How To Reduce The Carbon Footprint Of Your Building

It goes without saying that tackling carbon emissions has become a growing industry-wide concern in recent years.  

The good news is that by integrating sustainable practices into facility maintenance programs, building operators and owners can reduce their buildings’ carbon footprint while making them more resilient and cost-effective.  

Developed by SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, this introductory guide explores smart and sustainable strategies that building maintenance professionals can utilise to save energy and money while reducing their carbon footprint. 

Embodied Vs Operational Carbon 

Before tackling carbon within your building, it’s firstly important to understand the difference between embodied and operational carbon.  

Embodied carbon consists of the CO2 emitted in the production of a building and its assets i.e. the extraction and production of materials used during construction, their transportation, and the carbon released by plants and machinery throughout the building process. In the case of rebuilds, demolition adds to the embodied carbon of a site.  

Operational carbon is the carbon released from the ongoing operation of the building e.g., lighting, power, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and other infrastructure such as lifts, automatic doors etc.

Reducing Carbon Emissions: Embodied vs Operational  

Within recent times, the focus has been on reducing operational carbon through initiatives such as improving building insulation and installing energy-efficient alternatives, such as LED lighting.  

Although these are effective ways to reduce operational expenditure and carbon emissions, it’s important to note that they still add to the embodied carbon of the site as new products and materials are used while old ones are removed and disposed of. 

Embodied carbon can be reduced during the initial design and planning stages, such as by specifying construction products and materials that are available locally and extracted, manufactured, and delivered via low-carbon means, reducing waste through recycling wherever possible.  

New vs Retrofit Buildings: What’s More Eco-friendly

New buildings tend to be designed to be energy-efficient and use modern construction methods. They’re often considered a more attractive solution versus refurbishing existing buildings.  

However, the energy and carbon involved in demolishing a site, disposing of waste materials and undertaking a new building project creates a huge amount of carbon. 

When compared with retrofitting existing buildings, refurbishment saves energy and cuts operational carbon, so retrofit measures that will extend the life of a building will make a positive contribution to our net-zero targets. 

Scope 1, 2 And 3 Carbon Emissions Explained  

Carbon emissions are categorised into scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.  

• Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.  

• Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the purchase and use of electricity, steam, heating and cooling. By using the energy, an organisation is indirectly responsible for the release of these greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  

• Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur in the upstream and downstream activities of an organisation, such as buying, using and disposing of products.  
  

For most businesses, the majority of their GHG emissions and cost-reduction opportunities fall outside of their own operation, and addressing Scope 3 emissions can help advance an organisation’s decarbonisation and sustainability journey. 

Which Building Assets Have A High Carbon Footprint? 

Critical building assets such as heating and cooling systems, lighting, office equipment and refrigeration all consume significant amounts of energy, making them key targets for energy efficiency improvements and maintenance plans.  

• Heating, Ventilation, And Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems: HVAC systems are typically the largest energy user in buildings, accounting for up to 40% of a building’s total energy consumption.  

• Lighting: Lighting can account for up to 35% of a building’s total energy consumption.  

• Office equipment: Office equipment such as desktop computers, printers, and copiers can account for up to 15% of a building’s total energy consumption.  

• Refrigeration: In commercial buildings, refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators and freezers can account for up to 10% of the building’s total energy consumption.  

• Building Fabric: A building’s fabric includes its walls, roofs, windows, and doors, and can significantly impact energy usage by allowing heat to escape or enter the building. 
  
  

Through effective maintenance strategies, building maintenance professionals can make a positive impact by reducing energy consumption, minimising waste, and implementing sustainable practices, all while ensuring the smooth operation of building systems. 

The below guidance is designed to provide some practical tips on how to approach and get started on your carbon reduction journey.  

Effective Ways To Reduce Carbon In Your Building 

1. Conduct A Carbon Footprint Assessment

   Gain a better understanding of the carbon emissions associated with maintenance activities by conducting a carbon footprint assessment. This assessment will establish a baseline of current emissions, identify areas of high carbon impact, and determine where to focus mitigation efforts. 
   
   

2.  Develop A Sustainability Plan

   Building maintenance professionals should develop a specific sustainability plan that outlines clear, measurable goals to reduce their carbon footprint, such as upgrading systems or equipment, adjusting maintenance techniques, or reducing reliance on fossil fuels. 
   
   

3. Optimise Equipment Performance

   Regular maintenance of building systems and equipment has been shown to help them operate more efficiently, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  
   
   According to a study by The New Building Institute, reactive maintenance can increase energy use by 30% to 60% and decrease equipment lifespan. 
    
