Designing the Struga Office – ESG by Design from the Ground Up

While our Smart Office in Skopje helped us define and refine our ESG checklist, the real test was starting from scratch. For our new office in Struga, planned for opening in Summer 2025, we took everything we learned and elevated it.

This time, ESG wasn’t a retrofit. It was part of the initial architecture. From solar arrays and energy storage to climate-conscious automation and ethical AI, the new office is a showcase of what ESG by design can look like in a smart workspace.

🏢 ESG by Infrastructure: Building for Efficiency, Not Just Connectivity

From the earliest planning stages, we aligned the Struga office project with ESG objectives — not just on paper, but in hardware, layout, and system architecture.

🔋 Renewable-First Energy Strategy

• 25kW Solar Panel Array
  ➡️ Deployed across the rooftop with optimal sun-facing geometry
  ➡️ Powered by Enphase IQ8+ microinverters for high-efficiency, independent micro-control per panel
• 10kW Battery Storage
  ➡️ Synchronized with the solar setup to store surplus energy
  ➡️ Smart load-shifting logic prioritizes battery use during peak tariffs and nighttime operations
• Full Energy Monitoring
  ➡️ Real-time data from each inverter and circuit is logged via Prometheus and visualized in Grafana
  ➡️ Integrated alerts for peak draw, battery degradation, and overproduction events

🌡️ Smart Heating with Heat Pump Integration

• Air-to-water heat pump system controls heating throughout the office
• Integrated with temperature and humidity sensors in each zone
• AI-based scheduling adapts based on presence, weather forecasts, and solar production

🧠 Intelligence from Day One: IoT & Automation Infrastructure

Unlike Skopje, where we upgraded an existing office, Struga is fully embedded with IoT from the construction phase. This allows for tighter integration, cleaner automation, and higher overall efficiency.

Smart Office Capabilities:

• Presence Detection
  ➡️ Motion sensors, door triggers, and NFC badge readers in all workspaces and common areas
• Zoned Automation
  ➡️ Lighting, HVAC, and roller shutters grouped per zone, each with rule-based automation
• Dynamic Load Management
  ➡️ High-energy consumers (e.g., heating, backup systems, equipment racks) are staggered based on power availability and time-of-use pricing

AI + ESG Synergy:

• Genera AI runs all core automations
  ➡️ Optimizes based on energy, comfort, and sustainability rules
  ➡️ Learns behavioral patterns over time to reduce waste without reducing usability

📋 From Smart to Sustainable: ESG in Every Layer

🌱 Environmental

• Net energy-positive during sunny hours
• 40% of heating and cooling powered by renewable sources
• Automated indoor climate control reduces energy waste by design

🤝 Social

• Smart ergonomic layouts with noise-aware and air-quality-triggered feedback
• Touchless access for hygiene and accessibility
• Enhanced comfort zones for employees based on daylight cycles and usage patterns

🔐 Governance

• Full audit logs for every automation and manual override
• Transparency dashboards for employees and management
• System permissions tied to roles for control and visibility without compromise

A Glimpse into the Future

The Struga office represents the next generation of smart workplaces — where sustainability is not a feature, but the foundation. As we near the launch, we’re already preparing for what comes next: tracking ESG KPIs in real-time and publicly sharing our findings.

Up Next in the Series…

In the next article, we’ll explore how we’ve connected our energy infrastructure, IoT automation, and monitoring systems into a single, intelligent ESG dashboard — giving us the ability to track environmental performance in real time.