Sustainability: A Key Issue for the Future

Why sustainability is so important

One issue affects everyone, everywhere on this continent: climate change, and – even more importantly – the search for suitable solutions to cope with it. Climate change is one of the most important social challenges of our time worldwide. Natural resources are disappearing, harmful emissions increasing. The nations of the world are aware of the problem and are currently developing or expanding in part ambitious climate protection goals. Realizing these objectives, however, is by no means a short sprint. Rather, it is a marathon requiring a great deal of time and energy. In this context, one concept characterizes the political, entrepreneurial, and societal work of this age better than any other: that of sustainability.

Sustainability is closely tied with the ability to think ahead at an early stage – with a willingness to act. The three-pillar model of sustainability is based apart from economic and socio-cultural sustainability on ecological sustainability. The main objective of the latter is to preserve nature and the environment for succeeding generations, and integrated in this goal is the protection of the global climate, which is more than just a private matter. Climate protection is an entrepreneurial challenge – and a big entrepreneurial opportunity to make economic and ecological interests compatible with one another. This also applies to buildings of all kinds and sizes with all kinds of equipment or furnishings.

Sustainability – importance with buildings

Against the background of climate change and rapidly decreasing resources, the importance of sustainable construction is growing enormously. The goal of sustainable construction is to plan, erect, and operate buildings so that they are fit for the future economically, ecologically, and socioculturally.

Our understanding of property value is currently in a state of flux. Investment costs can no longer be considered in isolation. In the long term, the running costs (operating and maintenance costs) are of primary importance. However, the economic value of a building also depends on its ecological, socio-cultural, functional, and technical quality. And that is why there is an ever-increasing offer of and demand for sustainability certificates.

The fact is: Sustainable buildings contribute to a positive image and greater acceptance by residents and users. They ensure a property can be rented or leased. They guarantee higher prices when the property is sold and thus have a lasting positive impact on the property value.

When it comes to the sustainability of new and refurbished buildings, the key criterion is the energy consumption that a property causes over its entire life cycle. A reduction of energy consumption is closely connected with the creative quality of the building envelope, with the design, and with the spatial comfort. As regards the latter in particular, the following applies: Energy-efficient buildings are characterized by their ability to guarantee especially high spatial comfort with low energy needs. At a time when more than 30 percent of the entire energy supply is used for buildings such as office complexes, commercial buildings, and private homes, there is no question that property energy consumption needs to be optimized.

Depending on the location and usage, among other things, the building envelope has potential, to a greater or lesser degree, for thermal and electrical usage of solar energy. Those who take appropriate measures to save and generate energy in the building envelope today can look forward to higher returns and market value tomorrow. What applies to new buildings applies even more to property redevelopment: With comparatively low operating costs and environmental protection measures, sustained effects can be achieved.

Sustainability has international relevance

More and more institutions and commissions have turned their attention to the constantly growing knowledge and worries about global climate change and are now realizing the importance of energyefficient, sustainable building solutions. An example is the European Commission. In its Lead Market Initiative for Europe (LMI), the Commission defines “sustainable construction” as a future lead market that has to be promoted. With the initiative, the body intends to illustrate that it has recognized great innovative potential in the construction industry that will not only have an influence on climate protection, but also on the overall economic situation of the building trade.

In an international context, the treaty succeeding the Kyoto Protocol will be a key issue in 2009. The countries that signed the Kyoto Protocol committed themselves to reducing the annual greenhouse gas emissions of industrial countries in an initial binding period (2008–2012) by over five percent on average compared to 1990. Aresolution on new regulations is expected to be adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen in November 2009. This should set in motion concerted efforts and intense discussions worldwide aimed at further reducing CO₂ emissions and other climatedamaging gases by 2013. At this point at the latest, the energy-saving potential in the construction industry that can be generated through energy efficiency and simultaneous usage of renewable energies should be acknowledged as the state of the art in most parts of the world.

Certificates, criteria, and ordinances

Different bases are available for the assessment of building quality under sustainability aspects. They can be divided into two categories – into certification systems, on the one hand, and energyefficiency guidelines and ordinances on the other.

Since the 1990s, more and more certification systems for sustainable buildings have emerged around the globe. As a rule, they are applied on a voluntary basis and there are considerable differences between the different systems’ evaluation methods and informational value. Such certificates should show the owner and users of a property the extent to which the planning and execution criteria have been adhered to. What is the certificates’ contribution? They make the quality of buildings transparent, measurable, and thus marketable.

Sustainability certificates for property are predominantly issued by the national members of the non-profit World Green Building Council (GBC). The organization is a contact point for promoting a new generation of high-performance buildings, for disseminating knowledge about them, and for exchanging experiences about certification systems. The current 13 members of the World GBC today represent more than 50 percent of worldwide construction activities. The most well known certificates come from the U.S. (LEED), Great Britain (BREEAM), and Japan (CASBEE).

