There is no turning back from the low emission warehouses
Bogi Gabrovic, Head of Client Relations and Corporate Affairs at CTP Poland
Recent years have been dominated by movements for energy transformation and decarbonisation of the real estate industry. The EU Buildings Directive (EPDB), adopted by the EU Council in April this year, is a further step forward and places further low-carbon requirements on developers and building owners. This also applies to industrial and logistics developments.
This is all the more important because, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s forecasts, the stock of the warehouse market in Poland should clearly exceed 34 million sqm. This is an increase of over 284% compared to 2014. I mention this because the scale of investments gives an idea of the amount of energy required for heating, cooling or illuminating this type of property. Fortunately, the sector is increasingly moving towards green solutions. Now these efforts will be further regulated by the provisions of the EPDB Directive relating to the energy performance of buildings. These provide an instrument for reducing emissions – from 2030 onwards, all new buildings are to have zero fossil fuel emissions, representing the market standard.
Strong development of A-class warehouses has been evident in Poland for several years. Certified space is also increasing year on year. Based on my own experience, I admit that testing and implementing technologies using renewable energy is nowadays fundamental – regardless of whether we are talking about facilities developed for a specific tenant or on a speculative basis. For example, we are installing heat pumps powered by renewable energy in CTP’s business parks. We use them in combination with various heating systems, including underfloor heating, which is a particularly effective solution in large warehouse halls. At CTPark Warsaw South, on the other hand, a heat pump helps us manage the temperature above the loading docks. To offset energy losses, we are also increasing the thermal insulation of each of our buildings. At the same time, we are adapting the roofs of the buildings for the installation of photovoltaic panels. We also apply for connection conditions and offer fixed prices for the duration of the rental period. This way, we become independent of fossil fuels and spikes in electricity rates.
The mandatory installation of solar systems is precisely one of the elements of the directive adopted. So is the provision of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The latter is also regulated by the AFIR regulation, which provides for the construction of fast charging stations along the EU’s major transport corridors. Both documents aim to accelerate the development of electromobility. I myself also see an increasing share of both passenger and commercial electric cars in the retail, logistics and transport sectors. In response to the needs of tenants in these industries, up to 20% of the parking spaces in our investments are prepared for EV infrastructure and up to 6% of them for fast-chargers.
From the point of view of manufacturing companies, on the other hand, solutions that increase the comfort of daily, multi-hour work are increasingly important. So far, this issue has been very popular in the office sector. Fortunately, this topic is also increasingly resonating in the context of industrial and warehouse facilities. Turning to the details, this means adequate lighting of the buildings – in our case up to 12.5 per cent. We also use multi-chamber polycarbonate panels, which have a translucency of 55%, which enormously increases access to light and provides a level of convenience that was unheard of in Poland a dozen or so years ago.
Bogi Gabrovic is Director of Client Relations & Corporate Affairs at CTP Poland. She is also a board member of the company’s local branch. She is co-responsible for business development, including CTP’s real estate portfolio currently comprising over 2.8 million sqm of land in the Polish land bank. She is also responsible for the strategic management and maintenance of long-term client relationships and the day-to-day operations of the company. She focuses her efforts on the expansion of the local business, currently one of the three key growth markets in the Group’s portfolio, as well as developing a strong team of experts and working closely with business stakeholders. Her ability to prioritise investments and her leadership competencies have contributed to firmly establishing CTP’s position in the Polish market.
Bogi has more than 25 years of experience in investment appraisal, capital raising, as well as asset, risk and fund management in all classes of commercial real estate, which she gained while working for international organisations in the US and Europe, among others. She distinguishes herself with a high level of entrepreneurship and developed leadership skills obtained while running her own business in the USA. In her career, she has repeatedly guided companies through complex expansion, reorganisation and capital development transactions. Prior to joining CTP Poland, she was associated with brands such as Golub GetHouse, White Star Real Estate and PwC.
Last Updated on July 1, 2024 by Janusz Gil