BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., Aug. 24, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siemens Industry, Inc. today identified the four smartest buildings in America, winners of its inaugural Smartest Building in America™ Challenge. Grand prize winners are the Duke Energy Center, Charlotte, N.C., and the Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Runner-up winners are the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Rasmussen Building at Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7914
Five industry experts chose the winners from finalists that included a wide range of facilities from across the U.S. According to Christoph Vogel, vice president of Control Products and Systems (CPS), a Business Unit of the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, "The judges faced a difficult decision. All of the entrants demonstrated smart, innovative ways of increasing efficiency and lowering costs with Siemens building automation systems. Choosing the top four proved to be the real challenge."
Grand prize winners will receive $25,000 in products and services from the Building Technologies Division, according to Vogel, or a $25,000 contribution to qualified charities of their choice. Runner-up prize winners will receive $15,000 in products and services or a $15,000 contribution to qualified charities of their choice. Vogel provided a brief summary of the two grand prize winners and the two runners-up:
2010 Grand Prize Winners
- The Duke Energy Center is a LEED® Core and Shell 2.0 Platinum certified office tower with 48 stories and 1.5 million square feet. Using Siemens APOGEE® Building Automation System, it creates operational efficiencies that have reduced energy consumption by 22 percent.
- The Iowa Central Community College Biotechnology and Health Science Building is a LEED Gold building that relies on the Siemens TALON® AX system to integrate six mechanical systems and operate equipment such as water to air heat pumps, pumping systems, water to water heat pumps, and air handling units.
2010 Runners-Up
- Alaska's Cold Climate Housing Research Center is in the process of receiving LEED Platinum certification, which would make it the furthest north LEED Platinum building in the world. Using the Siemens APOGEE system to handle Alaska's extreme climate, the research center has more than 1,200 sensors that monitor everything from the walls to the roofs, rainwater, foundations, permafrost, and HVAC.
- The Rasmussen Building at Grand View University ensures the comfort of faculty and students while supporting Art Department needs to showcase student work and talents. Using the Siemens TALON system, the building automatically operates VAV boxes for the entire facility, raises and lowers window shades based on time of day and interior room temperatures, and adjusts lighting for the Art Gallery and main conference room.
The Smartest Building in America™ Challenge recognizes how people use the sophisticated Siemens technology that keeps America's buildings operating in a smart way to reduce cost and energy usage. Open to any facility that operates either APOGEE® or TALON® building automation systems, the Challenge looks for innovative and creative approaches taken by facility managers. Entries from the winners and other entrants can be viewed at www.smartestbuildinginamerica.com.
The challenge, which ended July 15, has had more than 5,500 visitors to its web site. Go to www.smartestbuildinginamerica.com for more information.
About Siemens
Siemens Industry, Inc. (SII) is the U.S. affiliate of Siemens' global Industry Sector business—the world's leading supplier of production, transportation and building technology solutions. The company's integrated hardware and software technologies enable comprehensive industry-specific solutions for industrial and infrastructure providers to increase their productivity, sustainability and profitability. The Industry Sector includes six divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and OSRAM SYLVANIA. With nearly 222,000 Siemens Industry Sector employees worldwide, the Industry Sector posted a worldwide profit of $2.7 billion on revenues of $47.7 billion in fiscal 2009. www.usa.siemens.com/Industry
A division of Siemens Industry, Inc. (SII), Building Technologies (BT) Division is a leading provider of energy and environmental solutions, building controls, electrical distribution equipment, fire safety and security systems solutions. BT's solutions enable America's buildings to be more comfortable, secure and environmentally friendly as well as less costly to operate. With a U.S. headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Ill., BT employs 7,400 people and provides a full range of services and solutions from more than 100 locations coast-to-coast. Worldwide, the company has 28,000 employees and operates from more than 500 locations in 51 countries. The Building Technologies Division posted worldwide revenues of $8.1 billion in fiscal 2009.
