Our contribution to
sustainability
Our contribution to
sustainability
Our contribution to
sustainability
Belimo’s lighthouse project
Belimo unveiled its new 3,800 square meter Indian headquarters, built as a showcase for state-of-the-art HVAC solutions and sustainable design. The Mumbai hub was originally conceptualized in 2016 as part of the company’s 2030 accelerated growth strategy. Belimo has long been a global leader in the HVAC technology sector and, given India’s recent carbon neutrality pledge, this was an exciting opportunity to design a structure from the ground up with the environment in mind. In addition to office and factory space, the building also houses the Belimo customer experience center, created to actively support the customer journey towards creating healthier indoor comfort with less energy. It is also a space where OEMs and academics can collaborate to design, build and test the next generation of Belimo products.
Facts and figures
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Awarded Indian Green Building Council’s highest platinum status – the 1st in Navi Mumbai.
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Predicted 23% sitewide energy saving by efficient use of building envelope, lighting, HVAC, sensors, energy meters, and renewable energy.
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Sunlight provides 90% of office lighting thanks to an open ceiling design.
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186 solar units provide 100 kilowatt peak production, covering 20% of overall energy consumption.
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Over 95% of rainwater is harvested, and stored in a 171 cubic meter rainwater tank, equivalent to two days of rainfall, reducing the usage of municipal water.
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Low flow fixtures contribute to 43% of water savings.
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HVAC units with Belimo damper actuators, control valves, sensors, and energy meters.
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A rooftop landscape to reduce the heat load on the building.
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An automated façade louver shading system with 55 Belimo linear actuators.
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90% of the parking provided in the building is covered to reduce the heat island effect.
Strong focus on sustainable practices
The new HQ was designed in collaboration with Envision Design Studio to comply with the Indian Green Building Council’s (IGBC) Green Factory Buildings guidelines. Before a single brick was laid, the impact of construction on the local environment was a major factor, particularly the issue of soil erosion. Usha Narrasimham, Envision architect, explained: “Generally, excavation involves the removal and disposal of topsoil, which is rich in precious organic matter and plant nutrients. We prevented this by pumping the removed topsoil – suspended in water due to the high groundwater table – into a sedimentation chamber, where the water was drained, and the remaining soil used in landscaped areas located around the site.” The entire construction process continued to implement sustainable practices wherever possible. Eco-friendly building supplies – such as low VOC breeze blocks – and items containing recycled content were prioritized. As an example, the exterior tile cladding is made of an aluminium composite material with 80% recycled content. Additionally, all waste was either recycled or sold to recycling companies, ensuring nothing ended up in landfill.
Minimizing HVAC energy requirements
The external envelope of the building was given particular deliberation, with low U-value, reflective glazing installed to insulate the office from the Mumbai heat, which can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius. In fact, the exterior is clad with white tiles to reflect sunlight and keep down the internal temperature, minimizing HVAC energy requirements.
The interior also benefits from intelligent material choices, with pale office flooring scattering light from the large feature skylights, providing 90 % of the office’s illumination, and minimizing the artificial light required during working hours.
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Precise monitoring and control
Due to high temperatures and humidity it was essential to incorporate pioneering ventilation and air conditioning solutions. To this end, a high-tech HVAC system was installed, and equipped with devices to allow for precise monitoring and control over the temperature, air flow, humidity and CO2 in each room – thus the name CESIM® House.
The louvers are controlled by linear actuators that are automatically operated based on lux levels and outside temperature measured by the rooftop weather station.
Belimo linear damper actuators are available with stroke lengths of 4, 8 or 12 inches and on/off, floating point or modulating control. The comprehensive range of 34 lbf [150 N force] to 101 lbf [450 N force] are ideal for a wide range of applications such as louvers, diffusers, greenhouse windows and anywhere linear motion is required.
Ketan Sheth, Product Manager at Belimo, said: “You can't control what you can't measure, and our network of embedded sensors, complete with intelligent control systems, allows for real-time monitoring and adjustment of the parameters needed to deliver consistent indoor air quality.” However, the advanced infrastructure does not end with the HVAC system, as actuated louvers are fitted over the exterior windows, and automatically adjust their angle to maximize shade at all times of the day. Additionally, adaptive illumination systems can sense when a room is unoccupied and automatically switch off the lights.
