Green Energy Office (GEO), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The GEO building was the first attempt to design and operate a zero energy building in Asia. The project demonstrates that today it is possible to build a fully comfortable office building that is run 100% by renewable energy integrated in the building.

The GEO building (originally named ZEO building) was designed to achieve a sustainable office building standard of the future using and showcasing available green technologies. The design intent was to not use more electricity than what can be produced from the building’s own roof-integrated photovoltaic (PV) system. Without compromising user comfort energy demand was substantially reduced by implementing a set of innovative energy saving technologies in the building’s envelope design as well as for the mechanical and electrical systems.

Through a series of design iterations with the architects and the team the facade and building shape was developed to achieve a maximum of daylight autonomy, glare free daylight and minimum demand for artificial light. The cooling system is made up of 50% radiant cooling and 50% air cooling systems, enabling a high comfort, draft free working environment and at the same time a high efficiency by running the chillers more efficiently on higher temperatures. The building is air tight to avoid infiltration so that a single small air handling unit can supply sufficiently fresh air and cover the full dehumidification load.

After 5 years of occupation and monitoring the published Building Energy Index (without PV) is 65 kWh/m²a which is about 25% of the usual energy requirement in a typical office building in Malaysia nowadays. The photovoltaic system covers 35 kWh/m²a of the energy demand.

2020 ASEAN Energy Award “Zero Energy Building”