The awareness of ESG (environmental, governance, social) has risen significantly during the last decade. The construction and real estate industry represents 21 % of the negative climate emissions in Sweden, highlighting the crucial role of property owners in achieving a climate-neutral society. Social sustainability and governance has also been emphasized as key factors for companies, driven by the transparency that arises with the EU-taxonomy. This master thesis investigates the relationship between ESG and property values, examining the impact of environmental certifications on property premiums and identifying the incentives driving sustainable measures in the Swedish real estate market. To investigate the key questions of the study we performed a literature review, data collection, 23 semi-structured interviews with real estate companies, industry associations, real estate advisors and banks. The data analysis includes property values as the dependent variable and investigating the relationship between six variables connected to ESG including environmental certifications, energy consumption, walk score, criminal rate, executive compensation and women on the board. The results of this study reveal the complexity and challenges in establishing a clear correlation between commercial property values and ESG factors. Although energy performance is believed to have a significant impact on property values due to lower property operating costs, which becomes further evident with higher energy prices, the direct link between ESG factors and property values remains elusive. Environmental certifications can offer various benefits, including improved financing opportunities, reduced energy expenses, and higher rental rates. However, the uniqueness of each property complicates direct comparisons and the consistent determination of whether environmental certifications consistently command a premium. Sustainable measures in the real estate market are primarily driven by risk reduction including proactive enhancements to meet regulatory demands, leading to lower yield requirements. / Medvetenheten om ESG har ökat markant under det senaste decenniet. Bygg- och fastighetssektorn står för 21% av klimatutsläppen i Sverige, vilket lyfter fram fastighetsägarnas avgörande roll för att uppnå ett klimatneutralt samhälle. Social hållbarhet och styrning har också lyfts fram som relevanta faktorer för ett framgångsrikt företag, som bland annat drivs av den transparens som EU taxonomin har bidragit till. Denna masteruppsats undersöker sambandet mellan ESG och fastighetsvärden, om och hur det finns något samband mellan miljöcertifieringar och fastighetspremier på transaktionsmarknaden och incitamenten som driver hållbara åtgärder på den svenska fastighetsmarknaden. För att undersöka frågeställningarna genomfördes en litteraturundersökning, datainsamling, 23 st semistrukturerade intervjuer med fastighetsbolag, branschorganisationer, fastighetsrådgivare och banker. Dataanalysen inkluderar fastighetsvärde som beroende variabel, där vi undersöker sambandet mellan sex oberoende variabler kopplade till ESG, vilka var miljöcertifieringar, energiförbrukning, walk score, criminal rate, ersättning till chefer och kvinnor i styrelsen. Resultaten av denna studie visar på komplexiteten och utmaningarna i en tydlig korrelation mellan fastighetsvärden och ESG-faktorer. Medan energiprestanda tros ha en betydande inverkan på fastighetsvärden på grund av lägre driftskostnader av fastigheten, som blir ytterligare påtagligt med högre energipriser, är den direkta kopplingen mellan ESG-faktorer och fastighetsvärden fortfarande tvetydig. Miljöcertifieringar kan erbjuda en rad olika fördelar, inklusive förbättrade finansieringsmöjligheter, minskade energikostnader och högre hyresnivåer. Det unika med varje fastighet komplicerar direkta jämförelser och den konsekventa bedömningen om miljöcertifieringar bidrar till en försäljningpremie.Hållbara åtgärder på fastighetsmarknaden drivs främst av riskminimering, vilket inkluderar proaktiva förbättringar för att möta eventuella framtida regulatoriska krav, som leder till lägre avkastningskrav.

