Saving energy: how Europe’s busiest shopping centre cut energy costs by £675,000 in 18 months
Client: Westfield Stratford City
Size: 184,100 m² | 300+ retailers | 53+ million visitors per year
Challenge: Reduce energy cost and carbon across a complex, multi-tenant retail estate
Solution: Kendra’s PROActiv Analytics and PROActiv Energy platforms and targeted optimisation
Results: £675,000 saved in 18 months, 2.7 million kWh reduced, 7-month payback
The Challenge
Energy optimisation in One of Europe’s Largest Shopping Centres
Operating 11 hours a day, seven days a week, Westfield Stratford City is one of Europe’s largest urban retail destinations. Energy demand is significant, operational systems are complex and performance must be maintained without compromising tenant comfort.
The site faced:
- High and variable energy consumption
- Complex legacy BEMS infrastructure
- Limited actionable performance insight
- Growing pressure to meet corporate net zero commitments
- The need for accurate metering and cost recovery across tenants
The Objective
For the energy team, the objective was clear: Deliver measurable cost and carbon reductions at scale without operational disruption.
The Approach
A structured optimisation programme
- Since 2020, Kendra has delivered a comprehensive programme of:
- Long-term maintenance and analytics (contract renewed through 2028)
- Full deployment of the PROActiv suite
- Smart metering across the retail environment
- BEMS migration and system upgrades
- Continuous performance optimisation
Infrastructure Upgrades
- Migration from Andover Continuum to Schneider EcoStruxure BEMS
- Full metering upgrade to support accurate tenant billing
- Managed PROActiv service monitoring over 12,000 data points
- Dedicated analytical oversight two days per week
This integrated approach ensured operational stability while unlocking deeper performance visibility.
What made the difference
Intelligent analytics
Unlike many analytics platforms that are solely cloudbased, PROActiv Analytics offers both on-premise and cloud deployment — ideal for complex estates with connectivity or security requirements. For Westfield Stratford City, this enabled:
- Real-time performance visibility
- Rapid identification of inefficiencies
- Data-backed decision-making
- Accurate savings verification
Technology + Engineering Expertise
Savings were delivered not just through software, but through:
- Continuous data review
- Targeted plant reprogramming
- Engineering-led optimisation cycles
- Close collaboration with the site energy team
Energy Optimisation in Action
Targeted interventions aimed at saving energy included:
- Ventilation optimisation using smart occupancy sensors
- Reprogramming ventilation plant to match real-time demand
- Optimising low-temperature chilled water (LCHW) systems
- Improving heat exchanger efficiency to reduce external energy reliance
Operational Impact
These actions delivered:
- Reduced base load consumption
- Improved indoor environmental quality
- Greater tenant comfort consistency
- Lower operational risk
- Reliable cost recovery through verified metering
Measured Results
Saving energy tracking began in May 2024, following system stabilisation and optimisation to ensure verified, comparable data.
18-Month Performance (May 2024 – Nov 2025)
- 2,700,000 kWh saved
- £675,000 cost reduction
12-Month Snapshot (Nov 2024 – Nov 2025)
- 1,250,000 kWh saved
- £365,000 saved
Return on Investment
- 7-month payback period
- £540,000 ROI (May 2024–2025)
Saving Energy Costs: What This Means for Energy Managers & Asset Owners
This project proves that large, complex retail estates can:
- Achieve rapid payback
- Deliver board-level ROI
- Reduce carbon with defensible data
- Modernise legacy infrastructure without full system replacement
- Scale optimisation through structured analytics
With maintenance secured through 2028 and ongoing optimisation embedded, Westfield Stratford City now benefits from improved visibility, stronger cost control, and sustained performance improvement.
Feedback
“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when intelligent analytics and engineering expertise work together. By combining realtime performance insight with structured optimisation, we’ve delivered rapid financial returns, saving energy while strengthening long-term energy resilience at one of Europe’s most complex retail environments”.
Senior Leadership Team, Kendra Energy Solutions
Ready to Optimise Your Estate?
For organisations responsible for energy performance across multi-tenant or high-footfall environments, Kendra’s PROActiv approach offers a proven, scalable route to measurable cost and carbon reduction.
Find out more. Email info@kendraenergy.co.uk or sign up to a PROActiv demo.
