Sustainability is based on the idea of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and have resources to fulfil them. With an ambitious but essential goal for the lives of our children and grandchildren, the European Commission hopes to make Europe the first climate-neutral part of the world. The European Green Deal, which promises clean air and water in the future, renovated, energy-efficient buildings, cleaner energy and jobs that meet future requirements, urges national governments and entrepreneurs to take faster or slower, but targeted sustainability steps. The industry I represent has a particularly large impact on the global climate situation – buildings generate one third of all greenhouse gas emissions and are one of the main energy consumers in the world. 46 sites of national importance are constructed under the management of SRE, we manage and maintain 1100 buildings – the sustainable management of such a large and important real estate portfolio for the people of Latvia is both a challenge and responsibility towards our future.
In regard to SRE, in the future, the entire public sector must provide a modern and human-centred work environment with energy-efficient and well-managed premises, automation of processes and the use of renewable energy resources. In order to achieve this, energy resources should be used where needed, when needed, and to the extent needed, both at the company and individual level. The more information we have about the building, the more accurate we can be in forecasts, decisions and actions. If we don't have this information, if we don't use technology, we don't know what to do to improve the consumption of resources, reduce the negative impact on the environment, create safe and comfortable conditions in the premises. As a consequence – we all pay from the state budget – and not only financially for rising heat energy bills in uninsulated buildings or electricity bills, but also at the expense of the climate, spending what we can save.
SRE is among the leaders in Latvia in the application of energy efficiency calculation standards for new buildings. At the end of 2021, 94% of our managed buildings had been issued energy certificates and provided a certain energy efficiency class, the company's energy management system has been compliant with the ISO 50001 standard since 2016. Energy efficiency processes – energy monitoring, data collection and analysis, control of remote systems, surveying of sites and identification of improvements – are supervised and implemented by our experts, who are certified energy auditors with the possibility to perform the energy certification of sites. They are actively involved in the planning of construction projects and in the process itself, following sustainable and energy-efficient solutions, and the principle of green procurement. At the end of 2021, the company developed a building energy efficiency calculation tool that complies with the current legislation of the European Union and Latvia and is adapted to Latvia's climatic conditions, which allows data to be obtained with hourly accuracy. In part of the substantial portfolio of SRE positive results from energy efficiency improvements can be observed quite rapidly – for example, 190 thousand euros has been invested in energy efficiency improvements of 10 buildings and active remote operations in the heating units of nine buildings will allow savings of at least 120 thousand euros this year.
In our portfolio, we continue to equip heating units of the buildings with remote control equipment – currently they have been implemented in 55 buildings and this year we plan to do it in five more buildings. On the way to automation, supervision of the engineering technical systems (AVS) is of true importance – if it was only used before for skyscrapers; today it can be implemented in every building. While it is installed in seven buildings managed by SRE, we have set a goal in the company to reach 50 by 2025. This means adhering to the principles of energy-efficient management, adapting to weather conditions, as well as the needs of building users, such as comfort requirements and work schedules, while helping to prevent the impact of human error on energy consumption. It goes hand in hand with a smart work environment and modern offices. One of the most visible examples of a building equipped with AVS, which contributed to a significant decline in self-consumption of SRE energy resources, was the company's move from three addresses to the activities-based office at Talejas iela 1, Riga at the end of 2019, while providing a partially remote work model. This made it possible to reduce the area of the premises by 45%, and combined with the energy efficiency of the new building, the energy consumption for the operation of the office premises has already decreased by 65% since being in this office. In the last three years, the self-consumption of energy in SRE has constantly decreased – in 2020 the drop was 44% compared to the previous year, and in 2021 it was reduced by another 15%.
We research the use of renewable energy resources, for example, the possibilities of installing solar panels and solar collectors – we have attracted the support of “Altum” for the development of energy efficiency projects – as part of this, possible energy efficiency improvements are evaluated in six properties managed by SRE – automation and the introduction of a control system, the possibilities and potential of using renewable energy resources, for example, solar panel placement solutions for roof structures on Talejas iela 1. In the future, we also plan to install solar panels at border control points. We will soon start a pilot project, installing a heat pump for a building at Maskavas iela 30, Rēzekne. Currently, we have already installed the first electric charging station in Riga, Citadeles iela 1, and we plan to install three more soon.
Energy efficiency is a teamwork – at the same time it is a competence to be developed by changing habits. We are creating a culture in which employees are educated about energy efficiency issues and understand its connection with the impact on the environment. Within the company, we educate employees in sustainability classes, devoting separate lectures to energy efficiency – telling employees what actions we can take for smart consumption of energy resources both at the individual and company level. We offer employees the benefits of remote and flexible work, thereby reducing the need to travel by car. Considering the location of the real estate locations under the management of SRE throughout the territory of Latvia, a car park equipped with GPS tracking devices has also been created to provide services, ensuring route control according to the purpose of the trip. When replacing motor vehicles, buying or renting vehicles, we obtain transport units with lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in use.
We implement the transfer of knowledge and practical actions in relation to customers – during the rapid rise in the prices of energy resources, we provide energy resource consumption recommendations, and we continue the implementation of energy efficiency improvements. We invite customers to insulate the attic, replace windows, switch to LED lighting, and we also provide support and information if any of the SRE customers have expressed interest in increasing the energy efficiency of the building in use. In Talejas iela 1 parking areas and border control points under the supervision of SRE in Grebņeva and Vientuļi, the lighting is expected to be replaced very soon. We are aware of the challenges related to the change of habits and the necessary investments, but sustainable choices now pay off not only in regard to a healthier future environment – due to the rapid increase in the prices of energy resources, the necessary investments are also recovered three to five times faster.
Within the framework of more ambitious development projects of national importance, SRE attracts funding from the European Regional Development Fund to increase energy efficiency. In 2021, the most important SRE development projects in the field of improving energy efficiency were the improvement of the energy efficiency of the Latvian State Historical Archives at Skandu iela 14 (total investment amount of the project is 3.5 million euros) and the reconstruction of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia and the extension of the “House of the Future” (the total investment amount of the project is 7.1 million euros). Currently, the largest development projects in the field of increasing energy efficiency are implemented in the building of the Latvian Puppet Theatre at Kr. Barona iela 14/16, Riga, in the restoration of the New Riga Theatre building complex, in the building at Elizabetes iela 57, in the Valmiera Drama Theatre building, in the Dailes Theatre, as well as the pilot project launched this year by SRE in the implementation of sustainability guidelines in the construction of public buildings – the General Prosecutor's Office building at Kalpaka bulvāris 6, Riga, in renovation, which is carried out by SRE in accordance with the basic principles of sustainability developed by the company – in addition to the existing laws and regulations, we have set sustainability requirements for designers, the implementation of which will reduce the costs of the building's full life cycle and the negative impact on the environment.
We strive to be an example for the public in the development, implementation and maintenance of sustainable solutions. Our portfolio is already changing, based on sustainable future-orientated choices, while the move towards climate-neutral state-owned real estate will take time and investment, but is irreversible and must gradually gain pace. As proof that we are on the right path, we have just received the platinum award of the Sustainability Index for the second year in a row, which puts us among the most sustainable companies in Latvia. We continue our sustainability path in accordance with the European Green Deal, in order to provide the entire public sector of Latvia with environmentally friendly buildings that use energy resources wisely.
