In the prestigious setting of the Pré Catelan in Paris, Ewattch brought together some thirty decision-makers from the hotel, facilities management, commercial real estate and maintenance sectors for a private event on the now inescapable theme of "BACS Decree & Building Performance Management".
A privileged moment, punctuated by exchanges, demonstrations and concrete feedback, to understand how regulations, innovation and energy performance are converging today towards a common goal: to build a more sober, more intelligent and sustainably efficient tertiary sector.
From regulatory framework to market transformation
The morning opened with a keynote by Nicolas Garaponenergy transition expert at Manergya reminder of the foundations and real scope of the BACS decree.
This law, transposing the European EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ), will require commercial buildings with HVAC equipment above 290 kW - and those above 70 kW from 2027 onwards - to be equipped with an automated control and monitoring system for their energy consumption.
But behind the regulatory constraint, the BACS decree above all paves the way for a structural transformation of the sector.
As Nicolas Garapon emphasized: "Let's turn the regulatory requirement into an opportunity for sustainable, long-term performance."
For the expert, this new standard is more than just a compliance imperative: it redefines building management standards. By promoting the measurement, traceability and transparency of consumption, the decree encourages players to enter into a logic of continuous management, based on data and proactivity.
From constraint to value: performance finally becomes measurable
Nicolas Garapon's speech highlighted a shared observation: we are entering a decade in which energy performance will be measurable.
In other words, commercial buildings are moving from reactive management to data-driven management.
The BACS decree imposes five essential functional pillars:
- Automatically control technical systems (HVAC, ventilation, lighting)
- Measuring consumption by usage
- Monitor and report abuses
- Adjust parameters in real time
- Ensuring interoperability to guarantee evolution over time
More than a technical obligation, these functions embody a new approach to energy management. They make it possible to anticipate drifts, optimize comfort, and value energy and carbon gains in ESG reporting.
The message is clear: energy performance is becoming a strategic lever, creating value for operators, investors and occupants alike.
A technological turning point: HBS, the heart of intelligent buildings
After setting out the regulatory framework and compliance issues, Nicolas BabelCEO and founder ofEwattch, took the floor to present the HBS system, the new hybrid BMS solution developed by the company. This French innovation embodies Ewattch's vision of making energy performance simple, measurable and accessible to all commercial buildings.
"Intelligent buildings can't be decreed, they have to be orchestrated", says Nicolas Babel.
This phrase sums up Ewattch's philosophy: don't just connect, orchestrate.
A perfect combination of the field and IoT worlds, our hybrid BMS is capable of integrating with existing systems, communicating with different protocols and paving the way for fluid, scalable global control.
Architecture designed for action
Nicolas Babel highlighted the three technological building blocks that make up the HBS (Hybrid Building System) ecosystem:
- IoT sensors: measure temperature, consumption, air quality and occupancy in real time.
- The SynapseCore: a real on-board brain, it controls equipment according to configurable scenarios, ensures continuity of service and dialogues with all market protocols (Modbus, LoRaWAN, soon BACnet, KNX, DALI...).
- Ewattch Cloud: the SaaS platform that centralizes data, enables technical supervision, real-time maintenance, regulatory reporting and multisite hypervision.
Thanks to this fluid architecture, the HBS enables continuous measurement, control and improvement of energy performance, while guaranteeing interoperability, scalability and ease of use.
Concrete benefits: compliance, ROI and customer comfort
During this keynote, Ewattch illustrated the value of this hybrid approach through several case studies:
- In the hotel sector, the deployment of SynapseCore has reduced energy consumption by 20-30%, while improving thermal comfort and air quality.
- In facility management, the solution simplifies multi-site management and reduces maintenance costs thanks to centralized supervision and automatic alerts.
- In the commercial real estate sector, it enhances asset value and regulatory compliance, while improving ESG traceability.
Quick to install - 2 to 5 days compared with several weeks for a traditional BMS- the HBS solution democratizes access to intelligent control for all buildings, both new and existing.
