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Cologne: 8th December, 2008 - Econcern, the leading global sustainable solutions provider, will unveil its new sustainable headquarters “the Etrium” in Cologne today. The first ‘passive house’ office block in North Rhine-Westphalia of its size will be officially opened by Christa Thoben, minister of economic affairs and energy; Fritz Schramma, mayor of Cologne and Ad van Wijk, chairman of the board of Econcern. The office is located in the Cologne based business park Triotop.

The Etrium requires five times less energy for heating and 70% less energy for primary energy needs than a conventional office building. The name of the headquarters – Etrium – refers both to energy efficiency and the design of the building, which is set around an atrium. The Etrium is not only energy efficient it is also energy generating - solar panels installed on the roof feed electricity directly into the national grid.

The Etrium will serve as the new German headquarters for Econcern, the company whose mission is to achieve “a sustainable energy supply for everyone”. The three storey office building has a floor space of 3751 sqm and can accommodate up to 150 people.

Ecofys, the knowledge division of Econcern, played a central role in overseeing the design and construction of the Etrium to ensure that all energy related aspects were considered. The building is designed with a primary energy consumption of 120 kilowatt hours and it requires no more than 15 kilowatt hours of heating per square metre per year.

Econcern, with its corporate headquarters in the Netherlands, is home to the world’s largest group of experts in sustainable energy 0067eneration and energy saving solutions. The company is active in Germany, where it has interests in large scale sustainable energy assets, such as Moorenweis, a 6MW solar park in Bavaria, and Gode Wind 1, planned to be one of the largest offshore wind parks in the North Sea.

Frank Wouters, country manager for Econcern said: “The new headquarters is a symbol of our commitment to Germany; it is an important market for us. We are a company with an ambitious growth strategy and a vision of a world supplied solely by sustainable energy.”

Overview of key sustainable features:
Insulation and glazing:
The building is highly insulated, for example the windows are triple glazed thus minimising energy leakage from the building.

Heat Recovery System:
The atrium serves an important function as an exhaust air zone, rendering cumbersome extractor shafts superfluous while ensuring a heat recovery level of almost 95%.

Fresh air is pumped into the offices and then flows into the atrium, which acts as the central exhaust duct. This “used air” is collected in the atrium and is sent to the heat exchanger – where the energy in the form of heat can be captured and re-used. This highly-efficient heat recovery system allows even heat emitted by computers and people to be captured and used.

Groundwater-Based Heat Pump:
A groundwater-based heat pump is used to heat and cool the building in an energy efficient way. During the summer water from the ground is directly used to cool the building.

Natural Light:
The inner section of the office block consists mainly of glass, ensuring that the building is filled with natural rather than artificial light.
Rainwater usage:
The roof of the Etrium is green to help reduce energy leakage, in addition it also collects rainwater to be used for the toilets, reducing water usage.
Photovoltaic system:
A 32 kW photovoltaic system has been installed on the roof and will produce approximately 30,000 kilowatt hours per year (kWh), which is fed directly into the public grid. Also two solar collectors (Solior FL 150, innovated by Econcern) are located on the roof, providing warm water for the staff showers.

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About Econcern
Econcern’s mission is ‘a sustainable energy supply for everyone’. Econcern consists of operating companies Ecofys, Ecostream, Evelop, Ecoventures and OneCarbon. Together they deliver unique projects, innovative products and services for a sustainable energy supply. Econcern employs more than 1,200 professionals in 20 countries across the world and is ranked 234th in Business Week’s list of Europe’s fastest growing companies.

Econcern Sustainable Energy Event
Econcern is currently hosting (1-12 December) the Econcern Sustainable Energy Event alongside the COP14 in Poznan, Poland. Econcern is at the event to show how in practical terms ambitious climate targets can be achieved through profitable business solutions. To find out more and for a full programme of events at the Econcern Sustainable Energy Event please visit www.cop14poznan.com

For more information please contact:
Kate Adlington

Press Officer
T: + 31 30 662 32 60

M: + 31 650 73 56 93
E: k.adlington@econcern.com