DEN2.1: On-Site Renewable Energy and Low-Carbon Technologies

Maximum Score

6 points

Input Method

Assessment Portal

Prefill

Not eligible

Scoring method

Static

Validation

Other answer is manually validated

2026 Updates

None

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Does the entity incorporate on-site renewable energy and/or low-carbon technologies in the design of development projects?

Assessment Instructions

Intent: What is the purpose of this indicator?

This indicator assesses the entity’s involvement in the design of on-site renewable energy generation and low-carbon technologies. These measures help reduce the environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel use.

Input: How do I complete this indicator?

Select yes or no. If yes, select all applicable sub-options.

Average design target for the fraction of total energy demand met with on-site renewable energy: Percentage of energy demand that by design should be provided by on-site renewable energy and low-carbon technology. The numerator is the total design capacity of all reported on-site renewable energy sources. The denominator is the total energy demand for all projects reported in DR1.

Percentage of all projects: Report the actual percentage of projects incorporating on-site renewable energy and/or low carbon technology (not the theoretical percentage as per the reporting entity’s policy).

• The numerator is the total number of projects incorporating the corresponding renewable energy source in their design. The denominator is the total number of ongoing projects undertaken by the reporting entity.

Terminology

Biofuels

Liquid of gaseous fuels, such as bioethanol and biodiesel, that are made from biomass.

Geothermal steam

Electricity generated from subterranean steam or heat generated from subterranean stems or hot water.

Hydro energy

Energy generated by the gravitational force of falling or flowing water.

Low-carbon technology

Low-carbon emitting technologies are innovative technical solutions that are characterized by a low emission intensity compared to other traditional energy generation technologies. Examples of low-carbon emitting technologies include, but are not limited to, air or ground source heat pumps, geothermal heating or hydrogen.

On-site renewable energy

Any source of energy produced at the site that can be used without depleting reserves, including energy from the sun, wind, water and the earth’s core. Technologies should be available onsite, such as photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, transpired solar collectors, solar hot water heaters, small-scale hydroelectric power plants, etc.

Solar/photovoltaic energy

Energy generated from solar heat and/or radiant light. This includes solar water heating. Photovoltaic energy results from the conversion of the sunlight by using solar panels or semiconductors.

Wind energy

Energy generated from wind power by using wind turbines.

Validation: What evidence is required?

No evidence required. Only the 'Other' answer is manually validated.

Other Answer

State the on-site renewable source or low-carbon technology. It is possible to report multiple other answers. Note that:

1. On-site renewable sources do not include off-site generation, the use of green power, renewable energy credits (RECs), or carbon offsets.

2. Co-generation and tri-generation systems are not seen as renewable energy sources. Although they may produce low-carbon energy, these systems typically use fossil fuels (e.g., natural gas).

Validation Basics

Scoring

Scoring: How does GRESB score this indicator?

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option(s), multiplied by the respective percentage value provided for each, and subsequently by the indicator’s total score.

Percentage number: The coverage percentage reported is used as a multiplier to determine the assigned score.

Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:

Validation status	Score
Accepted	1/1
Not Accepted	0
Duplicate	0

Scoring Basics

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References

LEED BD+C: New Construction, v4, Energy & Atmosphere

BREEAM, International New Construction, 2016: 07 Energy

SASB-Real Estate Owners, Developers & Investment Trusts, March 2016: IF0402-02

Get Support: Solution Providers

GRESB Solution Providers are independent, third-party organizations within the GRESB Partner network that offer specialized products, tools, and services to support sustainability performance outside the GRESB Assessment process.

The organizations below deliver commercially available solutions designed to help drive improvement for this indicator. Engagement is managed directly between the reporting entity and the Solution Provider.

GRESB will continue to update this section as the GRESB Solution Provider network grows. Please check back regularly to find GRESB Solution Providers who can support your sustainability performance.

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