What are Green Building Standards?

The recent COP27 event highlighted the fact that we have not made as much progress on our pathway to net zero as we would have liked, and the hope of keeping 1.5 alive is dwindling. So, how can green building standards help us?

Why are green building standards needed?

Standards provide a framework for developers to work towards, ensuring all criteria is considered and making suggestions about best practice. Being granted a certification allows the building owner to prove their building has met stringent sustainability standards, which attracts tenants and investment. It also allows the owner to charge higher rent prices as the space becomes more desirable, and it increases the overall value of the building whilst saving money on operating costs.

What green building standards exist?

There are a whole host of standards that exist, and in a way, it becomes counterintuitive because owners are left wondering which one to pick and conform to. Which one will be future-proofed? Which one will deliver the best result? Which one will cost the least to implement? Which standard has the most credibility?

The top green building standards in the industry (in the UK) today are:

· LEED

· Passive House

· EPBD

· BS 40101

· BREEAM

For an overview of each of these green standards, click here.

What is the law currently?

The government’s stance on this is that we must achieve net zero by 2050. The route to get there is a little less clear.

The government have updated building regulations (including Part L) to ensure that improvements within the construction and retrofit process are adhered to and forced by law. Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are also in place, which means it is now unlawful to rent out a building that has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G unless the owner has a valid exemption in place.

Learn more about Part L of the building regulations here.

Learn more about the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) here.

The government does not promote or endorse any of the available green standards, meaning it is the building owners’ choice which one they pick or whether they pick any at all. They may decide to create a net zero-carbon building without following a standard, but the standard provides an added layer of credibility and PR opportunities. The bottom line is that emissions must be reduced one way or another.

The target is to reduce Co2 emissions by 100% by 2050. This there will be a 100% reduction in carbon compared with the base year levels (in 1990). This will involve moving away from fossil fuels and transitioning to green energy as well as reducing emissions, offsetting and investing in green opportunities.

How can we help?

We work with a variety of partners in the built space to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Our software, SmartCore, reduces carbon and energy waste through lighting systems, providing owners and managers with greater control and insight over their buildings. SmartCore can also be used to assist system integrators; the protocol-agnostic solution aggregates data and sends it to a single source, speeding up building interoperability and allowing informed changes to be made and monitored.

SmartCore is also cloud agnostic and offers remote management. Custom user interfaces can also be created to improve insight for managers, and our vast lighting logic allows sophisticated experiences to be created simply.

Our software intelligence is often embedded within wider workspace solutions. We believe that partnership and collaboration are key to achieving net zero success in the built space. Our ecosystem of partners ensures net zero can be achieved cost-effectively, using best-of-breed solutions and ensuring the building is future-proofed. We aim to simplify the process speeding up adoption to allow targets to be achieved.