Holistic environmental protection starts at the beginning
Siemens Environmental Award 2009 for OSRAM Opto Semiconductors' production concept
Siegfried Schäffl, Environmental Officer and Senior Security Engineer at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, in front of the air separation system which extracts the nitrogen needed for production. The waste heat from the process is used for example for heating the indoor spaces of the company.
On November 24, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors won first prize in the international Siemens Environmental Award 2009 competition in the "Environmentally Compatible Processes” category, ahead of 34 applicants. The award was presented for the”Holistic Energy Concept in LED Production” at the company’s chip production facility in Regensburg. At the heart of the concept is a climate-friendly energy supply which makes use of the waste heat from manufacturing processes and the natural ambient temperature. This concept has been implemented from 2000 to 2008. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors was presented with the Bavarian Energy Award in 2004 for the first stage of this project.
With its energy concept OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is demonstrating again that it is well prepared for the world market as a leading company in terms of sustainability and environmental protection. This relates not only to its extremely energy-efficient products (such as high-power light emitting diodes which are considered to be the light of the future) but also with its state-of-the-art manufacturing. ”Our company maxim is always to offer intelligent and integrated environmental protection. In addition to providing products of the highest quality and environmental compatibility, we want our production processes to be especially cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This has been successfully achieved by the ‘holistic energy concept in LED production’ in which we are protecting the environment while at the same time reducing production costs“, said Siegfried Schäffl, Environmental Officer and Senior Security Engineer at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.
Instead of leaving waste energy from the production process unused, this waste heat from various processes in Regensburg is converted into useful heat and used for example for heating factories and offices in the winter. In addition, the natural ambient cold in the winter provides the necessary energy for cooling processes. At temperatures below 12° C OSRAM uses the outdoor air to achieve the required cooling capacity for air conditioning clean rooms and for the re-cooling the process cooling water.
In summer, however, large amounts of excess process heat accumulate, and this is also transformed into cold. There is a positive side effect in that like the modern light emitting diodes from OSRAM the concept is kind not only to the environment but to the wallet. With its ”holistic energy concept in LED production“ the company saves around 13 million kWh of gas, about 4.5 million kWh of electricity and 5200 tons of CO2 per year. At current energy prices this corresponds to about € 858,000 per year.
Small and efficient light emitting diodes such as the OSLON SSL LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors can now be found in many lighting applications.
