Smartest Buildings in America announced

Siemens Industry Inc on Aug. 26, 2010, 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.

Five industry experts chose the winners from finalists that included a wide range of facilities from across the U.S. 

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.  Here is 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 sq ft.  Using Siemens APOGEE Building Automation System, it creates operational efficiencies that have reduced energy consumption by 22%.

• 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.

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