sera - Sustainability
Sustainability as a company principle
Sustainability means to combine social and economic aspects with environmental requirements. sera has been actively and intensely putting this into practice for years. The manufacturer of aquarium, pond and terrarium related products thinks and acts responsibly, as to leave an intact ecologic, social and economic structure behind for future generations. This is set firmly in the company principles.
Besides different energy saving measures, a photovoltaic system sized over 3,700 m2 and a newly installed block heat power plant prove the sustainability put into practice by sera.
15 years ago, sera had the first photovoltaic system installed on a hall roof within the sera plant Heinsberg. The system now covers four out of seven roofs. It achieves a maximum total performance of about 500 kWh.
Since a short while ago, a block heat power plant is now also in operation. It is operated in cooperation with the regionally active energy provider „Florack Energie“. The produced electricity could cover the requirements of 400 single family houses and is taken by several purchasers in the industrial estate Heinsberg/Oberbruch.
The block heat power plant also produces heat which is used in production and for heating the halls within the sera plant. Compared to common energy production, this version is environmentally friendlier, as it fulfills the concept of local supply. Energy and heat are produced where they are needed, and does not have to be transported for long distances and with notable losses. The total efficiency factor of the block heat power plant on the sera estate is full 83 percent. The power plant being operated with biogas further contributes to environmental protection. Biological waste and renewable primary products are the gas source.
Sustainable for many years
For sera, sustainability has been a company principle for many years. The administration building erected in 2009 and the building with the modern training hall as well as the recreational and social rooms, erected in 2011, are heated by geothermal energy and illuminated in an electricity saving way. An appropriate building automation furthermore avoids unnecessary energy consumption. For instance, the air conditioning or heating system automatically switches off in case of opened windows. Lights switch off in rooms when no people are inside.
Ecologically valuable aspects are also important during production. For instance, sera uses only ingredients from sustainable fishery for manufacturing their foods. Fish meal from food fish is not used. The company thus speaks out against species extinction and overfishing. All foods are based on high quality ingredients, ecological innocuousness is strictly considered during the careful processing.
Global responsibility
sera acts worldwide as a medium sized company – and acting sustainably correspondingly became a global responsibility. sera Italia also covers a part of their electricity requirements by means of a photovoltaic unit since 2010. The Italian counterpart to the unit in Heinsberg is about 2500 m2 large and thus achieves a performance of 336 kWh at the maximum. Until the end of last year, about 840 megawatt-hours of solar electricity were produced. This saved 500 tons of CO2.
sera does not rest on the achieved measures but always searches for new opportunities to act sustainably.
