Could a competition help developers cut wasted energy?

Landsec, Savills and Stanhope are among nine participants in an initiative to improve energy performance by making small changes in their buildings.

Kicking off in the UK for the first time, CUBE challenges leading names in real estate to cut wasted energy over the course of one year.

The competition is designed to encourage closer collaboration between landlords, building managers and occupiers. CUBE gets participants to submit historic and ongoing energy data as they make “small interventions” to improve energy performance.

Though they will compete against each other to cut the most energy, CUBE wants participants to work together and share their knowledge and practice with each other.

Organised by Ampersand Partners alongside founder A4MT, the competition has run in France for six years and has previously included BNP Paribas, Carrefour and Orange.

Contenders have historically cut energy bills by 15%, while winners have cut them by more than 40%.

Kristin Marin, CUBE competition manager

Kristin Marin, who runs the competition in the UK, said: “In some cities, office buildings are losing a huge £60m in wasted energy annually, so it’s encouraging to see genuine commitment from a growing group of industry leaders joining together to effect long-lasting transformation and drive positive environmental impact.”

Small interventions can drive change

This year’s competition in the UK includes:

• Landsec with three buildings in London: One New Change, 80-100 Victoria Street and New Street Square
• Stanhope (working with Savills and Enjoy-Work) with four buildings in London: 2 Television Centre, White City Place MediaWorks, White City Place WestWorks and Chiswick Park Building 7
• Savills with five buildings
• The Office Group with two buildings in London
• Marylebone landlord The Howard de Walden Estate with 23 Queen Anne Street
• Developer The RO with two buildings: One Dorset Street in Southampton and GNR8 Clarendon Road in Watford
• XLB Property with three buildings in Manchester: The Tootal Buildings, 35 Dale Street and Fourways, all of which are Grade II listed
• Workspace with two buildings in London: The Leather Market in Bermondsey and The Frames in Shoreditch
• Investor and developer Dorrington with its own office at 14 Hans Road in London’s Knightsbridge

In previous years, CUBE has provided support, tools and ideas to participants to help them reduce energy consumption. This includes meeting innovative service providers that can give them an advantage.

Marin said: “CUBE is designed to inspire a fun, competitive spirit, demonstrating that small interventions in how we use buildings can add up to substantial changes in energy performance.

“We’re immensely proud of our pioneering group of early movers, and strongly encourage more landlords, occupiers, owners, building managers and employers to follow suit and join in.”