WiredScore: A Label Certifying Optimal Connectivity for Your Buildings

Since the 1990s, the construction industry has increasingly committed to necessary environmental transitions. The emergence of international certifications like HQE or BREEAM was quickly followed by other more specialized labels. It became evident that technology was a powerful asset for ensuring sustainable and responsible building management. Hence, new labels emerged two decades later, focusing on ensuring that buildings were perfectly connected and eligible for the status of 'smart buildings.' The WiredScore certification is one of these quality marks focusing on the 'connected' aspect of buildings.

What is WiredScore?

Why certify a building's communication performance? Simply put, it guarantees the digital comfort of users. The WiredScore label is specifically tailored to this challenge, particularly focused on office real estate.

An International System Assessing Real Estate Connectivity

A Label Created in 2013 in New York

WiredScore was launched in 2013 to offer a reliable standard to evaluate building connectivity, specifically office buildings. It's no surprise that this initiative was conceived and created in New York, a city inherently connected and modern. With the support of the then-mayor, Michael Bloomberg, numerous leaders in real estate, technology, and communications created the WiredScore company and the reference framework upon which the label is based.

The Growing Popularity of Wired Certification

It didn't take long for this certification to become popular. By 2018, it covered 44 million square meters worldwide, including one million in France. Iconic buildings like the Empire State Building in New York, the Duo Towers and the future Sisters Towers in La Défense, and the Shard in London are WiredScore certified, demonstrating the international significance of this label.

Connectivity Objective

The WiredScore certification is part of a comprehensive approach to improving building quality in terms of connectivity and smart technology. It not only ensures a better user experience but also contributes to energy efficiency. Indeed, a well-connected building can optimally utilize all resources for tracking energy and water consumption and benefit from the implementation of automated management of many tasks. 

Read: Adopting the IoT in buildings: benefits, use cases and tips

What the Wiredscore label brings to buildings and their owners

The WiredScore certification for a building offers numerous benefits to both its owners and the environment. Beyond highlighting intrinsic advantages such as connectivity, efficient management, and well-being, it also serves as a magnet for attraction. 

1. Attracting and Retaining Occupants

Buildings certified by WiredScore boast significantly lower vacancy rates compared to office buildings worldwide. For instance, by the late 2010s, WiredScore-certified buildings had a vacancy rate of around 2%, notably lower than the 10% for new buildings and 6% for office real estate in Île-de-France. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 underscored the importance of connectivity in the contemporary work landscape, giving preference to buildings offering seamless and secure communications. 

2. Enhancing Property Value

WiredScore acts as a catalyst for real estate transactions. Buildings with this label enjoy a high pre-leasing rate, reaching 82%, compared to an average of 70% between 2017 and 2019. Certification enables developers to set higher rents than the office average, aligned with the superior quality and advanced features of their buildings.

3. Building Investor Confidence

WiredScore certification enhances investor confidence by positioning buildings as modern, sustainable, and in tune with new work trends. It ensures that buildings are equipped to meet current and future technological demands, thus enhancing their long-term value.

Understanding the WiredScore certification

WiredScore certification entails a rigorous and relatively lengthy process. Only after this process, which can commence before a building's construction, can the building be eligible for certification.

Initial Assessment

The WiredScore certification begins with a comprehensive evaluation. Based on the project and plans, an initial assessment is conducted, focusing on all planned internet connections, both wired and wireless. Experts scrutinize the existing or planned digital infrastructure of the building, evaluating aspects such as internet connection reliability, speed, backup network presence, and adaptability to emerging technologies.

WiredScore Reference Framework: Five Criteria for Ensuring Building Digital Performance

The building's analysis revolves around five key criteria:

1. Resilience: This criterion evaluates the building's ability to maintain uninterrupted connectivity, even during failures or external disruptions. It assesses system redundancy, equipment quality, and readiness for emergencies to ensure continuity of essential services.

2. Adaptability: This criterion focuses on the flexibility of the building's technological infrastructure to integrate new technologies and meet rapidly changing connectivity needs.

3. Well-Distributed Mobile Coverage: In today's connected world, mobile coverage is essential. The auditor verifies mobile coverage quality and permanence throughout the building, including in parking lots, elevators, staircases, and common areas.

4. Provider Selection: This criterion evaluates the quality and diversity of available connectivity service providers, offering occupants a range of options to meet their specific connectivity needs.

5. User Experience: This criterion evaluates how integrated technologies enhance occupants' daily experiences in terms of ease of use, reliability, and performance. 

WiredScore Certification Levels

WiredScore evaluates buildings on a 100-point scale, distributed according to performance in each criterion. Buildings receiving classification are categorized into four ascending levels each reflecting the degree of connectivity continuity and excellence:

• Certified 
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

Cost of WiredScore Certification

The cost of WiredScore certification is a highly profitable investment. Its actual cost varies depending on factors such as the building's size and complexity but generally does not exceed €10,000 to €15,000 for 10,000 square meters.

Improving WiredScore with Wattsense

Enter the World of Universal Connectivity

Wattsense is an advanced technological solution that simplifies the management and optimization of building technical systems, including HVAC, electricity, water, lighting, and air quality. It plays a pivotal role in improving overall building performance, particularly in terms of connectivity.

Wattsense and WiredScore: A Powerful Duo for Smart Buildings

Wattsense's connectivity solution addresses current building management challenges by effectively communicating with all equipment, even those previously difficult to connect. By centralizing and efficiently managing building environmental data and connecting its solution with over 900 devices, Wattsense allows optimized energy management, and water management, and actively contributes to occupant well-being.

• A Prime Solution for Your Network Architecture

Integrating Wattsense into your network architecture is a strategic decision to boost your building's WiredScore. Wattsense offers a simple, open, and centralized platform, enabling efficient management of thermal regulation systems, energy and water consumption indicators, and all connected devices.

• Perfect Connectivity Thanks to Wattsense

Connectivity is a cornerstone of WiredScore certification, and Wattsense plays a crucial role in optimizing this aspect. The Wattsense box, which forms the backbone of the building's universal connectivity, is a significant asset for achieving an excellent WiredScore rating.

• Wattsense: A Guarantee of Interoperability

Interoperability is a key requirement of modern buildings, and Wattsense excels in this area. By supporting most communication protocols, Wattsense facilitates communication between different systems and devices. Enhancing the operational efficiency of the building strengthens the criteria considered for obtaining WiredScore.

"The interoperability of the Wattsense solution avoids technological silos and allows flexible integration of new sensors and connected objects. It makes buildings more responsive to IoT and facilitates communication with other systems through its open API."

Wattsense is thus a preferred partner for companies seeking to enhance the WiredScore of their buildings. With its ability to centralize and efficiently manage building environmental data, and its solution's connectivity with over 800 devices, Wattsense enables optimized energy and water management while actively contributing to occupants' well-being.