Energy saving initiatives and partnering the

'solar impulse' project to emphasize the

feasibility and importance of renewable
energy in future by ABB
With the ever increasing demand of energy especially in developing nations, the
role of energy and power firms has become even more important to guide the world
towards clean energy. 18.1% of the total energy demand is in the form of electricity
and close to 22% of that electricity is generated by renewable energy sources. On
an average the total electrical energy required to be produced is generally 2 to 3
times the energy consumed due to the inefficiency of power stations. With rapid
urbanization where additional 1.5 billion of people moving towards cities, providing
resources without harming the environment will be a challenge.
ABB through its next level strategy designed by its new CEO has tried to align its
focus not only on growth but sustainable growth. The strategy is described in 3
phrases by its CEO i.e. Sustainable growth, Relentless execution and Business led
collaboration. The various initiatives which underline their commitment to
sustainability are:
Electric Traction Systems
ABB has always been known for its innovation and commitment to clean energy and
sustainable development. The ABB electric traction systems for trains and highspeed locomotives support the construction of clean, safe railway networks, linking
urban centers and districts. The ABB systems installed in electric locomotives can
reduce the power consumption by 30% by improving the braking efficiency
Alternative to Sulfur Hexafluoride
Sulfur Hexafluoride is one of the most potent greenhouse gas presently, with
a global warming potential of 23,900 times that of carbon dioxide when compared
over a 100-year period. It is an important component of all modern circuit breakers
which has high efficiency and reliability of quenching the arc produced by the
phenomenon of circuit breaking in substations. It means manufacturer somewhere
faces a trade-off between economical and environmental impacts of selecting a
mechanism.
ABB achieved a significant breakthrough in switchgear technology with the
development of a solution that deploys a new insulation gas medium as a substitute
for sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). This alternate gas mixture has similar insulation
properties to SF6 now used in gas-insulated switchgear, but with substantially lower

environmental impact due to its much-reduced global warming potential. The new
technology will be deployed for the first time at a substation located in Zurich,
Switzerland, as a pilot installation for the leading Swiss utility EWZ.
Most powerful submersible power transmission cable
For a long time, the biggest challenge of power transmission has been the losses
due to material used in the process. As an industry leader in innovation and its
focus on research & development ABB has developed and tested a 525 kilovolt
extruded high-voltage direct current cable system to make renewable energy
installations more efficient and cost-effective. To quantify the impact of this
innovation one can say that it will significantly improve the power capacity of the
cable estimated to be around two times the earlier used one with cables reach to
distances of up to 1,500 kilometers, while keeping transmission losses under 5
percent. The new technology offers savings in capital and operational costs which
will, in turn, improve the feasibility of some renewable energy projects. The cable
system can be deployed in subsea and underground applications, making it ideal for
efficient power delivery through densely populated or environmentally sensitive
areas. So, when we look the world in the coming era where there would be more &
more business of electricity among countries this innovation would be beneficial
socially as well as economically.
SmartVentilation in mines
ABBs SmartVentilation is a complete solution to the challenge of providing fresh air
and venting toxic gases from subterranean mines. The modular system can be fully
integrated into ABBs 800xA control system to regulate the operation of the mines
intake and exhaust fans. This provides operators, engineers and mine managers
with an easy way to supervise and control the ventilation system, either from a
central location or using mobile devices. The solution also minimizes energy use by
ventilating only those areas of a mine that require it, reducing an operators
electricity bill by up to half.
Energy efficiency in operations
As part of its new strategy ABB has set a goal to steadily increase the efficiency its
operations, it has set itself the target of reducing energy use by 2.5 percent per
year. This includes both direct and indirect energy use, for manufacturing processes
and to operate buildings. During 2014, in conformance with its strategy, ABB
recorded a 1.6 percent improvement in the energy intensity of our operations,
resulting in energy consumption of 66.02 MWh per million US dollar sales. The
efficiency in operations was improved taking numerous small steps and sensitizing
to the issues of energy saving. A simple measure of lowering the temperature of the
varnish oven resulted in savings of $24000. One major step in this regard was
implementation of comprehensive LED lighting systems even in factories and
manufacturing units.

Efficient Real Estate portfolio

Its headquarters is illuminated with innovative design of LED and skylights which
has reduced the consumption over 11 MWh per year. The control technology
implemented also saves around 200 MWh per year. In addition to this rooftop solar
panels are used to generate around 20 MWh of electricity each year. It has been the
intention of ABB to implement similar model in all its country corporate head offices.
Dont Look the Other Way Program
For a company which is involved in installation of ultra-high voltage substations, it is
very important to have a culture of safety in organization. ABB has made the safety
component a mandatory objective of ones appraisal. This is guided by our firm
belief that safety is not mere absence of accident but practices which define safety.
In each individuals annual target, one must report at least 10 hazards and 3 near
misses in workplace. ABB also has compulsory safety training programs for all of uts
employees. This has been named as Dont look the other way program. The
performance of the program has been good with ABB able to avoid any fatalities
and reducing the number of injuries in any of its outdoor projects.
Materials sourced & used
ABB products contain mostly steel, copper, aluminum, oil and plastics, and the
majority of this material is reclaimable at the end of the products life. ABB claims to
enhance the ability to recycle by designing products that can be dismantled more
easily and by providing users with recycling instructions. There was a nine percent
decrease in total waste generated in 2014 compared with 2013. The majority of this
is due to business divestments during 2014. Due to the significant amounts of scrap
metal and non-hazardous waste reported by those businesses in 2013, we consider
that approximately 100 percent of the observed reduction in scrap metal, 70
percent of the reduction in recycled non-hazardous waste and over 35 percent of
the reduction in non-hazardous waste sent for disposal in 2014 was due to the
impact of the divestments. The divested businesses reported negligible hazardous
waste and on-site recycling in 2013.
Commitment to Innovation for sustainability
ABB claims its Research and development teams to be key to its sustainable
initiatives. Over the years, they have always put ABB at the forefront of health and
safety ambitions and technological innovation which is the most important
ingredient of its first point of next-level strategy. The Gate model developed by ABB
defines its approach for product and technology development. It provides a
structured approach ABBs ambitious program. Any major development is guided by
the principles of safety and sustainability. The guidelines include consideration of
legal, technical, strategic, manufacturing, customer and other requirements.
Sustainability aspects are built into the Gate Model and include a standardized Life

Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedure and a handbook to guide consideration of

environmental, and health and safety aspects during design.
Solar Impulse Project
Aircrafts consume around 3-4% of the fossil fuel and with growing economies it may
form significant chunk of fossil consumption in the coming century. There needs to
be path-breaking and remarkable innovation in this regard which would also
facilitate in reducing the carbon footprint. Solar Impulse project is an attempt by
engineers and pilots to build an aircraft which is completely solar powered. Two
pilots circumnavigated the world last year with a few hiccups in their journey to
impart a message to the coming generations that renewable energy can be a
possible alternative to even one of the highest fossil fuel consuming machine. ABB
technologically partnered and sponsored the project in line with its commitment of
world with clean energy.
The solar impulse project may not seem economically feasible today but has a lot of
message for future. The one of a kind aircraft with limited space and limited
capacity, has been able garner attention of technology designers and scientists. In
the coming 40 to 50 years, with research and improvisation it could be integrated in
traditional systems and thereby reducing the net consumption of fossils.