The U.S. GBC hands out the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This certificate is given to buildings with especially high environmental compatibility. It is a voluntary national standard whose guidelines are adopted in all 50 U.S. states. From 2000 to the end of 2008, more than 2,000 LEED certifications were carried out. (www.usgbc.org).

Since 1990, the British BREEAM Certificate has evaluated the environmentally relevant performance of new and existing buildings with four grades, the highest of which is “excellent.” The BREEAM is also issued to buildings beyond national boundaries. Apart from ecological and economic aspects, criteria concerning health and comfort are also taken into account. So far, some 100,000 buildings have been certified in accordance with BREAAM (www.breeam.org).

Since 2001, the CASBEE Certificate has classified the ecological performances of Japanese buildings based on an evaluation scheme taking account of design, new construction, existing building, and renovation. The objective is to measure the “building environmental efficiency” (www.ibec.or.jp/jsbd).

As one of the leading World GBC members, the German Society for Sustainable Construction (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen / DGNB) will offer the German Seal of Approval for Sustainable Building starting in 2009. The basis is a certification system developed by DGNB in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs. It is a “second-generation” evaluation system which is marked by a comprehensive approach and which does not only assess the environmental compatibility and local characteristics of a building, but also gives a “holistic” evaluation of the ecological, economic, social, functional, and technical quality, as well as the process and site quality taking into account the entire life cycle (www.dgnb.de).

Whether national or international, anyone who wants to receive such a certificate with practice-oriented and affordable building envelopes, should opt for a holistic approach from the very beginning of the planning process and well-engineered products in the realization. For evaluation of construction quality under sustainability aspects, there are also the EU guidelines on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.

The European member states received clear guidelines back in 2002. Among other things, regulations were introduced on the issuance of energy passes and regular inspection of central air-conditioning systems. Germany has already completely implemented all of the requirements. An authoritative in German construction law is the Energy Saving Ordinance (Energieeinsparverordnung / EnEV) from 2007, which will be amended in 2009. The main requirement factor for new buildings is the annual primary energy needs in relation to a reference building. In addition, requirements were laid down regarding thermal insulation in the summertime.

As of January 2009, all newly applied for or newly advertised building projects in Germany are legally required to use renewable energies for heating systems. The aim of the Renewable Energies Heating Law is to increase the percentage of renewables in heating from 6.6 percent (in 2007) to 14 percent in 2020. Thus, the objective hasbeen clearly staked out for the time being. But how can it be achieved successfully? The answer: If architects, builders, and investors bank on the innovativeness of an acknowledged market leader like Schüco.

Schüco the trailblazer and its contribution to sustainability

The issue of energy efficiency in building envelopes is a foundation stone for sustainability. It is a matter that Schüco approached years ago and thus took on a pioneering role. Schüco thinks about tomorrow. And the urgency of sustainable action regarding energy efficiency has long been at the top of the company’s agenda. As a customer- and practiceoriented technology leader, Schüco has a sophisticated and flexible product portfolio that already meets technical standards before new laws and ordinances take effect, regulations which in the construction sector are often connected with strict sanctions and underlying conditions.

As a systems supplier manufacturing innovative products around the building envelope, Schüco offers future-oriented solutions for sustainable and energyefficient construction, from planning to realization. The company’s portfolio of thermally insulated windows, doors, facades, and sun protection products all the way to comprehensive system solutions for using solar energy, is the key to successful sustainable building. In addition to its exclusive assortment of products, Schüco offers a product mix from ranging from windows to solar shading that can face any challenge a building envelope might pose. With its broad spectrum of products for energy-efficient building envelopes, Schüco enables partners, builders, and architects to meet the highest requirements contained in all important sustainability certificates and energy efficiency standards. Not just in Germany, but around the globe. Schüco has nearly 12,000 partner companies for this purpose.

Schüco actively engaged with the regulations for new energy standards early on. Its product solutions often go beyond the stringent legal requirements in Germany, and today meet the national and international requirements of tomorrow. In many product segments, Schüco is not only leading with the best U-values. Schüco is prepared for its customers and partners – especially since German lawmakers intend this year to further tighten the primary energy consumption requirements for new and refurbished buildings with a reduction of 30 percent.

What is crystal clear is that anyone who wants to develop sustainable, climatefriendly properties cannot get past sustainable building envelopes as integral components. Module-based windows and facades are particularly effective. As a reliable and competent systems provider, Schüco assumes responsibility for technology development and control. And it does so by developing modules independently of specific projects and insome cases by developing special projectspecific construction parts. There’s no doubt about it: Those who bank on Schüco bank on quality, competence, and sustainability.