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Innovative Siemens headquarters delivers significant resource savings
Siemens HQ is Abu Dhabi's first LEED Platinum-certified office building
Sets a benchmark for sustainable construction in the Middle East
Siemens has celebrated the first anniversary of moving into its award-winning Middle East headquarters at Abu Dhabi's Masdar City in the UAE. In its first year the building achieved a 63 per cent saving of energy consumption and a 52 per cent saving of water consumption, compared to a standard Abu Dhabi office building.
The Siemens Middle East Headquarters at Masdar City was inaugurated in January 2014, marking a commitment by Siemens to the future of the UAE and the Middle East, and is the first LEED Platinum-certified office building in Abu Dhabi.
Designed by UK architects Sheppard Robson with energy efficiency as a priority, the building incorporates a range of innovative features, materials and technologies which significantly reduce the consumption of power and water.
"When we moved into our new headquarters a year ago, I said it was important for Siemens to 'walk the talk' in the region," said Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO of Siemens Middle East and UAE. "We inaugurated our new headquarters as a further commitment to our long-term presence in the UAE and the Middle East, and to set an example with our actions.
"I'm proud to say that one year on we have made an important statement about the significance of innovative, intelligent infrastructure in the Middle East. Siemens and Masdar have proved that with the right mindset, partners and technology, it is possible to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of a UAE office building."
"Achieving the highest ratings in terms of design, sustainability and efficiency, the Siemens Headquarters is a prime example of Masdar's commitment to developing more sustainable solutions that are commercially competitive," said Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company. "The building's exemplary performance over the past year underscores what can be achieved when innovation is coupled with cutting-edge technology, and sets the bar for new buildings - in the United Arab Emirates and abroad."
The headquarters building, which accommodates around 800 Siemens employees, is raised off the ground and constructed as a 'box-within-a-box'. A highly insulated inner façade reduces thermal conductivity and a lightweight aluminum external shading system minimizes solar gain, while maximizing sunlight within the building. It is also positioned to face the direction of the prevailing wind, making use of a Venturi tunnel underneath the building to maintain a cooling airflow through specially designed wind channels.
A fully-integrated building management system from Siemens automatically adjusts lighting and temperature levels, significantly reducing resource consumption. The building also has security systems and fire alarm and gas suppression systems from Siemens Building Technologies.
The official figures show the Siemens Headquarters building at Masdar City achieved a 63 per cent saving in electricity consumption and a 52 per cent saving in water consumption between February 2014 and January 2015. When fully occupied Siemens expects the power and water savings to be closer to the original estimate of around 50 per cent.
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Michael Palmer
Phone: +971 55 200 3873; Email: michael.j.palmer@siemens.com
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Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment - such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems - and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
© Press Release 2015