Denna studie undersöker hur det kan bli lönsamt för fastighetsägare och fastighetsinvesterare att investera i miljövänliga och hållbara byggnader. Dessutom fokuserar arbetet på hållbara byggnader och vad som sker i fastighetsbranschen som gynnar hållbarheten. Studien har genomförts med hjälp av en kvalitativ ansats. Resultatet och analysen grundas på semistrukturerade intervjuer med kunniga aktörer inom fastighetsbranschen. De som har blivit intervjuade har kunskaper inom hållbarhet och representerar fastighetsföretag i både den privata och publika sektorn. Med hjälp av svaren från respondenterna, det teoretiska ramverket och analysen, har det kunnat framställs ett svar för frågeställningen.  Resultatet visar att det finns fördelar med att investera i hållbara byggnader. Är byggnaderna miljöcertifierade kan fastighetsbolag erhålla gröna lån, bättre finansiella villkor, förbättrad företagsbild och kontroll över byggnaden. Det finns även ekonomiska fördelar med att investera i hållbara byggnader, vilket kan vara flera konkurrensfördelar. Fastighetsbolag kan reducera energiförbrukningen med hållbara byggnader och som ett resultat spara stora summor kapital. Dessutom leder detta till minskning av driftkostnader och underhållskostnader. Förutom fördelarna som hållbara byggnader kan tillföra, visar resultatet att strategier har en viktig roll för att uppnå hållbarhet och framgång. Strategic fit och CSR är även värdefulla koncept som beaktas för att kunna uppnå mål som företag har. / This study explores how investing in environmental and sustainable buildings can be profitable for real estate owners and investors. In addition, it focuses on sustainable buildings and what is happening in the real estate sector to promote sustainability. The study has been conducted using a qualitative approach. The results and analysis are based on semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable actors in the real estate sector. The interviewees have knowledge of sustainability and represent real estate companies in both the private and public sectors. With the help of the answers from the respondents, the theoretical framework and the analysis, it has been possible to produce an answer to the question. The results show that there are benefits to investing in sustainable buildings. If the buildings are environmentally certified, real estate companies can obtain green loans, better financial conditions, improved corporate image and control over the building. There are also economic benefits to investing in sustainable buildings, which can be a competitive advantage. Real estate companies can reduce energy consumption with sustainable buildings and as a result save large amounts of capital. This can also lead to a reduction in operating and maintenance costs. In addition to the benefits that sustainable buildings can bring, the results show that strategies play an important role in achieving sustainability and success. Strategic fit and CSR are also valuable concepts that are considered in order to achieve the goals of companies.

I denna rapport undersöks digitala verktyg som BIM och vilken inverkan de har haft påmiljöcertifieringsarbete. Dessa verktyg undersöks utifrån huruvida tillämpningen avdem i tidigt skede kan ha en positiv inverkan på miljöcertifieringsarbete. Syftet medrapporten är att presentera digitala verktygs tillämpningsområden förmiljöcertifieringsarbete och att redogöra för vilka parametrar som behövs knytas tillBIM-modellen för att nyttja dessa digitala verktyg. Rapporten undersöker vilka fördelarhögdetaljerade BIM-modeller kan ha inom utvalda områden för miljöcertifiering.Informationssamling har triangulerats genom litteraturstudie, datainsamling inomprojekt och intervjuer.Litteraturstudien har inletts med en undersökning av manualer förmiljöcertifieringssystem för att beskriva miljöcertifieringssystemen och för attidentifiera de områden inom systemen som är relevanta för denna rapport. Genomlitteraturstudien har även tillämpningsområden för digitala verktyg undersökts.Datainsamling från projektföretagets databas har visat hur företaget arbetar medBIM-modeller av hög detaljgrad och hur de har gått tillväga för att utnyttja digitalaverktyg. Datainsamling har även givit oss möjligheten att hitta intervjurespondenter somhar arbetat med projektet som undersöks.Resultaten beskriver miljöcertifieringssystem samt viktiga begrepp och digitala verktygsom kan användas vid miljöcertifiering. Resultaten visar även att projektföretaget harsamordnat BIM-filer till att inkludera viktiga parametrar som materialindelning,redovisning av lager i väggar samt korrekt namngivning.Slutsatser som kan dras är att projektföretaget samordnar BIM-modellen till att kunnautnyttja digitala verktyg som är relevanta för miljöcertifiering. Den höga detaljgrad somföreskrivs möjliggör viss BIM-tillämpning för miljöcertifiering. Viktiga parametrar haridentifierats men intervjuer visar att arbetsprocessen i projektering är en viktig faktor föratt BIM-tillämpning ska fungera optimalt.

