool has been developed with the aim to make them possible to adapt in all (European) countries. The potential for transferring best practise to other regions is supported by clear guidelines, templates and training materials.
Please visit project website www.effect4buildings.se to explore the full toolbox.