• New TÜV Rheinland certificate “LCA Method certified” verifies whether life cycle assessment methodology is being applied properly and systematically.
• SCHOTT Solar is now the first company to have its methodology certified by TÜV Rheinland.
• Life cycle assessment at SCHOTT Solar takes all production sites and preliminary products along the value creation chain into consideration.
Mainz, February 28, 2011 – SCHOTT Solar AG is now the first company in the solar industry to have its methodology for performing life cycle assessments reviewed by independent experts. Once it has passed the test, TÜV Rheinland will certify that SCHOTT Solar uses a technically sound and correct methodology to conduct life cycle assessments by issuing the “LCA Method certified” mark of conformity.
SCHOTT Solar regularly evaluates the impact of its products and processes on the environment on the basis of life cycle assessments. Data from all of its global sites in Germany, the United States, China and the Czech Republic, and from all of the external partners who are involved in the value creation chain, is subjected to analysis. Here, the company follows international accounting standards like DIN EN ISO 14040/14044 which SCHOTT Solar has structured and tailored to meet its own exact needs.
“We continue to work hard on improving our internal activities in the area of life cycle assessments. In the meantime, we are able to rely on a detailed data base,” explains Dr. Holger Hoppe, Head of Sustainability and EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) at SCHOTT Solar. “The next logical step for us is to have our current procedures audited by external experts so that we can improve them even further. In TÜV Rheinland, we have found an experienced partner who can help us to achieve this,” he adds.
The aim of the external audit is to ensure the validity, reliability and quality of SCHOTT Solar’s own procedures for carrying out lifecycle assessments.
Social responsibility has always been part of the corporate culture for the SCHOTT Group. “Environmental protection is a matter of course for SCHOTT Solar, both in terms of our products and our production facilities. This explains why we employ a multi-site team that examines our environmental performance and shows us where there is still room for improvement,” CEO Dr. Martin Heming notes.
SCHOTT Solar is now striving to become the first company in the solar industry to be issued the label “LCA Method certified” from TÜV Rheinland. If the results of this critical examination turn out to be positive, the company will be certified for taking a technically sound and correct approach to performing life cycle assessments. As a next step, SCHOTT Solar AG is planning to have the carbon footprints certified by TÜV Rheinland for its product lines.
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About SCHOTT Solar
SCHOTT Solar is an international supplier of high quality solar technology. The company‘s corporate headquarters are in Mainz, Germany. SCHOTT Solar is divided into two areas. In the area of Photovoltaics, SCHOTT Solar focuses on manufacturing and marketing premium quality solar modules, and also project business with large photovoltaic installations. In the area of Concentrated Solar Power, the company manufactures receivers for parabolic trough solar power plants and ranks as the world’s market and technology leader. Customers, partners and financiers appreciate the products SCHOTT Solar offers for their high quality and durability. This can be attributed to company’s experience since 1958, intensive R&D work and tests that are often considered to be twice as rigid as the industry standard. With manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and Asia, SCHOTT Solar is able to respond to key markets in a flexible manner. Furthermore, SCHOTT Solar maintains a local sales presence in all of the world’s most important solar markets. Here, the company greatly benefits from the international network of its parent company, SCHOTT AG. In the fiscal year 2010/2011, the SCHOTT Group of approximately 17,000 employees generated global sales of 2.9 billion euros.
Contact:
SCHOTT AG
Christina Rettig
PR Manager
Phone: +49 (0)6131 – 66 4094
Fax: +49 (0)3641 – 28889 141
christina.rettig@schott.com
www.schottsolar.de
