Need for transparency
The wind turbine has already come close to symbolizing clean energy. However calculating the precise environmental performance of a turbine is a laborious process: how much energy is expended on production? What effect do the individual components and materials have? And what about transport, installation and service? All these items of information are increasingly the focus of the attention of customers and official authorities. Interest in the precise environmental performance of Siemens products has grown significantly over recent years.
Making the footprint visible
Starting in 2013, a Wind Power team at the Brande location set to work conducting wide-ranging analyses in the form of Life Cycle Assessments of their own products. The objective was to calculate, as precisely as possible, the environmental impact of four product platforms, in order to be able to publish the data in what are known as Environmental Product Declarations, for customers and official bodies.
To do this, the Life Cycle Assessment specialists and data analysts had to wade through vast quantities of data – such Life Cycle Assessments were after all conducted for every single component making up the turbines. This involves thousands of components, materials and individual parts, on top of which came calculations relating to transport, suppliers, installation and service. But it proved to be worthwhile: precise details of the ecological footprints of four wind turbines have been drawn up end of 2014 – and the results have already been published in Environmental Product Declarations too.
A win-win situation
This transparency helps official authorities and customers to achieve better oversight of, and ultimately to reduce, their own ecological footprint. The results are also put to use internally for further development of the portfolio and to improve the environmental balance sheet. In addition, the results enhance understanding of the products and the associated production processes. The Environmental Product Declarations thus benefit customer and company alike. For Claus Rose, expert for EHS (Environmental Protection, Safety and Health Management), this achievement was reason enough to thank his team for their efforts. Kristen Skelton, Jonas Jensen, Kent Knudsen and Esben Nielsen exemplify all those Siemens employees who dedicate their endeavors to the environment each and every day.
