Green apartments are a golden profit? “They break records of profitability”

In the face of rising energy prices, high inflation and more and more restrictive environmental norms, sustainable construction ceases to be only a fashionable slogan.

Experts of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal emphasize that certificates such as Breeam, Leed or Well, which have so far associated mainly with office buildings, are more and more boldly entering the housing sector. Effect? Higher rents, more attractive sales prices and a real investment advantage for the owners of “green” apartments.

A boom for green apartments?

As experts notice, relatively recently such concepts as “Green Apartment” or “Zero Emisian building” were associated mainly with the vision of architects-Futurist.

– In 2025 it is already a market reality striving for the status of norms – says Jarosław Jędrzyński, expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.

He points to the EY Polska report “Real Estate Guide 2025”, according to which over one -fifth of new housing investments in the largest native metropolises have an ecological certificate, and another 35 percent. It is implemented in a standard enabling it to be obtained.

– The growing ecological awareness of Poles goes hand in hand with financial pragmatism: buyers and tenants are increasingly counting the total cost of maintaining the property, not just the purchase price or the amount of rent. That is why customers of sales offices are increasingly asking about certificates, and soon the vast majority of them may show such interest. This is one of the more serious challenges for developers who will be forced to adapt not only technologies, but perhaps also margin calculations to green certification standards – notes the real estate market analyst.

How do they save green apartments?

Energy -saving installations – from heat pumps and solar panels to recuperation – can reduce electricity bills and heating by 30-50 percent. An example apartment 60 sq m in the NF40 standard generates annual savings of 3-4 thousand. PLN, with maximum energy demand up to 40 kWh/sq m per year, while in traditional buildings it is even three times higher.

As the expert emphasizes, in order to achieve such high parameters, one should take into account the increase in construction costs that reach the level of 15-25 percent. depending on the technologies used.

– In this case, the requirements for the quality of thermal insulation, mechanical ventilation efficiency with heat recovery, tightness in air flow or energy -saving heating systems are much higher – says Jędrzyński.

In his opinion, such an investment therefore requires noticeably more expenditure, which, however, already pay back in the perspective of several years, and not counting the possibility of using the funding in this case.

– As a result, tenants are ready to pay a higher rent if they receive low and predictable operational fees in return. In practice, this means a lower vacancy rate for investors and a longer rental period without interruptions – notes the expert.

The real estate market is entering the green revolution

Studies Knight Frank, EY and BNP Paribas Real Estate Polska show that flats with an ecological certificate achieve 5-15 percent on the secondary market. Higher prices than comparable premises without such a standard. Buyers see in them an investment resistant to future energy prices and rising legal requirements.

As the expert indicates, in the main metropolises of the country, the volume of green certificates is already growing at a double -digit rate every year, and in the higher segments of apartments certification is already becoming a standard.

– Smaller centers will soon follow the largest. Probably in the perspective of two or three years investments without confirmed emission can be seen as the second category – says Jędrzyński.

Expert: “Green apartments are a matter of an economic account”

The real estate market analyst emphasizes that the revision of the EPBD directive of December 2023 determines new ambitions in the scope of new Net-Zero construction, deepening the modernization of existing buildings or changes in power supply systems-this will be a key change.

-From 2030, all new buildings will have to be zero-emission net, forcing changes in the method of heating for non-e-mail. The wave of modernization of existing buildings, both utility and residential, is to be modernized by 2033–35. By 2031, PV panels will be widely used in new construction and part of the existing non -residential construction – explains Jędrzyński.

In his opinion, it is the reason why balanced real estate has ceased to be only a niche curiosity, already becoming probably the most distinguishing market segment, which attracts long -term investors.

– Lower maintenance costs, greater interest of tenants, price bonus at sales and preferential financing conditions mean that in 2025 investing in “green” apartments is not only a matter of ecology, but above all … an economic account – sums up Jędrzyński.