| Summary: | More efficient energy consumption is essential to secure a sustainable future, not least within the building and real estate sector which answers for approximately 40 % of the EU countries total energy consumption. One part of EU: s work to reduce the energy consumption is the directive on energy performance of buildings which among other things have lead to stricter demands on energy performance in new and renovated buildings. One of the difficulties with making buildings more energy effective is that it often demands big investments and although it results in lower operating costs the extent of these savings and therefore also the repayment time can be difficult to decide beforehand. To make it interesting for property owners and also tenants to invest in energy efficient buildings powerful incentives are needed. Favorable loans to energy efficiency projects are one example of governmental instruments that have been tested in other European countries with good results. Reduced operating costs appear to be the main incentive for property owners to make their buildings more energy efficient. The best result of an energy efficiency project is usually achieved by cooperation between property owners and tenants but in order to make that interesting it is important that both parts can profit from the savings. This has led to the development of different kinds of leases with incentives, for example green leases. Furthermore long term cooperation between property owners and contractors is crucial to achieve a good result when technical measures are performed. In addition to the immediate economic gains that can be made by renting out or operating in properties with high energy – and environmental performance it can be used as a part of the company’s marketing strategy to send out an environmentally conscious image. The result from the questionnaire survey that has been performed in this report, with representatives from property owners and tenants, shows that the stakeholders that have tried green leases and other innovative concepts are content with the result. Although there are many good incentives and methods to perform energy efficiency measures the result from this study also shows that many stakeholders are hesitant to try new methods. More information from successful projects is probably a good way to reduce the doubts. Through more information the advantages with energy efficient properties, leases with incentives and cooperation between stakeholders can be highlighted which is an important part in order to achieve the energy goals.
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