Budapest, 27 August 2026 – This summer’s extreme weather has not only tested the adaptability of the energy supply system, but has also presented building operators with new challenges. Prolonged heat and power plant capacity restrictions caused by record-low river levels have highlighted the importance of preparing large urban office buildings, shopping centres and logistics facilities for potential power outages or consumption restrictions, as well as identifying measures that can prevent similar situations from causing major disruptions.
Extreme weather directly affects building operations: while air-conditioning and cooling systems operate under increased loads during the summer months, limitations in the energy supply can occur at precisely the same time. Experts at ICON Real Estate Management examined which operational solutions can help reduce energy consumption, how critical systems can be kept running in the event of a power outage, and what lessons can be learned from the current situation to improve preparedness for future crises.
“The energy situation this summer has further highlighted the importance of conscious risk management in technical operations. At ICON, rather than relying on a single scenario specifically designed for an energy crisis, we operate within a continuous risk-management framework. This allows us, in the event of disruptions, fluctuations or outages in the power supply, to ensure the operation of critical systems – such as fire protection, security technology, lighting, cooling and ventilation – as far as circumstances allow. The current situation has reinforced the fact that, alongside energy efficiency and adequate reserves, advance planning and preparedness are now fundamental to operational reliability,”
–said Róbert Flück, Director of Operations at ICON Real Estate Management.
Smart Fine-Tuning
To reduce consumption during a crisis, ICON did not primarily rely on capital-intensive investments, but rather on smaller, more conscious adjustments to day-to-day operations, coordinated with tenants and building users. The aim was to ensure that these measures had no impact, or only a minimal impact, on the comfort of office workers and visitors to shopping centres.
- Time-controlled building systems: The performance and operating hours of cooling and ventilation systems are adjusted to actual or reduced building occupancy. When a building is operating at reduced capacity, or an office building becomes empty in the evening, the systems reduce their output or, where appropriate, shut down completely.
- Floor-by-floor lighting: Lighting is controlled according to tenant presence and occupancy levels on individual floors, with separate schedules applied to each floor where necessary.
- Rationalised irrigation: To save water and reduce energy consumption, irrigation systems have also been reviewed to ensure that green areas receive only the minimum level of watering required for their maintenance.
- Daily data monitoring: Experts analyse consumption data and weather forecasts every day, allowing them to respond in time to expected peak loads.
According to the company, the ability to respond quickly was made possible by the fact that energy consumption across its properties is continuously monitored and building management system settings are regularly adjusted to current requirements. This enabled immediately applicable measures to be introduced within a short period of time. The sudden need for significant energy savings affected all types of properties managed by ICON, from A-category office buildings and logistics parks to shopping centres and industrial facilities.
“In many cases, significant savings can be achieved through fine-tuning: if building systems are adjusted to actual usage at any given time, tenants often notice virtually nothing, while energy consumption can still be reduced substantially. Significant consumption reductions achieved by limiting the operation of building equipment require daily, open communication with tenants, owners and property managers. Their partnership, voluntary commitments and cooperation are crucial in situations like these,” added Róbert Flück.
–added Róbert Flück.
What Happens When the Power Goes Out?
In the event of an unexpected grid outage, not all systems in an office building shut down at the same time. Equipment supplied by uninterruptible power sources can continue operating. Some buildings have specially designed dual power supplies, allowing them to automatically switch to an alternative power feed even in the event of a minor local grid disruption. In many cases, people inside the building may not even notice the interruption.
In the event of a complete power outage, the building’s design determines which systems are considered critical and under what conditions they can continue operating. These may include the fire alarm system, illuminated escape-route signs and emergency lighting serving larger areas of the building, access control and CCTV systems, as well as essential mechanical and building management systems.
If a building does not have a dual power supply, these systems may continue operating using uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units. Their typical operating time is 15–30 minutes, although under favourable conditions they can provide power for 1–2 hours, depending on the level of load and the condition of the batteries.
Based on ICON’s experience, the power supply of any equipment beyond the systems described above is a property-specific issue determined largely by the original design and construction of the building. In some buildings, for example, certain lifts are connected to the so-called priority power network, while in others the operator also ensures that selected tenant equipment remains operational through a backup power supply.
It Is Not the Age of the Building That Matters
Experience shows that there can be significant differences in how well the technical systems and operation of individual office buildings can adapt to disruptions in the energy supply. These differences are not determined solely by the age or category of a building.
In newer, premium-category buildings, energy efficiency and security of supply are typically already key considerations during the design phase, meaning that these buildings can, in certain cases, respond more quickly and flexibly to changing circumstances. In older buildings, however, age is often not the decisive factor. What matters more is which targeted mechanical and engineering upgrades and optimisation measures have been implemented over the years.
In many cases, the greatest improvement does not come from a major investment or a complete refurbishment, but from developments that also incorporate a more operationally focused approach.
Prevention Is the Key to Preparedness
One of the most important lessons of the current situation is that energy efficiency and conscious, forward-looking building management are now fundamental requirements. The operation of a building needs to be transparent, measurable and flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances.
For this reason, ICON will place even greater emphasis in the future on preventive, data-driven operations, preparedness for unexpected situations, the practical application of ESG considerations, and knowledge-sharing among colleagues.
“I would like to think that this was just a one-off crisis that we had to get through. However, given the processes we are seeing around the world, we will probably have to expect the effects of increasingly extreme weather more often and prepare ourselves to manage new and unexpected situations,”
-concluded Róbert Flück.
