Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions, according to EU data. A sustainable approach to developing distribution centres - some of the largest of these buildings - can help reduce these figures, so Prologis UK has put in place a strategy to minimise the carbon emissions of our new facilities.
The latest step in our approach is to install rooftop solar arrays on all speculative units. However, before we could do this we had to resolve a range of construction, maintenance, leasing and financial complications. The project has been a success and the buildings we now offer have integrated solar power that helps our customers reduce their carbon emissions and at the same time, cut operational costs.
To explain the project in more detail, we have written Raising the Roof on Sustainability, a Technical Insight that discusses our approach within a wider environmental context.
The areas we cover are:
- Importance of sustainability and cutting emissions
- Growth of solar power worldwide
- Challenges and barriers to solar adoption in distribution centres
- Taking a longer-term view – the Prologis UK approach
- DC9 Prologis Park Marston Gate case study