News

Tornos minimizes its environmental impact by installing rooftop solar photovoltaic panels

For several years, Tornos has been taking various initiatives to minimize its environmental impact. Most recently, the company has implemented a series of organizational and technical measures to drastically reduce the energy consumption of both its products and its infrastructures by promoting the production and use of renewable energies. That’s why Tornos initiated the installation of photovoltaic panels in a project developed in close collaboration with the town of Moutier, which will also benefit from Tornos’ roofs producing part of the town’s electricity.

Always at the forefront of innovation across all its fields of specialty, Tornos is very interested in sustainability and is making every effort to reduce its carbon footprint and, consequently, its energy consumption.

To this end, a Group-wide review was carried out at all subsidiaries and at the headquarters in Moutier to assess what could be done in the short, medium and long term to achieve even greater sustainability and significant energy savings.

Tornos then launched a major campaign to accelerate the work planned to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. For example, the company paid particular attention to energy-hungry controls and old peripherals in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. It has encouraged a return to natural rather than mechanical ventilation and has done its utmost to limit overheating or cooling at night through controlled shading (using automated blinds). Finally, the old lighting is gradually being replaced by LEDs with presence detectors and brightness sensors. Additionally, old air compressors have been replaced with much more efficient models.

Several departments have been reorganized in such a way as not to heat or, depending on the season, to cool the premises with denser activities, leaving only the areas dedicated to storage free of frost. At the same time, during the cold season, in accordance with the recommendations of the Swiss Confederation, it was decided to set the temperature inside the buildings at 19° Celsius, whether in production or in the offices. Each employee was given a warm sweater to protect them from the cold, and the use of auxiliary heaters was prohibited. In the summer, air conditioning is used on a very limited basis, mainly in production areas requiring controlled temperatures.

Meanwhile, all employees have been reminded to turn off all standby equipment as soon as possible and to check that everything is turned off in the late afternoon or before a weekend. Access to elevators and freight elevators has also been restricted.

Thanks to all these measures, Tornos has recorded significant energy savings: in 2022, 50,000 fewer liters of fuel oil will be used in comparison to 2021, and electricity consumption will be reduced by 300,000 kWh.

In the same vein, Tornos studied the possibility of installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of its various infrastructures around the world. As the company is currently building a new factory in Taiwan, equipping the buildings with such an installation was foreseen from the outside. The Tornos subsidiary in Italy is also suitable for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and the first phase has already been completed.

In Moutier, work on the Rue Industrielle building began in early August and will be completed in November. This ambitious project is the result of a fruitful collaboration with the town of Moutier, which, like Tornos, is pursuing its energy transition toward renewable energies.

Thanks to the 5,300 square meters of panels installed on its roofs, Tornos will produce more than 1 million kWh per year, which will be shared between the town and the company. Thanks to these panels, Tornos will cover more than a third of its energy needs. This is a win-win project that allows Tornos to produce its own electricity in an environmentally friendly way.

To learn more about the solar photovoltaic installation in Moutier, please visit the town's website.