Energy efficiency – not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do too
As Kreml’s recent invasion of Ukraine pointed out, dependency of foreign energy sources poses a significant political and economic risk. The matter of energy self-sufficiency quickly became a hot topic and a concern for all property owners. Complete energy self-sufficiency is yet a futuristic and distant concept for most, however smart measures to improve the properties energy efficiency and reduce purchased energy have become extremely sought after.
At Brunswick Real Estate energy efficiency is a well-known expression. We have completed more than 20 successful projects since 2016 with a reduction in excess of 11 500 tonnes CO2 (Sweden’s CO2 emissions?per capita was 4,18 tonnes1 in 2020), it is needless to say energy efficiency is a vital part of our day-to-day business.
Energy efficiency is not all about hefty heat pumps and ultra-modern gadgets. Great results can be achieved simply by looking into the fundamentals and using common sense. For example in a property in S?dert?lje, Sweden, we have reduced the purchased energy by half since acquisition simply by introducing a higher degree of digitalized steering measures. The investment has paid itself back multiple times to date.
Scanning for low hanging fruits is undeniably the most efficient way to make instant impact. For example, this was done in a property in Kaarina, Finland, where oil heating and outdated lighting fixtures was an obvious project to pursue. Two air-to-water heat pumps, a new building management system and modern LED-lighting brought the property into the 21st century and resulted in 300 tonnes of yearly CO2-reduction. Not to mention happy tenants.
More often than not, complementary initiatives give the best results. As shown in a shopping centre in V?ster?s, Sweden, where an upgrade of the steering possibilities, combined with installing solar panels and a ground source heat pump cut the dependency of bought energy with over 70%, compared to pre-acquisition levels.
So it does not have to be the most complex solution and huge investments, but surely they can be exciting. The holy grail of Brunswick’s energy related achievements to date is in a property in Tampere, Finland. Six heat pumps turn data centre waste heat into district heating and when fully functional, the heat pumps will provide about 50 GWh of heat every year, and equivalent of 30% of Tampere’s household energy demand. It doesn’t stop there, the plan is to expand production to 85 GWh by 20252, 3, since the growth path has escalated even quicker than expected.
As said, it is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do too. In 2021 when Brunswick together with Blackstone sold the whole 22-asset Kielo-portfolio to Castellum, it was estimated that conducted energy efficiency projects accounted for 150 million euros of added value4. That’s just good for business.
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