It is, after all, the colour of money
It is, after all, the colour of money
Concern about climate change and pollution should encourage property developers to “think green” in their designs, construction and management. Plus, it’s just good business, writes Ulf Bieler, senior portfolio manager, Asset Services, CBRE Vietnam.
In addition to comfort and beauty, many property developers these days consider a third factor in developing and promoting their products: green values.
Amid the fast urbanisation in major cities around Vietnam, environmentally friendly, energy-saving attributes are becoming a key difference-maker and selling point as more and more buyers want to live in sustainable projects
In Vietnam, despite this trend toward green virtues, most new construction projects still fall short in incorporating such features as energy efficiency design, materials and technology.
There was a time when going “green” was merely considered fashionable. Today it is increasingly recognised as a moral imperative as climate change and pollution underscore the need for greater respect for the environment and natural resources. In addition to saving energy, the objective is to preserve and promote nature, and sometimes restore it from degradation.
As Vietnam is already highly sensitive and responsive in environmental issues, all efforts to implement green features in urbanisation and real estate projects are appreciated. CBRE Vietnam as founding member of the Vietnamese Green Building Council (VGBC) sees a significant increase in “green” related activities, consultancy in sustainability, green workshops and projects that advertise their high interest in eco friendly development.
While the trend is positive, it is also just a start. Sustainability is sometimes mistaken as simply planting more flowers, trees or grass in the developments. So education how to go “green” is getting more and more important.
Energy savings are a key objective in design and planning, but this is always a winding path that must also involve the end user. We salute developments that invested a big effort in installation of energy saving lighting, such as Indochina Plaza Hanoi, but tenants must also carry out the proper behaviour to maximise the efficiency. A great deal of energy can be saved simply by changing the mindset and behaviour of the users—but old, wasteful habits are hard to break, despite efforts to educate the users.
Most developments, meanwhile, are also still missing the usage of alternative energy resources, like solar or wind energy. But, there laudable exceptions.
The Vietinbank building, now under construction, is a prime example of green thinking. Viettinbank is promoting their green ideas publicly on internet and put them in a position as leader of a sustainable development. According to its plans, the building will be energy efficient and will follow a progressive environmental strategy. It is expected to use about 35 per cent less energy than a typical building. The saw-tooth pattern walls will be covered by glass and solar panels. The environmental systems to be used in the towers will include combined heat and power plant and use of ground water for cooling. A low energy desiccant dehumidification wheel will be used to cope with the climatic conditions.
This technology is being implemented on a large-scale for the first time in Hanoi. The desiccant system absorbs the atmospheric water and exhales dry and hot air. This air can be cooled by ground water and reused in the building. This is a step forward in development of energy efficient and environmental friendly building.
The benefit to investors and developers from making their buildings more energy-saving is very clear. The return on all investments for energy saving measures are quick and as a side effect they attract a new generation of occupiers in any development, who are sensitive to environmental issues. In our experience at CBRE Vietnam we can confirm that there are more and more potential clients asking for developments that have “green certificates” or are proven eco-friendly.
Although the Vietnamese real estate market now remains in a stubborn slump, developers and investors still have to struggle to add green features into their projects. We know that when the times are hard that we all have to tighten our belt, and this can lead sometimes to short-term thinking that is not beneficial for green features or energy saving programmes.
Yet in such times that the awareness is getting neglected, we also all know that after a low there is a high and smart, green investments pay off in the long run. Energy saving can be done in any state of a development, even for old existing projects. Good real estate suppliers can provide programmes that can be implemented at any time.
In conclusion, there is only one recommendation for everyone: “think green”. It is not only for ourselves but for all those generations that will follow in our steps. We all should protect our environment and help future generations with our efforts to make this planet an even better place to live.
vir
