For Halton, carbon-free energy alone is not enough. The company is continuously investing in reducing its overall energy consumption. The carbon footprint influences thinking on many levels.
Halton’s factory in Kausala has been manufacturing ventilation equipment carbon-free for well over one and a half years, supporting the company’s strategic goal to achieve net zero emissions. With its solutions, Halton also helps customers save energy and reduce their own carbon footprints.
“Carbon-free energy is more expensive than the energy we used before. Therefore, it’s a significant policy,” says Kaisa Säde, SBA Halton’s Supply Chain Director. She oversees the supply chains in the Kausala and Crepy factories.
Halton’s ventilation products reduce end-users’ carbon footprints, making it essential for the company to continuously work on reducing its own carbon footprint as well. Halton’s ultimate goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in all operations and products.
“We want to walk the talk and practice what we preach. Using carbon-free energy is a major commitment, and we still have a lot of work ahead.”
Although the energy used is carbon-free, efforts are ongoing to constantly reduce energy consumption.
The Kausala factory, located near Lahti in Southern Finland, has been focused on improving energy efficiency for seven years. In 2017, lighting and compressed air systems were upgraded. In 2022, a major energy renovation was carried out. This included optimization of building automation, replacing the heat exchanger, and constructing a heat recovery system. As a result, the overall energy consumption was reduced by 26 percent.
Simultaneously, investments have been made in upgrading the factory’s machinery. New machines have replaced older ones, bringing speed, quality, and energy efficiency.
“This is a long-term process that requires extensive background work and analysis to do the right things in the right order. Next, we aim to calculate the carbon footprint of each product and understand what it consists of,” says Säde.
Reducing energy consumption isn’t always about technology. Operational optimization can also have a surprisingly large impact. The fewer the work phases required, the less energy is consumed. “The factory has really embraced lean thinking. The goal is to minimize the number of handprints on each product. This also cuts energy consumption.” For example, the energy efficiency of older painting machines has been improved by optimizing their use. Energy is saved when the large, 30-year-old machines don’t need to be started daily.
The next major investment at the Kausala factory will be an equipment update in the paint shop, which is expected to significantly reduce energy consumption.
The Kausala factory primarily manufactures ventilation equipment for operating theaters and offices, using steel and aluminum as materials. Over 70 percent of an individual product’s carbon footprint comes from materials and, for example, their transportation.
In addition to Kausala, Halton has factories in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Malaysia, and Brazil. Each factory’s energy consumption is assessed according to the local conditions. For example, in Germany and other countries south of Finland, solar energy is widely used. The factories in Malaysia and the United States began using solar energy from rooftop installations in 2023. Read more about how sustainability is fundamental to our strategy in our Sustainability Report.
For more information
Kaisa Säde
Supply Chain Director
+358 40 505 6847
