Ingka Centres, a shopping center operator, will install a photovoltaic park with 1.800 panels at MAR Shopping Algarve and 1.960 panels at MAR Shopping Matosinhos this year.
The parks are expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2023, allowing for the production of renewable energy. MAR Shopping Algarve will consume 85% of the energy produced and MAR Shopping Matosinhos 98%.
According to the European Environment Agency, fossil fuels continue to dominate: approximately 77% of the average European's energy needs are met using oil, gas, and coal. Nuclear energy satisfies 14% of these needs, while the remaining 9% is met using renewable energy sources. An average European consumes 27 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually, including all domestic, industrial, and transport uses. This number varies considerably depending on the country, as do the CO2 emissions associated with this consumption, which largely depend on the degree of use of nuclear energy and renewable energies.
Aware that energy consumption is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, Ingka Centres' Portuguese shopping centers have been reducing their consumption through the use of LED lighting and other equipment. MAR Shopping Algarve reduced its consumption by 14,2% last year compared to 2019. MAR Shopping Matosinhos reduced its consumption by 26,2%. Even so, both shopping centers only purchase 100% green electricity. “ I believe that our environmental strategy is visible to everyone, especially to those who visit us and, for example, appreciate our natural light, our efficient restrooms, among other aspects that we develop daily, some of which are invisible to the public. Our concept of sustainability, as with Ikea, goes even further, because we aim to be a platform where everyone can find information for a more conscious and happy lifestyle. That is why, in this international campaign, we remind our audiences of how important it is to unite so that small gestures can effectively change the world ,” explains Ana Machado, Communication Business Partner at Ingka Centres in Portugal.
BREEAM Certifications
It is worth remembering that Ingka Centres aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Energy efficiency and water and waste management are some of the areas where the two shopping centers have been most successful. This policy has earned both shopping centers BREEAM certifications. The Ingka centers, which emerged after 2016, such as MAR Shopping Algarve, were designed and built according to the criteria for obtaining the certificate in the New Construction category, a distinction that the Loulé space holds. Recently, both shopping centers achieved BREEAM certification in the In Use category, with MAR Shopping Algarve, which is over four years old, obtaining Excellent and Exceptional ratings in the areas of building performance and management, respectively, and MAR Shopping Matosinhos, which is over 12 years old, obtaining a Very Good rating.
The BREEAM New Construction certification monitors the sustainable performance of buildings during the design and construction phases, while the In-Use certification measures the same parameters, including building characteristics and management procedures.
