In the CO2 DataHub project, Sitowise and Vastuu Group jointly carried out a pilot related to the collection and utilization of emission data for five cities and LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management. In LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management’s case, "Preliminary calculation of the carbon footprint of tenant renovation" was selected as the target to be piloted.
- Through workshops, we set out to find out what Vastuu Group's and LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management’s goals are for the development project and what kind of calculation would be appropriate, says Juuso Sundberg, Sitowise's project manager.
For us, a tenant renovation project typically starts when the tenant finds a suitable space for their needs and submits the landlord's requests for changes to the premises, after which the landlord asks us to prepare a cost estimate for the planned changes.
Juuso Sundberg, Sitowise
When tenant renovation work was identified as a development target, the next step in the pilot was to start to study and bring together the data transfer process of the initial data of the modification project and the related emission factor data and the automation of the whole process.
- For us, a tenant renovation project typically starts when the tenant finds a suitable space for their needs and submits the landlord's requests for changes to the premises, after which the landlord asks us to prepare a cost estimate for the planned changes. In the workshop, we were aiming to find out how, in addition to quantity calculations and cost estimation, the carbon footprint of the changes could also be assessed, Sundberg says.
Workshops the way to find solutions
The significance of the emissions depends on the scope of the tenant renovation, the degree of repair and the materials used in it. The emissions calculation was limited to the emissions of the required construction materials at the product stage. The automation of calculations was piloted at a case study site, where the building materials listed in the cost estimate for the renovation work and their quantities were combined with the corresponding emission factors found in the national emissions database.
- The calculation was done based on Excel. The bottleneck in the pilot turned out to be deficiencies in the emissions database, which still lacks a lot of emission values for different building materials and building components. Products from different manufacturers have different CO2 emission values, and it also makes a big difference how far the product is delivered and whether the entire life cycle of the product is taken into account, says Sundberg.
Solutions were found in the workshops, and in order to ensure transparency in the calculations, the prototype also shows where the data on the amounts required for the calculation and the necessary coefficients have been obtained and according to which instructions the emission calculation has been carried out. The project-specific emissions data was imported into the Power BI platform of Sitowise's Louhi service, where it could be visualized and grouped.
As a result of the pilot, we wanted standardized carbon footprint data that can be calculated flexibly and conveniently for the projects we carry out and for different project types.
Joonas Vuonio, Real Estate Manager at LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management
Carbon footprint information in rental situations
LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management’s goal is to use high-quality materials to create business premises so that the emissions caused by construction are as low as possible. Tenant modification have often not yet been planned in detail in connection with the rental situation, but LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management hopes that the tenant would be presented with an estimate of the carbon footprint of the changes to be made at the site and the various implementation options already in the rental situation.
- The scope of tenant renovation work and the materials used can vary greatly between projects. As a result of the pilot, we wanted standardized carbon footprint data that can be calculated flexibly and conveniently for the projects we carry out and for different project types. In this way, we can illustrate the emission impacts of modifications of different sizes to our customers already at the planning stage, says Joonas Vuonio, Real Estate Manager at LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management.
The tool developed in the pilot is primarily intended for cooperation projects between Sitowise and LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management, and the report generated by the project is only available to organizations that have participated in the research and development project.
A prerequisite for sustainable construction is jointly set goals, and one common goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of tenant modifications.
Roni Ahola, Sitowise
The Excel calculation template created in the pilot is suitable for use in renovation and modification sites. Sitowise and LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management have agreed to continue further developing the tool for assessing the carbon footprint of tenant modification work.
- We are excited about further development. A prerequisite for sustainable construction is jointly set goals, and one common goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of tenant modifications. With the calculation base, we can study and influence the carbon footprint together with the client, tenant and other stakeholders, and make responsible material choices and space changes. With carbon footprint calculations and optimal modifications, we create the conditions for the successful use of the premises and can have a positive impact on climate change in LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Management’s tenant modification work, says Roni Ahola, Head of Department for Commercial and Business Premises Changes at Sitowise.
Vastuu Group's role in the pilot was to support Sitowise in creating the calculation base and the emissions calculation itself, as well as to bring the necessary emission factors to the Louhi platform with the help of the Platform of Trust. As tenant renovation works are not planned at the product level in the early stages, the national emissions database CO2data.fi was chosen as the first source of emission data and was seen how far this would go. As there is naturally a need for more accurate and extensive emissions data in the industry, for example for comparing different scenarios, the pilot examined how many other data sources should be added to the platform in order to make the solution as comprehensive as possible.
