Lighting in green building

Turning environmental challenges into growth opportunities

Buildings and climate change

Buildings are one of the main drivers of climate change. According to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 40 per cent of energy demand in Europe comes from the construction and building sector. Globally, the industry is responsible for a third (34 per cent) of the world’s energy demand and 37 per cent of energy- and process-related greenhouse gas emissions.

A climate-neutral Europe

The European Union’s goals for achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 are in stark contrast to these consumption values. The EU Green Deal sets out a range of specific measures to put this strategy into action and to balance ecological and economic objectives. The EU member states want to support sustainable investment and refurbishment by providing subsidies into the billions with the aim of turning environmental challenges into growth opportunities.

Certification and the EU taxonomy

Voluntary building certification schemes such as BREEAM, LEED and DGNB are the first step in rating buildings as sustainable and future-proof. In addition, the EU taxonomy, a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal, is helping the transition towards sustainability in the building sector. It came into force in January 2022 as a binding regulatory framework to act alongside voluntary certificates. It initially applies to companies listed on the stock market and will gradually be extended to other undertakings. The EU taxonomy provides investors with strict sustainability criteria for new building and renovation projects, ensuring transparency through disclosure obligations.

Our contribution to certification

As a full-service provider, Zumtobel offers support in every phase of the Green Building certification with its customised lighting, lighting management and services. We help customers to secure funding and offer attractive financing options (LaaS). Using suitable tools, we compare lighting solutions and gear lighting design towards users’ needs.

Consulting
Quick check (potential analysis)
Advice on funding programmes
Monitoring environmental conditions on the construction side
Design and Tools
EPDs for key product families
Full lighting design goes beyond the norms
Software tools for visualisation, calculation of the impact of daylight (DALEC), comparison of lighting solutions’ efficiency and performance over their lifetime (ecoCALC)
Close collaboration with experts for daylight calculations
Provision of data for easy incorporation into life cycle analyses (LCA)
Light for people
Energy efficiency (from the light source to optics and heat management to control)
Application-oriented solutions and experts for all-round lighting quality
Very long lifetime, high quality
Future-proof solutions (connectivity, upgrades)
External areas with lighting and controls to reduce light pollution (Thorn affiliate brand) for safe building access
Controls and Usage
Simple control, high user acceptance
Variable light scenes for different work tasks and room requirements (from wireless room control to DALI building lighting management system)
From the project design to commissioning and use
Commissioning
Range of services for commissioning and turnkey handover
Energy monitoring (consumption-based measurement of the lighting power consumption,
divided into floors or zones)
After Sales
After sales services, e.g. maintenance contracts to regularly check and optimise the system
Energy management (ISO 50001)

This is how you benefit:

#1 Simpler financing

Green Building certificates help to access budgets and subsidies for building or refurbishment projects. This applies even more so now the binding EU taxonomy rules are in force, which require companies with reporting obligations to publish strict sustainability criteria. A certified green construction approach can lead to easier access to financing and subsidies.

#2 Transparent sustainability

Companies with reporting obligations cannot afford buildings with high running costs and a poor environmental performance. However, companies that do not have reporting obligations are also affected indirectly because they, as suppliers, are also required to publish their contribution to sustainable buildings. Transparent, sustainable construction is rewarded in many ways.

#3 More attractive Green Buildings

It is more difficult to find investors and tenants for buildings that meet fewer sustainability criteria. Certified buildings achieve higher purchase prices and rents and reach optimum capacity utilisation more quickly. Users benefit from comfortable buildings, an inviting working atmosphere and lower maintenance and operating costs.

‘Sustainability strikes a balance between ecology, the economy and social objectives. Green Building labels facilitate communication with stakeholders. They increase property value and help marketing and sales. Sustainable buildings reduce operating costs and make a positive contribution to HR management and well-being. Lighting solutions are a key driver in meeting the property market’s ambitious sustainability goals.’

Steve Van den Brandt, Encon Business Unit Manager Green Building

Different certificates, one goal: sustainable buildings

Certification organisations check whether a building can be considered green by using a specific list of criteria. They make sustainability measurable and make it easier for investors, operators and users to compare the quality of buildings.

BREEAM and LEED are the best known international certification systems. There are also other country-specific organisations with varying international relevance.

You can find details on the different certificates in our Green Building brochure.

(Image source: Green Building certification systems, 2018 in ULI Greenprint members’ properties)

Our Green Building Brochure

Our Sustainability Brochure