As a manufacturing company, energy is one of our most frequently used resources and has the greatest impact on our environment. We have therefore set ourselves the goal of both saving energy and utilising alternative energy sources in order to make the necessary use of resources sustainable.
ATLAS is a fast-growing brand. We have consistently expanded our headquarters in Dortmund, both technologically and structurally. When using new machines and technologies, we prioritise energy efficiency. All of our buildings and production and logistics halls are equipped with state-of-the-art LED technology.
In 2020, after 18 months of construction, a 3,500 m² state-of-the-art production and logistics hall was built. Special attention was paid to the sustainable operation of the building. All the rainwater from the roof surfaces is collected and used to run the toilet units.
Solar energy is converted into electricity using photovoltaics and can thus cover the building's entire electricity requirements. The heating system is based on state-of-the-art heat pump technology. Two air and four brine heat pumps in conjunction with 48 solar modules guarantee heating without fossil fuels.
Our most important contribution to reducing the purchase of external traditional energy is the generation of our own electricity through our photovoltaic system. Our photovoltaic system was installed on the roofs of our production and office buildings at the Dortmund site in 2020 and was expanded from 530 kwp to 746.82 kwp in 2022. In 2023, we produced around 654,285 kWh of electricity and thus generated around 18% of our energy requirements ourselves.
We feed the surplus into the local grid and aim to offset 50% of ourCO2 emissions ourselves by 2028 and the full 100% by 2035.
Conversion of the heating system to a system of air heat pumps and solar technology that does not require fossil fuels.
We feed the surplus into the local grid. We are aiming to offset 50% of our CO2 emissions ourselves by 2028, and 100% by 2035. During the production of ATLAS polyurethane outsoles, the sole moulds are preheated for the foaming process. In the footwear industry, this is conventionally done using thermal oil, which flows through an electric flow heater and is then fed into the mould. Together with a German manufacturer of solar technology, ATLAS has developed a customised and unique solution that reduces electricity consumption and protects the environment in the long term. For this purpose, a total of 300m2 of solar panels were installed on the production roof, through which a carrier medium flows.
This carrier medium is heated to up to 100 °C by even a small amount of solar radiation and then fed into a heat accumulator. This heat accumulator in turn is connected to our production machines and now heats the heat exchanger of the thermal oil on the machine directly. The required 60 °C flow temperature can therefore be supplied to the machines for 24 hours - also thanks to the heat accumulator.