Industrial Developers Delivering Sustainability-accredited Warehouses

“The implementation will begin soon with the latest and most advanced warehouse technology solutions, meeting the strictest Breeam standards,” said István Pozderka, business development director of HelloParks, a member of the Futureal Group.

“Energy-efficient operation is a significant factor in the industrial real estate sector, and HelloParks focuses on achieving carbon-neutral operations as soon as possible. This is supported, among other things, by the company’s proprietary mobile application, which will be available to tenants in PT3,” the developer explains.

“The intelligent building automation and monitoring system in the warehouses will allow remote access to technical data of leased areas, utility consumption monitoring, and heating, ventilation, and lighting setting adjustment. Additionally, the offices in the building can operate with zero primary energy consumption, thanks to the solar panels to be installed on the roof and the heat pump system,” HelloParks continues.

“Even precipitation falling on the roof will be utilized for irrigating the green areas around the building. Smart-ready lamps will be installed in common areas, and electric vehicle chargers will be available in the warehouse parking lot for tenants,” it adds.

According to Rudolf Nemes, CEO of HelloParks, “Since our establishment in 2020, we have been developing our warehouses exclusively to the highest categories of the Breeam sustainability standards. All of our developments under construction are already built to the ‘Outstanding’ certification criteria and EU Taxonomy requirements; HelloParks wants to set a forward-looking green industry benchmark in the country and the region.”

Sector-wide Uptake

Sustainability accreditation is increasingly being utilized in the logistics and industrial sector, with developers and park operators such as Prologis, CTP, Panattoni and HelloParks developing more highly specified Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) or Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited complexes.

Panattoni, for example, is looking to add energy-efficient solutions to its products, such as solar panels, electric vehicle charging facilities and heat pump systems. The company aims for Breeam “Excellent” New Construction accreditation as standard for its products in Hungary. New tenant demands are increasingly related to ESG, and many require energy-efficient solutions.

As reported by the Budapest Business Journal in our last issue, Belgian-Hungarian company WLP (Weerts Logistics Parks) and RaktárAD have topped out the 40,000 sqm logistics and production plant for the Canada-based automotive supplier Magna.

“As Magna aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its European operations by 2025 and its global operations by 2030, sustainable principles, including the use of solar energy, have been incorporated into the site’s planning. As a result, the new WLP-built facility has received the “Very Good” rating by Breeam,” said Lerouge Gauthier, vice-president of Magna International.

Academia Office Center Achieves Well Pre-certification

ConvergenCE and Europa Capital have been awarded Well pre-certification for the Academia office center and expect final accreditation in spring 2024. The redevelopment of the 12,500 sqm office center, located on the Pest bank of the Danube in central District V, was completed this summer.

Europa Capital purchased what was the Akademia office center in partnership with ConvergenCE as the asset manager and has undertaken an extensive renovation of the historic building, bringing the complex to the standard required for Breeam, Well, Access4You and WiredScore, the latter being international accreditation system for technology.

“We pay great attention to ensuring that all our properties have the highest environmental ratings. Obtaining certification is not just a regulatory compliance, but also a cost-saving, value-added aspect, a crucial factor in sales and leasing,” said Csaba Zeley, managing director of ConvergenCE, on the project.

“The building is now complete, but a few operations are still ongoing: certifications are in progress, and I am proud to announce that Academia will soon become the first non-new construction Well “Platinum” building in Hungary. Breeam certification is underway, and we are on the verge of obtaining a ‘BB’ energy certificate, a level that even new office buildings in Budapest rarely achieve,” he adds.

Interior Recognition

Meanwhile, Regina Kurucz, an architect and Well building assessor, expects the first interior space to receive Well certification in Budapest soon.

“The chances are good for the Well Pre-certified MSD Office Budapest [in Millennium Gardens], but it could also be another private project,” she explains.

“In the last three years, two or three buildings per year have achieved the Well Core Certification in Budapest: Corvin Technology and Science Park and Nordic Light Trio in 2021; Advance Tower 1-2 and BudapestONE in 2022; and Agora Tower and Hub in 2023. I expect this trend to continue as there are seven pre-certified office-building projects in progress.”

“Beginning in 2024, tenants will be looking for office spaces that support their environmental and social sustainability goals. Third-party certifications and ratings are practical and useful means to make evidence-based but quick decisions,” Kurucz says.

“The Access4you certification is also gaining momentum in the Hungarian market. […This] helps not only people with special access needs but also supports property owners and companies to gain insights into their building’s accessibility and reach their business and ESG goals,” she adds.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of December 1, 2023.