Beyond Compliance: Post-MEI Strategies to Optimise Your Building’s Energy Performance

Achieving compliance with Singapore's Mandatory Energy Improvement (MEI) regime is a significant milestone for your building's energy performance. But certification is just the beginning. It’s now time to shift your focus from meeting baseline requirements to unlocking long-term energy performance and ESG value.

Post-MEI strategies help you protect that investment — and set the operational foundation to pursue bigger ambitions, such as achieving zero energy building performance. With the right tools and approach, you can go beyond compliance to actively reduce energy use, optimise operational costs, and support your organisation’s sustainability goals.          

Why Compliance Is Just the Beginning

Singapore’s MEI mandate helped shift many commercial properties toward greener outcomes. Whether through upgraded HVAC systems, lighting retrofits, or improved envelopes, these changes were significant — and often costly.     

Now, the key question is whether those systems are delivering real value. And how do you build on that progress to further support sustainable real estate development.     

Answering these questions is the essence of a post-MEI strategy. It requires this shift in mindset because initial compliance is just a snapshot in time. To manage your building as the high-value, living asset it truly is, your energy performance strategy must continuously adapt to real-world changes in usage, occupancy, and conditions.          

Performance Doesn’t Stay Static

A common misconception is that once certified, buildings maintain their performance indefinitely. But the reality is different. Tenants change. Operating hours shift. Control settings drift over time. What was once an efficient HVAC schedule might now be misaligned with how the building is used.

Even if your goal is a zero energy building, that aspiration can quickly derail without continuous optimisation. Minor issues like sensors falling out of calibration or lighting schedules left unadjusted can quietly add up over time.     

That’s why it’s essential to rely on real-time operational data, not just design intent or certification benchmarks. Ongoing tuning ensures your systems reflect how people are actually using the space every day.     

Post-Retrofit Audits: A Must-Have Step

Once MEI upgrades are in place, performance audits are the logical next step. Think of it like taking your car for regular servicing. You wouldn’t drive 50,000 km on new tyres without a check-up.

A good audit compares your current energy usage with the performance you originally projected. It also helps identify hidden issues such as poorly calibrated sensors, unnecessary manual overrides, or control systems that were never fully reprogrammed after the retrofit.           

These gaps may seem minor, but left unchecked, they can undermine months of progress. For buildings pursuing zero energy goals, regular audits are crucial to stay on track.

Operational Optimisation: Small Changes, Big Gains

You don’t need a major capex budget to improve performance. In many cases, meaningful savings come from smarter operations. 

Your Building Management System (BMS) is a powerful tool — if used effectively. Something as simple as adjusting the temperature setpoint during unoccupied hours can generate measurable savings. The same goes for lighting schedules and ventilation systems.      

Equally important is a well-trained facilities team. It’s not just about reacting to faults but proactively spotting inefficiencies through data. Cultivating this mindset is key to long-term optimisation, especially for portfolios pursuing sustainable real estate development at scale.

Involve Tenants in the Process

Sustainability is a collective effort. If tenants don’t understand how their actions affect performance, they may unknowingly work against your efficiency efforts. For instance, if one tenant constantly overrides temperature settings or leaves lights on overnight, it affects the entire building’s performance.

Sub-metering and tenant dashboards are valuable tools to promote accountability. They offer transparency and enable tenants to take ownership of their energy habits.      

Some landlords go further by launching tenant engagement campaigns, providing monthly updates, or introducing friendly challenges to reduce consumption. These initiatives are particularly impactful for buildings targeting zero energy outcomes or green lease adoption.

Align With ESG and Sustainable Real Estate Goals

Whether you’re managing one asset or an entire portfolio, ESG reporting is now a baseline expectation. Stakeholders from investors to regulators now demand evidence of progress, not just good intentions.

The good news: your MEI upgrades have generated useful data. The real challenge lies in integrating that data into ESG frameworks such as GRESB, internal KPIs, or formal sustainability reports.      

Managed well, this process enhances your reporting and strengthens your position in sustainable real estate development. Aiming for zero energy building performance further signals your commitment to decarbonisation, resilience, and risk management — traits investors increasingly value. 

Go Further with On-Site Generation and Smart Tech

If your operations are already running efficiently, the next step is on-site generation. Installing rooftop solar panels, integrating battery storage, and offering electric vehicle (EV) charging stations can shift your building from energy-efficient to energy-resilient – reducing reliance on grid energy and helping to future proof your asset.

Solar panels can offset daytime loads. Batteries reduce peak demand. And EV infrastructure supports tenant mobility and green lease adoption. Combined, they transition your building from energy-efficient to energy-resilient.

In the larger scheme of things, on-site generation also enables decentralisation. Rather than relying entirely on grid supply, you’re turning your property into a micro energy ecosystem that’s more adaptable to market and regulatory shifts.

From Compliance to Performance: Your Next Step Toward Lasting Sustainability

As you move beyond Green Mark compliance, the real opportunity lies in how you continue managing your building’s performance. Sustainability isn’t a checkbox — it’s a continuous practice. Whether you’re fine-tuning systems, running audits, or engaging tenants, each step contributes to a smarter, more resilient building.     

With real-time monitoring, clear processes, and a strong performance culture, you can stay ahead of inefficiencies and reinforce your commitment to sustainable real estate development.

If you’re planning your next step, Savills’ Energy & Sustainability Management team offers support in post-certification audits, operational optimisation, and long-term net zero strategies — helping you turn compliance into competitive advantage.