Taiwan Power Co.’s headquarters in Taipei City earned May 8 the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification, the highest level of accreditation offered by nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council.
The 27-story structure gained the designation for implementing cutting-edge green solutions spanning cooling technologies, smart energy management systems, and water collection and reclamation techniques. It excelled in the category of optimized energy efficiency performance, receiving full marks to place in the top fifth percentile of office buildings worldwide.
According to the state-run utility, the green renovations to its 36-year-old headquarters save up to 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 4,000 metric tons of water annually. They also underscore the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact, Taipower added.
A total of 150 Taipower facilities nationwide have received various forms of green certification, the firm said, adding that an additional 2,000 are currently undergoing related upgrades.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Taipei, USGBC President and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam praised the successful redevelopment of the corporate headquarters. Considering the difficulties in executing top-level green standards in existing buildings, the company’s energy efficiency achievements have surpassed expectations, he said.
LEED is the leading global standard for certifying high-performing green buildings and interiors. Structures are assessed across the categories of energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, innovation, sustainability, and waste and cleaning management.
Taipower’s headquarters, the first local building to surpass 100 meters, is the seventh structure in Taiwan to achieve platinum certification. Other recipients include Taipei 101, the tallest green building in the world, as well as facilities owned by AsusTek Computer Inc., Delta Electronics Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (KWS-E)
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