Sustainability

Corporate Social Responsibility

What we do for the environment.

The protection of the environment is a matter close to our heart. Therefore, we have implemented individual and innovative solutions. Because every SES Shopping Center is unique, each one can be optimally adapted to the respective circumstances. In everything we do, our high quality standards are our constant companions. Environmentally friendly construction, the best feel-good atmospheres, renewable energies, attractive mobility, and efficient operation are of particular importance to us. SES centers in austria and italy are operated on 100% green electricity.

Best Practice: Clean Energy

Hydropower

When SILLPARK was built in 1990, a small hydroelectric power plant was also rebuilt at the same time. It is fed by the adjacent River Sill and generates nearly 4 GWh of electricity per year, The plant was modernized in 2015 and was equipped with a new Kaplan turbine as well as a fish ladder. The pipe system in the inlet duct of the power plant was made usable for the cooling system of the refrigeration plant. The energy yield covers nearly half of the total energy demand of the shopping center.

https://www.ses-european.com/hr-en/interview/sillpark-hydroelectric-power-plant/

Geothermal Energy

ATRIO Villach is a pioneer in its industry in ecological terms. It was built on thermally activated in-situ concrete piles that extend down to a depth of 70 meters. They are used as energy piles for the heating and cooling of the shopping center. As a result, nearly half of the energy demand can be met and high CO₂ savings can be achieved. In 2009, the center was named the world’s most sustainable shopping center by the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). MAX.CENTER Wels and VARENA Vöcklabruck also use self-generated energy by means of geothermal well systems.

Photovoltaics

A 520-kWp photovoltaic system on the unobstructed roof surface of WEBERZEILE is the center’s ecological benchmark project. It has generated around 500,000 kilowatt hours of environmentally friendly solar power annually since the fall of 2020 through the use of approximately 1,500 solar panels, thereby eliminating roughly 128 tons of CO₂. SES has also operated a photovoltaics system on the roof of MURPARK Graz since 2018. The system produces around 170,000 kWh of electricity, which is used for ventilation and lighting in the shopping center. By 2050, SES intends to install photovoltaics systems on 50% of the available roof surfaces of its shopping centers in order to produce as much environmentally friendly energy for the centers themselves as possible.

Holistic Planning, Construction, and Operation

Well-thought-out Location Selection

SES primarily develops existing retail locations. 95% of our centers are located in city centers. Existing shopping centers are also being further developed, revitalized, and/or expanded. Condensed planning is important to us. Whether for new buildings or refurbishments: we always integrate parking areas, such as underground or rooftop parking.

Neighborhood Development, Upgrading of Entire Districts and Promotion of Regions

When we develop or enhance our sites, we think in a holistic manner right from the start. We consider how a particular building can be optimally integrated into its surroundings. As a result, entire city districts are revitalized in cooperation with local authorities. We incorporate regionally specific aspects into architectural planning, material selection, naming, and operation.

High Quality Standards for Room Atmosphere and Visitor Well-being

Our centers are characterized by the use of natural materials and soft, sound-absorbing materials, they generate unobtrusive background sounds by means of acoustic ceilings, and they provide visual comfort via indirect lighting. Thermal room quality, supported by optimal humidity and fountains inside each center, complete the feel-good atmosphere.

State-of-the-art Building Technology

Heat is supplied year round via district heating at many of our centers, including Q19. The cooling load is covered by roof-mounted cold water tanks. For example, night air is used as required to cool the shopping centers outside opening hours (free cooling). To further increase energy efficiency, the two sprinkler basins (250 cubic meters of water each) are cooled to 8 degrees by the cooling unit during the night and are used to cool the mall during the day. Solar protection as well as a special coating on the roof glazing help minimize the energy required for air conditioning. All ventilation systems include technical equipment for heat recovery.

For an Ideal Microclimate

A sufficient amount of green roof areas ensures an ideal microclimate in urban areas. The ALEJA, MURPARK, and Q19 shopping centers, for example, feature large green areas. At Q19 in Vienna, 17 trees have also been planted on parking deck 2. On the roof of the Slovenian shopping center ALEJA, which opened in 2020, the green space / park on the roof takes up no fewer than 6,200 m²; a fitness course, a children’s playground, a relaxation zone, and a view of the Alps are included.

ISO certified Energy Management System

In 2019, SES introduced an energy management system in accordance with EN ISO 50001:2018 for the Austrian centres as well as for all INTERSPAR stores and Maximarkt locations in the Group, which was re-certified by TÜV AUSTRIA in 2022. At the same time, SES was able to extend the energy management system to all SES shopping malls in Slovenia and Italy and also obtained TÜV AUSTRIA certification for the malls in the two countries. As a developer, constructor, and operator of retail properties, SES is committed to an even higher contribution to climate protection via sustainable property development. Our targets are to be implemented by 2050.

Best Practice: Mobility

Optimal Traffic Solutions

They are the environmentally friendly answer when it comes to smooth travel for our customers and the idea of “one-stop shopping”. Therefore, SES continuously invests in the excellent connectivity of its sites.

No parking – no business

Individual parking solutions, such as clearly arranged, bright underground garages or rooftop parking areas, offer visitors parking comfort in extra-wide parking spaces while simultaneously minimizing the amount of land used and helping to preserve the natural landscape.

Environmentally Friendly Accessibility

SES shopping destinations are also perfectly connected to transport networks due to their primarily central locations. Suburban trains, trams, buses, and bicycle paths make the shopping centers very easy to reach in an environmentally friendly manner. MURPARK in Graz, for example, succeeded in impressing the expert jury of “ARGUS Steiermark – Die Radlobby” in terms of bicycle-friendliness – for the sixth time in a row. Like many other SES centers, the mall has its own bicycle garage and is equipped with 250 parking spaces, e-filling stations for e-bikes with battery lockers, and a bicycle service station.

E-mobility

E-mobility is also part of the ecological portfolio of the SES energy policy. For example, all SES centers have been equipped with charging stations for e-cars and e-bikes, often combined with car-sharing services at urban locations.

Environmentally Oriented

Facility Management Business Area

SILLPARK HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT

The Sill not only in the name – The report on the power plant!