56 ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • Industry News BNP Paribas Fortis, the largest bank in the country, recently moved to the building in Brussels and has invested in the latest cutting-edge technology that will enable the financial institution to make energy savings of up to 80 per cent. When the French-Belgian bank set out to replace their outdated 1970’s building, it recognised that their prime location was one thing that certainly did not need to be changed. In choosing to lead the way with the development of a new headquarters on the site of their previous building, BNP Paribas Fortis, or Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (Bank of Paris and the Netherlands) as it is otherwise known, selected B.E.G to deliver the required intelligent building solutions which would be appropriate for such a landmark building. The design of the new of ce was set out to embrace the ‘very latest in environmental and energy standards and achieve a genuine balance between ecological, economic, aesthetic, and social ideals’. Around 4,500 workplaces were created across a total area of Banking on becoming ‘Greener’ with Intelligent Building Solutions at new HQ in iconic financial Belgian City 100,000 sq. m – 70 per cent more than the previous building could accommodate. The elaborate new building also includes an auditorium, a conference centre, an underground car park for 268 cars, 40 motorbikes and 330 bicycles, and even a shopping arcade. Thanks to BNP Paribas Fortis’s investments in design, recreational spaces, connectivity and comfort the experience is optimised for the staff who work from the building ‘without compromising on its high environmental performance standards’. To deliver against the required sustainability factors, the bank uses building automation via the KNX building automation system called KNX, with products from the experienced building automation specialists B.E.G. Due to the size of BNP Paribas Fortis’s new building, networking of building components such as heating, air conditioning, blinds and lighting is mandatory in Europe with huge potential for reducing energy costs and positively impacting the environment. In the new building, German manufacturer B.E.G. used two models of occupancy sensor which were speci cally selected to meet the bank’s requirements. Paul Jones, Sales Director of UK & Ireland at B.E.G. UK Ltd, said: “The B.E.G. multi-sensors used detect movements, existing ambient light and react according to the time of day. In this way, it is possible to programme and plan lighting scenes for each area or a combination of areas facilitate group control. Illuminance levels, blind positions and much more can be changed quickly. “The KNX sensors selected can achieve very precise light measurements. This makes them particularly suitable for interiors with dif cult lighting situations, such as the corridors and striking staircases of ‒AN INTERNATIONAL bank has incorporated intelligent building solutions at its new headquarters in the heart of the European financial district in Belgium to reach its goals of becoming ‘greener’.
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