The Namasia Minquan Elementary School campus in Taipei, which was reconstructed as a green building by Delta Electronics following the devastation of Typhoon Morakot in southern Taiwan a decade ago, on Nov. 30 was certified as LEED Zero Energy at the "Carbon Neutrality and Empowering of Zero Energy Communities and Cities by 2060" Summit in Shenzhen, as presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The eco-friendly building thus becomes the first academic facility in Asia to hold the LEED Zero Energy certification.
Since the launch of the Minquan Elementary School in Namasia more than 10 years ago, its student body has doubled, but its electricity intensity has declined enough to achieve net-zero energy consumption for three consecutive years.
That decline is thanks to implementation of Delta's energy-saving platforms, which include an energy storage system to store excess solar energy during the day for night lighting -- and for the operations of IT equipment.
Case history
The Minquan Elementary School was reconstructed jointly by Delta and the Delta Electronics Foundation in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
Designed and supervised by architect Ying-Chao Kuo and the Bio architecture Formosana, the school was certified with Taiwan's EEWH Diamond green building certification, as well as with a LEED Platinum designation for existing buildings.
Based on the one-year data collected by the school from August 2020, the volume of renewable energy generated was 21,503 kWh, exceeding the total energy consumption of 21,323 kWh.
With relevant documentation, the school passed the rigorous review process of the USGBC, and has now become the first school to have obtained LEED Zero Energy certification in Asia.
Environmental security a focus
Importantly, the green building design of the school, centered on disaster prevention, provides an exemplary demonstration of climate change adaptation, as reckoned by Delta Electronics.
Since the building was launched, the school has not only been used for educational purposes, but also has been utilized as a temporary shelter to accommodate 6,500 local residents during mudslide warning periods -- thereby achieving the builders' goal of the facility becoming a viable community shelter during natural disasters.
Wim Chang, CEO of the Delta Electronics Foundation, commented:
"On its 50th anniversary this year, Delta has launched a series of initiatives under the theme 'Sustainable Conservation, Nurturing Life'. 'Sustainable Conservation' refers to the effort to enhance energy efficiency and savings while 'Nurturing Life' bears the meaning of protecting our environment.
The certified Minquan Elementary School is one of our sustainable conservation initiatives. Delta has implemented energy-efficient designs for the campus in harmony with the local climate conditions, such as a solar PV power system to make the most out of the sufficient sunlight in the area, as well as an energy management system and energy storage equipment to integrate, store, and manage the green energy generated. The campus also serves as a shelter for the community during natural disasters."
International net-zero accolades
As an example of mitigation and adaptation, the green campus building has been presented at side events of the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP) by the Delta Electronics Foundation, and was showcased at the Grand Palais in Paris during COP21, where it received enthusiastic responses from international opinion leaders.
At this year's 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, the Delta Electronics Foundation presented the school as a representative case at a side event on net-zero transportation and architecture, to specifically echo the conference's commitment to the 1.5°C climate goal.
A green buildings pioneer
Delta Electronics -- as guided by its stated corporate mission, "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow" -- says it leverages its core competencies in high-efficiency power electronics and system integration to enable substantial energy savings and reduction of CO2 emissions by its products, manufacturing facilities and green buildings.
In terms of green buildings, Delta notes it has built 29 such facilities since 2006 worldwide, including its own operation facilities, donated academic buildings, as well as two high-efficiency green data centers.
Delta states that the company's certified green buildings worldwide saved approximately 18.48 million kWh of electricity in 2020 alone, which is equivalent to a reduction of 11,685 tons of CO2 emissions.
Company profile
As its stock in trade, Delta integrates next-generation technologies, including IoT, edge computing, and smart sensing to building's equipment management, smart security, access control, smart lighting, energy management, and air quality monitoring to enable a smart building management platform capable of enhancing energy conservation and lower carbon footprint, in line with mankind's current environmental goals.
Founded in 1971, the company ranks among global leaders in providing switching power supplies and thermal management products with its portfolio of smart energy-saving systems and solutions in the fields of industrial automation, building automation, telecom power, data center infrastructure, EV charging, renewable energy, energy storage and display, all geared to nurture the development of smart manufacturing and sustainable cities.
Importantly, Delta leverages its core competence in high-efficiency power electronics and its CSR-embedded business model to address key environmental issues, such as climate change. The corporation serves customers through its sales offices, R&D centers and manufacturing facilities spread over nearly 200 locations across 5 continents.
Throughout its history, Delta has received various global awards and recognition for its business achievements, innovative technologies and dedication to CSR. Since 2011, Delta has been listed on the DJSI World Index of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 10 consecutive years.
In 2020, Delta was also recognized by CDP with two "A" leadership level ratings for its substantial contribution to climate change and water security issues and named Supplier Engagement Leader for its continuous development of a sustainable value chain. Visit www.deltaww.com.
