elobau goes green.

Operat ing successfu l ly on the basis of sustainabi l i ty

As a family-owned, medium-sized business, we are fully aware of our responsibility to our emplo-

yees and society, as well as to the environment. Climate change is a fact on the basis of which we

derive our goal to preserve nature and resources in order to maintain them for future generations.

For us as a company it means, that our focus is not only on immediate goals such as economic

development, employment and CSR, but rather that attention is also given to a sustainable natural

livelihood.

In addition to the existing environmental protection measures introduced in 2009 elobau GmbH set

the goal to clean up the company’s CO2 balance and the production of our products. With the ”elobau

goes green“ initiative and the establishment of elobau energie KG, we were able to achieve this goal

in 2010.

In this brochure, we would like to provide you with information about our activities for environ-

mental protection and give ideas as to how good results can be attained while taking into account

economic aspects.

Michael Hetzer

Executive Director

From the idea to implementat ion: e lobau goes green

After deciding to produce in a carbon-neutral manner, we commissioned an independent enginee-

ring company for energy technology to prepare an energy-balance analysis for elobau.

In addition to consumed quantities (electricity, heat, fuel, etc.), the energy consultants also take into

consideration the quantities of all purchased components. Using a balance sheet software program,

the theoretical CO2 emissions are calculated. These values are to be recalculated every year with up-

dated numbers. Of the total CO2 emissions, approximately one half can be attributed to the

production of the products. The rest are produced by:

> Power consumption and heating

> Motor pool

> Vehicles used by the employees to commute to work.

Our declared goal was, firstly, to systematically reduce energy consumption. Secondly, the energy that

we need is to be produced according to ecological criteria.

A logical continuation of our activities was certifi cation according to DIN EN ISO 14001 at the start

of 2010. In February 2013 followed certifi cation according to DIN EN ISO 50001:2011.

With the certifi cations according DIN EN ISO 50001:2011 and DIN EN ISO 14001:2004 elobau has

reached the highest standard at present.

To certifi cation DIN EN ISO 50001:2011 Mr. Roland Karrow, head of elobau’s Quality Management:

„Our intention is to show that everybody is able to render a considerable contribution to climate

and environmental protection.

DIN EN ISO 50001:2011 is a standard to raise the energy effi ciency of a company. Consuming less

energy in production, transportation and buildings, a company gains a competitive edge with

rising energy costs. That’s how we protect the German production site. We’re still offering quality

products made in Germany while we’re producing as environmentally friendly as possible.

The responsible treatment of our resources and the increasing use of renewable energies lead to

a permanent reduction of global warming gases, which is again important for our carbonneutral

production.

Due to the certifi cation a learning process occured across all departments. It turned out to be

easier than expected to save energy resp. to use energy effi ciently. We were able to locate many

possible savings in all divisions up to our suppliers. This process resembled a thrilling treasure

hunt”.

Cer t i f i cat ions are making a va luable contr ibut ion

Roland Karrow

Head of Quality Management

As well as the TÜV certifications, we have decided that our company is to apply for the internati-

onal Stop Climate Change seal. To do so, certification by the Stop Climate Change (SCC) initiative

is necessary.

Stop Climate Change is an independent, internationally active organisation. Stop Climate Change

uses transparent standards and offers an independent, standardised certification system, which

enables companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to balance the inevitable emis-

sions with high class climate protection projects.

Following successful certification in January 2012, we may identify our company with the Stop

Climate Change logo and thereby communicate our corporate responsibility for climate protection.

Stop Cl imate Change – We’re Taking Par t

A key contribution to our carbon neutrality is provided by our solar park, which we acquired in 2009.

When searching for an appropriate land piece, we stipulated to ourselves that the area was not

currently being used for agricultural purposes and that no detrimental effect would arise to man or

nature. In a developed industrial park near Fraureuth in Saxony, a suitable plot of land was acquired.

On the 65,000 square meters of fallow land, a total of 10,000 solar modules were installed.

