German equipment specialist, BPW, is now covering the base load of one its plants with solar energy as part of its sustainability strategy.

At the BPW Wiehl-Brüchermühle plant, around 200 employees manufacture precision components for brake systems using fully automated production lines and punching and welding robots. Since January, 1,320 solar PV modules have been producing electricity on the 2,200-square-metre roof, which mathematically covers the basic electrical load of the brake plant. As a result, BPW's solar power production is growing to a total of 5,300 square metres and an average of 750,000 kWh per year. Since summer 2017, the company has been covering its additional electricity requirements from certified renewable sources – the BPW main plant in Wiehl has since been completely CO2-neutral.

This is one of the highlights of the new sustainability report which the BPW Group is now presenting for the second time. The family company's commitment to people and the environment has won numerous awards and ranges from particularly resource-saving products and active nature conservation to exemplary vocational training and working conditions. For example, vocational training at BPW also includes political education. BPW reports in accordance with the standards of the UN Global Compact. In addition, the company is certified according to IATF 16949, the most demanding quality standard in the automotive industry. Among other things, it includes comprehensive documentation of ethical and sustainable business practices.

"Global trade wars, the looming loss of moderation and balance in political discourse and the current crisis of confidence in the automotive industry show how important it is to commit to ethical standards, even for small and mid-sized companies,” said Michael Pfeiffer, personally liable managing partner of the BPW Group. “Our commitment to the guiding principles of honesty and integrity adheres to traditional values in the most positive sense – and that’s why it’s so forward-thinking: not just because innovations in transport and logistics are always innovations for the environment, too – but also because we wish to contribute to social cohesion as a company."