From Logistic Rooftops to Energy Powerhouses: A New Mindset Emerging from MIPIM

MIPIM has always been a place where ideas, capital and leadership converge. Every year, the global real estate industry gathers in Cannes to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of cities and infrastructure. But this year something looked different. The conversations are no longer just about square meters, rents or income. They increasingly focused on energy, resilience and the role of real estate in the global transition to a more sustainable economy.
During the sessions I attended, including the Decarbonization of Occupied Buildings: Practical Pathways and the two parts of the Logistics Forum, a theme came up repeatedly in discussions with investors, developers, and asset managers. Buildings are no longer just passive assets. They are becoming infrastructure platforms capable of producing energy, storing energy and supporting the electrification of industry and transport. What struck me the most was how practical the conversation became. The industry is moving beyond theoretical discussions about sustainability, towards concrete solutions that create measurable value for both investors and tenants.
Logistics Assets as Energy Infrastructure
One of the most interesting ideas discussed during the Logistics Forum was raised by Dr. Thomas Steinmüller, who described logistics real estate as something much more powerful than traditional warehouses. According to him, logistics assets can evolve into combined powers where logistics, energy production and energy storage coexist.
This idea reflects a fundamental reality that we all face today. Throughout Europe we compete for the same limited resource, which is land. Solar farms require land. Logistics centers need land. Residential developments require land. Industrial facilities require land. Pressure on available space continues to grow as economies expand and supply chains adapt to geopolitical shifts.
However, logistics assets already have an extraordinary and often underestimated resource. Their rooftops.
Large logistics buildings can span tens of thousands of square metres, and across Europe, millions of square metres of rooftop space remain unused. At the same time, underneath many of these buildings there is additional potential in the form of underground capacity that could support various energy storage solutions in the future.
If we combine rooftop solar generation with energy storage and modern logistics infrastructures, a new type of asset emerges. Logistics facilities become not only places where goods move through supply chains, but also nodes in the energy system. They generate energy, support electrified transport and strengthen energy resilience. Conversations with Industry Leaders
At MIPIM I had the privilege of discussing these ideas with several industry leaders, including Guy Gueirard of JLL, Hubert Michalak of Hillwood, Wincel Kaufmann, Dr. Thomas Steinmüller and Diana Diziain. What stood out in these conversations was the growing awareness that energy and sustainability are no longer secondary considerations in the logistics real estate sector. They are becoming central drivers of value that can directly influence asset performance.
The discussion is also evolving beyond ESG as a compliance framework towards something more pragmatic. Investors increasingly want to understand how sustainability solutions translate into operational efficiency, tenant demand and, ultimately, improved returns.
The answer is increasingly clear. Energy infrastructure integrated into logistics assets is not a cost. It is a creator of value.
The Opportunity on the Roof
To illustrate the size of this opportunity, I made a simple calculation based on the logistics portfolios of the three sponsors of the Logistics Forum, which were JLL, Hillwood and Swiss Life Asset Managers. Together, these three organizations represent about twenty-nine million square meters of logistics roof surface. Using a common industry rule of thumb that ten thousand square meters of roof can support approximately one megawatt of solar capacity, the combined potential becomes significant.
Swiss Life Asset Managers alone could reach about 1.15 gigawatts of rooftop solar potential. The assets managed by JLL represent a similar magnitude, about 1.15 gigawatts. Hillwood´s logistics portfolio adds approximately an additional 0.6 gigawatts. Together, these three portfolios could theoretically support about 2.9 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity.
In terms of energy production, this capacity could generate around three to three and a half teravate-hours of electricity per year across Europe. This amount of electricity would be enough to supply between seven hundred thousand and one million households annually.
And this calculation is based on only three players.
Scale Across the Logistics Industry
If we extend this thought to the largest logistics property owners operating in Europe, the potential becomes even more remarkable. Large logistics platforms such as Prologis Europe, Logicor, CTP, SEGRO, GLP Europe and WDP together represent more than eighty-six million square meters of logistics space.
Applying the same solar calculation to the roof, a theoretical capacity of approximately 8.65 gigawatts is produced. Naturally, these numbers represent theoretical potential. Actual installations will always be slightly inferior due to technical constraints such as skylights, roof equipment, fire access corridors or structural limitations. But even if some of this capacity were implemented, the contribution to the European energy system would be enormous. Most importantly, the economics are already convincing.
Sustainability that pays for itself
One of the biggest misconceptions about renewable energy solutions in real estate is that they represent additional costs for developers or investors. In reality, the opposite is increasingly true.
Rooftop solar installations can generate multiple sources of revenue. Asset owners can partner with renewable energy companies and lease their rooftop surfaces to energy operators such as Greenvolt, generating additional income without operational complexity. At the same time, tenants benefit from access to locally produced green electricity at a lower cost, which improves the attractiveness of the building and supports long-term occupancy. Lower energy costs improve operational efficiency for occupants. The renewable energy infrastructure reinforces the asset´s sustainability profile. And the additional revenue generated by renting roofs or supplying energy improves the overall return on investment.
In other words, technical solutions already exist and do not require sacrificing profitability. On the contrary, they enrich it.
A Moment of Leadership
During one of my MIPIM conversations, I asked Wincel Kaufmann a simple question. Why are we waiting for the bird sitting in the tree to decide when it wants to fly?
We already know that energy and sustainability are not optional topics. They are essential elements of our economic future and the resilience of our cities and industries.
The logistics industry is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in this transformation. The assets already exist. The technology is available. The economy is attractive. And the need for clean energy continues to grow. The opportunity is literally above our heads, on the rooftops of logistics buildings across Europe.
Perhaps the real challenge is not technological or financial. Maybe it´s simply a matter of mindset.
Instead of waiting for the bird to decide when it will fly, the logistics sector can choose to spread its wings and start flying now.