Today, more than ever before, companies are required to act responsibly - towards society, their clients, their own employees and the environment. An interview with Andreas Wende, Head of Sustainability at Mobimo, on the importance of sustainability in the real estate industry, Mobimo's goals and measures, and their implementation in the Oberägeri project.
In all the things we do today, we ask ourselves: What contribution can we make as a company to be more sustainable?
In 2021, Mobimo set itself ambitious new targets for the reduction of CO2 emissions by 2050. For us, there is no question that, for example, our new buildings are ecologically certified and that we take sustainable operation and electric charging points into account from the outset. We are also investing in our property portfolio. The replacement of conventional heating systems and energetic renovations are particularly important here.
We will continue to focus on social aspects. By this we mean, in particular, high-quality living environments that focus on the health, well-being and safety of our customers and employees.
Mobimo owns and develops properties in prime locations. Customers have correspondingly high expectations of our products. In addition to traditional quality features such as functionality and architecture, these also include "sustainability features" such as energy efficiency, mobility and materials. In this sense, sustainability is part of an extended quality promise.
The Oberägeri project uses lake water from Lake Aegeri to provide almost CO2-neutral heating and cooling for the apartments. Only appliances with the highest energy efficiency class and LED lighting will be used. The energy efficiency is guaranteed by the Minergie certificate. The building's own photovoltaic system generates CO2-neutral electricity and the entrance hall offers the possibility of connecting to electric charging stations. The high-quality architecture, the well thought-out and attractive floor plans, the spacious terraces and seating areas, the communal open spaces and green areas and the breathtaking views all combine to create a high-quality living space for our clients.
For the production of energy from Lake Aegeri, a lake water intake is planned. The lake water will be taken from the lake at a depth of 22 metres below the mean water level, pumped to the underground lake water centre (Parcel 23) and extracted from the heat or cold via a plate heat exchanger. It is then returned to the lake via the return pipe. In the winter months, heat energy is extracted from Lake Aegeri, and in the summer months, heat energy is returned to the lake. Mobimo realised the plant. The municipalities of Unter- and Oberägeri are the future owners and operators of this combined heat and power plant. The individual buildings in the Mobimo development are not supplied with lake water, but with a water/ethanol mixture that is supplied with the heat/cold previously extracted from the lake water via the plate heat exchangers.
Each of the 10 buildings has its own PV system. Thanks to ZEV, the residents of a building can use the electricity produced by the building's own PV system together and benefit from lower electricity costs. For example, common areas, underground garages, building services systems or electric charging stations can be supplied with the electricity they produce themselves in a cost-effective and CO2-neutral manner, and surplus electricity can be sold to the grid operator. The ZEV participants have a common grid connection and act as a single customer to the grid operator. The community bills the electricity costs independently via an external billing manager and benefits from the low-cost, sustainable electricity.
We are convinced that great progress can only be made if everyone understands the meaning of our sustainability goals and our fundamental attitude. By "everyone" we mean our partners and customers, but above all our employees. Our aim is for all our employees not only to understand and live sustainability, but also to put their heart and soul into ensuring that the processes and products for which they are responsible are sustainable.