As the market’s only provider, Siemens is able to offer energy saving solutions from building automation to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology plus low-voltage power distribution to lighting. With this approach to public and commercial buildings, considerable savings can be achieved. This holistic concept of building management means investments pay for themselves in only a few years.
In the past, commercial buildings such as office blocks had to be prestigious above all and provide plenty of space. For some time, however, buildings have been conceived and constructed based on additional requirements. Planners and contractors today focus more on a building’s sustainability and efficiency than ever before. This is because an efficient building protects not only the environment but also enables considerable energy savings.
The planners’ goal is a “green building”, which is distinguished by its efficiency and resource conservation throughout its lifecycle. At the same time, the appropriate choice of raw materials and resources reduces harmful effects on health and the environment. As such, every part of a building’s lifecycle is considered from planning and construction to operation, maintenance and dismantling.
Siemens does justice to the need for sustainable construction by bundling the skills of its building technologies division with Osram and providing comprehensive solutions with lower operating costs. This approach involves far more than the use of energy saving components.
The specialists at Siemens’ building technologies divisions and Osram are not just tinkering with minor adjustments in their work. The overall concept includes every area from building automation to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology to low-voltage power distribution and lighting, in order to reduce a property’s energy consumption to a minimum while in use. This optimizes its operation and maintenance and in addition to that building technologies’ and Osram’s one-stop solutions also make a major contribution to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
More than just saving energy
For Siemens’ customers, this planning approach means far more than the prospect of reduced heating and electricity costs. Their entire operation costs can be minimised by implementing coordinated systems.
With a significant degree of automation, for example, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology as well as lighting can be deployed according to requirements. Rooms are only lit if people are present and natural light is insufficient. Heating and air-conditioning automatically regulate the ideal temperature at the same time. Any manual regulatory process can be applied via centralised, computer-aided interfaces, which also locate and indicate possible disruptions to make repairs as straightforward as possible.
All these effects contribute to improvements in a building’s eco-balance, which are rewarded. Prizes such as the European GreenBuilding Award or certificates such as the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are more than stamps of approval for buildings these days. They also acknowledge planners and owners, who consider the environment in construction projects.
A few days ago the tower of Munich-based publisher Süddeutscher Verlag has been awarded with a LEED certificate in gold as first office building in Germany. And in November 2009 it was announced that Taiwan’s best known skyscraper Taipei 101 is bidding for an LEED certificate with Siemens’ support and expertise and aspires to a gold certificate, the second highest in the LEED system.
A healthy atmosphere
Users also benefit from the integrated approach, for example, from the ideal, automatically regulated indoor environment, which is maintained regardless of the temperatures outside. As such, not only the temperature is regulated but also factors such as air humidity or its CO2 content, which has significant effects on subjective wellbeing.
In addition, due to the latest light management systems and lamps, the ideal light quality ensures fatigue-free working conditions and high productivity. The same applies whether it is an office or a laboratory. Ideal conditions can be defined for each individual room if desired.
Modernising with energy savings contracting
However, Building Technologies’ cooperation with Osram is not only rewarding for new buildings. With improved efficiency and modernisation of heating and cooling systems and other functions in existing buildings, the energy consumption can be reduced by up to 30%.
With Building Technologies’ energy savings contracting, besides energy and running costs, building operators also save money to finance the required investments. With energy savings contracting every available energy-saving potential is tapped during the contract term via concerted modernisation of building infrastructure. The required modernisation costs pay for themselves directly from energy and running cost savings.
The Osram–Building Technologies partnership focuses on a building’s entire lifecycle and offers an integrated perspective of new construction and renovation. The unique advantages in terms of maximum energy efficiency are produced by the combination of building and lighting system.
For more about building efficiency visit the Siemens website.