Titel: En undersökning av hur vidare miljöcertifierade fastigheter ger fördel på denkommersiella fastighetsmarknaden.Ämne, kurs: Fastighetsvetenskap, Kandidatuppsats 15 hpFörfattare: Ahmed Abdulrahman & Fadi El HageHandledare: Peter PalmNyckelord: Miljöcertifiering, Marknadsfördel, Signaler, Kommersiella fastigheterAtt miljöcertifiera innebär att man höjer standarden av den tekniska installationen ifastigheten. Fastigheter som miljöcertifieras ger en lägre energiförbrukning då certifieringeninnebär att man bygger med bra kvalitet och med god miljöhänsyn. Studiens syfte är attundersöka om miljöcertifierade fastigheter ger en fördel på den kommersiellafastighetsmarknaden samt tydliggöra företagens avsikt med att miljöcertifiera sittfastighetsbestånd.Studiens syfte har angripits genom en kvalitativ undersökning där fem personer från femolika fastighetsbolag intervjuats i Malmö samt att ett studiebesök med Jenny Hartwig påVasakronan ägdes rum med syfte att komplettera Denell men också för att få en ökadförståelse för miljöcertifiering. Det har dessutom gjorts en granskning av fastighetsföretagenshemsidor för att få en helhetsbild av hur företagen arbetar med miljöcertifiering. I denteoretiska referensramen har signaleringsteorin av Milgrom och Roberts används ikombination med tidigare studier inom samma ämneskategori.Den insamlade informationen i studien grundar sig på fem olika respondenters kunskaper ocherfarenheter inom arbetet med miljöcertifiering. Det har observerats vara av samtligaintressenters intresse att jobba för ett miljövänligare Sverige där alla är med och bidrar till eneffektivare resursanvändning av jordens resurser. Fastighetsägarna som bidrar med 40 procent av den totala energianvändningen i Sverige vill vara med och effektiviseraenergiförbrukningen då det bidrar till ett positivt rykte samt att det på sikt är ekonomisktlönsamt då det ger en lägre drift -och underhållskostnader. Respondenterna är enliga om attmiljöcertifieringen utgör ett kvitto på att byggnaden är uppförd med bra materialval och hargod miljöhänsyn. Fördelarna det medför att miljöcertifiera sitt fastighetsbestånd är blandannat att det attraherar de hyresgäster som har det som krav på sig att endast lokalisera sig imiljöcertifierade lokaler. Miljöcertifieringen stärker och skapar bättre relationer medintressenter samtidigt som man sänder kvalitativa signaler som direkt är kopplade tillvarumärket. / Title: A study on whether environmentally certified offices are an advantage on the propertymarket.Subject, Course: Building Science, Bachelor Thesis 15 creditsAuthors: Ahmed Abdulrahman and Fadi El HageAdvisor: Peter PalmKeywords: Environmental Certification, Market Advantage, Signals, Commercial Real EstateThe meaning of the environmental certification is that the standard of the technicalinstallation rises in the property. A property that has environmental certification generateslower energy consumption where the certification means that you build with good quality andas well good environmental stewardship. The study aims to investigate whetherenvironmentally certified buildings provide a benefit to the commercial property market andto clarify the companies intend to environmental certification for its property portfolio.The study's purpose has been attacked by a qualitative study in which five respondents ondifferent real estate companies were interviewed in Malmo. There has also been a review ofthe property companies' websites to get an overall picture of how companies work withenvironmental certification. In the theoretical framework the signaling theory of Milgrom andRoberts has been used in combination with previous studies and other studies on how marketvalue is affected by the certification.The emphasis of the information collected in the study is based on five different respondentsknowledge and experience in working with environmental certification. It has been observedto be of interest to all stakeholders to work for a greener Sweden where everyone iscontributing to a more efficient use of resources of the earth's resources. Property owners who contribute with 40 percent of the total energy consumption in Sweden want to join andstreamline consumption as it contributes to a positive reputation and that the term iseconomically viable as it provides a lower operating and maintenance costs. The respondentsagree upon that the environmental certification is an acknowledgment that the building wasbuilt with good material and is environmental. The benefits of offering environmentallycertified offices are among other things, tenants who have certified facilities as a requirement.Environmental certification strengthens and creates better relationships with stakeholders andsimultaneously sends qualitative signals directly linked to the brand.

