Building type
Logistics and distribution centre: what the SRI measures
What the Smart Readiness Indicator measures in a logistics and distribution centre, which domains weigh heavily and where the first points are.
In short
- 1This page explains how the Smart Readiness Indicator works for a logistics or distribution centre with large halls and few occupants.
- 2For this building type, electricity, electric vehicle charging and lighting carry the highest weight, each with a weighting factor of 3.
- 3Whether the SRI becomes mandatory here depends on the power of the climate control system: above 290 kW it may or may not apply.
Which domains weigh heavily
- Lightingheavy
- Electricityheavy
- Electric vehicle chargingheavy
- Heatingmedium
- Monitoring and controlmedium
- Coolinglight
- Ventilationlight
- Dynamic building envelopelight
24 services in the calculator.
Characteristics of this building type
- Large roof area, on-site generation is obvious
- Zone lighting on occupancy pays off in halls
- Electric trucks require smart charging
- Grid connection is often the constraint
Why is the SRI relevant for a distribution centre?
A logistics centre has few occupants but large floor areas. Heating and hot water play a minor role, as the building is rarely occupied. Lighting, electricity and electric vehicle charging determine energy consumption here and thus the score on the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), a European measurement tool for how digitally smart a building is.
For this building type, three domains receive a weighting factor of 3: lighting, electricity and electric vehicle charging. Heating and monitoring and control carry less weight, with a weighting factor of 2. Hot water does not count for this building type.
Which smart-ready services are relevant here?
Lighting per zone that responds to occupancy is an obvious smart-ready service in large halls. Spaces are not used continuously, so occupancy-based control saves energy without reducing comfort.
The large roof area makes onsite electricity generation, for example with solar panels, a logical choice. Combined with growing demand for charging electric trucks, intelligent control is needed: align charging times with generation and available grid connection capacity.
In practice, the grid connection is often the limiting factor. Functionalities that actively distribute charging power across vehicles, or that combine charging with local generation and storage, increase the functionality level within the electric vehicle charging domain.
Is the SRI mandatory here?
The SRI is a voluntary tool. For non-residential buildings with a climate control system above 290 kW, a delegated act is expected by 30 June 2027 at the latest that will make the SRI mandatory.
Distribution centres sometimes exceed this threshold, depending on the extent of heating, cooling or ventilation. For buildings above 290 kW, building automation has been mandatory since end 2024 under Article 13 of the EPBD, the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Determine what power your climate control system has and whether the building exceeds the 290 kW threshold, as this determines whether building automation is already mandatory and whether the SRI will become mandatory in future. Invest in intelligent control of charging and onsite generation, as this domain carries the highest weight in the score for this building type.
- Tenant
- A tenant of hall space will mainly notice whether lighting automatically switches on or off when the space is occupied, and whether there is sufficient charging capacity for electric vehicles. Intelligent control of charging prevents the grid connection from becoming a bottleneck as usage grows.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the weighting factors specific to this building type: lighting, electricity and electric vehicle charging carry the highest weight, hot water does not count. Also check the power of the climate control system against the 290 kW threshold to determine whether building automation is already mandatory and whether the SRI will become mandatory in future.
Next step
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