Sustainable buildings: 11 tips for a green building

Introduction

Sustainability is high on the agenda for organisations across all sectors

This is partly driven by increasingly strict government regulations on energy-efficient buildings. To reach sustainability goals, energy performance standards for both new and existing buildings are being raised incrementally.

Sustainable offices and buildings not only reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, but they also provide a healthier indoor environment and increase property value. At a time of rising energy prices, tightening regulations and growing user expectations, sustainability is no longer a luxury. A sustainable building improves operational efficiency, enhances long-term value, and makes your property more attractive to investors.

In this blog, we explain the key regulations and available subsidies for creating sustainable buildings and share 11 practical tips to make your property more energy-efficient.

What is a sustainable building?

A sustainable building is designed and operated with minimal negative impact on its surroundings. From the use of locally sourced materials during construction to smart, low-energy operation during use – every step matters. Key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure building sustainability include:

1. Comfort and wellbeing

A sustainable building provides a pleasant indoor climate that promotes occupant comfort, productivity and wellbeing, leading to fewer complaints, lower absenteeism and higher performance.

2. Energy consumption

Using renewable energy sources and managing energy demand intelligently – delivering the right energy, at the right time, in the right place – are key to a sustainable building.

3. CO₂ emissions

For new builds, emissions are influenced by materials and supply chains. For existing buildings, CO₂ output can be significantly reduced by upgrading to energy-efficient systems and controls.

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The benefits of a sustainable building

Sustainability delivers measurable value for both owners and occupants. A sustainable building delivers measurable advantages in several important areas: cost savings, comfort, CO₂ emissions, property value, futureproofing, and compliance. Here are six key benefits:

1. Lower energy costs

Modern smart technologies help reduce energy use, and therefore, cost across lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation systems.

2. Improved comfort

Occupants in sustainable buildings enjoy higher comfort levels, which lead to better performance, less stress, fewer sick days and higher satisfaction. In other words, sustainability helps you attract and retain talent.

3. Reduced environmental impact

Using sustainable, preferably local materials and energy-efficient systems minimises waste and carbon emissions, improving your building’s overall footprint.

4. Higher property value

Sustainable real estate retains its value longer and typically delivers around 10% higher market and rental value than comparable non-sustainable properties. The gap between “green” and “brown” buildings is only expected to widen in the years ahead.

5. Futureproofing

A sustainable building is built to last. Its flexible design can adapt to changing user needs, helping you minimise long-term risks.

6. Regulatory compliance

With increasingly strict national and European regulations, sustainable buildings make compliance easier and help you stay ahead of future requirements.

Sustainable buildings: Towards energy neutral

The European Green Deal is a package of policy initiatives designed to put the EU on the path to a green transition, with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. To achieve energy neutrality, governments around the world are placing increasing demands on the energy performance of new and existing buildings. To stay in compliance with the law, many property owners must make their buildings more sustainable. In the United Kingdom, emissions have fallen by more than 40 percent since 1990. Groundbreaking legislation was enacted in 2019, making the UK the first major economy to commit to ending its contribution to global warming by 2050.

Strict sustainability requirements have been applied to new buildings for some time. Moreover, energy performance requirements are regularly tightened. Until recently, energy performance was expressed by the energy performance coefficient (EPC). In anticipation of increasing requirements, many new buildings are already being built energy-neutral.

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Building manager adjusting indoor climate settings of office building on his smart phone near large windows.

The Trias Energetica: a proven strategy for energy-efficient buildings

Making your office or commercial property more sustainable is very important for various reasons. But how do you approach the sustainability upgrade of your property? Based on the Trias Energetica, there are three steps in making a building sustainable.

Step 1. Reduce energy demand

Insulate the building envelope, minimise air leakage, and design compact, airtight structures. Make the most of natural daylight to reduce artificial lighting needs.

Step 2. Use renewable and residual energy sources

Examples include heat recovery systems, district heat networks, wind and solar energy, heat pumps, and thermal energy storage (TES).

Step 3. Use fossil fuels efficiently

After the first two steps, use fossil fuels as efficiently as possible to cover any remaining demand, with high-efficiency boilers, demand-driven ventilation and LED lighting, for example.

11 practical tips to make your building more sustainable

1. Gain insight into your energy consumption

Effective energy monitoring reveals usage patterns and anomalies, helping you identify saving opportunities. Tools such as Priva's Energy Insight by ErbisOne provide real-time visibility.

2. Align systems with actual use

Did you know that up to 75% of offices remain “on” during weekends and holidays? Turn off lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation when areas are unoccupied.

3. Switch to LED lighting and automation

LED lighting is efficient, long-lasting and environmentally friendly. Automating lighting schedules further increases savings.

4. Use space efficiently

Occupancy sensors can detect when rooms are in use and automatically adjust heating, cooling and ventilation – improving comfort and efficiency.

5. Make the most of daylight and solar energy

Smart, automated shading systems with light and temperature sensors optimise indoor comfort while reducing cooling and lighting energy use.

6. Adopt water-saving strategies

Install water-saving taps and toilets, and reuse rainwater for cleaning or irrigation.

7. Embrace sustainable operations

Choose renewable energy, enable flexible working, encourage public transport use, and reduce single-use plastics. A sustainable business culture strengthens your employer brand.

8. Improve the building envelope

Upgrade insulation, install double or triple glazing, and consider sustainable roofing solutions.

9. Optimise using (historical) data

Analyse sensor and system data to fine-tune your building management strategy. Connect building management systems via APIs for smarter integration.

10. Avoid energy peaks

Use smart load management and microgrids to spread energy demand throughout the day, for instance, charging EVs during off-peak hours.

11. Predict instead of react

Predictive control software analyses building data to forecast future demand. By adjusting HVAC settings based on weather and occupancy forecasts, you can achieve significant savings.

Green building certifications

Building sustainability performance is increasingly assessed and certified through internationally recognised systems. Each benchmark has its own criteria but the same goal: to stimulate sustainable construction and operation. Five key certification schemes:

1. BREEAM

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method assesses the sustainability of buildings and developments, focusing on reducing environmental impact.

2. DGNB

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen certificate provides a practical and measurable benchmark for sustainable building, recognised internationally.

3. LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, developed in the US, measures sustainability performance for both new and existing buildings.

4. WELL Building Standard

Focused on occupant health and wellbeing, assessing factors such as air, light, sound, thermal comfort and movement.

5. Green Globes

A North American system evaluating ecological sustainability, health and wellbeing, and helping owners identify the best sustainability features for their property.

Subsidies and financial benefits for sustainable buildings

Want to make your building or office more sustainable? The government has several subsidies and (tax) benefits that reduce the cost of making your premises more sustainable.

The UK government unveiled on March 22, 2023, its plan to allocate £1.8 billion toward enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in both residential and public infrastructures. This initiative aims to implement various measures including the installation of solar panels, heat pumps, upgraded windows, and insulation.

In addition to this national scheme, there are also European, provincial, regional and municipal schemes and subsidies. Can't see the wood for the trees? Subsidy consultancies can help you with your application, but you can also seek advice from subsidy providers and fellow entrepreneurs or appoint a subsidy coordinator in your company to look into the subject.

Priva technology for sustainable buildings

At Priva, increasing demands for carbon-free and data-secure buildings drive our innovation. Our building automation technologies not only comply with sustainability regulations, but they also help you stay one step ahead. Would you like to know how we can help you make your building more energy-efficient? Or how Priva Digital Services lets you monitor and control your property anytime, anywhere, ensuring it never wastes energy and always performs at its best?

Get in touch with us. Our experts will be happy to advise you on the best strategy for making your building more sustainable.