Navarra, 2011-02-09
Pioneers in Energy Efficiency
Navarra has become the first company in the automotive industry to obtain energy efficiency certification
Volkswagen Navarra has become the first company in the automotive industry to obtain energy efficiency certification. This marks one more step in a path begun in 1996 when VW Navarra became the first auto firm to gain the international ISO 14001 environmental certification.
Spain’s recently published EN 16001 Energy Management Systems standards provides companies with a tool to help cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions related to energy consumption. Implementing the standard requires an organisation to set in place the systems and processes needed to improve energy efficiency in operations.
One of the features of EN 16001 is that it is compatible with other management systems, such as the Environmental Management System to ISO 14001.
Requirements for developing an energy management system include having an energy policy; identifying the organisation’s past, present and future energy consumption and developing an energy use measurement and optimisation plan.
The factory's commitment to energy improvement
For several years, Volkswagen Navarra has been working towards energy improvement in its processes, in line with the directives set out in this new legislation. One of its first actions was to set up a specific task force with representatives from all areas of the company to ensure continuous improvement in the use of gas and electricity, the energy sources used in the production process.
The favourable results obtained are due to the organisational measures adopted and also to the investment that has been approved by the factory. In addition, all electricity purchased by the company since 2007 comes with a guarantee-of-origin environmental certificate — meaning that 100% of its supply comes from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency CHP. In other words, the electricity needed to make a Polo is “green” energy.
As a result, when the German multinational last June ordered all its plants to obtain energy certification, Volkswagen Navarra was in a position to implement the instruction almost immediately. The Energy Management System was integrated into the Environmental Management System last September in a specific external audit for the two systems. The test was successfully passed and has made Volkswagen Navarra the first company in the Spanish motor industry to achieve this certification.
In the future, the company will undergo annual external audits to revalidate its energy certification.
Spain’s recently published EN 16001 Energy Management Systems standards provides companies with a tool to help cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions related to energy consumption. Implementing the standard requires an organisation to set in place the systems and processes needed to improve energy efficiency in operations.
One of the features of EN 16001 is that it is compatible with other management systems, such as the Environmental Management System to ISO 14001.
Requirements for developing an energy management system include having an energy policy; identifying the organisation’s past, present and future energy consumption and developing an energy use measurement and optimisation plan.
The factory's commitment to energy improvement
For several years, Volkswagen Navarra has been working towards energy improvement in its processes, in line with the directives set out in this new legislation. One of its first actions was to set up a specific task force with representatives from all areas of the company to ensure continuous improvement in the use of gas and electricity, the energy sources used in the production process.
The favourable results obtained are due to the organisational measures adopted and also to the investment that has been approved by the factory. In addition, all electricity purchased by the company since 2007 comes with a guarantee-of-origin environmental certificate — meaning that 100% of its supply comes from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency CHP. In other words, the electricity needed to make a Polo is “green” energy.
As a result, when the German multinational last June ordered all its plants to obtain energy certification, Volkswagen Navarra was in a position to implement the instruction almost immediately. The Energy Management System was integrated into the Environmental Management System last September in a specific external audit for the two systems. The test was successfully passed and has made Volkswagen Navarra the first company in the Spanish motor industry to achieve this certification.
In the future, the company will undergo annual external audits to revalidate its energy certification.