Sedan början av 2000-talet har hållbarhetsfrågor blivit allt viktigare i den svenska fastighetsbranschen och under den här perioden uppfördes de första miljöcertifierade byggnaderna. I september 2015 beslutade FN:s generalförsamling om Agenda 2030 som är ett program för hållbar utveckling. Sveriges regering har tagit beslut om att vara ledande i genomförandet av agendan, vilket innebär en successiv omställning till en modern och hållbar välfärdsstat. Fastighetsbranschen har en stor miljöpåverkan och det är därför viktigt att företag inom branschen arbetar med sitt miljömässiga ansvarstagande. Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva vilka värdeskapande faktorer som driver fastighetsägare till att investera i miljöcertifierade byggnader samt vilka hinder de upplever motverkar en sådan investering. Studiens teori utgörs av den befintliga litteraturen som återfinns om miljöcertifierade byggnader med utgångspunkt i grundläggande värdeteori. Empirin till den här studien har tagits fram genom en kvalitativ metod där vi gjort besöks- och telefonintervjuer med sju högt uppsatta personer inom svenska fastighetsbolag med fastigheter utspridda över ett större område i Sverige. Intervjuerna som genomförts var av semistrukturerad karaktär och därför har vi till stor del utgått från en intervjuguide. Av empirin har det framgått att respondenterna upplever vissa hinder som motverkar en investering i miljöcertifierade byggnader, men framförallt hur de många fördelarna överväger hindren och således driver dem till att genomföra en investering. I analysen kopplar vi samman studiens teorier med empirin för att beskriva både likheter och skillnader, det framkommer bland annat att empirin tenderar att vara mer positivt inställd till miljöcertifierade byggnader i jämförelse med den befintliga litteraturen. Vår slutsats är att miljöcertifierade byggnaders fördelar kommer överväga dagens hinder och att den långsiktiga ekonomiska lönsamheten kommer överväga de högre investeringsutgifterna, vilket driver fastighetsägare till att investera i sådana byggnader. / Since the beginning of the 21st century, sustainability have become increasingly important in the Swedish real estate industry and during this period the first environmentally certified buildings were built. In September 2015, the UN General Assembly decided on Agenda 2030, which is a program for sustainable development. The Swedish Government has decided to be the leader in the implementation of the agenda, which means a gradual conversion to a modern and sustainable welfare state. The real estate industry has a substantial environmental impact and it is therefore important that companies within this industry work with their environmental responsibility. The purpose of this essay is to describe which value-creating factors drive property owners to invest in environmentally certified buildings and what obstacles they experience counteract such an investment. The study's theory consists of the existing literature which is found on environmentally certified buildings based on fundamental value theory.   The empirical study for this study has been developed through a qualitative method in which we made visits and telephone interviews with seven high-ranking persons within Swedish real estate companies with properties spread over a larger area in Sweden. The interviews that have been conducted are of a semi-structured nature and it is therefore largely based on an interview guide. The empirical evidence shows that the respondents experience certain obstacles that counteract an investment in environmentally certified buildings, but above all how the many advantages outweigh the obstacles and thus drive them to carry out an investment. In the analysis, we link together the study's theories with empiricism to describe both similarities and differences. Our conclusion is that the benefits of environmentally certified buildings will outweigh the current obstacles and that the long-term economic profitability will outweigh the higher investment expenditure, which drives property owners to invest in that kind of buildings.

