Business & Finance Club - Riyadh : ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, said it has won an order to implement KNX smart building technology in the 21-storey Waseel Tower, which will be the first green office building in Riyadh.

The tower, which is set to open soon, will deploy a complete suite of energy-efficient KNX smart building solutions from ABB.

ABB’s KNX technology will allow both tenants and the building’s facilities management staff to control all the applications inside their offices, including lighting, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, as well as room access and shading, said the company in a statement.

The system also detects the occupancy of each office suite using a presence detector and implements an occupancy dependent lighting control system to ensure energy savings, said a top official.

“The ability to control energy-intensive functions, such as air conditioning and lighting in each room, will reduce power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 30 per cent in Waseel Tower,” revealed Ali Nazzal, senior sales and operation manager, Smart Home and Intelligent Building Controls, ABB Saudi Arabia.

“This will translate into lower energy bills and greater comfort for Waseel tenants as well as lower operating costs for the tower’s owners, thus creating a win-win situation.”

Waseel Tower has a built-up area of over 63,000 sq m and rises to a height of 163 m. Situated on King Fahad Road in the center of the capital’s financial and commercial districts, the tower is designed to offer the very latest services to tenants, including an international conference center, business center, restaurants and a fitness center.

“When we first thought of the concept for Waseel Tower, our aim was to deploy the most modern building solution to benefit our tenants,” said Abdul Majeed Al Sultan, executive manager at the building’s owner, the Consolidated Brothers Company.

"ABB’s smart building technology will enable our tenants to lower their energy costs while also automating many office functions at the touch of a button," Sultan noted.

"Given that energy presents as much as 30 per cent of a building’s operating costs, we’ve taken a decision for our office buildings to be energy-efficient and we hope that other building owners in Riyadh will follow in our footsteps," he added.-