Deutsche Bank and Frankfurter Kunstverein

You know you have arrived in the financial district of Frankfurt as soon as you encounter numerous high-rise buildings and see men and women in dark suits in 80 plus degree Fahrenheit temperatures.  We met with Deutsche Bank officials who briefed us on the history of the bank and its commitment to global society.  Deutsche Bank is a leader in not only its global commitments to underserved populations, but to green technology, as well.  The main office with its twin towers in Frankfurt (you can see one of the towers in the photo on the left)  is a model of how a huge corporation can go green.  For instance, Deutsche Bank uses natural granite as part of their radiant floors to cool and heat the entire complex.  Surplus energy from elevators traveling down has been harnessed to power the radiant floors and to power the bank's ten electric cars that employees use during the day to visit clients or to travel to other banks.  They use gray water and rain water to flush toilets, water plants, and wash the floors.  Gray water is the water that is used to wash your hands.  The bank's water consumption has been reduced by 74% because of their commitment to conservation.  Shaded glass and solar panels help conserve energy.  Every other window can be opened to allow air flow from the outside in.  Electronic controls serve this purpose in the state-of-the-art twin towers. 

The opening and closing of the windows is normally done in the evenings when the temperatures are cooler and on cool days to allow hot air to escape and allow cool air inside the building for the next business day.  The views of the city are also quite amazing from all the floors, which makes for some very content employees.  The photo to the right shows a view of Frankfurt from a top floor of the bank with skyscrapers and a large park (background) in the distance.

Deutsche Bank has had a 67% savings on its heating and cooling since incorporating this green technology.  The photo on the left is part of the green technology which uses natural light and solar panels. The indoor air quality and the employee comfort have also risen since the green updates were completed in 2010.  The carbon footprint of the main bank is 89% less than it was in 2009 and earlier.  The bank is constantly looking at ways to reduce its energy consumption rather than maintain its current energy levels.  Deutsche Bank believes that deals are short term while relationships are long term.  Their motto 'Passsion to Perform' embodies all that their employees do both locally and around the globe; whether it is planting deciduous trees for more drinking water or for some other noble cause that will benefit the people in their community or around the world..  

Frankfurt has many skyscrapers and has been the financial center of Europe for a long time.  Now, because of the bank's green initiatives, it is quickly gaining the reputation as Europe's greenest city.