The world's first "ultra-tier zero-carbon building" officially put into use.

On August 24, the "Ultra-Grade Zero-Carbon Building"—Teld Electric's headquarters base—was put into operation in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. Located in Laoshan District, the building is dubbed "Ultra-Grade" because, in addition to photovoltaic power generation, it achieves 100% green energy replacement through tiered energy storage batteries and discharging from new-energy vehicles.
 

 

 

The project centers on the integration of three networks—charging network, microgrid, and energy storage network—leveraging a digital smart platform to achieve efficient control. This approach leads to an estimated 30% reduction in energy costs and helps cut carbon emissions by approximately 2,500 tons annually.

 

The world's first super-grade zero-carbon building officially opens.

Achieving 100% green electricity self-sufficiency

 

The world's first super-grade zero-carbon building stands 117 meters tall, featuring 23 office floors and consuming an average of approximately 6,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day.

 

The building is clad with a "power-generating jacket" on its east, west, and south sides.
 

Unlike the traditional method of retrofitting rooftops with photovoltaic systems, this building employs building-integrated photovoltaic glass curtain walls on its east, west, and south facades—essentially giving the structure a "power-generating coat." This innovative approach directly supplies DC electricity, which can be used efficiently right where it’s needed. Moreover, it effectively eliminates energy losses that typically occur when converting DC to AC, providing the building with approximately 25% of its green energy requirements while cutting carbon emissions by nearly 500 tons annually.

 

The base of the building features "Hidden Energy."
 

At the base of the building, "hidden energy" has also been installed—14 retired automotive power batteries are still put to good use here. Each day, these batteries undergo one charge and one discharge cycle. Not only do they store excess electricity generated by the photovoltaic glass curtain walls, but during off-peak hours when the grid faces a surplus of clean energy that can’t be fully consumed, the batteries allow this surplus to be stored at a low cost of just 0.22 yuan per kilowatt-hour. This stored energy can then be tapped during peak demand periods or on cloudy, rainy days, effectively helping to balance the overall electricity load.

 

 

These "hidden energy elements" continuously monitor the battery in real time during charging and discharging. If thermal runaway occurs, the safety hook automatically releases, causing the battery to drop directly into the water pool below, effectively isolating it from other power batteries and ensuring the safety and stable operation of the entire energy storage system.

 

 

Tens of thousands of sensors inside the building enable fully automated interaction.

 

The digital system provides robust support for the entire zero-carbon building, enabling the integration of five key sites—such as traditional substations and distribution stations—into a single, streamlined facility through multi-solution comparisons, ultimately achieving 100% self-sufficiency in green electricity.

 

Nearly 24,000 tiny sensors installed throughout the building effectively replace traditional indoor switches, enabling seamless, fully automated interaction between people and the building’s lighting, air conditioning, elevators, and more. For instance, by scanning a person’s face, the system can instantly detect which floor an employee needs to reach and immediately dispatch the nearest available elevator to pick them up. Meanwhile, when employees enter the office area, lights and air conditioning turn on automatically—and they switch off automatically once the employees leave—significantly enhancing energy efficiency and reducing waste.

 

Yu Dexiang, Chairman of TELD New Energy Co., Ltd., stated that digitalization has significantly reduced the building's investment costs—by nearly 20% to 30%—while boosting operational efficiency by 30% and cutting energy costs by approximately 30% as well.

 

 

“The Super-Class Zero-Carbon Building is not just a structure—it’s a complete energy ecosystem.” Zhao Yue, Director of the Energy Conservation and Green Energy Research Office at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, believes that the building achieves 100% self-sufficiency in green electricity, establishing a new model for zero-carbon architecture. This approach helps address the challenges of power battery recycling, while standardized, centralized management also mitigates environmental risks associated with the decentralized disposal of batteries.

 

New-energy vehicles provide reverse power supply to the building

Employees enjoy price difference benefits

 

In addition to featuring "hidden energy," this newly operational building also houses cutting-edge technology that enables new-energy vehicles to supply power back to the building itself.

 

Compared to the cumbersome nature of traditional mechanical parking systems, the company’s independently developed, globally first-of-its-kind fully automated, ultra-fast 3D parking system not only saved 50 million yuan in construction costs from the outset but also offers smarter and more efficient operation.

