Energy efficiency revolution in domestic shopping malls

The retail sector is at the forefront of implementing energy developments, with a total of more than 30 billion forints worth of modernizing the technical systems of buildings in recent years. The proportion of renovated facilities nationwide is approximately 90 percent. Shopping centers and hypermarkets cover 80 percent of their energy consumption with electricity, of which the use of renewable energy sources represents an increasingly significant proportion. Buildings that have implemented energy efficiency investments have achieved an average reduction in energy consumption of 15-20 percent in recent years.

The MBSZ energy efficiency survey covered 70 percent of the association’s member companies, thus providing a representative picture of the operation and modernization trend of the domestic shopping center industry.

According to the survey data, some kind of energy modernization or renovation has taken place in about 90 percent of shopping centers in Budapest and the countryside in the past five years. The total value of the implemented investments – based on our survey – exceeded 30 billion forints at the industry level, and resulted in an average energy saving of 15–20 percent.

The facilities reported savings of between 5–10 percent in the largest proportion, but a 10–30 percent reduction in energy consumption was also demonstrated in every fifth investment.

Among the developments, the most widespread were the modernizations of lighting and heating technology:

• The transition to LED lighting has already been completed in 67 percent of the Budapest centers (this process began 10-12 years ago and continues to this day),
• Time or motion-controlled systems have been introduced in 40 percent of them,
• the and every second center has modernized its cooling and heating systems in recent years.

In terms of the size of the investments, most projects had a budget of between 100 and 500 million forints, but several developments were implemented that exceeded 1 billion forints, and even over 5 billion.

In the next 1–3 years, 80 percent of respondents in Budapest, while 72 percent of rural operators are already planning further energy efficiency developments.

The use of renewable energy is also becoming increasingly important: solar systems have a capacity of 400–1,000 kWp, and more than 180,000 m² of roof and parking areas have already been involved in energy production. Most investments cover only the building’s own consumption, but energy storage capacities are also expanded, which results in additional flexibility of use—these are usually systems between 300 and 900 kW.

József Rácz, head of the Malom Központ in Kecskemét, member of the Supervisory Board of the MBSZ and head of the Energy Working Group, said:

“The survey confirmed that domestic shopping centers have made significant progress in energy efficiency. Modernizations are now not only based on economic but also environmentally conscious considerations. The developments have brought tangible results: energy consumption has decreased, the reliability of systems has improved, and more and more players are thinking about integrated energy management.”

Attila Prosits, president of the MBSZ, added:

“The Such comprehensive research conducted among our membership is crucial because it shows the performance of the industry in an aggregated form. This data not only helps to interpret the market, but also provides a basis for international comparisons and our advocacy work. The aim of the association is to continue to support its members in developing data-based, sustainable operations in the future.”

In addition to energy efficiency, the publication also covers the untapped potential of greywater utilization, the further expansion of electric car chargers and the future possibilities of installing solar energy systems. The document clearly indicates that Hungarian shopping centers represent a stable, environmentally conscious and developing direction in the European retail real estate market even after the energy crisis.