They have cut the Berlin State Library’s energy consumption in half.
One of Europe’s largest libraries, the Berlin State Library, has a history spanning more than 360 years and has now been modernized to operate in line with modern energy efficiency requirements and more cost-effectively.
In the listed building on Potsdamer Strasse, which has a floor area of 106,000 square meters, a modern building automation system has been installed, enabling the institution to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 52 percent, or 3,745 tonnes per year. As part of the investment, a comprehensive analysis of energy-saving opportunities was carried out. This was followed by the installation of room control units and sensors, which transmit information to the Siemens Building X building automation platform to optimize energy management and provide asset protection for the building.
The modernization also included the upgrade of HVAC systems, including the installation of flexible ventilation solutions and 5,300 LED lights, as well as the establishment of a 2.5-megawatt district cooling connection. These building systems not only contribute to sustainability goals but also ensure the protection of the library’s more than 32 million items, including books that are several hundred years old, by maintaining the appropriate temperature and humidity at stable levels.
The current renovation is part of the German federal government’s decarbonization program, which aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of state-owned buildings by 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. As part of this program, the Berlin library is already the eighth cultural building to be modernized with Siemens systems, and together they already result in annual energy cost savings of around 45 million euros and savings of 11,745 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.