Almost everyone in real estate knows the energy label. It appears in every letting brochure, and offices in the Netherlands must have at least label C. The IT-Label is newer. It shows how good the digital infrastructure of a building is. At first sight the two have little in common. Yet it makes sense to look at them together.
Two labels, two questions
The energy label answers the question: how much energy does this building use, according to a fixed calculation? The IT-Label answers a different question: how well is the building connected, cabled and equipped with smart systems?
- The energy label runs from A++++ to G and is calculated by an energy performance adviser.
- The IT-Label runs from IT1+ to IT5 and is set after an audit with measurements.
Where they meet
The biggest savings in a commercial building are often not in new installations, but in better control. Heating and cooling where people are. Lights off in empty rooms. Ventilation based on measured CO2.
For that, sensors, meters and building services must be able to talk to each other. That happens over the network. And that network is exactly what the IT-Label assesses.
A building with a good IT-Label has the foundation to use energy smartly. A building without that foundation depends on manual settings.
What this means for you
Are you an owner? Then the combination of both labels shows how future-proof your building is. Are you a tenant? Then you know whether you can meet your own energy targets in the building. Are you an investor? Then you can see which buildings are ready for the next step, and which first need an investment in the digital foundation.
How to start
- Look up the current energy label.
- Take the free sustainability scan for a first indication of the IT-Label.
- Want certainty? Book a pre-inspection. Then we look at both sides together.
Read more about the difference on the page IT-Label and energy label.