Detta examensarbete på 15 hp. har haft målet att kunna hitta en guide för planering av fönster för byggnader som ska certifieras med Miljöbyggnad. I certifieringsprocessen ingår beräkning av solvärmelasten, vilket ger en siffra på hur mycket solvärme som strålar in i byggnaden, som sedan kan behövas ventileras eller kylas bort under sommarhalvåret. I processen beräknas även dagsljusfaktorn, vilket ger en siffra på hur mycket dagsljus kommer in i byggnaden. Då dessa två aspekter påverkar negativt på varandra har olika tester gjorts med hjälp av olika datasimuleringar för att finna vilken fönsterarea skulle kunna vara lämplig för att få ett bra betyg i Miljöbyggnad. Här har även tester gjorts för det termiska klimatet, som är ytterligare en aspekt Miljöbyggnad ser på, och som fönstret kan påverka. För arbetet har en blivande kontorsbyggnad, Svalan i Uppsala, varit som mall för dessa tester. Då det finns väldigt många olika parametrar som behövs för att kunna göra alla simuleringar och uträkningar är det svårt att göra en guide som fungerar för alla projekt. I detta arbete finns två lika stora kontor som har fönster åt olika väderstreck och med olika g-värden, för att se skillnader på dessa har simuleringar gjorts för olika fönsterareor, och olika fönsterplaceringar. För simuleringarna har IDA 4 och Velux Daylight Visualizer använts. Arbetet resulterade i att fönstrets placering i rummet ger stor skillnad på dagljusfaktorn, och även för fönstrets utformning, dock ingen för solvärmelasten. För att påverka solvärmelasten kan glasarean i fönstret ändras, g-värdet, eller golvarean för rummet. När dessa parametrar verkar positivt för solvärmelasten, påverkar de negativt för dagsljusfaktorn, därför måste projektören hitta en bra nivå som fungerar för både solvärmelasten och dagsljusfaktorn. För projektet med två kontor i Svalan gav resultatet att få GULD i både solvärmelast och dagsljusfaktorn fungerar inte utan solavskärmning. Som bäst når den ena GULD och den andra SILVER, vilket kan i slutbetyget ändå räcka för att nå bästa betyget GULD med Miljöbyggnad, så länge de andra indikatorerna som Miljöbyggnad ser på är tillräckligt bra i projektet. / This report of 15 credits has had the goal to find a guide for planning window for buildings to be certified with Miljöbyggnad. The certification process includes calculation of solar heat load, giving a figure of how much sun heat is coming into the building, which may needs to be ventilated or cooled off during the summer. The certification process also demands the daylight factor, which gives a figure of how much natural light enters the building. These two aspects affects each other in a negative way, why various tests have been done using a variety of computer simulations to find what kind of window area would be appropriate to get a good rating in Miljöbyggnad. It has also been tested for the thermal climate, which is another aspect Miljöbyggnad investigates, and that windows can influence. The work uses an upcoming office building, Svalan in Uppsala, as a model for these tests. As there are many different parameters that are needed to make all the simulations and calculations it is difficult to make a guide that works for all projects. In this work there are two equally sized offices that have windows facing different directions and with different g-values, to see the differences in these simulations have been made for various window areas and different window placements. For the simulations, the IDA-ICE 4 and Velux Daylight Visualizer have been used. The work resulted in that the window's placement in the room has a big difference for daylight factor, and also for the window form, however none of the solar load. To affect solar heat load, the glass area of the window can be changed, the g-value, or the floor area of the room. When these parameters seem positive for the solar heat load, are they affecting negatively the daylight factor, therefore the building planner have to find a good level found that works for both solar heat load and the daylight factor. For the project with two offices in Svalan gave the result; to get GOLD in both solar heat load and daylight factor will not work without sun screening. As best reach one of them GOLD and the other SILVER, which can be in the final grade yet sufficient to reach the best grade GOLD with Miljöbyggnad, as long as this projects other Miljöbyggnad factors gives results which is good enough.

