The Chennai facility has embraced several practices that encourage a circular economy of water and optimal use of the available water resources within the campus. Rainwater and treated water captured within the campus cater to a significant portion of the buildings’ potable and process water requirements, minimising reliance on municipal water supply. Although a minimal amount of water is procured from the municipality during summers, excess rainwater is treated and shared with it on rainy days, ensuring a water balance status of zero.

The water sustainability practices on the campus, including a rainwater harvesting pond, IoT-based measures to reduce domestic water leakage, low-flow aerators equipped with auto-sensor taps and effluent treatment plant (ETP) and sewage treatment plant (STP) systems, facilitate the treatment and reuse of domestic wastewater. The campus also has zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plants and sprinkler and drip irrigation systems to minimise water usage and discharge.

The IoT-based solution includes the use of over 300 sensors spread across the 50-acre campus to reduce water intensity by about two-thirds over the last four years. Digitalisation efforts in measuring sources and consumption, changing behaviours of users, and technology intervention have all contributed to the success of the initiative.

CW spoke to Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India Region, on the finer aspects of the project and here’s what he told us:

“We place sustainability at the heart of everything we do. Water being a critical resource, it is heartening for us to share that our Danfoss Chennai campus is now water-sufficient and has earned the prestigious LEED Zero Water certification, which stands testament to our sustainability commitments. A number of measures that made this feat possible include:

Evidently, the project team at Danfoss has gone through several measures to achieve the LEED Zero Water certification but this is not their end goal. They remain dedicated to continuously monitoring the performance of the campus to ensure that the monthly data is updated on the LEED ARC portal. By doing so, they are confident that the annual performance targets will be consistently met, leading to a more comprehensive and sustainable way of upgrading the campus's performance. In the long run, this commitment to sustainability will ultimately benefit the environment and contribute to a better future.