As related in my July 28 and July 29 blogs, Taipei 101 earned LEED-EBOM Platinum designation last
week to become the world's tallest and largest green building.

Shu-Hung Shen, Taiwan's Minister of Environmental Protection, captured the significance of the event
aptly: "Taipei 101," he said, has become the environmental protection symbol for Taiwan, for Asia, and
for the world."

The need for reducing energy usage in urban places is compelling. Consider these facts, presented by
Hubert Keiber, CEO of Siemens Building Automation, which designed Taipei 101's Energy Monitoring
and Control System:

• World population is expected to increase from 6 billion today to 8 billion in 2025, and an
unprecedented 60% will be urbanized.
The Earth is experiencing the highest atmospheric CO2 concentrations in human history.
Energy shortages will likely grow as population increases: today, 50% of the population
consumes 75% of the energy.

•As well, buildings are the leading source of global energy, land and water consumption, as pointed out
by Rob Watson, Chief Scientist of Eco-Tech International, who in partnership with Steven Lynch Group,
provided LEED certification services to Taipei 101:

• Buildings consume approximately 2 times the energy of cars and trucks.
Buildings are responsible for the bulk of land consumption.
80% of potable water is consumed through buildings.
Figures from the USA indicate that buildings account for 70% of electricity use; 40% to 45% of
energy use; and up to 40% of municipal waste.

As these figures suggest, reductions in building energy and water consumption are a key factor in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving fuel and water, and reversing global energy shortages.

The LEED Platinum retrofit of Taipei 101 has shown that such an undertaking can be both an
environmental and a financial success. Key environmental results at Taipei 101 include the following:

• Power usage has been reduced by 8.82 million kilowatt hours. Cumulative power usage dropped
18% from 2007 through 2010.
Energy and water consumption at Taipei 101 are now 30% below averages for comparable
properties.
Annual carbon emissions at Taipei 101 have been cut by 2,995 million metric tons per year, the
equivalent of taking 239 cars off the road.

• The Taipei 101 retrofit has also been a financial success, realizing operating cost savings of $733,000
annually. The project's $2 million LEED-EBOM renovation cost was therefore recouped in less than

three years, thereafter generating savings that are shared by ownership and building tenants. In sum,
Taipei 101 is an environmental and financial win-win.

Taipei 101 is significant for the growth of the building energy-efficiency industry in Taipei, throughout
Asia and worldwide. Peter Halliday, Vice President of Siemens Taiwan, notes that other building owners
in Taipei, inspired by Taipei 101, have already approached Siemens to undertake similar retrofits at
their properties. Siemens believes that others in Asia will take note, too, and that the environmental and
bottom-line success of Taipei 101 will spur additional energy-efficiency retrofits in China, Korea and
other locations in Asia.

The successful LEED Platinum certification of Taipei 101 further sets the stage for additional expansion
of Taiwan's energy efficiency and green building industries. As of 2011, Taiwan's government has
allocated billions to energy-efficiency and green building investment over the next six years. These
monies are expected to support the development of up to 50 energy-efficient pilot districts and,
eventually, the creation of low-carbon cities, islands and regions for Taiwan. Government investment
has also been directed to create wireless and smart grid systems, and to support the growth of the island's
solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, biofuel, hydrogen/fuel cell, LED lighting and electric vehicle industries.
Taiwan is betting that these industries will attract foreign investment and new jobs on Taiwan, and counts
on Taipei 101 to attract attention to the island's green sector.

According to executives at Siemens and EcoTech's Rob Watson, Taipei 101 will also be a game-
changer for the global commercial building industry. To date, the owners of most multi-tenanted
skyscrapers have shied away from green certification, believing that green and energy-efficiency
upgrades would be too expensive and disruptive. Taipei 101 establishes that even the largest
and tallest skyscrapers can achieve LEED Platinum certification, and do so cost-effectively with
strong tenant support. The success of Taipei 101 is expected to set the bar higher and induce
the owners of other large buildings to undertake energy-efficiency retrofits that will reduce
energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and generate operating cost savings for both building
occupants and ownership.

Siemens, for one, views urbanization, building energy efficiency and related fields as key global business
drivers for the next decade and beyond. On October 1, 2011, Siemens will launch a new Infrastructure
and Cities business sector that will link its global service offerings in energy-efficient building
technology, transportation systems, electric vehicles, heavy construction and smart grid technologies.
The services of the new unit are expected to be especially critical for a rapidly-urbanizing Asia, which
is expected to see 100,000 moving to cities each day, according to Peter Weiss, the CEO of Siemens
Taiwan.

All told, Taipei 101 is a potent example of the environmental and economic benefits of greening
the built environment— an example that has begun to resonate from Taiwan, throughout Asia
and across the globe.

Find Leanne's other work from this series here and here!