How to Choose the Best Sustainability Features in Industrial Real Estate – Top 10 to Consider

Sustainable features in commercial buildings do more than just reduce your building’s carbon footprint – they can also slash your utility bills, create a healthier workplace for your team, and increase property values.

Whether you’re a tenant searching for an industrial location with the most important sustainability aspects, an investor choosing the highest-impact adds, or anyone looking for easy ways to create a greener building, this article will explore the top features to consider for sustainable properties.

Why Does Sustainability Matter?

In 2022, direct and indirect industrial greenhouse gas emissions were the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, accounting for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. And without sustainability practices being put in place, the environmental impact of these buildings and others will continue to rise. 

One study found that from 2020 to 2060, the world is expected to add about 2.6 trillion square feet in buildings globally. This rapid growth is comparable to adding the entire footprint of New York City to the world every month.

No one strategy will mitigate the negative impacts of the carbon emissions, energy usage, waste generation, water consumption, and human health repercussions that these new and existing builds will have. However, many small changes can add up to significant results. 

But sustainability in industrial buildings has farther-reaching impacts than simply reducing emissions and conserving natural resources. Top sustainability features also lower operating expenses, meet locational regulations, support employee health and productivity, and boost corporate image. 

Let’s take a closer look at how they can help:

• Reduced operating expenses. Features such as LED lighting, smart thermostats, and low-flow plumbing fixtures directly reduce utility costs, offering long-term cost savings over the life of a lease.
• ESG and regulatory expectations. Many corporate occupiers are increasingly requiring industrial facilities that support sustainability goals and a reduced footprint. And in North Carolina, municipal and state policies are continuing to emphasize reduced energy consumption, positioning sustainable buildings more favorably in the Charlotte market and beyond.
• Worker health, productivity, and retention. Better indoor air quality through HEPA filters and systems, thermal comfort, and lighting support can have a significant impact on employee health and cognitive function, increasing productivity and improving retention in labor-tight industrial markets.
• Improved corporate image. The pursuit of sustainable practices improves corporate image by creating trust and aligning with consumer values. One study found that 68% of consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products. 

Green Building Rating Systems

Several green building rating systems are in place to help assess a building’s environmental sustainability from a third-party standpoint. Some of the most common ones you’ll see include:

• LEED. As the most widely-used rating system, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally-recognized framework that gives buildings points for certain sustainability categories. It includes features within the design, construction, and operation portions of a structure. A building with a LEED certification has met meticulous standards for sustainable practices in reduced energy, water, and waste, environmental quality, and more.
• WELL. The WELL certification is another popular certification program in the world of green buildings, focused on creating healthy buildings for the purpose of supporting the health of employees. It’s used by numerous Fortune 500 companies including IBM, Uber, Citi, Netflix, and many others.
• Green Globes. Green Globes is a certification offered by the Green Building Initiative – a non-profit organization that offers four levels of certification. Its goal is to help certified buildings lower energy and water bills, reduce emissions, improve health, and minimize waste within the building. 
• Others, including BREEAM, Energy Star, Fitwel, and Living Building Challenge (LBC)

Achieving these and other certifications not only allows building owners, managers, and project teams to hone in on specific sustainability guiding principles, but also to communicate performance to investors and tenants. 

And for tenants, they provide a trusted third-party opinion as to the true sustainability of specific industrial building options. 

Top 10 Sustainable Features for Industrial Buildings

What sustainability features are most important in industrial sectors? 

Here are 10 of the top sustainable building features to consider, whether you’re an investor looking for the most efficient adds or a tenant prioritizing lower utility bills and employee health.

1. Energy-Efficient HVAC Systems
2. LED Lighting
3. HEPA Filters and Systems
4. Smart Thermostats
5. Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures
6. Building Automation Systems
7. High-Efficiency Geothermal Systems
8. Solar Panels
9. Wind Turbines
10. Green Roofs

1. Energy-Efficient HVAC Systems

HVAC systems account for a significant portion of any building’s energy usage – often 40%-60%. Because of this, it’s naturally a common place to start when considering how to create a more sustainable building and lower energy costs.

