Today, Marie Ruault and Etienne Le Gaffric share their experience of environmental certifications in real estate with iQspot.
What is your position and the missions you carry out within Greenaffair?
Etienne: Etienne Le Gaffric, I am a sales manager at Greenaffair. I joined Greenaffair a little over four years ago as an end-of-study intern (engineer), as an operations consultant in the real estate and sustainable city division. The missions of this division aim to improve the environmental performance of assets in operation (in particular via HQE, Breeam in-Use and LEED EBOM certifications). Today, I am in sales, supporting our customers and partners, upstream, in defining their needs.
Marie: Marie Ruault, I am responsible for the sustainable operations division at Greenaffair. I joined four years ago as a consultant in the operations division. As part of my missions, I led environmental certification projects in operations. I currently hold the position of manager of the sustainable operations division, a team dedicated to operational issues. Before this experience at Greenaffair, I worked as a business manager in a multi-technical maintenance company.
What is the point of having your operating assets certified?
Etienne: The certifications we follow make it possible to assess the environmental performance of real estate assets. The standards use technical criteria or benchmarks that make it possible to compare assets with the best practices in the sector. These certifications can cover the entire life cycle of buildings.
We identify a few key points:
- The standards in operation invite operators, managers and investors to make the environmental data of their assets reliable. This point makes it possible to capitalize on key information, in particular for regulatory compliance. The standards are regularly updated. The certifications can constitute a solid extra-financial database.
- The certifications targeted must be adapted. The standards are co-constructed with real estate experts. They make it possible to guarantee investors the performance of their assets (based on the levels obtained) and to project themselves into operation with a precise action plan. In the current context, the issues of energy and carbon performance are analyzed precisely.
- Operating certifications help maintain the green value of assets (provided they are part of a continuous improvement process). Tenants are increasingly attentive and concerned by environmental issues. The extra-financial characteristics of assets are carefully observed.
What are the most commonly used labels and certifications in operating real estate?
Marie: Labels and certifications appeared around 2005 on the themes of energy and water, with the Effinergie label then the HQE, Breeam and LEED certifications. New themes have emerged in real estate projects over time. New labels have been created on comfort, biodiversity, well-being, the circular economy, connectivity and resilience. In recent years, the challenges of low-carbon strategies have grown.
We have also noted a change in regulations (RE 2020, tertiary eco-energy system, BACS, etc.) and extra-financial reporting issues (ESG policies and expectations).
If we focus on operational certifications, the three general certifications HQE, Breeam and LEED are regularly monitored. These include themes related to buildings: energy and water management, mobility, waste, comfort, health, resilience, biodiversity and well-being.
How do you support your customers in obtaining certifications and labels in operation?
Etienne: Greenaffair has been a sustainable development and CSR consulting firm for 21 years. Today, we have 130 employees based in five agencies in France. The consultants (engineers, urban planners, ecologists, acousticians, interior designers, etc.) are spread across 5 areas of expertise:
- Responsible Investment & Finance (regulatory compliance, Taxonomy, SFDR, ISR Real Estate Label, etc.),
- Real Estate and Sustainable Cities (environmental strategies, certifications, reuse & circular economy, etc.),
- Energy & Carbon (Thermal BET, RE2020, Tertiary Decree, technical studies, etc.),
- CSR (first steps support, carbon footprint, mobility plan, drafting DPEF, etc.)
- and Workplace (sustainable architecture and interior design).
Marie: On the Operations focus,
- In the event that the client already knows which certification(s) they wish to position themselves on, we carry out a feasibility study. This study consists of carrying out a technical visit to the building and collecting the available documentation. Based on these elements, we assess the building according to the benchmark of the chosen certification(s), thus determining the level achieved. We also propose a quantified optimization plan (works, studies, management actions) to achieve higher levels of certification. Following this study, the client has an inventory of their building as well as a vision of the necessary investment. Then, we carry out regular reviews with the client in order to put together the certification file. We are also present to carry out the audit, until the certificate is obtained.
- We can also guide clients in the choice of certifications to aim for thanks to an opportunity study. This study, less precise than a feasibility study, makes it possible to identify, according to different references, the most relevant for the building.
What is the impact of iQspot features on the BREEAM in Use label?
Etienne: The Breeam In-Use certification is broken down into two parts. Part 1 concerns the intrinsic performance of the asset. Part 2 concerns the operation of the asset. For each part, there are environmental criteria to be met to obtain points/levels. The objective is to justify and integrate a certain number of technical elements to obtain certification levels.
The iQspot solution helps investors, managers and tenants maintain or improve Breeam In-Use performance. The data collected by iQspot sensors can be used for several credits. These elements have an impact on the themes of energy and water consumption management. We have found that the iQspot solution can save up to 10% on the “Asset Performance” part and 12% on the “Management Performance” part. Greenaffair has had the opportunity to work with iQspot during Breeam In-Use certifications. We have easily managed to leverage iQspot solutions to improve the Breeam In-Use scoring of assets undergoing certification.
Thanks to Marie and Etienne for sharing their experience.
