MICROSOFT
Microsoft Israel
Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is the world’s largest software company, with its main products including operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, software development tools, peripherals, and game consoles. Microsoft Israel was established in 1989 as a subsidiary of the global company and is engaged in marketing, R&D, and support for Microsoft products. The company’s Herzliya Pituach campus covers 46,000 sqm and has been carefully designed, with particular attention to accessibility and employee wellbeing.
Automatic Shading System
Kahane Group specializes in designing and producing smart energy management systems. So, when Microsoft asked us to provide an automatic shading system to control the drapes on their campus, our smart home team were eager to get to work together on this task. Once we fully understood Microsoft’s needs, we created a plan beginning with the development, design, and oversight phase, and set out to undertake this revolutionary green project – the first of its kind in Israel.
We collaborated with ABB to develop a system that would both conserve energy and prevent solar glare, while giving Microsoft’s employees fully autonomous local control via an app. The system also enables automatic control of drapes spread over a total area of approximately 27,000 sqm, depending on the position and angle of the sun. This technology we developed is therefore suitable for the hot Israeli climate and prevents harsh sunlight from entering the building, enabling smarter and more economical energy consumption. In addition, the system’s algorithm has also been engineered to detect cloudy, overcast conditions and allow the building to be lit by natural daylight when appropriate.
Electrical Switchboards
Kahane Group is responsible for 272 electrical panels for floors, installed throughout the Microsoft campus. These floor panels are fed by another six smart electrical panels. Smart electrical panels have changed the way we handle control, regulation, and safety issues related to switchboards in modern buildings. By connecting state-of-the-art hardware and software, the smart panels transmit and receive data in real time via Ethernet and requiring minimal bandwidth, communicating with advanced electrical panels. In a technology-intensive environment like Microsoft, this plays a crucial role in preventing future malfunctions, enabling more effective control and oversight of electrical equipment throughout a large area. Our electrical panels were specially engineered to meet the needs of Microsoft’s structure, with a design aesthetic that echos that of Logstrup switchboards – flexible structure, backup system, and increased efficiency.
