In a recent blog, Katrina Mackay (Savills) emphasises that there can be a marked difference between how efficient a building should be, based on its design, and how efficient it actually is in practice. This is because efficiency depends on how the building is used and relies on the occupiers to maximise the potential of the space. 

Now more than ever, landlords need to have accurate data on the energy efficiency of their buildings, not least because this information is more often becoming a requirement of funders and purchasers. On the other hand, tenants do not want their businesses constantly interrupted by requests for meter readings and other such information. It is, therefore, likely that we will see a rise in the installation of technology that allows landlords to access real time data across their portfolios. This will have the added bonus of allowing landlords to ensure the optimum comfort of the building's environment.

This technology may not be welcome by all tenants, some of which may want to ensure that their energy usage is not publicised. Some businesses, by their nature, will not lend themselves as well to reducing energy consumption as others.

The key to reducing the overall environmental impact will be co-operation and collaboration. Tenants will need to allow landlords to access the information they need to allow them to implement changes to streamline energy reporting and reduce consumption. Landlords will need to be sensitive to tenants' business needs and, in some cases, their need for confidentiality. It will be for property managers to provide support to align both parties' interests as closely as possible. As Mackay notes, "for the foreseeable future,  property managers’ remit will be broader and more collaborative than ever".