A requirement during the procurement of the solar modules was that they achieve a very high level of

efficiency and have a long service life and good recyclability. This ensures that the system will opera-

te economically well beyond the next 20 years and therefor compensate for the energy consumed for

their production and their recycling.

The solar park has an output of 2.4 MW and offsets approximately 1,300 t CO2 per year. This corres-

ponds almost exactly to the amount of CO2 generated during the production of the elobau products.

The hear t of our reduct ion in CO2 emissions: our so lar park

Our new energy plus building was completed in 2012 and as an addition to plant 2. It’s covered

by an overarching photovoltaic roof that spans a large portion of the building. On an annual ave-

rage the building produces more energy than it consumes. The PV plant has an output of 240 kW.

The generated electricity is fed into the plant; the plant will thereby operate economically after a

few years. The offices are equipped with active ventilation, guaranteeing a circulation of fresh air

at all times. It will still be possible to ventilate the offices naturally with the installation of swing

doors.

Agreeable temperatures are maintained year-round by metallic heating and cooling ceilings. The

production halls are likewise aerated and heated, and cooled as necessary, in a similar manner

to the offices. All windows are comprised of triple-glazed insulating glass.

State of the Ar t : Our Energy Plus Bui ldung

Due to existing contracts the change to ”green electricity“ had to be carried out step by step. Tool

manufacturing in Lichtenhain has been supplied with ”green electricity“ since 2010. Since September

2011, the main plant and production plant 2 in Leutkirch have also operated with electricity produ-

ced from regenerative energy sources. Through long-term contracts, „green“ electricity can even be

purchased at a lower rate than the previously purchased ”gray“ electricity. All elobau employees can

switch to this rate in their private households.

Energy management software monitors consumption in the company. For example, the software ac-

tively intervenes in the lighting control system and deactivates it if sufficient daylight from outdoors

is available for the offices.

Green e lec tr ic i ty and energy conservat ion as a sensib le combinat ion

Fossil fuels are no longer used at elobau to heat the main plant and production plant 2. In 2010, two

micro gas turbines, each with an output of 65 kW, were put into operation. With micro gas turbines in

cogeneration, total overall efficiencies of up to 90% can be achieved. Due to the simple design, the

turbines are especially well suited for operation with regenerative gases. The gas is purchased from

a regional biogas plant, which produces the gas from catering waste. Another advantage of micro gas

turbines compared to other technologies is the lower exhaust emissions.

Our administration area in the main plant and the canteen have been heated with geothermal power

since 2008.

In addition, smaller measures, such as the recycling of machine heat from our plastic injection de-

partment into the heating system, improve the energy balance.

Depar ture from fossi l fue ls

We can already celebrate the offset of our CO2 balance as a great success. However the primary goal

of reducing climate-relevant influences remains. With this in mind we are counting on our employees

to support our climate protection objectives. For the majority of the elobau employees this awareness

already exists, and in conjunction with our company suggestion system for potential savings, we

boost motivation with announced prizes.

Conservation measures are actively promoted. For example, an elobau online portal simplifies the

creation of car pools. Every employee can register with his or her place of residence and arrange car

pools with colleagues who live nearby.

A management circle for the environment that convenes periodically checks and monitors our pro-

cesses and activities with respect to environmental aspects. These include the current consumption

of natural resources and, thus, the associated impact on the environment and society. We thereby

systematically improve our resource efficiency in production and distribution.

Cl imate protec t ion at e lobau: suppor ted by a broad base

Year 1 Year 2 Savings

Printing ink waste 133 kg 106 kg 20%

Waste adhesives and sealants that contain organic solvents or other dangerous materials

233 kg 106 kg 54,5%

Organic solvents 387 kg 207 kg 46,5%

Wastes containing mercury, fluore-scent tubes

76 kg 9 kg 88%

One result of the management circle: the reduction in the disposal volume of dangerous waste materials through process optimization

Env ironmenta l Protect ion in the Detai ls

Environmental protection at elobau also happens in the little details. The coffee and tea - which are

provided for employees at no charge – are purchased through fair trade, the standards for which

guarantee, among other things, environmentally compatible cultivation.

