What is Corporate Social Responsibility? - InnoTrain CSR

Best practice examples of CSR
7.9. Case study: SMA Solar Technology
In short
SMA is a globally leading manufacturer of solar inverters and surveillance
systems for photovoltaic systems. SMA is headquartered in Niestetal near
Kassel (Germany) and is also represented in four continents with 14 foreign
subsidiaries. The company group has more than 5,500 employees and received
multiple awards for outstanding performances as an employer in the past
years. The company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is focused along
the core business and is setting benchmarks in the industry (e. g. CO2-neutral
production, sustainable energy designs for buildings).
How does the company demonstrate social responsibility?
A) CSR in the environment and market
Products and core business: SMA inverters are the main component of every
photovoltaic system and are making a major contribution to the reduction of CO2
emissions. In addition, the regular optimisation in the use of materials and efficiency
of the SMA products leads to better energy efficiency and conservation of resources.
Environmental management: The topic environmental protection received a boost
thanks to the environmental management certification DIN EN ISO 14001 awarded to
the location Niestetal. The effectiveness of this management system is reviewed with
regular internal audits and is regularly analysed, evaluated and communicated.
Sustainable energy concept: Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies
are important to SMA, because the sustainable management of the environment and
the natural resources is a key component of the SMA mission statement. The
integration of photovoltaics on the company's premises was realised early and
expanded consistently when new buildings were erected. With the construction of the
CO2-neutral inverter factory, SMA has been avoiding emissions that are harmful to
the climate as soon as the inverters are produced. The concept of CO2-neutrality is
essentially based on two pillars: firstly, on the reduction of CO2 through prevention,
i.e. the minimisation of the company's energy requirements and secondly on the use
of renewable energies to cover the energy demand that remains after all savings
potentials have been exhausted. A production activity of five gigawatt per year not
only makes the solar plant 1 the largest inverter production site in the world, but also
sets new standards in the industrial production with its energy and building design.
With the factory, SMA demonstrates that ultra-modern CO2-neutral industrial
The project "InnoTrain CSR" is organized by GILDE GmbH and has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
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