IT and sustainability

Sustainable and digital: two sides of a future-proof building

The energy label shows how efficient a building is. The IT-Label shows how well it is set up digitally. In today's buildings you need both, and they reinforce each other.

Two challenges, one building

Owners are working hard to make their buildings more sustainable. In the Netherlands, offices already have a legal minimum energy label. At the same time, tenants expect a building where they can work digitally from day one: fast connections, WiFi that works everywhere and smart systems.

These two challenges are often tackled separately, by different parties, at different times. That is a missed opportunity. They overlap in many ways, and sometimes you need one for the other.

How IT helps sustainability

A building can only use energy intelligently if it knows what is happening. That takes sensors, systems and a good network.

Know what you use

Energy monitoring shows where energy is used, per room or installation. Only then do you know where savings pay off.

Smart control

Heating, cooling and ventilation that adapt to occupancy and weather, instead of a fixed schedule.

Light only where needed

Lighting that responds to presence and daylight. An empty floor no longer stays lit all evening.

Using space better

Occupancy data shows which spaces are really used. Heating and lighting fewer square metres is the biggest saving of all.

More about Smart Building and IoT

IT has a footprint too

To be fair: switches, access points, servers and sensors also use power, around the clock. A well-designed network keeps that limited:

Fit-for-purpose design. No more equipment than needed, in the places where it matters.
A good technical room. Equipment that does not overheat lasts longer and needs less cooling. See technical room.
Cabling that lasts. Good cabling such as CAT6A lasts for years, even when the equipment is replaced. Less opening up of walls and ceilings, less waste.
Power over the cable. With PoE you can centrally control which devices are switched on.

The IT-Label and energy label side by side

Two labels that deliberately work the same way: one code that shows at a glance how a building performs. But they measure different things, and that is exactly why they complement each other.

	Energy label	IT-Label	Together
What it measures	Energy performance: insulation, installations and on-site generation.	Digital infrastructure: connection, cabling, WiFi and building systems.	A complete picture of how future-proof a building is.
Scale	From A++++ to G (in the Netherlands).	From IT1+ to IT5.	Two codes everyone understands, in every brochure and every conversation.
Mandatory?	Mandatory for many buildings. In the Netherlands, offices must have at least label C.	Voluntary.	The energy label is the minimum, the IT-Label a distinctive extra.
How it is determined	Largely calculated from the characteristics of the building.	Assessed and measured on site by a certified partner.	Calculation and measurement together: what a building can do, and what it does in practice.
Validity	10 years.	2 years, because digital technology ages faster.	The IT-Label shows more often whether a building is keeping up.
Verdict	Higher is better, with minimum requirements.	No pass or fail: the label says what is in place.	Clarity about where you stand, and what the next step is.
Smart Building	Smart control of climate and lighting reduces consumption.	Smart systems must be well connected, linked and secured.	A building management system helps with both.
For the tenant	Lower energy costs and a comfortable indoor climate.	Working digitally from day one, without surprises.	A building that is affordable, pleasant and usable.

Also read our article IT-Label and energy label: what is the difference?

Combine it in one go

The smartest moment to improve digitally is when you are making the building more sustainable anyway.

Plan it together
Put the sustainability plan and the digital requirements side by side before the contractor starts.
Leave room to grow
Are the ceilings being opened for new installations? Then lay cabling or spare conduits at the same time. Doing it later costs much more.
Link the systems
New climate installations and lighting only become truly efficient when linked to sensors and a building management system.
Show it
A better energy label and a better IT-Label. Two strong arguments for tenants, buyers and lenders.

Questions

Does the IT-Label replace the energy label?

No. The energy label is about a building's energy performance, the IT-Label about its digital infrastructure. They measure different things and complement each other.

Does a better IT-Label help towards a better energy label?

Not directly: they are separate labels with their own methods. But smart building systems, such as climate control based on occupancy, help reduce energy use. And those systems also count towards the IT-Label.

When is the best time to combine sustainability and digitalisation?

During a refurbishment or major maintenance. When ceilings and installations are opened up anyway, adding cabling, spare conduits and sensors is little extra work. Doing it afterwards costs much more.

Doesn't IT use a lot of energy itself?

It is true that network equipment uses power. With a good design, efficient equipment and a proper technical room, it stays limited. And the savings smart systems deliver are often larger than what they use themselves.