Green warehouses are facilities that meet ecological construction standards. These solutions are gaining importance not only due to respecting nature. An important reason is, above all, the real savings for both developers and tenants. Definitely lower usage costs make eco warehouses more and more profitable.
A green warehouse is a building whose design and construction incorporates environmentally friendly solutions concerning, among other things, energy, water and waste management. As a standard, warehouse spaces of this type are equipped with energy-efficient and automated LED lighting, as electricity is a significant part of operating costs. It is economical to provide daylight to as large an area of the facility as possible, which also has a positive impact on the comfort of people working in the warehouse. In addition, developers implement solutions which collect and then use rainwater and reduce water consumption in the building. Green warehouses also mean green landscaping - the facilities are surrounded by lawns, trees and bushes. In addition to plantings, flowering meadows are often planned in the surroundings, with apiaries in the vicinity.
The greenery in the outdoor area of the ecological warehouses provides a haven for birds, invertebrates and insects. In addition to these apiaries, the placement of nest boxes is also taken into account. Such a landscape, visible through large glass panes, is good for the well-being of employees - it reduces stress levels, calms them down and at the same time promotes creativity. For this reason, living plants in green buildings are designed not only for the outside, but also for the inside: in the arrangement of social areas, office spaces and common areas. Vertical gardens and green mobile partitions improve air quality, optimise indoor humidity and achieve good acoustics.
Confirmation that an industrial facility has been designed and constructed in accordance with green building standards is provided by an appropriate certificate. One of the most important, and at the same time most commonly used in Poland, is the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) environmental building certification system. The BREEAM standard is used mainly for certification of new buildings (New Construction) and existing buildings (In-Use). It is divided into ten categories in which investments are assessed:
A BREEAM certificate confirms to what extent a property meets the requirements in each of the above categories - a percentage is calculated of the extent of implementation in the investment and finally a grade is assigned, the result of which is determined on a six-point scale.
Applying for a green certificate has been one of the most significant trends in the industrial property market in recent years. Among other reasons, because for international investment funds which acquire industrial facilities in Poland, the certification is a measurable confirmation of the project's quality and an indicator of its value. Furthermore, it evaluates the performance of a warehouse not only in terms of environmental and economic sustainability, but also in terms of social sustainability - and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors influence, and will increasingly influence, business performance indicators.
