As the industry moves towards in-use verification and operational energy accountability, experts are warning that compliance-led sustainability strategies risk overlooking the systems that materially affect how buildings perform in real-world settings.
New research has revealed that 42% of construction professionals say that they rarely consider sustainability beyond basic compliance, while 61% say regulation remains the primary driver of sustainable innovation.
The research, commissioned by PEW Electrical, comes as the industry faces increasing regulatory and client pressure to demonstrate in-use energy performance, alongside rising energy costs and growing scrutiny around the gap between design-stage intent and real-world outcomes.
Looking at building services specifically, it found that almost half (47%) of construction professionals do not measure the carbon reduction or operational efficiency of the lifts they design or install, raising concerns about how building performance is being managed as net zero requirements tighten.
The findings also highlight persistent barriers to the adoption of energy-efficient lift systems. Nearly half (49%) of respondents cite cost as the main obstacle, while 29% point to limited technical knowledge across the sector.
Jason Clark, registered engineer and Chairman at PEW Electrical, said: “The industry is under increasing pressure to prove how buildings perform in use, not just how they are designed on paper. What this research shows is that many still view sustainability as a tick-box exercise, meaning we’re missing out on energy efficiencies that could make a big difference to performance and, particularly in the current climate, running costs, too.
“This issue is especially prevalent in vertical transport systems, which are often overlooked, but account for an average of 8% of a building’s overall electricity consumption[1].”
Demand for sustainable lift solutions is also uneven across the market. Refurbishment and retrofit projects are currently driving the most interest (34%), while public sector schemes are identified as the weakest area of demand (29%).
The findings also show that nearly half (49%) of professionals believe the lift sector is lagging behind other areas of construction in sustainable system design. Yet, only 15% of respondents say that the options for improving lift sustainability are limited, indicating that the tools and technologies do exist within the market.
Eur Ing Prof Dave Cooper, CEO of LECS UK added: “There’s no doubt that there energy efficiency gains are being left on the table when it comes to lifts for both new installations and refurbishment projects.
“Our team of independent consulting engineers is increasingly specifying energy-efficient lift systems as standard, particularly on large-scale construction and refurbishment projects targeting BREEAM accreditation. But the best outcomes are always achieved when we are engaged at the earliest design stage.”
Clark concluded: “The industry has made progress; there’s no doubt about that. However, parts of the supply chain are still catching up.
“As a collective, we need to move away from seeing sustainability merely as a compliance issue and focus instead on its impact on building performance. Because at a time when energy costs remain volatile, understanding how systems perform in-use, having a grasp on the tools that are available, and knowing how to upgrade them to enhance performance isn’t just a sustainability issue, it’s a commercial one.”
“At PEW, we’re encouraging customers, partners and the wider supply chain to consider critical building systems like lifts from the earliest stages of a project—embedding them into broader energy and carbon strategies, rather than treating them in isolation.
“Because if we’re striving for progress, the tools are already there.
“So, now, it’s a question of whether we will use them.”
