WLG | impact '24: CMS Switzerland's Office Building Refurbishes to Zero Emissions

CMS Switzerland is making a difference for WLG | impact.

Our office building was completely refurbished. It was stripped down to its mere skeleton and thereafter entirely rebuilt. When negotiating with the owner, the energy-saving measures were also key in our decision to return to our prior premises.

The result is impressive: While the planners were keen to minimize the impact of the structural interventions on the appearance of the building, final energy consumption was reduced by around 75% from 762 MWh/a to 187 MWh/a thanks to the renovation measures: façade insulation, window replacement, flat roof renovation and insulation of the underground car park ceiling. In terms of building technology, a switch was made from gas heating to a heat pump that utilizes the thermal energy of Lake Zurich. In summer, the lake water is also used to cool down the temperatures in the offices. This means, that the operation of the building does not produce any (direct) CO2 emissions any more.

In addition, the façade consists of photovoltaic panels and further photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof. It is expected that they produce 159 MWh/a of solar power. Of this, about one third can be directly used in the operation of the building, the remainder is returned to the grid.

Comparison between original structure (1960s) to renovated building – the appearance has practically not changed.