Sustainability Report

The Plus will generate 50 precent less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional factory.

“The building fulfils the FutureBuilt ZERO* criteria for low emission buildings. This means that the building can be said to be in line with Norway’s commitments to the Paris agreement.” (Source: Vestre Plus One Impact Report, 2021)

Greenhouse gas emissions (Source: Vestre Plus One Impact Report, 2021)

Concrete: To reduce emissions, low-carbon class A concrete was used. This represents approximately 430 tCO2e, which is about 25 percent of the building’s overall material footprint. The majority of the concrete is used in the ground slab, and it was sourced locally from the Kongsvinger area.

Insulation: The EPS insulation (expanded polystyrene insulation) required for the slab and roof of the building represents approximately 350 tons of CO2e. To further reduce emissions, EPS from Norway was chosen, and wood fibre insulation was selected for the exterior walls. Hunton provided the insulation, while Icopal supplied the roof insulation. The insulation was sourced locally from Gjøvik.

Glass and aluminium: The wide-stretched glass facade, spanning almost 2,000 square metres, is crafted from high-quality insulation glass with Hydro CIRCAL aluminium around its edges, sourced from Norway. This facade alone represents approximately 190 tonnes of CO2e. The glass was sourced from Reflex in Slovenia, while the aluminium came from Hydro. Notably, CIRCAL has a post-consumer content exceeding 75 percent, resulting in eight times lower emissions compared to conventional aluminium.

Wood: The chosen structural bearing system in massive wood significantly reduced emissions. Massive wood is supplied by WoodCon and represents approximately 180 tCO2e. The CLT walls, floors, and roofs are produced by Stora Enso in Karlstad, while the glulam is produced by Moelven at Ringsaker.

*FutureBuilt ZERO establishes guidelines for the maximum emissions a building can contribute to global warming potential throughout its lifespan.

The carbon footprint of The Plus is as low as 6.70 kg CO2eq/m2/year, based on FutureBuilt ZERO and with an expected lifetime of 60 years. (Source: Vestre)

The Plus has an efficiency rating of A+ and will generate around 250,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year. Vestre will only use electric vehicles for its transportation needs.

Several sustainable interventions contribute to The Plus having approximately 90 percent lower energy demands compared to a conventional factory. Interventions include:

• During the construction process, emission-free machinery was used 
• The Plus is built with geothermal wells, heat pumps, and an ice water plant for cooling and heat storage
• 900 rooftop photovoltaic panels, placed and angled to maximise solar efficiency, generate 250,000 kWh of renewable energy per year
• Green roofs
• Rainwater collection systems
• EV charging