   A separate study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) reported that preventive maintenance can result in a 12-18% cost saving over a reactive maintenance program. 
   
   Furthermore, depending on the facility’s current maintenance practices, present equipment reliability, and facility downtime, the same report claims that many facilities purely reliant on reactive maintenance could save much more than 18% by instituting a proper preventive maintenance program.
   
   

4. Implement Energy-efficient Maintenance Practices

   To reduce energy consumption and associated emissions, building maintenance professionals should evaluate a wide variety of options, such as updating inefficient HVAC equipment, replacing light fixtures with LED bulbs, and ensuring the building fabric is adequately insulated.  

How Efficient Building Maintenance Can Help To Reduce Embodied Carbon Emissions 

Reduced Material Consumption

Maintaining buildings through efficient practices can help avoid the need for unnecessary replacements or repairs, leading to lower material consumption and less waste.  

By implementing regular, preventative maintenance an asset is more likely to realise its full intended lifespan, thereby reducing embodied carbon associated with premature replacement.  

Extended Building Lifespan 

Proper maintenance can help prolong the lifespan of buildings and their components, reducing the need for premature replacements and the associated embodied carbon.  

As the embodied carbon associated with the construction of a typical new building can be equivalent to 20 years’ worth of its operational carbon emissions extending a building’s lifespan can make a fundamental difference to an organisation’s carbon footprint.  

Sustainable Material Selection

When replacement or repair is necessary, choosing sustainable and low-carbon materials can contribute to lower embodied carbon in the maintenance process. 

How Efficient Building Maintenance Can Help To Reduce Energy Usage  

Optimal Equipment Performance

Regular and efficient maintenance of building equipment and systems can help to ensure optimal performance.  

This can lead to significant reductions in energy usage, as inefficient equipment and systems are often significant contributors to energy waste.  

For example, ventilation systems with blocked or dirty filters will require additional energy to run versus a well-maintained system.  

Improved Energy Efficiency

Efficient maintenance practices can lead to improved energy efficiency, with benefits such as reduced heating and cooling loads, less equipment downtime, and greater control over energy usage patterns.  

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water published the results of its refrigeration and air conditioning bench-testing project.  

It clearly demonstrates that preventative maintenance minimises technology failure, reduces refrigerant leaks, and increases the energy efficiency of properly installed equipment. 

Some of the key findings quantified the impact of common faults for the equipment tested. For example, for refrigerated display cabinets, a 40% blocked condenser reduced the system performance and increased its energy consumption by around 16%.  

For walk-in cool rooms, contaminated refrigerant had the greatest negative impact on system performance, with energy consumption increasing by almost 70%.  

Building Fabric Maintenance

Proper maintenance of building fabric, including air sealing and insulation, can greatly improve energy efficiency by reducing air infiltration and heat loss. This can lead to lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions, and a smaller environmental footprint.  

Use Of Smart Technologies

Efficient maintenance programs can incorporate smart building technologies that monitor energy usage and provide data for analysis, enabling building operators to identify inefficiencies and make targeted improvements.

Energy audits

Regular energy audits can help identify areas where energy usage can be decreased and energy efficiency improved, providing a roadmap for maintenance teams to plan and implement energy-saving measures.  

What Is The Circular Economy, And How Can It Be Applied To Building Maintenance? 

The circular economy is an approach to resource management that aims to minimise waste and promote sustainability by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.  

In contrast to the traditional linear economy that follows a “take-make-dispose” model, the circular economy seeks to create a closed-loop system where products, materials, and resources are continually used, reused, and recycled. 

In the context of building maintenance, adopting circular economy principles can help reduce carbon emissions by minimising waste and preserving resources while also promoting sustainable operations.  

Efficient building maintenance is a key enabler of the circular economy as it allows for the refurbishment, repair, and repurposing of existing assets, reducing the need for new construction and lowering overall carbon emissions. 

Start Making Changes Today For A Better Tomorrow  

The fight against reducing carbon emissions to an acceptable level is far from over, and ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.  

The UK has a target of cutting carbon emissions by 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels - this simply cannot be achieved without reducing our energy consumption within buildings.   

By using the above-discussed strategies, your organisation can become one of the crucial building blocks towards a more eco-efficient future.  

At SFG20, not only do we help to keep you compliant, but we’re also here to share our broad-ranging industry knowledge spanning over 30 years. 

If you would like to download our full carbon e-guide to refer to later or are interested in learning more about the future of building sustainability including trends and predictions, hit the buttons below.

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