Following the publishing of ISO 50001 standard for energy management by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on June 15, AUO Corporation ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) announced today that its G8.5 facility in Central Taiwan Science Park has passed ISO 50001 standard for energy management. AUO is the first manufacturer in the world, as well the first company in Taiwan, to have obtained this certification. Meanwhile, AUO's TV module plant in Suzhou, China has also passed the evaluation. AUO's next step is to apply this energy management system to all its global production sites.
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ISO 50001 is developed by the ISO/PC 242 energy management project committee of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The standard establishes a framework for industrial plants or commercial facilities to manage energy, so that energy efficiency increases, costs are reduced and less impact is made on the environment.
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"It is our great honor that AUO's G8.5 fab in Central Taiwan Science Park has obtained the IS version of ISO 50001 certification. This is another international acknowledgement following AUO's winning the world's first LEED Platinum Certification from USGBC this May," said Shr-Kai Lin, AUO's VP of Global Manufacturing. “AUO's being the first manufacturer in the world to have gained ISO 50001 certification represents that the Company's persistent efforts in energy-saving green practices have been widely acknowledged globally. Energy management system certification has been gaining considerable attention from countries around the world. ISO 50001 will become the next global highlight following ISO 9001, the quality management system, and ISO 14001, the environmental management system. Getting the verification will become a prerequisite for a company's international competitiveness. AUO will continue to pool in more resources for green production and innovation, paving way for even greener and more sustainable management.”
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"What AUO has achieved is to be honored as the first ISO 50001:2011 (IS) certificate issued by SGS globally. The Company is also the world’s first manufacturer to have obtained this certification," said Outi Maatta, SGS’s VP of Global Marketing & Business Development. “AUO is a global front runner not only with its systematic approach towards energy management, but also with energy-saving measures and management during production. Their overall energy efficiency is considerably better than that of ordinary office buildings.”
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AUO has introduced ISO 50001, the latest international standard on energy management, to front-end TFT and back-end module facilities based on its obtained certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 14064 and LEED. The goal is to achieve 25% energy savings in 2015, with 2010 as the base year. The focus of the ISO 50001 certification is on production energy management. With such a scheme implemented, 10% energy conservation could be achieved for AUO's G8.5 fab in Central Taiwan Science Park in 2011. An estimated 55 million kWh of electricity will be saved, and 35 thousand tons of carbon emissions reduced, the equivalent effect of the afforestation of nine New York City's Central Park. Approximately 5% of energy could be saved at AUO's Suzhou TV module plant, equivalent of around 1.5 million kWh of electricity.
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In the future, AUO plans to advance the ISO 50001 energy management system to each fabrication. By means of energy source management, energy performance will also be taken into account in procurement to enhance value chain energy management. As an all-round, leading green solutions provider, AUO will dedicate itself to continuous innovations for better green competitiveness. Meanwhile, the Company will continue to practice energy savings and carbon reduction to lead the industry by creating infinite green business opportunities.
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* ISO 50001 is an evaluation standard for energy management systems. The standard enables organizations to establish, operate, maintain and improve energy management systems, so that continuous progress could be made to increase energy performance, efficiency and savings. The ISO 50001 standard was officially announced on June 15, 2011.