Contribution to Energy Efficiency
Management Approach
With a warming global climate and increasingly tighter building envelopes, the shift in global energy demand from heating to cooling will continue. While improved insulation reduces primary energy use in buildings, it also raises ventilation requirements. Belimo’s field devices contribute to energy-efficient solutions by enhancing HVAC system efficiency and helping reduce the building-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This aligns with Belimo’s commitment to mitigating global warming.
Belimo's contribution to energy efficiency can be made transparent on three levels: company, project, and product.
- To quantify the energy efficiency and assess the positive impact during the use phase of field devices, Belimo is in the process of, at company level, revising a model to calculate avoided emissions (Scope 4) in accordance with the latest internationally recognized guidance.
- On a project level, Belimo demonstrates its impact on energy, carbon, and cost savings during the use-phase through selected RetroFIT+ case studies.
- On a product level, Environmental Declarations Type III (Environmental Product Declarations) and Environmental Declarations Type II (Manufacturer Self Declarations) are essential tools used for showcasing relevant environmental product information.
Company Level - Avoided Emissions (Scope 4)
Buildings consume 40% of the world's energy, with HVAC systems accounting for 40% of this consumption. Therefore, the smart control of HVAC systems significantly impacts global energy efficiency. As defined by EN ISO 52120-1, smart building automation and control systems (BACS) have a material impact on the energy efficiency of HVAC systems, achieving savings between 29% (Class C) and 55% (Class A) of energy consumption compared to systems without controls.
Belimo’s field devices play a decisive role in achieving these energy savings and reducing emissions. In 2019, Belimo introduced its "Impact Model" to disclose carbon savings across the lifecycle of its field devices. By calculating the average savings of an air-side and a water-side actuator multiplied by units sold, Belimo's field devices contributed to avoiding 7.8 million tons of CO2e in 2024.
In 2025, Belimo will refine the methodology and documentation of its avoided emissions reporting, in accordance with the latest available guidelines.
Project Level - RetroFIT+ Case Studies
With only 2% of the world’s annual building stock being comprised of newly constructed buildings, retrofitting existing buildings provides the most significant global opportunity for reducing GHG emissions and increasing energy efficiency. However, the renovation rate must double to meet the ambitious climate targets stipulated by initiatives such as the European Green Deal. Upgrading existing buildings requires highly skilled engineers and technicians, which creates capacity constraints. Consequently, Belimo’s RetroFIT+ initiative aims to support customers in overcoming bottlenecks and streamlining retrofit processes.
In 2024, Belimo has developed the RetroFIT+ Assessment Tool to transparently and consistently report on energy, carbon and cost savings achieved with RetroFIT+ projects. The RetroFIT+ Assessment Tool provides the foundational data for case studies. RetroFIT+ case studies can be found on the Belimo website: Belimo RetroFIT+ Case Finder
Product Level - Environmental Declarations Type II and Type III
The Environmental Declaration Type II (ISO 14021) is an internationally recognized standard that allows companies to self-declare the environmental performance of their products. The self-declaration is partly based on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and includes several environmental attributes such as CO2 data, materials declaration, and information on REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) regulations, though it is not externally verified. Belimo has internally developed manufacturer self-declarations for its entire product portfolio, available on the Belimo website.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are Environmental Declarations Type III (ISO 14025, EN 15804) that document a product’s environmental impact based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA; ISO 14040 series). EPDs are externally verified by a certified program operator and are valid for five years. Belimo is currently establishing an EPD program across its entire product portfolio.