Phil Rogers Interviewed in ControlTalk Podcast
Phil Rogers, CEO of Albireo Energy brings 35 years of experience to the leadership at Albireo. In his past roles as CEO of Jensen Hughes, Executive Vice President of Sodexo North America Solution Center, CEO of Linc Facility Services and President of Consolidated Engineering Services, he has been involved in facilities management, engineering, energy, construction and real estate. Throughout his career, Phil has been a pioneer in the Facilities Management and Engineering Services industry and he brings that value to Albireo Energy’s clientele which includes 10 Fortune 100 companies.
Albireo Star System
In a recent ControlTalk podcast, Phil explained where Albireo got its name. The Albireo star system is a double star or partner star containing one blue and one gold. Albireo believes that partnering with their clients, their vendors, their employees and other firms is the way business should be done today. The Albireo partner stars represent this partnership which Albireo believes is the key to success.
Brand Agnostic
Phil emphasized that Albireo is brand agnostic. What this means is that Albireo has expertise related to any system or brand. With 75 billion devices on the market today, and the genesis of Master System Integration, a firm needs to understand a diverse amount of technology and data. Focusing on one product or brand, severely limits the problem solving and integration capabilities of a company.
Solutions must be engineered for simple insertion and removal from the architecture of the buildings. Capability around connecting systems together during upgrades, new equipment installation, and new technology allows Albireo to provide varied and economical solutions, rather than fitting the solution to one brand’s capabilities.
Master System Integration
When asked what drives building operators to seek integrated operating systems, Phil stressed that key performance indicators (KPIs) are transparent at the enterprise level. Cause analysis is another factor, he mentioned, that would drive management toward master systems to improve operational efficiency which leads to better energy efficiency. When the country has 6 million commercial buildings, with 295 billion square feet of commercial space, consuming 1.2 billion kwh of energy costing 120 billion dollars, KPIs and root cause analysis become critical to successful system management.
There have been changes to the industry over the last two to three years. Owners and operators are requiring more tech amenities to provide a protective environment for operating staff and a pleasant user experience for employees. Phil felt that the ability of the executive staff to analyze the performance of the facility using KPIs from the master operating system and move forward with relevant decision making will drastically influence system performance and energy efficiency in these smart buildings. The C-suite will weigh in, using KPIs to inform funding decisions, make a statement for their brand and coordinate goals, according to Phil.
Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT)
The Albireo team evolved as a system integrator by recognizing that they needed to be aware of all systems. Phil pointed out that data is collaborative, the industry needs to change the way data is shared between OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology).
Phil’s favorite example of an Albireo project that represents these key traits is 30 Hudson Yards, New York. WarnerMedia, wanted to be at the leading edge of smart building technology. They were years ahead of the industry with sixteen disparate systems that were integrated over the footprint of the building onto a single pane of glass. WarnerMedia wanted to emphasize the user experience without the technology becoming obsolete as soon as it opened its doors.
Phil went on to mention that the biggest mistake he sees when planning a project is not planning integration at the design stage considering all the data driven devices. To focus on one system issue and not the big picture creates outcomes that can cost more down the line.
Smart Building Gap Analysis
Albireo spent a year doing a full gap analysis on themselves and on the industry to determine what made up a good Master Systems Integrator. As a company, Albireo wanted to ensure they invested time and money in the right place. In addition, Albireo wanted to be leaders in the fast moving, dynamic industry of smart building technology and help others in the industry grow and achieve. Phil states that an MSI has an awesome responsibility to come up with a solution that works on day one, on time and on budget.
Albireo’s core business has been and still is service. Once we design a solution, we can talk to the client about how they are going to handle it after day one. Solutions will become outdated after installation unless you have a service plan in place.
Phil gave some practical advice as his podcast segment wound down. OT and IT design elements should be dealt with early in the project, get an MSI involved early in the design stage, and if you don’t have the technical expertise in-house, hire it or train it because you will need it.
Albireo has done projects in 44 US states and is expanding every month. We just announced a new Alabama partnership with Alabama Controls, strengthening our presence in the Southeast and we are partnering with other firms everyday. To engage with Phil and the Albireo team, simply contact us through our website.
