Software giant SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) announced that the expansion of its North American headquarters in Pennsylvania has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Designed by FXFOWLE Architects and opened in May 2009, the 200,000-square-foot building is currently the largest LEED Platinum-certified facility in Pennsylvania.
The four-story building received the maximum number of LEED points in the water efficiency and innovation and design process categories. By using a state-of-the-art water management system, SAP expects to save over one million gallons of water per year. Rainwater is collected in a 50,000-gallon cistern that supplies water for landscape irrigation and the flushing of toilets in some of the building’s bathrooms. Low-flow bathroom fixtures help further reduce the water usage.
"When we laid the foundation for the new SAP building in Pennsylvania, our goal was to create an inspirational work place for our Philadelphia-area employees and show our commitment to sustainable development and growth in North America," said Bill McDermott, co-CEO of SAP AG.
The energy-efficient building supports SAP’s global efforts to bring the company’s total carbon emissions back to the level seen in 2000, by the year 2020. This represents an overall reduction of 50% compared to the peak year 2007.
SAP estimates that the new building is one-third more energy-efficient compared to conventional buildings by using intelligent design features. The building’s sensor system is integrated with exterior shading devices that automatically adjust the lighting and help control the temperature level in the facility. A hybrid air conditioning system produces ice to cool the building during the overnight hours when energy demands and electric rates are the lowest. Floor-to-ceiling glass exteriors and a green roof, planted with native and regional vegetation, integrate the office with its surrounding natural environment and create an exceptional work environment.
In addition, SAP committed to an annual purchase of 19 million kilowatt-hours of wind-generated Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The wind-energy purchase offsets more than 80% of the electricity needs of the SAP Newtown Square campus and reduces the company’s carbon footprint by over 10 tons.
Worldwide, SAP aims for a minimum of LEED Silver standard for new buildings that are owned by the company. In addition to the facility in Newtown Square, SAP recently constructed a LEED Gold-certified SAP building in Sao Leopoldo, Brazil. Its newly opened facility in St. Ingbert, Germany, is seeking LEED Gold certification.
In 2009, SAP also completed more than 100 projects to improve energy efficiencies in existing facilities by retrofitting buildings with energy savings technology, such as motion detectors, timer-controlled lighting and improved cooling and heating systems. SAP also created an electricity tracker that measures the electricity consumption of more than 40 SAP buildings on a month-by-month basis. Employees can monitor SAP’s progress in achieving the overall carbon reduction goal.
Loading...