Optimized building operations at the dodenhof shopping center

by Jennifer Meyer

How can huge building complexes be operated in a more climate-friendly way – without reducing comfort and without high conversion costs? dodenhof, the largest shopping center in northern Germany, shows how intelligent control, the courage to innovate and a clear focus on sustainability can go hand in hand.

Shopping centers are among the most energy-intensive buildings of our time. Air conditioning, lighting, escalators and ventilation systems often run around the clock – a logistical feat, but also an enormous consumption of resources. In times of rising energy costs and growing demands for sustainable management, operators of large retail spaces are increasingly faced with an urgent question: how can building operation be made more efficient, climate-friendly and economically viable at the same time?

At dodenhof in Posthausen, the largest shopping center in northern Germany, the answer came early on in the form of intelligent control of the entire system. Guido Thome, Head of Construction Management & Facility Management at dodenhof, recalls: “The impetus to control building operations more intelligently was primarily motivated by rising energy costs as well as internal and external requirements for sustainability and decarbonization.” In 2023, he came across a technology from Recogizer and long-standing partner Kieback&Peter that does not replace existing building technology, but adds AI-supported predictive control. In other words, a control system that uses data to plan ahead and continuously adjust operation to save energy and maintain comfort in the building.

The decision was easy: with an area of around 125,000 square meters of sales and experience space, sustainability is not only an ethical necessity for dodenhof, but also a business necessity. “It offers the opportunity to further develop our previous efforts to save energy in a more targeted and professional manner,” says Thome.

The return on investment is already being achieved in the second year of operation. The results are impressive: around eight million kilowatt hours of energy are to be saved in the fifth year of operation – a reduction of around 1,700 tons of CO₂. “These figures impressively demonstrate the potential that lies in the intelligent control of our building operation - both in ecological and economic terms,” emphasizes Thome.

The technical basis is an AI-supported predictive control system that optimizes the operation of the building's technical equipment. Data such as weather forecasts, building usage and historical consumption patterns are continuously incorporated. The AI adapts the control dynamically, i.e. in real time, to new conditions. “Energy consumption is reduced without compromising the comfort of visitors and employees,” explains Thome. “At the same time, the AI ensures optimum control of room temperature and air quality.”

A major advantage: the intervention in existing systems was minimal. The AI acts as a superordinate layer above the existing building automation system. Should it become necessary, the original technology remains in place as a fallback level. “The intervention in the existing systems was minimal and the introduction of the AI-based optimization could be carried out without major conversions,” says Thome.

Despite the intelligent control system, humans remain central. Control of the system remains in the hands of those responsible for operations, even though manual intervention has not been necessary to date. “The system works very reliably and relieves us of many routine tasks,” reports Thome. This frees up facility management staff for strategic tasks: Analyses, optimizations and long-term increases in efficiency are becoming more of a focus.

The introduction went almost without a hitch. Skepticism among employees? Not a thing. “Acceptance among employees is very high,” says Thome. And the system's learning curve is also surprisingly positive. Small changes in outside temperatures or visitor flows, whose influence was previously only suspected, became visible thanks to the AI analyses and could be controlled more precisely.

In the long term, dodenhof plans to go even further. Around 8,000 square meters of roof area have already been equipped with photovoltaics. In the future, around ten hectares of open space are to follow. “The vision of a climate-neutral dodenhof is a clear incentive for us as a regionally rooted retail company with great responsibility towards customers, employees and the environment,” explains Thome.

What can other shopping centers learn from dodenhof? “That the greatest impact is achieved through a combination of technological innovation and continuous optimization,” says Thome. The introduction of a predictive control system is not a one-off project, but a dynamic process that requires constant further development.

dodenhof shows how a traditional retail company is taking responsibility through intelligent building operation – proving that sustainability can be so much more than just a buzzword.