How to make buildings sustainable and healthy

Sustainable building: energy, renovation and environmental impact

For a long time, the energy performance of buildings has been assessed on the basis of regulatory calculations, labels or technical choices linked to construction, materials, wood, etc. These approaches have made it possible to reduce certain energy consumption levels. While these approaches have helped to reduce energy consumption in some cases, they are now showing their limitations when it comes to the reality of building use and the overall functioning of the building's energy system.

In many renovation and construction projects, discrepancies between expected and actual performance can reach 20-30%. These discrepancies are often due to inadequate consideration of usage, energy consumption, ventilation systems and occupant behavior. A building that is energy-efficient but poorly exploited in terms of its system can see its environmental impact and carbon footprint increase.

The energy transition therefore calls for a more responsible approach, based on real, continuous data that can be exploited over time, in order to optimize each system and sustainably improve overall performance.

Indoor air quality and health in buildings

IAQ is now recognized as a major public health issue. It depends on many factors linked to architecture, which raises the question of how these parameters should be taken into account: building materials, products used, water management, waste, technical equipment and climatic conditions, and how they interact with each other within the architecture.

The main pollutants present in architecture include carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds and fine particles, as well as humidity and temperature. Understanding how these pollutants are formed, how they accumulate and how they diffuse, enables us to better apprehend their impact on occupants' health, comfort, concentration and productivity.

According to the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), the socio-economic cost of poor Indoor Air Quality in France amounts to almost 19 billion euros per year, affecting companies, local authorities and regions. Identifying how to improve IAQ thus becomes an essential lever for sustainable architecture and overall performance.

Measuring Indoor Air Quality to limit environmental impact

Indoor Air Quality is a dynamic phenomenon. One-off audits are no longer enough to support the ecological transition of the building sector. To limit drift, reduce consumption, act on energy and limit environmental impact, it is necessary to rely on continuous measurement tools.

Today, IoT sensors are a key tool for collecting reliable, storable and usable data. These tools make it possible to control ventilation systems, optimize energy consumption, reduce carbon and sustainably improve quality of life in buildings, homes and collective housing.

BMS, tools and solutions for building management in France

Building Management Systems (BMS) have established themselves as a structuring and responsible tool for managing sustainable buildings. By integrating Indoor Air Quality data, BMS enables a global and responsible approach, combining energy, health, comfort and the environment, while acting responsibly on energy consumption, heat, water and technical systems management.

Nexelec solutions are fully in line with this responsible approach. They support companies, local authorities and the construction industry in their renovation and sustainable building projects, whether for housing or commercial buildings. These solutions provide easy-to-deploy, interoperable measurement tools tailored to responsible building management, in line with a responsible approach to energy sobriety, waste reduction and limiting impact on resources.

Towards sustainable, responsible, high-performance buildings

At a time of energy transition, IAQ is becoming an essential pillar of eco-friendly sustainable buildings. By combining renovation, construction, choice of materials, measurement tools, data, BMS and IoT, it is becoming possible to design and operate buildings that are healthier, more sober and more respectful of the eco environment.

IAQ is no longer a secondary issue. It is now at the heart of the building sector's challenges, serving health, energy management, carbon reduction and the sustainable performance of projects in France with an eco approach.

Sustainable building, energy and the environment: meeting the sector's challenges

Today, the building industry is at the heart of the energy transition and environmental protection. Every construction or renovation project must integrate energy efficiency, energy consumption control, environmental impact reduction and lower carbon emissions. The aim is to meet quality, comfort, health and energy efficiency requirements.

Energy renovation is based on structuring choices of materials, such as wood, window performance, heat management and optimized technical systems. These choices have a direct impact on energy consumption, building performance, IAQ and occupant health.

Companies, public authorities and local authorities rely on measurement solutions to control energy consumption. This makes it possible to monitor consumption, take action on energy, reduce the carbon footprint and improve the energy consumption of buildings throughout their lifetime.

According to Ademe, IAQ is a major challenge for the health and performance of buildings. Integrating IAQ into construction and renovation projects makes it possible to meet environmental challenges, improve comfort, limit energy consumption and reinforce the value of sustainable buildings in the region.

BMS and IoT solutions are thus becoming essential tools for controlling buildings, reducing environmental impact, optimizing energy and supporting the energy transition in France's building sector.