Purpose: Today the amount of Eco labelled multi-family houses are increasing. The Nordic Swan is a well-known certification that has grown a lot when it’s comes to certifying multi-family houses in Sweden. Unlike other well-known ecolabels there are not many studies done on the Nordic Swan. By studying the certification, and its establishment, in two large projects the goal of this study is to pinpoint weaknesses in the process of attaining the Nordic Swan and then make improvement proposals.Method: In order to provide improvement proposals, a qualitative study was chosen. A study of literature and a document analysis is the foundation of the study by taking theoretical aspects into account, within the Nordic Swan and multi-family housing. The chosen qualitative method is also based on semi structured interviews. The interview respondents were selected as: two production supervisors, a site manager, a quality and environmental coordinator, a project manager and a project developer. All respondents are working daily with the projects, characterized by the Nordic Swan. The different persons were chosen to obtain a high validity of the study. To further increase the validity and its reliability, respondents were given back the empirical data so that they could make further comments and revisions. Reliability was assured by providing well-designed questions.Findings: The goal refers to improvements with the certification, propelling to new knowledge, within the area of the subject. The empirical investigation shows recurring problems with the product database within the certification, seen from the respondent’s experiences of working with the Nordic Swan in projects. They’ve informed about challenges that comes with respective working process. The certification is solid and gives a qualitative product, but has a time-consuming learning process. Overall, the respondent’s focused on the way of working with the ecolabel and the organisations way of managing the product database, both for an older and a new version.The improvement proposals that results from an analyzation of interviews concerns the communication between the Nordic Swan and its customers, how the Nordic Swan’s product database can improve when future versions releases and how the ecolabel could accomplish a greater eco-impact to the projects by promoting “green innovations”.Limitations: The study is limited to the application of the Nordic Swan in multi-family housing in two large projects. As the guidelines in the process do not differ between companies, the result can be considered general. Retrieving information from even more companies on the other hand could have resulted in a more accurate overall result.Implications: The drawn conclusion from the thesis is that the result creates opportunities for improving the certification process. It can also be used to get more companies to use the Nordic Swan. It provides an opportunity for both companies and individuals to farm an understanding regarding the certification. / Kvarteret Mars, Kolla Parkstad.

Certification of buildings is now a big part of the construction industry. The role and importance of certifications is now undeniable. It has a positive impact on the environment, and in the meantime companies can label themselves as eco-friendly. Skanska is one of the biggest construction companies in Sweden. Lately LEED has become the most common certification system they use on larger commercial buildings. A new version has just been released, but how well has the system adapted to a Swedish market and environment, or vice versa? This can be difficult given that the certification system has been developed for an American market. In combination with the eventual problems given the system’s origin, working with LEED on the construction site is also a lot of work. Our Research indicates that approximately 20% of a project engineer’s time is taken up by work with the system. This thesis examines the possibilities of reducing the amount of time LEED takes up. U.S Green Building Council has released a fourth version of LEED. In order to streamline the work with certification, an updated tool has been made that explains the credit Sourcing of Raw Materials and focuses on the essential parts for people who work in construction. In order to do this the previous tool made by Skanska has been studied, along with interviews with employees of the company. USGBC’s LEED Reference Guide is the core of the information regarding the new version. The conclusion is that given the right tools, the work with LEED can be more efficient.