Round table: Commercial buildings in action
Moderated by Marine Haeusser, Director of Ewattch's CPB (Building Compliance & Performance) division, the first round table highlighted the challenges and feedback from the hotel sector in the face of BACS compliance. Alongside Jean-Pierre Lidec (Group Operations Director Centaurus) and Émilie Claudel (CEO and operator of two Best Western), Marine guided a discussion rich in concrete perspectives, rooted in the reality of the field.
The second round table, moderated by Claudia Paradis, Director of Partnerships & Networks at Ewattch, delved into the heart of the field: that of the integrators, multi-technical maintainers and facility management players who are making the energy transition a reality. At his side, Jean-Philippe Fischel, CEO & founder of GreenKaptand Mathieu Muzelet, Managing Director of Steamoa subsidiary of the Armonia group, shared their vision of a sector in the throes of change.
When field reality meets technology
This is Émilie Claudel who opened this first round table, sharing her experience as an operator faced with ever-rising energy costs: "When you receive your balance sheet and realize that your energy costs are completely out of your control, the question of installing a BMS arises."
It raises three issues:
- Cost and management, in a context of tight margins and high operating costs;
- The need for a global vision to meet the requirements of the environmental label Green Key ;
- And the need for regulation consistent with the sustainable approach of its establishments.
It was in this context that Émilie discovered the Ewattch solution, and in particular the HBS solution. A solution that's simple to deploy and easy to use.
"When Ewattch presented its solution to me, this complex subject finally seemed simple and easy, which convinced me."
A phrase that particularly resonated with the audience, reminding us that beyond technology, the key to success lies in support and education.
His testimony perfectly illustrates Ewattch's ambition: to make energy management simple, accessible and practical.
When GTB becomes GTE: scalable performance
Jean-Pierre Lidec, a member of the Centaurus Group's Operations and Technical Expertise Department, then shared the vision of a major player in the hotel industry.
Today, the group boasts some twenty 4 and 5-star hotels, including the Maison Albar - Le Vendômethe first site to be equipped with the Ewattch solution.
For him, the main challenge of energy management in the hotel industry lies in the diversity of equipment and uses: "Managing to get a whole patchwork of equipment to talk to each other on a single portal, that's the difficulty and above all the added value that Ewattch has been able to bring".
Beyond the technology, the platform's adaptability was a key point: "I wanted the platform to be suitable for all hotel users, from reception, to customer service, to the technical manager."
Jean-Pierre also discussed the Group's energy performance plan, which is structured around three major areas:
- Accommodation, which accounts for almost 50% of costs;
- Spas are particularly energy-hungry;
- And catering, which requires precise monitoring of consumption.
Thanks to the HBS solution, supported by SynapseCore, the Class A BMS installed at Maison Albar - Le Vendôme is now tending towards Class A++, enabling :
- a better understanding of consumption,
- real-time alerts on deviations (hot water, legionella, leaks),
- and greater control over water and energy consumption.
"When we develop or deploy in a hotel, it's a team effort: staff on site and those at head office. The agility of the platform made it easy to get to grips with it, enabling us to meet customer requirements."
Finally, he concludes with a vision of the future: "We're talking about BMS, but for me, we're more into EWM with Ewattch, for the evolutionary aspect. Environmental issues are moving very fast, and sanctions will come in the same way, so we need to act now."
Anticipating rather than repairing: the new era of intelligent control
After an initial round table devoted to feedback from hotel operators, Claudia Paradis, Director of Partnerships & Networks at Ewattch, took over to introduce a second sequence focusing on the field and technical aspects.
It was Jean-Philippe Fischel who opened the discussions, sharing his unfiltered vision of modern maintenance.
With 35 years' experience, including 15 in the hotel industry, he embodies the voice of the field - that of those who know every boiler room, every electrical panel and every alarm at their fingertips.
