At the end of 2022, most people understand that environmental sustainability isn’t a one-and-done process. Instead, it’s a series of ongoing processes, across multiple areas, with a range of facets to consider. That’s why, if you’re an OEM like Ducati, and you’re building a new production facility, you’re probably thinking differently about it than you might have done in the past.
Ducati just cut the ribbon on its new Finitura e Delibera Estetica (Finishing and Aesthetic Resolution) building, which is part of the larger Borgo Panigale campus that the company calls home in Bologna, Italy. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was there, as was Audi AG CEO and Ducati Motor Holding president Markus Duesmann, Audi AG CFO Jurgen Rittersberger, and Matteo Lepore, the mayor of Bologna.
The 4,400 square meter building began construction in April, 2022, and was completed in December of the same year. Considerations including material use, and energy conservation went into the design, which Ducati says has been “classified as a nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building)” thanks to these efforts.
Gallery: Ducati Inaugurates Sustainably Designed Production Facility
What kinds of things are we talking about? Solar panels on the roof, Ducati says, make it possible to produce over 200 megawatt-hours of clean energy in a single year. Extensive use of natural lighting was also incorporated into the planning of this structure, including large glass and polycarbonate surfaces.
Other solutions include high-efficiency air conditioning systems, LED lighting to supplement the natural lighting, and an underwater rainwater storage tank that should recover around 90 percent of available rainwater. This, Ducati says, will go on to be used for “internal industrial processes.” There’s also an open-air, green courtyard that’s inside the building, which is intended to enhance both natural light and employee morale.
As the name implies, the building will be used for final dressing and detail work on Ducati machines. Aesthetics and finishing are important, and as such, it makes sense to take fairings and covers away from the production line, as a final step in making sure that each and every machine that rolls out of the Ducati factory has the fit and finish that’s one of the company’s hallmarks.
