Pictet takes its environmental credentials a step further
Pictet, a big provider of sustainable investment funds, has installed one of the largest solar thermal cooling systems in Europe on the roof of its headquarters in Geneva.
The Swiss private bank said in a statement that is chose the thermal system over a solar cell facility because it is designed to cool or heat rather than create raw electricity.
“We (Pictet) wished to install a system which could be used year long, even throughout the seasons which offer less direct sunshine,” said the statement.
The 364 panels cover six-hundred square meters of the Pictet building.
“Heating mode will help us diminish our use of fossil fuels, equivalent to 25’000 litres of fuel oil a year, approximately 80 tonnes of CO2 a year. This means that we should save over 2000 tonnes in 30 years. Moreover, in cooling mode, we are now able to cool 4000 square meters worth of office space during the warm summer months,” said the bank.
Pictet rival, Bank Sarasin, has also installed solar panels on the roof of its headquarters in Basel as part of the bank’s efforts to lower its carbon emissions.
Pictet's thermal system 
Sarasin's solar panels
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