Certified success

Developers in Poland often like to talk about the green features of their buildings and how much energy they save. It’s now even become regular practice to install solar panels to power the lighting in common areas and to collect rainwater – as well planting green areas, creating rain gardens and installing smart home management systems that are not only designed to please technophiles and gadget lovers but also to reduce electricity usage. Their press materials also wax lyrical about the use of high-quality materials to ensure users’ health and well-being. But at the same time, when you look at the huge number of developments, it is still surprisingly rare for Polish residential developers to confirm the environmental advantages they claim for their projects in the form of obtaining official certificates. Just a few numbers Prior to 2015, not even one residential building in Poland had been BREEAM certified, and even now only about 20–30 residential buildings