CUBE2020: the Natixis Green Team, a fan of the competition and cubic innovations

Cube2020 is the contest for use and energy savings organised by IFPEB. For 1 year, users of candidate buildings commit to reducing their energy consumption, mobilising their teams on the challenge of an efficient building and carrying out awareness-raising actions. At Natixis, participation in the competition did not go unnoticed and helped to stimulate a new commitment among the Green Team. Astrid Sineux, CSR Manager, and Denis Leconte, CSR coordinator of the real estate and logistics division, share their experience. 

The tour of the site began with an eight-story climb up the Natixis building (47 quai d'Austerlitz, in Paris, France), an opportunity to experience one of the humorous initiatives created by the green team called: "Take the stairs"! The steps were decorated with funny slogans including, “Stairway to Heaven", "The aches of today are the muscles of tomorrow", "A small step for man, a big step for the environment". This is enough to encourage the ascent of the steps, not red but purple, in the colours of Natixis, stimulated by the curiosity of reading them all.

This contest was a great success among collaborators, whom received, among other things, a book on Cubism! There is no lack of humour or Cube spirit at Natixis.

The occupants were further encouraged by signs on the ground that led them from the elevator doors to the staircase. Some signs include, "There is no waiting line at the stairs”.

Several strategic points were also used to tackle other topics: the consumption of paper was targeted near the printers, electricity savings mentioned in the meeting rooms... The posters change often, evolving with the news and information available in order to bring about more impact.

The technical challenges of the "47 quai"

Sidenote: a move is being planned in the coming years and as a result, all the initiatives being carried out currently, particularly at the structural level, are being calculated so that the investment is attractive even in the short term.

The building of the 47 quay is special: it is more technical than common office buildings, as it includes 9 trading rooms that require almost constant use of computers and over a dozen screens per employee! To be able to handle this kind of use, data centres are needed to cool the installations. An autonomous cold production of 2.4Mw, coupled with a backup system (CLIMESPACE[1]) for trading rooms and offices, allow the building to cool down.

All these sparkling and stainless steel installations make it possible not only to cool the installations but also to recover heat (for 1kwH of electricity spent, 3kwH cold are released, 2kwH hot are rejected and recovered by an exchanger system). Conclusive results: 80% of the year, the heat is recovered and used for heating the building as well as for the primary treatment of the domestic hot water of the Company Restaurant!

Back to the staircase, where, in order to read the humorous slogans they’ve added, there is light powered by movement detection. Without ever hindering the comfort of the occupants, the temperatures were adjusted and the air conditioning-bands widened.

Cubic innovations

Natixis was already in a process of sustainability in terms of its technical installations, but CUBE2020 propelled a more explosive engagement.

Previously, CLIMESPACE[1] air conditioning systems were in-operation all year round, even during the winter. Since January 2019, the cold groups are enough for the winter thanks to the installation of a bypass system. The Climespace system saves 600 to 800 megawatts per year. That's not all ! 130 megawatts are saved per year since one of two climate control cabinets is shut down at night!

Without ever hindering the comfort of the occupants, the temperatures were adjusted (the "dead band" of heating/cooling was widened).

Bright ideas for trading rooms

Since February 2019, fluorescent tube lights have been replaced by LED strips that allow indirect lighting (and are, in fact, less aggressive on employees) and save 145Mw per year. On the facade and traffic areas, in the trading room, every second lighting system is no longer in operation, again saving 24 Mw per year.

Green-team drives green IT

In addition to technical initiatives that are infrastructural; the green team has ensured a systematic standby of all computers and multiservice printers, aside from those in the trading rooms. Going into standby-mode after an hour of inactivity, as well as during certain time slots (between 23h and 6h in the morning) has been automated. 

What are the challenges of the ambassador team and how to deal with these?

One of the biggest challenges is certainly the difficulty of giving visibility to the competition, spreading best practices; the identification of the team's intermediaires is also not easy among 1500 employees! 

In terms of usage: one of the central issues is to counter the “invisible” consumption in the office, or, in other words, to ensure that the occupants are as concerned about their consumption at work as they are at home (where they pay the bills). Objections at work arise for various reasons, including comfort, and may make some people refractory.

That said, with empowering (non-guilting) actions, good practices can be adopted!

Despite many initiatives already undertaken, the green team confronts many challenges: their on-site restaurant provider is new and has not yet been "cubed"!

Santa Cube is coming to Natixis

The green team finds all great means to educate employees! With the help of thematic corners installed periodically in the entrance of the 47 quay building, the team has attracted a lot of attention. For example, during the Christmas period, Christmas sweaters were in the spotlight to allow less usage of heating. More competitive than ever, the team communicates often on these occasions and informs of updated building rankings, which maintains the troops motivated! Questionnaires and quizzes are often distributed to employees, in order to identify potential interested persons and to start a dialogue. 

What allows for a nice diffusion and assured success is also having a team-ambassador who is dynamic, creative and chosen by all collaborators! This is the case for the Natixis green team, comprised of interlocutors from different departments: real estate services, CSR, communication and other collaborators, notably from the IT department. In a building of 1500 people, the involvement of various types of stakeholders is necessary in order to spread good practices and this cube-sque craze. Due to Natixis’ global and transversal commitment, they avoid a solely communication-crazed approach that would lack concrete results and only focus on technical efforts and would not raise the right awareness! 

Thank you to the Natixis green-team for their warm welcome!

You want to participate in CUB2020? Register here!

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