From the industrial to the modern age...

• Residential buildings with passive energy standard are built on an abandoned industrial site
• The complex was built with natural construction materials offering good thermal performance and high indoor comfort
• Buildings are designed according to the natural sun cycle using solar energy in several forms

Case di Luce in Italy consists of three sustainable passive energy premises built on an abandoned industrial site. It is an example of innovative and energy-efficient construction.

Setting the example

Is this the future of sustainable community living?

Pioneering building raises the standard

More than 40 % of the energy consumption in Finland is consumed in buildings. Accordingly, buildings have an important role in tackling climate change. A common problem is that owners do not know the energy consumption of their buildings due to lack of data and analysis tools. Even if there are measurements, only 10 % of the gathered data is further used for making decisions. Analytics could substantially improve the productivity of, for example, a standard building automation system.

Making the most of a vital resource

When low impact is a very good thing

Less waste, more profit

• Sandwich-maker targets food waste to save money
• A review reveals up to 80 % of waste can be recycled or reused

By selling leftovers from sandwich and wrap production, Dublin-based food-maker Freshways saves € 7 000 and earns an additional € 8 000 a year in a clear win-win for the company and the environment.

The big sustainable swap

• Sustainable solutions introduced by major catering services company
• The move away from single-use cups leads to big savings and environmental gains

Sodexo provides catering services to a large IT company based in Cork, Ireland which employs around 2 000 people. Every year, around 1.2 million paper cups were being used and then sent to landfill. Altogether, it cost about € 120 000 a year. 

Pressure goes down, savings go up

• Meat processor identifies excess water consumption during cleaning
• Calculations reveal where savings could be made but the end result maintained

An audit of water and energy usage at a Midlands pork meat processing factory revealed that a vast amount of hot water is being used to clean equipment on a daily basis. Typically, cleaning involves the use of high-pressure (triggered) hoses that spray hot water at temperatures ranging from 55º C to 65º C.