Switching to energy-efficient HVAC systems leads to energy savings not only because they’re more efficient, but also because they’re more precise. Sensors, demand-controlled ventilation, and other advanced controls can lead to more exact usage where it’s needed in the building. 

Replacing conventional boilers with high-efficiency condensing boilers, adding modern rooftop units, and implementing automated technologies with smart controls can reduce energy usage and operational costs in industrial buildings by as much as 20%-40% or more. 

2. LED Lighting

Switching from incandescent bulbs to LED lighting is another really common upgrade, both because it’s fairly easy to do and because it can make a big impact. Many energy-efficient lighting options use up to 75% less energy, and also have a much longer lifespan than incandescent lights (up to 25x longer). 

Compared to many other energy-efficient building upgrades, LED lighting offers quick payback for the cost, often paying itself off in just a couple of years. 

In industrial buildings, another significant benefit of LED lighting is that it reduces maintenance costs, especially in tall warehouses where lamp replacements are disruptive and require lifts. 

In addition to upgrading light bulbs, adding occupancy sensors is another high-impact way to reduce energy loss when it comes to building lighting.

3. HEPA Filters and Systems

The concern for escalating pollution levels is increasing across the country, especially in major cities. While installing HEPA air filtration systems doesn’t cut down on operational costs (although some can reduce HVAC strain and thus cut energy costs), they can have a significant positive impact on employee health. Removing hazardous airborne contaminants greatly improves indoor air quality and reduces the risks of allergies, respiratory diseases, and other long-term illnesses, thus impacting worker productivity, well-being, and retention. 

HEPA stands for “high efficiency particulate air” filter, and according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, can remove 99.97% or more of dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria with a size of 0.3 microns (µm) from the air. 

In industrial spaces with fumes, dust, and other particulates, integrating HEPA filters into HVAC systems can significantly reduce the risk of respiratory issues while also meeting compliance standards. 

4. Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats can improve energy savings and support sustainable building design by cutting down on unnecessary run time for HVAC systems. When it comes to green building practices, smart thermostats are fairly easy to install and typically pay for themselves within a year or two.

They allow energy use to be managed from within the building or outside of it, enabling temperature setbacks during nights, weekends, and low-occupancy shifts. The remote access they provide can also allow facility teams to catch issues quickly.

5. Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Low-flow plumbing fixtures and toilets effectively reduce water usage and can save up to 30% of water annually in modern commercial buildings. While they’re labeled “low-flow”, they actually work to produce a more consistent water pressure rather than weak pressure in systems. 

Installing low-flow fixtures aids in water conservation, thus reducing the environmental footprint of a building. In addition, it can also reduce energy consumption and hot water demand. 

One caution is to be careful when prioritizing water efficiency in older buildings, since installation of low-flow fixtures can damage very old piping. 

6. Building Automation Systems

Building automation systems effectively integrate HVAC, lighting, security, and other loads, helping to ensure that systems match occupancy and production schedules within the building. 

Using real-time monitoring and adaptive controls, a centrally-automated system allows facility operators to effectively track peak hours and energy usage in order to improve the overall efficiency of a building, thus reducing energy use and minimizing carbon emissions.

7. High-Efficiency Geothermal Systems 

Geothermal systems aren’t possible in every building or location, but when they’re available, they can save 30%-60% in heating and cooling costs, while also greatly reducing emissions. 

Geothermal systems work by exchanging temperatures with below-ground-level temperatures through ground-source heat pumps, thus using the earth’s stable temperatures to heat or cool the building.

While these systems are costly to install and maintain, geothermal heat pumps can be highly effective at reducing natural gas consumption and carbon emissions, and can pay off for owner-occupied buildings or long-hold industrial projects. 

8. Solar Panels

Solar panels are especially ideal for high-bay warehouses with large roof areas. While solar panels can be expensive to install, for landlords and long-term tenants, they can generate significant savings over time, not to mention environmental benefits.