 

 

After the vehicle is parked in the designated area, the robot automatically docks and adjusts its position. Then, leveraging a highly precise and stable rail system combined with advanced gear-driven control technology, the robot can swiftly and accurately move the vehicle along the track—enabling smooth starts and stops. This process allows for a single vehicle to be parked in as little as 35 seconds at most.

 

In this parking system, the "secret" behind reverse power supply lies in a device no larger than the rim of a bowl. With it, it’s as if an extra charging port has been installed at the bottom of the new-energy vehicle. Once the car comes to a stop, a charge-and-discharge robot automatically connects to the port. After the connection is successfully established, the digital system instantly allocates power on demand, ensuring a continuous and stable energy supply to the building.

 

 

When the charge-discharge robot is connected, it can perform a "millisecond-level" health check on the vehicle's power battery. If indicators such as voltage, current, and temperature deviate from the comprehensive benchmarks of the same battery model stored in the large database, the robot will move the vehicle to a safe location within 29 seconds. Depending on the severity of the battery’s thermal runaway, the system will then initiate a tiered immersion process to further mitigate potential risks.

 

 

Currently, just 300 vehicles providing 10 kWh of electricity each day can help the building meet nearly half of its energy needs, while each employee also enjoys a benefit of 1.2 yuan per kWh saved. In extreme situations, the building can even fully rely on the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system to ensure stable and uninterrupted operation.

 

Zhao Yue stated that, through the intelligent energy management system, the building has become a flexible adjustment node for the power grid, enabling it to help balance peak demand and fill valleys, thereby alleviating pressure during high-demand periods. At the same time, this system enhances the reliability of power supply, and its off-grid operation capability ensures uninterrupted power delivery to critical loads.

 

 

An August 25 article from the U.S. website "Interesting Engineering":

"China: Photovoltaic Facades and Retired Electric Vehicle Batteries Power World’s First Zero-Carbon Skyscraper"
 

(Source: Huanqiu.com; Author: Atarva Gosavi, translated by Ren Yiran)

 

China officially unveiled the world’s first "ultra-class zero-carbon building" on the 24th, marking a milestone achievement in the country’s efforts to advance sustainable urban development. Located in Qingdao, Shandong Province, this innovative 117-meter-tall office building operates entirely on green energy and is already being hailed as a model for future zero-carbon structures.

 

Traditional buildings typically rely on solar panels installed on their rooftops for power, but this building in Qingdao features integrated photovoltaic glass curtain walls on its east, south, and west facades. These transparent solar panels generate direct current electricity directly, allowing it to be used locally while efficiently eliminating the energy losses associated with converting DC to AC. As a result, the building is able to meet about 25% of its energy needs with clean, green power, and it’s projected to cut carbon emissions by nearly 500 tons annually.

 

According to reports, this ultra-high-rise zero-carbon building consumes an average of about 6,000 degrees of electricity per day. The developer stated that this achievement marks a crucial step for China in balancing urban development with its ambitious climate goals. The building is also equipped with 14 retired electric vehicle batteries used for energy storage, primarily to capture excess power generated by its photovoltaic glass façade during daylight hours. During off-peak periods, the abundant clean energy that would otherwise go unused can be stored at a remarkably low cost of just 0.22 RMB per kilowatt-hour—ready to meet demand during peak usage times or on cloudy or rainy days.

 

These stored electrical energies will be released during peak demand periods or when sunlight is insufficient, ensuring a balanced and cost-effective energy supply. This solution not only minimizes waste but also provides a practical model for the large-scale reuse of electric vehicle batteries, while simultaneously supporting the renewable energy industry and the circular economy.

 

The building is equipped with nearly 24,000 micro-sensors installed throughout its interior, replacing traditional switches to enable automated operation of lighting, air conditioning, and elevators. Additionally, the building features a fully automated, high-speed, three-dimensional parking system that can park vehicles in as little as 35 seconds—with virtually no need for manual intervention. Moreover, this parking system integrates cutting-edge technology that allows electric vehicles to feed energy back into the building, providing up to 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per car daily. If 300 such vehicles are utilized, their collective output could cover nearly half of the building's total energy consumption.

 

By integrating solar energy systems, energy storage, digital operations, and electric vehicle infrastructure, this project provides a blueprint for cities worldwide committed to achieving carbon neutrality. As China accelerates its green transformation, this pioneering building serves not only as a symbol but also as a practical example, demonstrating how innovation can turn climate ambitions into reality.