There’s no doubt that sustainability is a concept increasingly discussed in the corporate environment. Far beyond compliance, many companies are looking for ways to incorporate ESG pillars into production, logistics, and new product development. In this article, we explain how corporate energy resources are an essential part of this paradigm shift—and why renewable energy matters for industries.

You’ll also see how Ideal Work is at the forefront of the Brazilian market regarding sustainability and uses renewable energy across its manufacturing processes. Follow along!

What is renewable energy?

First, renewable energy is any energy source that helps prevent environmental pollution and climate change. Unlike fossil fuels such as coal and oil, renewable sources don’t need to be burned to release their energy.

This may not seem like a big problem, since pollutants disperse in the air. However, burning fossil fuels causes the emission of several polluting gases into the atmosphere, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Beyond the environmental impact, these gases directly affect the health of communities around large industrial centers, harming the quality of life of millions of people.

On top of that, health impacts directly affect public healthcare spending and increase the risk of illness and disability among workers—undermining key ESG pillars.

To understand the scale of industrial emissions worldwide, there’s an interesting phenomenon observed in recent years: during COVID-19 lockdown periods, air quality improved in 84% of countries, according to the 2020 World Air Quality Report.

Another essential characteristic of renewable energy is in the name itself: these sources are inexhaustible and naturally renew themselves. Examples include solar, wind, and hydropower—coming from the sun, winds, and rivers, respectively.

Examples of renewable energy

Although it’s still not as widely used as fossil fuels, the truth is that renewable energy is a market here to stay. For example, while installing a solar system can still be costly, industry research indicates that solar energy brings savings of 25% per year compared to electric power.

Solar energy, as the name suggests, comes from capturing sunlight through specific panels made from semiconductor material, which convert it into electricity. Another use is capturing heat from sunlight to heat water systems, widely used in homes.

Even so, adoption is still slow: according to market information, solar corresponds to only 1.7% of Brazil’s energy matrix. Other examples of renewable energy that can be used in residential and commercial contexts include:

• Hydropower: electricity generated from the power of water, captured through dams on rivers. Although it’s one of Brazil’s main generation methods, it can cause major environmental and social impacts for communities near plants. So while it is renewable, it is not what we call clean energy—especially due to the environmental issues of changing river flow and course, affecting riverside populations and local ecosystems;
• Wind power: produced by capturing the force of winds through turbines and converting it into electricity. Although investments have grown in recent years, results are still small compared to Brazil’s potential for this type of energy;
• Biomass energy: Brazil’s third most used renewable source, behind hydropower and wind. It consists of using organic material from animals or plants for energy generation—also helping reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded. Sugarcane biomass is one of the main “fuels” in this category.

How Ideal Work uses renewable energy to bring sustainability into its processes

Now that you know the benefits and main renewable sources in Brazil, it’s time to see a real industrial example. After years maintaining an excellence program in conscious solid-waste disposal and treating sustainability as a value, Ideal Work took the next step and is incorporating solar energy in all of its manufacturing units.

The plan is for all five manufacturing units to be powered by solar panels by 2023. The units are located in Jandira, Pilar do Sul and Santo Antônio da Platina (São Paulo); Macaé (Rio de Janeiro); and Cambuí (Minas Gerais).

By adopting this energy model focused on sustainability, Ideal Work once again positions itself ahead of Brazil’s industrial sector and is proud to inspire other industries to do the same. All environmental, social, and economic initiatives are detailed and documented to serve as a basis for similar programs in other companies; they can be consulted here.

In addition, the Sustainability Report is produced annually—an open material focused on actions and initiatives carried out at all levels of Ideal Work related to sustainability.

With this, Ideal Work extends an invitation to other industries so that, together, we can help build a tomorrow that is fairer and more equal for everyone.