Endress+Hauser Canada celebrated the inauguration of one of Canada’s “greenest” commercial buildings on May 10, welcoming guests, customers and media to its recently opened customer experience and process training centre in Burlington, Ontario.
The state-of-the-art 4,400-square-metre building is LEED Gold, and net-zero carbon and energy certified. Designed by mcCallumSather, the building generates electricity using solar power, and uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling.
According to Endress+Hauser, the new building reflects the company’s solid growth in the past years. “The Customer Experience Centre (CEC) is an impressive example of Endress+Hauser’s global strategy of cultivating and managing customer partnerships. This is how we grow – in Canada and worldwide,” said Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group in a press release.
Altendorf also said that the building’s energy efficient features, LEED Gold and net-zero carbon and energy certifications represent the brand values of Endress+Hauser and, “our dedication to customers and our commitment to sustainability.”
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The 800 rooftop solar module panels can generate around 408,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, more than the building consumes. Excess electricity is sold back to the electricity utility, and there is a possibility for the building to use on-site battery storage, should that technology become feasible and cost-effective.
Fittingly for a high-tech company like Endress+Hauser, the new building is laden with sensors and automation software that controls lighting, power consumption, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). For instance, ambient light sensors detect and monitor sunlight coming in from the plentiful triple-glazed windows, and accordingly raise or lower the light provided by LEDs.
The facility’s air temperature is conditioned using a geothermal system that draws heat from 50 wells at a depth of 180 metres, and distributes it across the entire building via 63 heat pumps.
Proudly displayed behind large floor-to-ceiling windows at the entrance of the building is a process training centre – the heart of the new Customer Experience Centre and the second of its kind in Canada.
According to Endress+Hauser, customers can use the process training unit’s (PTU) pilot plant systems to practice hands-on and operate a wide range of measurement instruments. These include products from Endress+Hauser, as well as its partner companies such as the long-standing partnership with Rockwell Automation and other manufacturers. PTUs are located across the world and they allow customers to simulate conditions similar to their own operating environments, said Endress+Hauser in a press release.
In addition to the PTU, the CEC also houses commissioning and testing facilities, a large calibration lab and a repair facility.
Endress+Hauser has maintained a presence in Canada since 1990, when it opened its own sales centre that managed customers from Manitoba to the Atlantic provinces. Currently, the company has 150 employees in Canada, with customers supported by its direct sales team and channel partners.
To learn more about Endress+Hauser Canada visit: www.ca.endress.com