The free apples which are also available are produced in the local region and meet all ecological

criteria.

In order to make our movements between our factories more eco-friendly we have purchased

sturdy E-bikes for transport.

Step by step we are changing over our vehicles used for transportation between plant I and II to

electric vehicles. In 2012 we purchased the sustainable energy vehicle Vito E-Cell.

We also se lec t our par tners according to green cr i ter ia

All elobau print products are produced in a carbon-neutral manner. We work exclusively with

printing companies who possess the appropriate certificates. For us it is essential that any carbon

offsets certified by certificates are actually invested in meaningful and sustainable projects. All

paper products are from sustainable managed sources and are FSC certified. For both internal as

well as external correspondence, we use only papers produced from recycled paper. The share of

virgin fiber

pulp must likewise be FSC certified.

For letter and parcel shipments, we try to ensure that transport is as climate-friendly as possible.

Our partners DHL and Südmail are currently leaders in this sector.

GOGREEN is the service from DHL for the CO2-neutral transport of letter and parcel shipments. The

CO2 emissions generated during transport are ascertained according to ISO 14064 and offset in

accordance with the specifications of the Kyoto protocol by climate protection projects undertaken

by DHL.

Forests and Carbon Storage

In spite of all efforts, CO2 emissions are unavoidable. Up until 2011, we offset these emissions

through the purchase of high-quality certificates according to the recognised Gold Standard. Since

2011 we are VisionsWald partners.

The VisionsWald project places utmost value on ecological, social, and economic sustainability. A

fallow area of 620 hectares is to be reforested as a new rain forest. Climate protection is achieved

through the CO2 sequestration. Furthermore, prudent, economic use is envisaged. Under the hea-

ding of agro-forestry, fair working conditions with local value creation are created onsite. In the

long run the project should self-finance which makes the difference to other reforestation projects.

elobau has contributed to the reforestation. We hope that our commitment will encourage other

companies to likewise become active in this direction.

You can find additional information on the VisionsWald project at www.visionswald.de.

I D E E N P F L A N Z E N . Z U K U N F T E R N T E N

Our latest Project : e lobau p lans to reforest a forest of i ts own

Even with the most sustainable production, emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is

unavoidable.

The goal of elobau’s environmental policy is to reduce the number of certificates needed to com-

pensate for the climate-damaging CO2. For this reason, elobau is searching for a plot of land in

the region that is suitable for reforestation. On the way to its own elobau forest, elobau is being

supported by a research project including four students from the Kaufmännische Schulen Wangen,

a business-oriented vocational school. The group is receiving guidance from UnternehmensGrün

e.V., the German Association for a Green Economy (http://www.unternehmensgruen.org) during

this ambitious project.

In the foreground of this project is finding a space that is suitable for reforestation, not the purchase

of an existing forest which already sequesters carbon dioxide.

Renaturat ion projects

As a cooperation partner of the Interreg IV project of the Ravensburg district, elobau supports the re-

turn to nature project at the Haubacher Moors area near Isny. Within the scope of „sustainable moor

management“, re-irrigation will be undertaken there by 2012 to counter decomposition of the peat.

Intact moors store large volumes of greenhouse gases such as CO2, which was sequestered in organic

material. For centuries, moors have been drained and, in some cases, dried out to remove the peat as

a fuel material and use the land for agricultural purposes. By draining, the decomposition process of

the organic material resumes under the influence of oxygen which, in turn, releases the sequestered

CO2 to the atmosphere.

Furthermore we fund the foundation „Wilde Argen“, which has the aim to protect the last prealpi-

ne river, which still is in its natural condition. (For more informationen visit www.wilde-argen.de).

You can find information on other projects at www.elobau.com/goesgreen/.

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