By converting sunlight into electricity on a large scale, rooftop solar units can produce significant amounts of energy, reduce reliance on the grid, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources

North Carolina and many other areas offer both state-specific and federal incentives for installing solar power.

9. Wind Turbines

In many areas, small rooftop wind turbines can be another viable option for harvesting electricity through wind power and reducing reliance on the grid as well as reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources. 

The space requirement for wind turbines is not practical for every building, but for tall, reinforced concrete buildings in open areas, a large or mini wind turbine can generate long-term cost savings and may also be entitled to state or federal incentives.

10. Green Roofs

A green roof is a roofing system created with live plants for the purposes of:

• Extending roof life
• Promoting energy efficiency and insulation
• Managing and reducing rainwater runoff
• Contributing to a sustainable environment, improving air quality, and capturing airborne pollutants

Green roofs are typically created using low-growing plants and a shallow root system in order to create a reliable, mini-ecosystem that helps the building to maintain heat in the winter, block heat in the summer, and manage flooding from storms.

In the world of green industrial buildings, the trend of green roofs is growing both in the United States and around the world. 

The city of Charlotte offers specifics on green roof design ideals, construction, and maintenance. 

What Sustainable Features Can Be Easily Added to a Commercial Building?

If you’re looking for small but effective ways to make your existing building more sustainable, or just to reduce operational expenses a bit, here are a few features that can be added to nearly any industrial building.

• Recycling bins. Adding clearly-labeled recycling bins for cardboard, paper, metals, plastics, and pallets makes recycling convenient for employees and cuts landfill costs.
• Environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Switching to low-VOC, third-party certified cleaning products improves indoor air quality and reduces exposure to chemicals for employees.
• Greenery. Indoor plants in lobbies, offices, and break areas support indoor air quality. Native, drought-tolerant outdoor landscaping reduces flooding and creates resilient landscapes.
• Sub-meters and plug-load controls. Sub-meters for key loads (process lines, HVAC, and compressed air) help identify energy-saving opportunities. Smart strips and timers on office and break-room equipment cut plug loads during nights and weekends for cost savings.
• Occupancy and daylight sensors. Light sensors in warehouses, restrooms, offices, and corridors reduce lighting run time during low use or when sunlight is sufficient.

What Green Principles Matter for New Construction?

When it comes to real estate development, prioritizing key features in sustainability can create high-performance buildings that better support the natural environment, use fewer natural resources, lower carbon emissions, and reduce energy usage and operational costs.

Some top features to prioritize for industrial development include:

• Building orientation. Capturing useful daylight while minimizing harsh east- and west-facing solar gain decreases heating and cooling loads. Roof slopes and equipment layout maximize solar-ready areas.
• High-performance envelope. Exceeding insulation requirements and detailing loading docks, joints, and penetrations to limit air leakage reduces thermal bridging.
• Plan for renewables and future technologies. During the building process, designing structural systems, electrical infrastructure, and roofs to accommodate future solar arrays, energy storage, EV charging, and equipment such as advanced heat pumps makes later upgrades less expensive.
• Site and stormwater resilience. Prioritizing low-water landscaping and sustainable design with drought-tolerant plants reduces irrigation and improves long-term site resilience. Green infrastructure such as green roofs, swales, and appropriate grading helps manage heavy rainfall.

Take the First Step to Find Your Next Sustainable Building in Charlotte, NC

Finding the right industrial building in Charlotte is much easier when you have an experienced guide on your team. From understanding regional-specific sustainability practices and incentives to identifying not-yet-listed properties, Brian Smith, CCIM and SIOR, brings unmatched experience and knowledge blended with a genuine interest in each client’s needs. 

Whether you’re searching for your next sustainable investment, working to attract quality tenants, or looking for an environmentally-conscious building to lease, Brian Smith and the Regent Commercial Real Estate team are here to guide you through the Charlotte market. 

Request your free market report or contact us today.