DTRE’s roundtable brought together sustainability leaders from across the industrial, logistics, and life sciences sectors – including occupiers, investors, developers, and advisers – representing a strong cross-section of the industry.
The conversation centred on one critical theme: power — who has it, who needs it and what comes next. Below, we share the latest, headline thinking from that group of industry thought leaders on a topic that is increasingly coming to define the future of the sector.
Key Takeaways
- The future of energy is a top concern for occupiers, with grid instability and escalating demands prompting serious questions about infrastructure readiness.
- Electrification is accelerating, particularly for van fleets, but the leap to HGVs brings new technical and operational hurdles.
- Scalable solutions such as microgrids, battery storage and multi-fuel strategies are emerging, but implementation is uneven and highly context-dependent.
1. Power Problems & Solutions
The electrification of logistics is accelerating and adequate power is considered fundamental for best-in-class developments. While solutions are starting to emerge, participants voiced a shared unease about the UK’s long-term energy outlook and existing infrastructure provision.
Some occupiers we heard from now require a minimum of 40% PV provision and options to expand. Yet the limitations of rooftop PV and battery systems, especially for occupiers operating 24/7 or managing large fleet, were barriers that were widely acknowledged.
The manufacturing of PV panels is also highly toxic, and 80% of the world’s panels are produced in China. Using European manufacturers could significantly reduce embodied carbon emissions due to lower transport requirements and more environmentally conscious production methods.
Flexibility to upgrade power infrastructure is what makes buildings best-in-class, as some urgently seek enhanced power supply options even if their current needs don’t require it. This highlights the importance of future-proofing developments and early planning.
2. Harnessing New Technologies
Attendees pointed to several innovations with the potential to solve the challenges set out above and to meet the industry’s broader sustainability ambitions.
Microgrids are increasingly recognised for their ability to provide resilient backup power. As questions continue to arise about the grid’s reliability, demand will rise. However, high costs and liability issues remain a barrier to adoption.
Nuclear and new renewable energy sources could also soon offer a stable solution to the UK’s energy crisis. SMR technology is expected to be operational in the UK before 2030, while Xlinks, a wind and solar farm in Morocco, will one day supply 11.5GW of clean energy to the UK.
In the nearer-term, battery swapping for vans offers significant potential to eliminate long downtimes – a critical concern in today’s industry. Similarly, advanced EV charging infrastructure, including cooled-cable systems, promise faster charging to meet the needs of heavy logistics.
Finally, there is a growing push for a multi-fuel model, with improved understanding of battery-electric, hydrogen and other options seen as key to unlocking decarbonisation in transport and logistics.
3. Meeting Organisational Challenges
More than technological innovation will be required to overcome the challenges discussed above. Even as sustainability ambitions rise, attendees pointed to significant internal and external challenges to meeting them.
Occupiers’ sustainability motivations vary. Sustainability has become a more contentious topic in recent months, leading to significant variation in approaches within the industry. Bringing everyone along on the journey will require solutions that can also stand on their economic merits, not just their sustainability credentials.
Tenant-landlord collaboration is therefore a key component in decarbonisation efforts, particularly with regard to heat pump installation or BMS integration. As levels of occupier engagement vary, it will remain critically important to demonstrate how such changes stand to benefit all involved.
For all parties, willingness to innovate must define the coming years. With such an array of exciting and disruptive new technologies coming over the horizon, we must all be prepared to embrace them at speed and at scale.