" Our job is to make our customers sleep soundly "
The phrase drew a smile from the room, but it sums up the GreenKapt spirit perfectly: proactive maintenance, focused on preventing breakdowns and ensuring continuity of service in high-end hotels.
Jean-Philippe explains how the combination of engineering, IT and the field has given rise to a new approach: BMS is no longer a technical tool, but a lever for confidence and efficiency.
" By combining IT, engineering and expertise in the field, we've found the formula that works: understanding, anticipating and, above all, listening. "
In particular, he describes how a simple consumption anomaly, detected using Ewattch tools, revealed an unsuspected drift in a hotel: night-time electricity peaks linked to non-compliant use of staff showers. Thanks to real-time data, the problem was identified and corrected, and the bill... reduced. These anecdotes illustrate the partnership's philosophy: act before you suffer, simplify maintenance and enhance the value of technicians' work thanks to intuitive tools.
" A GTB is not just about piloting. It's about observing, understanding and correcting before the customer notices," Jean-Philippe finally emphasized.
Demonstrate before you deploy: efficiency through experience
Claudia Paradis then gave the floor to Mathieu Muzelet. He reminded the audience that the success of an energy transition depends not only on the tools used, but also on the way in which they are put into practice. The Harmonia group, with sales of 400 million euros and a network of over 250 technicians, puts people and service at the heart of its approach.
" Our technicians have gold in their hands. But to make them even better, we need to give them simple, useful and humane tools. "
Its credo is clear: technology must not replace know-how, but amplify it. By integrating Ewattch's HBS solution, Steamo has been able to transform its approach to the field: technicians become energy management players, capable of dialoguing with both equipment and occupants.
" I don't want technicians hiding in the boiler room. I want them to be players in the customer relationship. "
To illustrate this philosophy, Armonia chose to start by applying the method to itself. The head office in Levallois-Perret, with its 1,500 m² and 80 employees, has become a veritable energy performance laboratory. From the very first weeks, the teams noticed a striking fact: night-time consumption was equivalent to daytime consumption.
Thanks to the Ewattch platform, these discrepancies were identified, explained and then corrected. The result: a measurable reduction in consumption, but above all a better collective understanding of usage.
" It was unthinkable for me to propose a solution to my customers without having experienced it myself. When you've experienced it, you talk about it differently. "
This exemplary approach sums up the Group's vision: prove before you sell, demonstrate before you deploy. A pragmatic, humane and sustainable approach that echoes the Ewattch philosophy: learn by measuring, improve by acting. Steamo advocates a gradual transformation, based on the reality on the ground and on the conviction that a high-performance building is above all a building that is well understood.
A pragmatic, people-focused approach
Throughout the discussions, Marine Haeusser & Claudia Paradis emphasized the importance of placing technology at the service of real use, by providing simple, reliable tools to enable operators to regain control of their buildings.
The discussions illustrated a shared conviction: energy performance is no longer a constraint, but an asset in terms of management and image.
The combination of a clear regulatory framework, an interoperable solution and solid human support now enables commercial sector players to transform their obligations into levers for sustainable performance.
A day of exchanges, encounters and discoveries
In addition to the round-table discussions, this day at the Pré Catelan was punctuated by discussions and demonstrations, giving everyone a chance to see Ewattch technology in action.
Three themed areas - hotels, service sector and maintenance/facility management - provided an opportunity to explore the HBS solution, talk to the technical and sales teams, and discuss current and future projects.
Over a convivial cocktail, discussions continued between decision-makers, integrators, maintainers and operators, in an atmosphere that was both professional and relaxed.
Guests were able to experience the data live, visualize the simplicity of deployment, and share their own feedback.
Not only did the day's events illustrate the power of intelligent control, they also underlined the strength of the collective and the shared desire to move towards more efficient, more responsible and more humane buildings.
We'd like to extend our warmest thanks to all the participants for their exchanges, curiosity and commitment.
At Ewattch, we look forward to continuing these discussions, following up on the projects initiated during the day, and meeting up again soon with all these passionate players for new stages in intelligent control.
