Schneider Electric provided advanced technologies to the most sustainable office building in the world

To build the world's most sustainable office building from an ecological perspective. This was the shared goal of the Dutch developer OVG Real Estate, engaged in sustainable development, and the main tenant of the building, Deloitte. The technically and visually impressive building, named The Edge, is located in Amsterdam's Zuidas business district. The construction dazzles not only with its architectural solution but also hides a comprehensive range of cutting-edge technologies, energy-efficient systems, and integrated building management solutions from Schneider Electric. The building has been rated as Outstanding with the highest BREEAM score of 98.36% to date.

SmartStruxure™ Intelligent Solution

The building utilizes the SmartStruxure™ intelligent solution, Schneider Electric's premier building management system controlled by SmartStruxure™ Building Operation software, including fifty Automation Servers. “Periphery compatible with the building management system is installed in ceilings and technical rooms and includes sensors, valves, drives, and heat meters, which provide information on thermal energy used by the building,” describes Radko Svrdlin, Sales Director for Schneider Electric’s EcoBuilding division.

Building Operation Can Be Managed Locally or Remotely

The administrators of The Edge can manage its operation and energy usage locally or remotely to maintain optimal comfort for occupants. Access to critical building data is available through dashboards and advanced reporting. Based on this information, decisions can be made to optimize energy use for HVAC. The building also utilizes Schneider Electric products for electrical distribution, including distribution boards, busbars, electricity meters, and frequency converters.
The Edge also employs additional tools to enhance efficiency. It is the first building to utilize PoE LED lighting, allowing users to control lighting and climate in individual spaces via a mobile app. Innovative technology not only saves energy costs but also provides information and data analysis on the building's operation.

The Estimated Energy Consumption of The Edge is Less Than 0.3 kWH/m2 Per Year

The Edge is also a building with a zero energy balance. For this purpose, all windowless areas of the southern facade are equipped with solar panels. To ensure all energy for heating and cooling, a heat pump at a depth of approximately 120 meters is used. Other ecological features of The Edge include rainwater collection, charging stations for electric vehicles, and occupancy-based ventilation.

Record-Breaking BREEAM Certification Score - 98.36%

Schneider Electric was able to connect directly with the developer, end-user, designer, system integrator, and other participants early in the project. Schneider Electric's knowledge in energy management and ability to understand the building's life cycle helped the project The Edge achieve the highest rating ever awarded by the Building Research Establishment (BRE®) - 98.36% - and the BREEAM® NL New Construction certification with an "Outstanding" result.

• On the link below, you will find the complete video recording of the presentation of the building THE EDGE at the Sustainable Buildings 2015 conference in Prague. The lecture is presented by architect Ron Bakker (PLP Architecture) and Erik Zwaan, EcoBuilding Commercial Manager, Schneider Electric, Netherlands.

Overview of Technologies Used in THE EDGE

Innovative Technology
• PoE (Power over Ethernet) connected lighting - LED - 50% less energy consumption
• AHU units operating based on occupancy and CO2 concentration
• Heating and cooling ceilings
• Atrium functioning as an energy reservoir stored in the atmosphere
• Rotating heat exchangers in AHU units for energy recovery (65% energy saving)
• Utilization of thermal energy from boreholes 120 m below the surface
• Heat source - district heating only as a backup system

Integrated Technology
• Measurement of electrical energy
• Measurement of hot and cold water energy distribution to individual devices
• IP backbone for all technologies
• User interaction through applications

Other Sustainable Development Options
• 1,920 m2 of solar panels on the building + 4,200 m2 on other buildings (a total of 818,000 kWh/year)
• Utilization of rainwater
• Low water consumption in toilets - 4 instead of 6-9 liters per flush
• Reduction of GWP (Global Warming Potential)
• Reduction of NOx emissions

SmartStruxure Solution – Backbone Integration
• 50 automation webservers
• 1,400 zone controllers (regulations)
• 200 electricity meters
• 70 heat and cold meters (calorimeters)
• 35 frequency converters
• communication via BACnet, LON, Modbus, and Web services protocols
• a total of 20,000 I/O data points

+ thousands of connected devices such as energy valves and lighting units that ensure the operation of the entire measurement and control system.