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Optimising the use of natural resources
Other initiatives begun in 2007 build on earlier plans to enhance energy efficiency and reduce the consumption of natural resources.
Electricity consumption
- Installation of a new refrigeration unit in head offices has reduced the power consumption of the cooling station by 1.3%, despite a 33% increase in installed cooling capacity.
- Replacement of the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) system in the head office building by a more efficient unit that has cut the corresponding power consumption by 22.3%.
- Use of LED technology for one of the illuminated logos on the head office building, which consumes 42% less than the fluorescent system it replaces.
- Refurbished and newly opened branches have had sensors fitted in their lighting systems which dim or brighten the sources near windows according to the degree of natural light.
Renewable energies and co-generation
- La Casa Encendida has a photovoltaic system which generates electrical power for self-consumption. This installation prevented the atmospheric emission of an estimated 2.3 tonnes of CO2 in the year 2007.
- The co-generation system at the Las Rozas building uses residual calories from the power production process to fuel the heating system.
Water consumption
- The dismantling of two cooling towers has saved around 480 m3 a year in water consumption.
Consumption of recycled materials
- 98,3% of the paper consumed is recycled stock bearing the “Blue Angel” eco-label.
- 90.1% of the toner used in Caja Madrid printers comes in recycled cartridges.
Paper consumption
- White DIN A4 accounts for just 1.7% of total paper consumption and has been acquired from ecologically sound sources. Caja Madrid uses only ECF (elemental chlorine free) white paper with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate, ensuring that the timber content comes from sustainably and responsibly managed woodland.
- The “Zero Paper” project
Fuel consumption
- A communication system deployed to some Central Services areas supports document sharing and conference calls, thus cutting down on journeys.
- In some out-of-town worksites, collective transport is laid on for employees so they do not need to use their cars.
- The storage of office and advertising materials has continued brought under a single logistics system, instead of using two independent channels as before. This will help minimise fuel consumption, while reducing the emission of pollutant gases associated with transport (CO2, NOx and SO2).