Developers and building owners can struggle to connect the dots between their plan for net zero and what that looks like in practice. We believe a meaningful pathway to net-zero needs to consider sustainability strategy, MEP systems and how each building within a portfolio operates. This is what we see achieving meaningful results.
Sustainability, MEP (mechanical, electrical, public health/hydraulics/plumbing) and smart buildings’ design are more interrelated than they may seem. Sustainability advisory guides the required outcomes for net zero; MEP design determines how changes can be delivered; and smart building systems provide the data needed to understand performance and make incremental improvements over time.
Ireland is not on track for net zero
The Environmental Protection Agency’s report, Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections 2025–2030, projects that Ireland will miss its greenhouse-gas reduction targets set under the Climate Act and the EU Effort Sharing Regulation.
For the commercial and public buildings sector, the target is a 45% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2018. However, the sector is currently projected to reach a 6.8% increase in emissions by 2030. The EPA points to the slow uptake of low-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, as a key factor.
The Irish Government has recognised the importance of decarbonising the built environment and has already taken several steps. However, there’s increasing pressure on commercial building owners to act with greater urgency.
What building owners can do to reduce emissions
Reducing energy use and fossil fuel dependence are obvious factors as well as a holistic approach to carbon reduction.
Building owners need to balance sustainability targets with budget, programme, tenant disruption and the constraints of existing infrastructure. The right path will depend on the age of their building, the condition of MEP systems, available data and the owner’s long-term plans.
A clear, staged net-zero pathway can help. This enables owners to assess what to do now, what to look into further and what to plan for. It also helps align decarbonisation with a broader asset strategy.
Depending on the building, this pathway could include:
- reviewing existing building data
- analysing mechanical and electrical systems and the building fabric
- optimising mechanical and electrical controls
- upgrading building management and energy management systems
- electrification
- introducing smart-building energy analytics to optimise energy use and avoid energy drift.
An asset owner or developer will often start by engaging a sustainability consultant to establish targets and develop the pathway. This provides direction. A useful net-zero pathway will also reflect the technical and operating conditions of the asset.
Bring together strategy, design and operations
Sustainability consultancy, MEP design and smart building design each address a different part of a building’s performance:
- Sustainability consultancy helps establish the priorities, targets and sequence of work.
- MEP design considers the systems that use energy and the physical changes required to improve them.
- Smart building design provides information about how the asset is being used and supports ongoing adjustment.
Develop a practical net zero pathway
A useful decarbonisation strategy needs to reflect the asset’s technical condition, operating profile and commercial reality.
ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits can help identify opportunities and provide the technical evidence needed to prioritise investment. They can bridge the gap between a sustainability pathway and asset performance project by identifying how energy’s being used and where improvements are likely to provide the best return.
Close the gap between design and operations
High-profile upgrades such as LED lighting, heat recovery and heat pumps can cut emissions significantly. However, there are only so many major interventions available within an individual building. Further improvement depends on how the building is operated.
For more than a decade, dynamic energy modelling has helped improve design outcomes. These models rely on assumptions about how a building will be used. In practice, actual operation can vary significantly:
- End-of-trip facilities may be underused.
- Tenants may work late to support international markets.
- Heating setpoints may be adjusted higher than expected.
- Meeting rooms may be ventilated regardless of whether they’re booked or occupied.
These differences affect actual energy performance. A building designed to perform well can operate below expectations if its systems aren’t adjusted to reflect how it’s actually being used.
Smart building systems provide the information needed to understand this gap. With effective submetering, sensors and controls, operational data becomes visible and useful. This allows owners and facilities teams to review performance and make adjustments based on actual use.
Plan for incremental improvements with smart building technology
Smart building platforms support a more iterative approach to improvement. Their value isn’t limited to a single major intervention. Better data supports decisions and improved controls allow those decisions to be implemented.
Examples include:
- identifying areas where excessive waste is being sent to landfill
- monitoring the use and restocking of cleaning products
- identifying where reduction of a heating setpoint by 0.5°C can be implemented without affecting comfort
- switching on heating or cooling 30 minutes later
- ventilating meeting rooms only when they’re booked or occupied
- identifying plant that’s operating outside normal hours
- reviewing desk and meeting room use
- identifying simultaneous heating and cooling
- adjusting maintenance based on equipment performance.
Each change may produce a relatively small improvement. Applied across a building or portfolio over 3 to 5 years, the combined impact can be significant.
For facilities managers and asset managers, this supports a move away from operating a building according to design assumptions. Systems can instead be adjusted to reflect actual space use, occupancy and operating conditions.
It can be useful to measure before making changes
Installing or upgrading meters, sensors and data systems can provide a clearer picture of how a building is operating before decisions are made about plant replacement or other major works.
The data could show that an issue can be addressed through controls rather than new equipment. It might identify areas of energy waste that weren’t previously visible. It can also provide a stronger basis for prioritising capital expenditure.
Supporting reporting and asset decisions
Smart building data is also valuable for sustainability reporting. Dashboards and automated reporting can provide consistent information on energy, water, waste, occupancy and system performance. This can simplify tracking and help different stakeholders access the information relevant to their role.
Operational rating systems such as NABERS measure performance so the quality and accessibility of building data are important.
Smart building systems can support:
- automated operational energy reporting
- data-based sustainability reporting
- energy optimisation to improve operational ratings
- monitoring of changes in energy use
- verification of the results of capital works
- identification of performance drift.
For an existing building, this provides evidence of how an asset’s performing and where further work’s needed. For a new building, the data creates a baseline that can inform future decisions.
It can also provide useful evidence when leasing, refinancing or selling the building. Rather than relying only on design information or a list of completed upgrades, the owner can demonstrate how the asset performs in operation.
Take an integrated approach to achieving net zero
Decarbonising Ireland’s building stock will take time, investment and careful decision-making. Owners seeking more significant improvement should consider sustainability, MEP and smart building design together. This provides a clearer connection between the net-zero pathway, the systems that need to change and the operational data needed to maintain performance.
It may involve a larger scope and greater capital expenditure but it can also provide greater impact, reduce the risk of missed opportunities and support continued improvement over the life of the asset.
