In the past few days the IQNet and SIQ organisations have presented BTC Company with the international ISO 50001:2011 Standard, which enables organisations to manage energy consistently and more efficiently. BTC Company was awarded the standard since the Company is realising its own energy policy whose main purpose isn’t a one-time reduction in energy consumption, but establishing a system that would lead to a constant energy consumption reduction and fewer negative effects on the environment. BTC Company and its 1.5 million Euros worth energy projects in this year place the Company among the first Slovenian companies that have managed to acquire such international standard.

Acquiring the international ISO 50001:2011 Energy Management Standard is the result of planned activities performed by BTC Company in the field of realising the sustainable development strategy, improving energy efficiency and increasing energy savings.

In June BTC Company has put into use the third of its own solar power plants, spreading over 8000 square metres in Murska Sobota shopping centre. Last year BTC Company opened one of the largest solar power plants in Slovenia, located on the roof of the BTC Logistics Centre and spreading over 13000 square metres with an additional solar power plant integrated onto the Crystal Palace facade. All three solar power plants combined produce 2 million kWh of green energy on a yearly basis. In 2009 BTC Company used 41 million kWh of electric energy. This number was reduced to 39 millions in 2011, together with the usage of the Crystal Palace. In 2011 BTC Company used only 37 million kWh of electric energy (disregarding the Crystal Palace usage).

In the first half of the year, BTC Company optimized the usage of electricity in the BTC Logistics Centre. Within the scope of this project, the obsolete and energetically inefficient outdoor as well as indoor lighting was modernized. The installation of a new high-technology energy-saving lighting system will save 524.180 kWh of energy per year and reduce the yearly emission of CO² by 230 tons.

There are also preparations underway to modernize the lighting systems in the shopping centres BTC City in Ljubljana, Novo mesto and Murska Sobota, which should save an additional 205.248 kWh of electricity per year and, also in addition, reduce the yearly emission of CO² by 213 tons. The project is partially financed and supported by the EU (UREE1).

In the second part of August 2012, BTC Company will begin implementing the project “mission green”, the aim of which is to reduce CO² emission by creating a more natural and greener environment. Footpaths, green steps, wastebins, motivational messages, all will be marked by the colour green, while visitors, employees and business partners will be included as ecological ambassadors.

Aiming to measure the effects of its environmental and sustainability projects, BTC Company has developed its own business model Ecoindex, which has been designed as an indicator that may help assess the environmental development of the society. Ecoindex is a pondered sum of all good actions with which BTC Company positively affects the environment on various levels (i. e. energy, water, waste, traffic and safety management). The value of the Ecoindex is an integral part of the Company’s yearly business plan and one of the key criteria for watching and assessing its success rate. For its Ecoindex module, BTC Company received the prize for the most innovative business model in 2011.

The results of environmental and sustainability activities of BTC Company are public and accessible via the eco-environmental web-portal www.eko-btc.si, where all the Company’s sustainability and environmental activities are presented.

Additional information:

Maja Oven, Director of the Market Communication and Public Relations Sector

• T: 01 585 13 19
• E: maja.oven@btc.si