ABN Amro proudly announces the opening of the first energy-neutral bank office in the Netherlands.
Located in Alkmaar, the building generates 100 percent of its own energy. Johan van Hall, Vice-Chairman of ABN AMRO’s Managing Board, officially opened the building on the morning of Wednesday, 11 November – the day on which the office was awarded a BREEAM Excellent certificate for buildings, the leading European standard for sustainability performances.
Compared with the existing situation, the sustainability improvements made to the premises will reduce its energy consumption by 75 percent. New features include an ecological system that uses the cooler outside temperatures at night to create a comfortable indoor climate during the day, special roofing material for treating the outside air and a non-standard solar panel setup that captures more sunlight.
Sustainable operations: an important ambition
Vice-Chairman Johan van Hall of ABN AMRO’s Managing Board explains, ‘Achieving sustainability in our operations is an important ambition for ABN AMRO. Our target is for the bank to be seen and acknowledged as a sustainable bank by 2017. This energy-efficient office sets the example for our other offices. Our experiences in Alkmaar and at our other premises will also be put to use in our advice to clients in the real estate sector, giving an added impulse to sustainability in the Netherlands.