The kingdom in the North is the only country in the world that almost completely supplies its energy needs with hydroelectric power. "Green" is not only the electricity generation though – sustainable building methods in accordance with strict environmental standards is increasingly gaining importance.

This is a trend that TRILUX Scandinavia is supporting intensively with its lighting solutions. Two labels are particularly in focus in Norway – the British BREEAM and the German passive house standard.

The former is a point system specifying the environmental influence of a building, and the latter passive house concept aims at energy efficiency. "BREEAM is a good start, but many construction authorities are moving towards the passive house standard, as it’s much more specific for our sector," explained Pål Frigstad, Managing Director of

TRILUX Scandinavia. This standard is seen to be stringent and especially cost-efficient. The overall energy consumption of a building is limited, including that of the lighting installation. In office areas, the energy requirements of luminaire systems consist of 12.5 kilowatt hours per square metre per year, and with schools this is even less, with around 10 kWh.

To achieve these ambitious targets, all building sectors must have maximum performance in terms of energy efficiency. With light, LED systems are the non-plus ultra, and if connected to modern light management systems they can also save up to 80% in energy.

"TRILUX has already successfully supported a variety of passive house and BREEAM projects," said Pål Frigstad.

The first BREEAM-certified building in Norway was the Stavanger Business Park constructed in the south-west of the country. With support from TRILUX, the environmental balance of the complex could be significantly improved across the 10,000 square metres of office spaces. The specialist for professional lighting solutions also provided services for two construction authorities in the realisation of their low-energy projects.

The result: BREEAM certification was concluded with the grade of "excellent". Activity will be focused upon in the future in the refurbished Senja School in northern Norway, redesigned according to passive building standards. Here, TRILUX lighting solutions

have distinctly improved visual comfort in addition to reducing the environmental burden, and the learning and performance levels of pupils could be increased - light contributes to intelligent life. "The experts from TRILUX Scandinavia have been providing sophisticated lighting designs and creative concepts in the market for more than 20 years," explained a proud Pål Frigstad.

Innovative lighting solutions featuring simple handling are available for the complete range of applications. Whether for schools, kindergartens, shopping centres or office buildings, the TRILUX brand message of "Simplify Your Light" also applies to green construction projects.

1. BREEAM and passive house:
   Both the British BREEAM method and the German passive house are popular "green" building standards. Both are complimentary – a passive building can also be certified according to the BREEAM standard.
   BREEAM is a sustainability concept initially developed in Great Britain, and the point-based system enables the environmental performance of a building to be evaluated.
   Passive houses usually need no traditional building heating systems due to their good heat insulation. The German standard stipulates that a building consumes not more than 15 kilowatt hours per square metre per year.
2. TRILUX passive house and BREEAM buildings
   Stavanger Business Park/ Sandtuveien 70/ Nydalsveien 33/ Marienlyst School/ Depotgata/ Byfjordparken/ Senja School