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The Belimo Energy Valve™ provides pressure-independent flow control and transparent monitoring of the chilled water system. This ensures that it is not operated with too low a temperature spread (delta T). By measuring, calculating, and visualizing important system data and with the performance reports, energy-efficient system operation and balancing is guaranteed for the entire service life.
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The building has smart AHUs that are equipped with Belimo's complete range of sensors to measure temperature, humidity, CO2, pressure, and flow. Belimo's sensors provide a precision-controlled, comfortable room environment that is essential for the well-being and productivity of people.
Belimo HVAC sensors and meters provide reliable and accurate measurement and monitoring with seamless Building Automation System integration.
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The Belimo Mumbai building uses pressure-independent VAV with Belimo ZoneEase™ VAV controls for energy-efficient temperature control in office areas, meeting rooms, and training facilities.
Belimo ZoneEase™ VAV is the most innovative VAV-solution that simplifies the commissioning process. It provides commissioning support via the cloud to enhance the user experience and reduces project complexity and downtime while increasing connectivity, data transparency and cost-efficiency.
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What cannot be measured cannot be controlled. The Belimo room sensors and room operating units ensure continuous and reliable measurement, display, and monitoring of indoor air quality of the Belimo Mumbai building.
Belimo offers a complete and innovative range of HVAC control devices to maintain healthy indoor air quality without compromising energy efficiency.
Use of solar energy and rainwater
The Company’s eco-friendly ethos is not limited to construction methods, building materials and intelligent systems, and includes the continued use – and re-use wherever possible – of natural resources. For example, solar panels positioned on the roof harness the sun’s energy and deliver unused energy back to the grid, providing 20% of the office’s overall energy consumption.
Ready to invite our customers
On completion, the state-of-the-art HQ was successfully awarded platinum status, the IGBC’s highest possible rating. As well as being environmentally friendly, the site was built with staff comfort and welfare in mind, featuring a spacious open-plan office, multiple breakout areas, a cafeteria and a gymnasium.
It has also served as an excellent showcase of Belimo’s advanced HVAC technologies, sophisticated monitoring solutions and automated control systems that together provide consistent indoor air quality without sacrificing energy efficiency.
When combined with the intelligent, eco-friendly design and the recycling of natural resources, the building has provided a glimpse into the future of environmentally conscious construction and the efficient use of workspaces. The innovative hub is on track to meet expectations, with simulations predicting a 23 % sitewide energy saving compared to a regular building.
A number of energy meters have been installed to precisely monitor the fluctuating energy demands across all four seasons, and will hopefully confirm these results in the next year. Gary Economides, President of Asia Pacific at Belimo, commented: “We’re proud that this is one of the most eco-friendly and technologically advanced buildings in India. Being awarded the prestigious IGBC platinum status – the goal laid out at the hub’s inception in 2016 – is a great achievement, and a testament to everyone involved. Not only will the new headquarters contribute to a reduction in our carbon footprint, but it will also enhance the comfort and wellbeing of our staff, which is of utmost importance. However, now the real work begins; we must educate our clients, contractors and the general public on the benefits of Belimo’s HVAC technologies and sustainable solutions which contribute towards a greener future.
Creating healthier indoor comfort with less energy
Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. And because we spend up to 90% of our time indoors, they powerfully impact our comfort, health, and overall well-being. At Belimo, we have made it our mission to create healthier, more comfortable indoor environments that consume less energy. With a product portfolio naturally geared toward addressing several UN Sustainable Development Goals, we enable highly energy-efficient building automation and control systems (BACs) that cut the power requirements of HVAC solutions by up to 55%.
General information about indoor air quality
Moving towards Building IoT with innovative products
Connectivity has always been a key feature of our products. Providing even better products with the right digital connection is our focus now and in the future.
The ecosystem of Belimo IoT devices enables flexible system integration through all common building automation communication protocols and Building IoT platforms. With the help of the additional IoT connection, buildings can be more easily optimized, managed, and maintained.