Low-impact living
Skanska
The client:
Skanska is one of the world’s largest development and construction companies operating across the Nordics, Europe and the United States.
The task:
Buildings account for 36 percent of total European Union greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commission is seeking to cut that by doubling renovation rates by 2030 in both the commercial and residential sectors, but are consumers willing to pay more for low-impact homes?
To find out, Patrick Gower spoke to Dr Stephen Richardson, director at the World Green Building Council.
The role:
Content writing
This article was published on Skanska’s Foresight Hub. You can read the full publication at skanska.com, or read a snippet below.
Buyers look to energy-smart homes
Design, price, proximity to schools, the length of the commute: for decades, European home purchasers have weighed up a largely unchanging set of factors when choosing a property.
But those priorities are shifting following spikes in energy prices and amid rising public awareness of the built environment’s contribution to global warming, experts say. Instead, lower-impact features such as air-source heat pumps, solar panels and energy efficiency are increasingly important attributes as consumers seek to cut their expenses while being kinder to the planet. Energy classifications and certification are also starting to have an impact.
"Even going back just five years, the prioritization of energy efficiency or sustainability features was relatively low, certainly when considered relative to location or proximity to schools,” says Dr Stephen Richardson, a director at the World Green Building Council. “But the cost-of-living crisis, and particularly the energy crisis, have shown people the impact of these truly unprecedented energy price rises. That’s making consumers think much more seriously about what it might cost to heat a home before they purchase."
Buildings account for 36 percent of total European Union greenhouse gas emissions, according to official figures. The European Commission is seeking to cut that by doubling renovation rates by 2030 in both the commercial and residential sectors. The commission is also working on proposals that include implementing strict emission limits on new buildings and minimum efficiency standards for existing buildings. The worst-performing residential buildings under the proposals, for example, would need to reach at least class F by 2030 and class E by 2033.
Progress differs significantly by country and is often dictated by a complex patchwork of legislation, incentives, consumer interest, history and geography. Portugal, with its ample access to wind and sun, already gets 60 percent of its energy from renewable sources. At 70 kWh/square meter per year, the nation boasts the lowest average energy consumption of residential buildings per square meter in Europe, according to Wunderflats analysis of official EU figures.
Sweden, with its comparatively long, cold winters and mild summers, is particularly strong on sustainable heating and cooling and the production of renewables. Germany offers tax breaks for rooftop solar and already contributes 590 watts per capita back into the grid via solar, compared with the European average of 168 watts.