Environmental protection leads to success: The Siemens Award honors environmental awareness and customer focus

Environmental protection leads to success: The Siemens Award honors environmental awareness and customer focus

Munich - The Somatom Definition computer tomography scanner, one of Siemens Medical Solutions’ most advanced medical diagnostic systems, uses 30 percent less energy for routine imaging procedures than the previous model. X-ray doses in cardiology exams are reduced by 33 to 58 percent, depending on the patient’s pulse rate, with significantly better image quality. And the amount of lead required to provide structural shielding against x-rays is lowered from 110 kg to 19 kg – a reduction of more than 80 percent. These improvements earned the new Somatom first place in this year’s international Siemens Environmental Award 2006 competition in the category “Environmentally compatible products and solutions.”

The Siemens Environmental Award, held every three years since 1997, does not offer winners prize money. It’s the cause that counts. The Award has become a tradition at the Munich-based electrotechnical and electronics company. This year’s contest was held under the motto “Environmental commitment for success.” A first prize and several other prizes were awarded in each of the three categories “Environmentally compatible products and solutions,” “Environmentally compatible processes and environmental management” and “Environmental communication and social commitment.” Several special prizes were awarded as well. The winners were chosen by a panel of Siemens experts as well as other scientists, who had to select from 101 entries from 21 countries. There were participants from every continent and from every Siemens Group.

Dr. Hermann Requardt, Corporate Executive Committee member responsible for environ¬mental protection, referred to this year’s motto during the award ceremony as he emphasized: “The Environmental Award highlights the fact that there are many opportunities for manufacturing in ways that are not only cost-effective, but also environmen¬tally sound. Intelligent, integrated environmental protection has a favorable impact on life-cycle costs. What’s more, our environmentally compatible innovations in products, solutions and services help strengthen our customers in global competition.
At Siemens, we therefore consider environmental awareness an important aspect of our customer focus as well.”

Strong leadership pays
Environmental management involves much more than just the proper administration of environmental protection. It also requires the formulation of ambitious goals and the motivation of employees in everyday business operations. This is very well demonstrated by Siemens in Brazil, whose Environmental Protection Department won first prize in the category “Environmentally compatible processes and environmental management.” The department has implemented a centralized environmental management system that en¬compasses all important manufacturing locations and fulfills the international ISO 14001 standard. For example, environmental management programs launched by this depart¬ment reduced water consumption by five percent, and also reduced energy consump¬tion. And this was achieved entirely through steps to increase awareness among em¬ployees. Siemens in Brazil projects cost savings of about EUR 160,000 as a result of environmental programs by the end of 2007.

Anniversary at the Bosporus
An award-winning entry from Turkey represents the social aspect of environmental protection, which continues to play an increasingly important role in business success for global companies. Siemens employees established an environmental protection asso¬cia¬tion in Turkey that today has over 200 members. It celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2006. It won first prize in the category “Environmental communication and our commit¬ment to advancing society.” Its members advance environmental protection through volunteer activities. They support collaboration with universities and Turkish environ¬mental protection organizations, and also conduct environmental awareness contests for the students of nearby schools and for the children of Siemens employees – a pro¬gram that has enabled Siemens to reach some 8,000 children during the past six years. For adults, the society arranges seminars on environmental topics in which prominent politicians and artists participate.

Where psychology meets energy efficiency
As in previous contests, Siemens once again honored initiatives that involved notewor¬thy individual accomplishments. The panel was especially impressed by an entry that combined technology with psychology: Waste heat from water-cooled compressed-air compressors is fed into the heating system of the Siemens facility in Munich-Perlach, so that less district-heat energy is required. Just one year after this conversion, cost savings of EUR 145,000 have already more than offset the required investment of EUR 125,000. Emissions of carbon dioxide into the environment have been reduced by 930 metric tonnes. What’s special is that this project, once initiated by Siemens, required the active cooperation of an external business partner. Without a deft psychological touch and the ability to inspire others to participate in such a cooperative venture, there would have been no conversion in Munich-Perlach, and thus no special award for the winners.

Special honors for Siemens Power Generation
This is the first time that an entire Group – Power Generation – has been honored for its commitment to environmental protection. With about 20 percent of the world’s power-plant output, Siemens PG ranks among the leading manufacturers of power plants and related components. Through its innovative products and services, the Group is making an important contribution to safe as well as environmentally and climatically compatible electric power generation. The Group was honored particularly for its successful pursuit of ever higher efficiency in fossil-fuel power plants and of solutions for optimized fuel efficiency, its service and engineering activities, its commitment to the use of renewable energy, its development work in the field of fuel cells and CO2-free power plants, as well as its Group-specific implementation of environmental protection management.

Fuel savings in container terminals
The panel of judges had to make a difficult choice from several strong entries. One candidate for one of the first prizes was a new diesel-electric drive for container cranes. This design was developed by an international team, during the complete overhaul of a conventional, diesel-powered crane, in collaboration with the operator of a container terminal in Spain. The solution benefits the environment by reducing fuel consumption by 50% and lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 150 tonnes annually. The customer saves up to EUR 50,000 in annual fuel costs as a result. The modular design will also facilitate easy future upgrades of the crane by ensuring compatibility with fuel cells of hydrogen-powered drives.

Green subway trains
Energy savings are a priority in the new subway system that Siemens Transportation Systems is supplying for the city of Oslo. This project also earned an award in the con¬test, as it reduces energy demand as well as operating costs by 30 percent. Ultimately, the recycling-friendly design will result in substantial earnings for the operator as trains can easily be dismantled at the end of their service life.

Saving electric power in China
Saving energy was also a key benefit in a contest entry by Siemens VDO in Huizhou, China. This location started a project with a systematic analysis followed by a package of measures that included various technical changes as well as efficient management of the lighting and ventilation systems. In just seven months following its implemen¬tation, this project has reduced power consumption by 2.2 million kWh. During this period, the project was rewarded by cost savings of about EUR 165,000. This achievement was honored by the panel of judges of the Environmental Award 2006, and is all the more important in view of high levels of environ¬mental pollution as well as energy shortages in China.

Other Awards were presented to:
 Siemens Industrial Services & Solutions for its projects furthering the use of geothermal energy and industrial waste heat in power generation;
 a team from Siemens Transportation Systems in Graz, Austria, for the increased utilization of water-soluble paints in coating bogies for rail vehicles;
 a team from Osram in India for the integrated certification of quality assurance, environmental protection and occupational safety, as well as for outstanding commitment to social responsibilities;
 a work group from Siemens in Spain for the implementation of an environmental management system specifically for the construction, operation and maintenance of power plants;
 the Environmental Protection Department of Siemens in China for the development and management of the regional environmental protection organization;
 a team from Siemens VDO at the Babenhausen location (near Frankfurt, Germany) for a nature conservation initiative;
 a group of employees from Siemens Brazil for regularly conducting environmental awareness events for school children and university students over the past six years; and
 a team from Siemens UK for an especially creative program that builds awareness among Siemens employees.

Environmental protection is a key concern at Siemens. This is evident both in relation to the production technology we use and to the range of products we provide. The company has risen to global challenges, such as climate change, energy efficiency and the economical use of resources with numerous innovative products and solutions, focusing on global mega trends such as population growth and urbanization. Siemens was one of the first companies in the electrical and electronics industry to produce its own internal standard for environmentally compatible product design. A company-wide environmental manage¬ment system has been in place for over 30 years, ensuring that statutory and internal environmental protection requirements are met. This is how Siemens achieves harmony between economic, ethical, ecological and social requirements. Further information on environmental protection at Siemens is available on the Internet at http://www.siemens.com/environment.