Energy efficiency and smart solutions: the green headquarters of Volkswagen Group Italia
Renovations to the Volkswagen Group Italia headquarters have been completed. The building now boasts ultra-high-efficiency systems and facilities, a new facade with a modern and distinctive look, offices adapted to smart ways of working, and canopies with rooftop photovoltaics. The extensive work has drastically reduced the environmental impact of the office building, contributing significantly to the achievement of the goals set by Volkswagen Group Italia's environmental mission: compared to 2019, to cut CO2 emissions from company activities by 30% and to reduce the energy needs of the headquarters by 20% by 2025.
We are proud to have completed this enormous renovation work, which contributes to reduce the environmental impact of our headquarters. Now Volkswagen Group Italia not only is a greener workplace, but also has a modern, welcoming and dynamic ambience. It offers different solutions for working adapting to ones’ needs: for example large open space offices, ergonomic furnishings, coworking rooms and break areas," said Marcus Osegowitsch, CEO of Volkswagen Group Italia.
The focus of the project was on interventions targeted to significantly reduce energy requirements. Among the main ones were the adoption - on the entire façade - of glazed panels with specific integrated insulating screens, the new heat pump cooling and heating systems capable of covering the building's needs with reduced resource consumption, and the installation of about 520 m2 of photovoltaic canopies with a maximum power of 100 Kw to cover outdoor parking spaces.
As a result of the work, the building's energy efficiency has improved considerably, from class C to A4. In concrete terms, energy requirements will drop from 228.44 to 40.00 kWh/m2 per year, corresponding to a cut in CO2 emissions of 702 t/year (30 percent less than the pre-intervention data). The headquarters of Volkswagen Group Italia also meets the requirements to be recognized as an NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building, literally “near zero energy building”). In addition, climate protection projects have been activated in order to offset unavoidable emissions, consistent with the company's environmental policy.
The commitment of Volkswagen Group Italia to environmental sustainability is not limited to this intervention but also takes the form of many other activities and initiatives. Just to name a few: the supply of 100 percent electricity from certified renewable sources even before the renovation work, the gradual electrification of the company fleet, a vegetarian day at the in-house restaurant, attention to biodiversity with hives in the headquarters garden, carpooling and bikesharing, the VGIECODAY - a volunteering activity dedicated to the collection of waste dispersed in the environment - and, last but not least, the Oxygen Area created between the office building and the Spare Parts Distribution Center - a frame of intensive greenery with high pollutant and CO2 absorption capacity.
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