Siemens has opened a climate neutral campus in the Swiss city of Zug. The campus is the company’s global headquarters for Smart Infrastructure, and showcases sustainable building and urban technologies.

The 25,000 square meter-campus consists of a main building, a factory and the newly-added R&D Centre. Climate neutrality is achieved through a combination of different measures.

Heat pumps and water from Lake Zug are used for cooling and heating, while rooftop photovoltaic systems produce electricity. Planted flat roofs provide an additional layer of insulation. Siemens’ building automation system Desigo CC, part of Siemens Xcelerator, provides optimal room climate control and energy efficiency. In addition, over 50 Siemens-owned charging stations support sustainable mobility. The office building has achieved platinum certification according to the LEED standard, while the production facility and R&D building both achieve gold standards.

“Technology is the key to sustainability,” said Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “With 40 percent of global energy demand coming from buildings, zero carbon facilities are a huge lever for businesses – and countries – to become greener. It’s complex. We use artificial intelligence to orchestrate hardware and software. Switzerland’s high environmental standards and world class universities make it the perfect place to advance this technology. And Siemens Xcelerator, our new digital business platform, makes it easier for customers to implement by making it modular.”

“Siemens uniquely combines the real and the digital worlds to create a better tomorrow. The new Siemens Campus in Zug is a great example of this,” said Matthias Rebellius, member of the managing board of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure. “Featuring the latest technology from across our portfolio to enhance building operations and achieve the highest efficiencies, the campus will operate in a completely climate-neutral way, reaching the target we committed to two years ago.” 

Building Information Modelling (BIM) was used in the design of the campus. With BIM, a building is constructed twice: First virtually, then in the real world. It allows electricity, heating, cooling and water consumption to be documented, measured and adjusted through various applications. A room reservation system is connected to Siport access control and Desigo CC for demand-driven room control and digital signage. In addition, a variety of IoT functions have already been implemented to increase building efficiency, improve comfort and optimise user experience.