The usage phase of a building accounts for a significant part of the Swedish real estate sector's environmental impact, which makes existing properties an important area to work with to establish the climate footprint of the real estate sector. Various policy instruments have been developed in line with this, of which the environmental certification system has become widespread, but mainly for newly constructed buildings. By conducting a literature study and an interview study directed at representatives of a selection of Swedish real estate companies, the current study aims to answer the following two questions:  -       What are the driving forces and motives for real estate companies to invest in environmental certification of existing buildings? -       What added values and challenges do expert representatives from real estate companies see regarding environmental certification of buildings during the usage phase? The respondents in the interview study are all active at Swedish real estate companies and represent different professional roles and expertise in the areas of environment, investment or property management.  The interview study confirms several of the motives, driving forces, added values and challenges that have been pointed out in the literature, but also shows that differences exist between respondents and within different areas of expertise. Overall, there was a positive picture of implementing environmental certification systems for existing buildings. The respondents’ common motive for applying environmental certifications for existing buildings was the demand from tenants. The certification work in existing buildings generates an added value of control and quality assurance as well as a communicative value to the tenant, according to the interviews. The main challenges with the certification work was the increased workload and need for access to internal resources in terms of manpower and time, the extent of which vary with the varying state of the buildings. There was a number of identified added values, for instance how the certification cost for an existing property was perceived as less expensive compared to that of certifying a new building. The author interprets that the main driving force behind the implementation was the growing interest in environmentally certified buildings among tenants, and that this is a powerful impact that could be further utilized. In conclusion, there are several underlying motives and driving forces for real estate companies to apply environmental certification systems for existing buildings, but the perceived utility depends on who is consulted and their professional role. The literature study and the empirical evidence show that ecological and economic benefits exist, but also that environmental certifications of existing buildings contribute to practical and administrative benefits. While the certification systems were associated with a number of practical and economic challenges, their extent was lower than expected. From an academic perspective, the study is important as new information about the use of environmental certification systems has been discovered, which may affect future development of the systems. Outside the academic perspective, the study can be used as a guide for, for example, real estate companies and consultants prior to environmental certification of existing buildings, which is important as it can mean savings of internal resources.

Climate conditions nowadays are looking critical where the construction and property sector is a major contributing factor. The construction industry stands for one third of Sweden’s total energy use, which has led to different environmental goals and energy requirements that the industry needed to adapt to reduce environmental emissions. In association with this has durability and environmental certifications become one identity marker for companies that strives to make a difference and for users who choose to support them. Growing demand and increased environmental awareness have characterized the construction industry. The most popular environmental certifications on the Swedish market today is: BREEAM, LEED, GreenBuilding and Miljöbyggnad. BREEAM and LEED are the most recognized systems internationally and considers both the building and and the surrounding area. GreenBuilding focuses only on the buildings energy consumption and how to reduce it. Miljöbyggnad is the commonly used system in Sweden and focuses on the building itself.  Miljöbyggnad is a Swedish certification system that is handled and developed by Sweden Green Building Council (SGBC) since 2011 and focuses on the building itself. The building is assessed by 15 different indicators within three segments: energy, indoor environment and material. This Work is limited to examine only Miljöbyggnad four indicators: energy consumption, solar heat load, heating needs and ventilation regarding an ongoing housing unit in cooperation with SWENCN AB.  The aim of this work was to calculate monthly energy consumption for the reference building. Furthermore, was the aim to rate the four indicators according to Miljöbyggnad grade system: bronze, silver and gold and finally see what happens if the household electricity is neglected and can energy efficiency regarding household electricity paradoxically result in that the building appears to be inferior.  The result of this thesis shows that the buildings active heating season is five out of twelve months. Solar thermal load is calculated to a value of 66 W/m2 floor area and because of that did not meet up the criteria for bronze. Heating needs meets up to the criteria for bronze with a value of 21,5 W/m2 , Aom.  and the buildings energy use for gold with a value of 49 kWh/m2, (Atemp), year. Household electricity contributes to increased passive heating and counts because of that as “free energy” which decreases the need for active heating, the building is considered as better. If the household electricity instead is neglected it will increase the heating demand and the building appears to be inferior. The conclusions of this work indicate that the big uncertainty lies in judging how people's habits affects the energy use. The building is currently under production which has led to that static average numbers have been used, and because of that margin of error can in some cases become big. As a result of that should any changes and adjustments updates when the building is put in use. It's easier and more effective to reach gold in the planning stage when there are opportunities to choose building components with lower U-value.