According to the International Energy Agency, buildings consume around 30% of the world’s energy*. For many organisations, climate change and rising costs have made improving energy efficiency a priority. A new video in ASSA ABLOY’s Expert Talks series considers some key ways their choice of access solution can make a positive impact – benefitting both business and environmental performance at the same time.
“We all have a responsibility to reduce emissions, including embodied carbon, and your choice of access solution can make a meaningful difference,” says Olympia Dolla, Head of Sustainability Program EMEIA at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions. “Digitalisation can be one key to improved sustainability performance.”
With expert insights from Olympia Dolla, among others, the new Expert Talk delves deeper to give customers the sustainability and green building knowledge they need to make better long-term decisions and investments for their organisation.
1. Consider a building’s complete life-cycle
At the very earliest project stages, design or specification, ASSA ABLOY offers in-depth support for architects, developers and specifiers targeting accreditation in six leading green building certifications: BREEAM, LEED, Green Star, WELL, DGNB, HQE***.
During product installation, choosing a wireless digital solution makes an immediate difference. With devices which require no cabling around the door, there’s little or no drilling, which reduces power consumption. There’s less damage to the building fabric. And because wireless installation is faster, fitters make fewer site visits, reducing travel.
Use-stage for any digital building system means ongoing energy consumption. Traditional wired systems draw on mains power to maintain locking. Wireless access works differently: during operation, battery-powered devices only ‘wake up’ when presented with a credential. They are much more energy efficient than equivalent wired solutions.
“Energy use during operation may be eliminated altogether when digital locks are powered by innovative energy harvesting technology,” adds Dolla.
2. EPDs are more important than ever
The most authoritative way to gauge the impact of a digital access device is with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). An EPD offers a detailed assessment of a product based on study of its life-cycle; a complete mapping of its footprint from raw material, through manufacturing, logistics and impact during use, to end-of-life recycling.
Product-specific EPDs help architects, specifiers, contractors and developers make accurate forecasts about both embodied carbon and finished building performance. They are important for accruing points towards green building certifications. And from 2026, a declaration of the results from an EPD must be part of the CE Marking process – and therefore, essential to sell a product or solution to the European market.
“The use of EPDs has grown quickly,” says Dolla. “In fact, many projects already require an EPD to specify a product or solution, well ahead of the new European regulations for the commercial and residential sector, including renovations.”
ASSA ABLOY’s Expert Talks series aims to better inform decision-makers, including security managers, directors, consultants and specifiers, about the key issues involved in 5 distinct areas of digital access: Security, Sustainability, Convenience, Innovation and Reliability. As specialist contributors to each of the videos show, these 5 areas each represent a potential ROI for businesses who want to make their access ready for what’s ahead.
To learn more, watch “Expert Talk: Sustainability”, the second in ASSA ABLOY’s video series, at https://www.assaabloy.com/group/emeia/stories/blogs/das-expert-talk-about-sustainability
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