“There’s much to be gained by making business premises more sustainable”

INNAX and ABN AMRO go back all the way to 1983, when INNAX became a sustainability partner of what was then known as Amro Bank. Yet the ABN AMRO Sustainable Impact Fund’s new stake in INNAX means the two organisations are deepening their relationship further still.

Energy as a service

“The Sustainable Impact Fund’s investment strategy focuses on three key themes: energy transition, circularity and social impact,” explains Investment Manager Thijs Nijland. “So far, we’ve mainly invested in clean energy projects involving wind or solar energy. But by investing in INNAX, we’re now promoting energy efficiency and energy conservation. That’s important because a significant proportion of carbon emissions are generated in the built environment.”

INNAX helps companies in numerous sectors make their business premises sustainable. “Most building owners don’t focus on energy conservation as part of their core business,” explains Philip Blaauw, director and founder of INNAX. “We’re a lot like an IT company in the sense that we provide solutions as a service. Energy efficiency alone can result in savings of up to 15 per cent.”

Detailed data on energy consumption

Using data, INNAX produces accurate, reliable stocktakes of individual buildings and even entire portfolios. These analyses provide the basis for advice and recommendations as to how a business can become more sustainable. It even offers solar panel and heat pump installations as a service. And because INNAX continues to own the equipment, it’s responsible for performance and maintenance, which means the owner of the building can focus on their core business. Clients can further take advantage of INNAX’s Paris-Proof Monitor, an online dashboard giving them on-demand information relating to their energy consumption and the road to 2030 and 2050.

Philip says, “Thanks to detailed data, companies can see, sometimes right up to the minute, just how efficient their energy consumption is. These data also enable us to follow up with further research and improvements. Our intelligent software gives us information on each building and the measures and investments necessary for it to become Paris-proof (i.e. meeting the criteria set out in the Paris climate accord). In a nutshell, that means average energy consumption per square metre needs to be reduced to 50 kWh per square metre per year.”

Legislation

Some companies are hesitant, though, wondering whether it might be better to hold off until solutions have evolved or whether investments in sustainability will pay off in the foreseeable future. But the time for procrastination is over. Aside from the moral necessity to make society more sustainable, the Dutch government is also introducing increasingly tougher legislation. Indeed, the Environmental Management Act (Wet milieubeheer) now requires companies and institutions to take energy-saving measures. Plus all office buildings must have earned at least an energy label C by 1 January 2023.

Thijs says, “INNAX is about showing businesses that all the answers are already out there. The time for dithering and ‘wait and see’ is over. Now is the time to take action.”

“Obviously, it’s totally understandable if there are doubts about the practical side of things,” Philip adds. “And that’s precisely why we make sustainability manageable and transparent. Fortunately, we’re seeing that more and more entrepreneurs are ‘getting it’ – they want to take responsibility for their own energy supply using solar panels, batteries or energy-saving and -recovery solutions.”

A win-win situation

Now that ABN AMRO is on board, INNAX is stepping up its operations. Philip says, “We’re a mission-driven company, and making buildings more sustainable is key to that mission. In ABN AMRO, we have a shareholder that not only invests but also actively thinks along with us, and shares its network and knowledge, thereby contributing to further growth and to making buildings more sustainable.”

Thijs, too, says he sees ABN AMRO and INNAX as natural partners: “INNAX analyses energy consumption and carbon emissions to come up with targeted sustainability solutions. Not only are sustainable buildings more marketable, but they also incur fewer risks and lower costs. This, in turn, benefits the users of the building, INNAX, ABN AMRO and, of course, the environment. It’s a real win-win situation.”