Wind Energy

Wind Energy: WindMade label gets going

In October, we published the first technical standard that sets out the requirements for companies to use the first wind power consumer label. Four weeks later, at an event in New York hosted by the UN Global Compact, we announced the first Pioneer companies that have already signed up to the program.

The WindMade Pioneers include some big names such as Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank and Bloomberg, and many others. They have all pledged to source at least 25 per cent of their corporate electricity use from wind turbines, and many of them will do much more.

Deutsche Bank is just one of many companies already known for their investments in renewable energy, having increased its corporate use of clean power from seven to 65% over the last four years. They believe that clean growth is good economics, and WindMade is an important step for them towards market transparency, according to their Sustainability Officer Sabine Miltner.

These thoughts are also mirrored by other WindMade Pioneers. Motorola hopes that through the participation in WindMade, the company will encourage greater use of renewable energy sources around the globe. For Bloomberg, WindMade provides a tool for the corporate community to demonstrate leadership by committing to clean energy development.

Interestingly, the WindMade Pioneers come from a great variety of sectors, including both B2B and B2C companies – from technology to textiles, from financial and professional services to advertising. They even include a solar energy company which produces its solar power modules using 100% wind power at their manufacturing site in Wales, UK!

The 15 WindMade corporate pioneers and founders are:

Motorola Mobility (mobile device and set-top manufacturer)
Deutsche Bank (financial services provider)
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) (medical technology)
Method (cleaning product producer)
Better Place (electric car infrastructure)
Widex (hearing aid manufacturer)
Droga5 (advertising agency)
G24 Innovation (solar energy)
Engraw (textile producer)
RenewAire (energy recovery ventilator)
TTTech (supplier of communication and control platforms)
Vestas Wind Systems (wind turbine manufacturer)
PwC (professional services)
Bloomberg (financial information)
LEGO Group (toy manufacturer)

But we believe that this is just the beginning, and interest in WindMade is growing every day. We hope that in the long run, WindMade will substantially drive corporate investment in wind farm by creating a consumer pull. As a result, WindMade will benefit the entire wind power sector, and it also needs the broad backing of the industry.

At the moment, the WindMade label will be used at the corporate level (for corporate communications, marketing etc), but our Technical Committee is working on a trademark for products made with wind power, which will be announced in 2012. We are also working on a label to certify conferences, trade fairs and other events.

By Angelika Pullen, Communications Director, WindMade, www.windmade.org