Buildings drive a huge share of the world's energy use and emissions.
According to a 2019 study conducted by the United Nations, building construction and usage accounted for 35% of total global energy consumption. Greenhouse gases emitted by buildings were as high as 38%, higher than the total emissions from the industrial and transportation sectors. As such, aggressive approaches to energy conservation and carbon reduction in building management are critical to mitigating the impact of climate change.
26green building certifications
12green factories
100%New factories built since 2012 in Taiwan
Highest density in Kaohsiung
ASE has built green standards into every facility worldwide since 2009.
As our business continues to grow, we remain focused on reducing our carbon footprint by enhancing resource efficiency. ASE incorporated green building standards into the planning, design and construction of our facilities worldwide in 2009, applying local and international standards — U.S. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Taiwan EEWH (Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction and Health) — to upgrade existing buildings and to build new ones. Although construction costs are higher, the savings in energy and water consumption reduce our factories' environmental impact and provide a healthier, more comfortable working environment for our employees.
Low-carbon & energy-saving
We quantify a building's carbon footprint across its whole lifecycle.
ASE adopted a carbon footprint concept for buildings that analyzes and quantifies carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle. At ASE's K24 building, we calculated the energy and carbon emissions of the materials used during construction to find the hotspots of energy consumption. This lets us select low-carbon, low-polluting materials and waste-recycling methods, and apply energy-saving designs, efficient air-conditioning and water usage, and plan sponge trails and ecological conservation.
We are also working towards 'cleaner production' through sustainable manufacturing, product eco-design, green management, social responsibility and innovation. Our Green Factories integrate intelligent building technology that reduces energy and resource usage and minimizes waste and environmental impact. In 2019, ASE won the “Low-Carbon Building Contribution Award.”
Impact & sustainable investing
In 2014 ASE became the first semiconductor maker in Asia to issue green bonds.
Green bonds support ASE's ambition to reduce carbon emissions and slow the impact of climate change. ASE issued a USD 300 million green bond in 2014 and another USD 300 million in 2019. The funds were used to invest in sustainable projects including green and low-carbon buildings for IC packaging and testing, and water recycling.
Impact
Green Buildings and its Impact to People and the Environment
Biodiversity
Design method
Using pebble revetment to create a porous ground that is conducive to native plants and relaying the original soil to create small islands of biological habitat
Ecological fence and corridor
Rooftop garden
Effects
Attracting birds and butterflies
Building an ecological network system (ecological restoration)
Improving base microclimate
Roof-top Greenery
Design method
Applying high-reflectivity coatings on rooftop surfaces to reduce heat absorption
Installing green rooftops
Reducing hard pavements and widening area of greenery
Effects
Effects
Reducing urban heat island (UHI) effect
Reducing indoor temperature
Reducing energy consumption of building’s air conditioning
Base Water Retention
Design method
Sponge (Breathable) Road -JW Eco-Technology: High load-bearing type of permeable concrete pavements are built between breathable plastic conduit frames. Breathable pipes are densely distributed on the surface layer and are linked to the coarse materials at the bottom to provide excellent breathability, permeability, water retention and water storage.
Effects
40%-78% of vehicle exhaust emissions could be directly or indirectly absorbed
Service lifetime is 10 times longer than conventional permeable pavements
Increased rainwater recycling due to water permeability of pavements
Establishing groundwater storage tank. Total rainwater recycling storage reaches a capacity of 238 metric tons
Pavement temperature is 20°C lower than that of asphalt pavement, thus reducing urban heat island effect
Air-conditioning/ Lighting
Design method
Using high-efficiency chiller, cooling towers and adding VFD (variable frequency drive) to cooling tower fans
Optimizing the number of high-efficiency fans and air duct paths
Adopting high-efficiency T5 & LED lighting
Installing independent lamp control or multi-stage dimming control for public spaces, such as meeting rooms, lobby, etc.
Effects
Effects
Lowering electricity consumption of air-conditioning by approx. 40%
Lowering indoor lighting power density by 70%
Using dimming control mode to optimize use of lighting
Certification
Green Building Certification Standards
Today ASE has 11 green factories and 26 green building certifications — 17 EEWH, 8 LEED, and 1 diamond certification, the highest level of carbon footprint in buildings. We recently adopted SROI (Social Return on Investment) to capture the social value of buildings through the perspectives of stakeholders such as employees and community residents, helping us understand and promote the tangible and intangible benefits of green buildings and green factories. Beyond manufacturing and operations, we have extended green building standards to female staff dormitories and kindergartens to promote a friendly, comfortable environment.
Shared value
ASE’s Green Buildings
Environment
Conserve water
Reduce carbon emission
Employees
Improve physical and mental health
Enhance work efficiency and satisfaction
Community
Promote community landscape
Industrial park management office
Financial institution
Construction company
Architect firm & Certification consultant
Green finance promotion
Become a benchmark for green industrial park promotion
