Efficiency in handling resources as a success factor in international competition

The drastic increase in the world population and the equally dramatic increase in the hunger for energy threaten the delicate economical, social and ecological balance. This calls for action.

The German Federal Government aims to double efficiency in handling resources

What we need is a significant improvement in resource efficiency. This includes efficiency in handling resources encompassing both material and labour in production processes, as well as the use of raw materials and energy. At current rates of consumption mankind would need the resources of more than three planets to cover its needs by 2050 unless we use our resources more sustainably from now on. Countries short of raw materials, like Germany, are particularly dependent on the efficient handling of resources. 

Today, this realisation increasingly colours political programmes leading the German Federal Government to formulate its policy aims as striving to double the efficiency in handling resources in Germany by the year 2020 as part of its sustainability strategy. Politicians may set goals and create framework conditions, but the practical translation has to be implemented as part of the economic process. Our strategic sustainability project, Efficiency Plus, shows how an industrial concern can decisively improve its resource efficiency.

Integrated climate protection concept:
consumption of fossil fuels cut by 40 percent; CO2 emissions reduced by a third

With Efficiency Plus we already meet the political and climate policy goals set for 2020 – with commercially available technology. By increasing energy efficiency by 22 percent and by substituting 18 percent of fossil fuels with renewables, power, oil and gas consumption fell by 40 percent, and CO2 emissions fell by a third. 

On the consumption side, this is achieved by energy-optimised production plant and processes, rigorous heat recovery and improved thermal insulation of buildings.

Increasing energy efficiency and substituting fossil fuels with renewables 

On the generation side, in the new energy centre, practically all advanced energy technologies are utilised, such as highly efficient condensing technology and CHP systems. In addition, fossil fuels are substituted with renewables. For this, the use of solid biomass and biogas, the utilisation of solar energy in solar thermal systems and of heat from the heat pumps are priorities.

Remodelling production: Improving the operational efficiency through process optimisation
 
Production at the Allendorf site has been completely restructured. The creation of lean and flexible structures, plus the prevention of processes that add no value, have led to a sustainable improvement in operating efficiency and productivity. 

The utilisation of production facilities has been improved, workflow paths have been reduced in length, losses through idle times have been brought down and the amount of space taken up has been reduced. As a result, operating efficiency has increased by up to 20 percent.

Material efficiency significantly improved through innovative product design and waste prevention 

Innovative measures in product design have resulted in a significant reduction in steel consumption. Thanks to significantly improved efficiency, a Viessmann heat generator today weighs only about 40 percent as much as a predecessor product from 1990. The proportion of steel scrap in production has been markedly reduced as well. 

We have instigated a voluntary return system to take care of the disposal of older appliances – this ensures a comprehensive recycling process. The re-use of waste, such as steel scrap, waste paper, commercial waste, waste wood or electrical waste stands at the centre of the high material efficiency achieved by the Allendorf site. In total, some 99.3 percent of waste is returned into the material cycle. The amount of waste that needs to be disposed of has been reduced to a minimum.

Waste recycling at the Allendorf site

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