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Built to Perform
Built To Perform is a podcast dedicated to uncovering what it really takes to drive change, innovate, and perform in industries that shape our world.
Hosted by James Hallworth, each episode features in-depth conversations with founders, innovators, and leaders who are breaking barriers in business, technology, and sustainability. From the challenges of decarbonizing real estate to the mindset shifts required for true innovation, Built To Perform explores stories, strategies, and lessons from those building solutions that matter.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, industry professional, or simply curious about the future of performance and impact, this podcast gives you the insights and inspiration to think bigger and build to perform.
Built to Perform
Built to Perform with James Hallworth – Ep.13: Stefan Schmidt on Energy Data & Long Tail
In this episode of the Built to Perform Podcast, host James Hallworth speaks with Stefan Schmidt, Co-founder of MeterZ, about removing the barriers to decarbonization in commercial real estate.
Stefan shares his unique journey from Big Tech to sustainability engineering, revealing why the global focus on electrifying cars misses the biggest environmental problem: the long tail of inefficient buildings.
Timestamps:
00:00:20: Introduction: From Microsoft Marketing to Energy Engineering
00:02:38: The Millennial Epiphany: Why working in Big Tech wasn't a "positive contribution"
00:04:21: The Slow Pace of CRE: Why the industry ranks lowest in digitization (above hunting)
00:05:57: Walking the Beat: Manual Meter Reading at Oxford University Labs
00:07:43: Barriers to Change: The Scientist who resisted optimization to protect mind-controlled flies
00:08:00: WiredScore & Smart Score: Giving the industry a North Star certification framework
00:10:09: The Long Tail Problem: Why PropTech is for the few, not the many
00:12:44: Energy Data & GDPR: The complex truth about the Landlord-Tenant data standoff
00:21:34: Investor Fear & Data Privacy: Why companies resist sharing data (and the $70 billion problem)
00:27:00: The Manual Trap: The absurdity of people spending 5-8 days a month doing meter readings
00:33:05: The Renewables Myth: Why optimizing efficiency must come before installing solar panels
00:36:52: The Staggering Stat: Mobility vs. Buildings (The largest climate impact)
00:43:08: Evolution or Revolution? Why the industry needs to evolve, not upend everything
00:44:50: The Solution: Creating scalable, cost-effective solutions for regional offices and industrial parks
