The initiative is expected to reduce Siemens annual energy costs in India by about €21.8 million ($30 million), the company's CEO, Armin Bruck, said.
Siemens kick-started the initiative by conducting a thorough inspection and energy audit of each of its company-owned office buildings. The next step will be to equip the facilities with green building technologies from Siemens own environmental portfolio.
For instance, Bruck said, the company expects to reap huge energy savings by using LEDs from Osram, a Siemens group company. They consume 80 percent less energy than conventional light bulbs, he said.
In addition, Siemens plans to install new intelligent building systems and to optimize the heating and cooling system, water and energy distribution and many more areas.
The process is well underway at the company headquarters in Worli, Mumbai (India) and is expected to be completed by early 2011.
“This cuts CO2 emissions and at the same time lowers operating costs, increases property values and enhances operating safety,” Bruck said.
According to a written statement from Siemens, office buildings account for about 40 percent of the world’s energy and 40 percent of their owners’ operating costs.
Up to 70 percent of the energy demand in cities also comes from buildings, the company said.
Experts predict that up to 900 million sq. mtrs of commercial and residential space will get added every year in India. This is equivalent to a city of Chicago being added every year in India. Hence, optimizing energy usage in buildings gives an abatement potential of 300 million tons of CO2, the company said.
“Our systems are cutting energy consumption in offices by up to 30 percent,” said Bruck.
To date, Siemens systems in buildings worldwide have already saved about €20 billion ($27.5 million) and are reducing CO2 emissions by 2.4 million tons.
This is equivalent to the annual emissions of roughly one million cars, the company said.
Siemens is also currently developing “eco city” models to ensure that megacities such as Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata are planned from the very outset to be as sustainable as possible.
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