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By: María José Bazo, president of the Schneider Electric Cluster for Central America.
Real estate developers have a special responsibility in responding to the environmental crisis, given that the construction sector accounts for approximately 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions and consumes enormous amounts of natural resources. Specifically, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reports that “the buildings and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for a staggering 37% of global emissions. The production and use of materials such as cement, steel, and aluminum carry a significant carbon footprint”.
And something interesting that UNEP analyzes is that: “Historically, much of the sector’s progress has focused on reducing buildings’ operational carbon emissions—that is, emissions from heating, cooling, and lighting. Projections suggest that these operational emissions will decrease from 75% to 50% of the sector’s total emissions in the coming decades”. However, this is not enough. According to UNEP specialists, it is necessary to aim to achieve the “decarbonization” of construction materials through three key aspects: avoiding unnecessary extraction and production; switching to renewable construction materials; and improving the decarbonization of conventional construction materials.
Another aspect is to consider comprehensive energy efficiency. This means designing buildings with passive air conditioning systems, optimized solar orientation, superior thermal insulation, and high-performance windows. Integrate renewable energy systems from the initial design stage, not as an afterthought. Net-zero, or positive, energy buildings are now a technically and economically viable reality.
It is essential to implement smart water management, through the implementation of rainwater harvesting and graywater treatment systems, landscaping with native plants that require less watering, and smart irrigation technologies. Real estate developers can reduce drinking water consumption by up to 50% with these strategies. And in this industrial sector, too, it is essential to appeal to the circular economy. It is possible to plan reuse or recycling of materials from the design stage, implement demountable construction systems, and create material banks for future projects.
In this ecosystem, following and respecting certifications and standards serves as a guide and a path to achieving better results and property values. LEED, BREEAM, and EDGE certifications are assessment systems that validate the environmental performance of buildings, and each has distinctive characteristics.
LEED is the most widely used green building rating system and provides a framework for creating healthy, efficient, and cost-saving buildings: according to a study by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED-certified buildings consume, on average, 25% less energy and 11% less water than non-certified buildings.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) evaluates a building’s environmental performance across several categories, considering its design, construction, procurement process, and operational efficiency. Finally, EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) has simpler requirements than LEED and still offers measurable results.
Technological innovation is essential in all of this, given that there are technological solutions that help real estate developers contribute to sustainability: they can, for example, integrate home automation systems that optimize energy consumption, environmental quality sensors, and platforms that allow users to monitor and reduce their environmental impact.
Therefore, turning to expert companies with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that directly respond to the environmental needs of real estate developers is becoming increasingly important. They enable intelligent building management, with the ability to remotely adjust sensor data ranging from temperature, humidity, and noise levels to energy use, equipment performance, and space utilization in real time. This facilitates the continuous optimization of the building’s environmental performance and is also a tool that provides a complete ecosystem that facilitates certification compliance.
Innovative building automation and control systems improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and provide a better experience for occupants, unlocking the building’s potential with intelligent automation to reduce energy costs by up to 30%.
Added to all this are the demands of users, who increasingly value buildings with lower operating costs due to energy efficiency, healthier environments with better air quality, access to green spaces, and the possibility of living more sustainably. Failure to respond to these demands means losing competitiveness.
The key is understanding that sustainability is not an additional cost, but rather an investment that reduces operating costs, increases property values, and responds to an increasingly demanding and environmentally conscious market demand.
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