Occupants' Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Management Approach
As populations across the globe migrate from rural to urban areas, more people are leading modern, urban lifestyles, spending up to 90% of their time indoors. Hence, advanced building automation and dependable HVAC components are indispensable to meet the increasing demands for comfortable room climates and healthier indoor environments.
In 2021, Belimo committed to promoting indoor comfort globally in end-customer buildings by increasing the sales of field devices that have a positive impact on indoor air quality. The focus on retrofitting field devices in existing buildings represents the largest opportunity in this field, as most new constructions are already designed with these considerations.
Impact on Indoor Air Quality
To measure the positive impact of its field devices, Belimo tracks the volume of products sold into future RetroFIT+ projects. Sensors make it possible to monitor progress in improving indoor air quality and occupants' health. In 2024, the Sensors and Meters business line showed significant growth of 25.0% in local currencies.
Smart-Ready Buildings
There is increasing regulatory pressure, particularly in the EU, to disclose ESG indicators related to occupants' health and safety. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2024 (EPBD) was introduced to address the health and safety of building users alongside energy-related measures.
Article 15 of the EPBD specifies the assessment of buildings’ intelligent performance for non-residential buildings with an effective rated output heating system, air-conditioning system, or combined air-conditioning and ventilation system of more than 290 kW. Therefore, the so-called Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) is currently under consideration in the EU and will become a mandatory indicator in ESG reporting. The SRI can be used to demonstrate the indoor climate and to assess the technical maturity and intelligence of buildings. It provides a common basis for building stakeholders (e.g. owners, designers, solution providers, policymakers) to assess and discuss how to make buildings smarter and the benefits of doing so.
The SRI evaluates the so-called smart readiness of buildings (or building units) in terms of their ability to fulfil three key functions:
- Optimize energy efficiency and overall operational performance.
- Adapt operations to meet the health and safety needs of occupants.
- Adapt to signals from the electricity grid (e.g. energy flexibility).
Belimo supports the recognition of building smartness as a key factor for healthier, more comfortable buildings with reduced energy consumption. The company is actively monitoring the development and implementation of the EPBD to meet customer requirements for building intelligence.