● Festive award ceremony at the “BAU” trade fair in Munich on behalf of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
● With approximately 1,200 associated organizations, the DGNB is Europe's largest network for sustainable construction.
● Completing the factory building in Thailand in 2017 enabled GROHE to operate the most sustainable production plant of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Düsseldorf, Germany, 17 January 2019. Yesterday, GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, received the silver certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) in Munich, Germany. GROHE has been awarded by the DGNB for their prudent investment in the production site in Klaeng, Thailand: Expanding the factory building in 2017 resulted in the fact that now it’s the most sustainable production plant of its kind in Southeast Asia. The occasion for receiving the certificate at BAU, the world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems, was DGNB’s anniversary for awarding particularly sustainable real estate projects for ten years.

GROHE Was Already Aiming for a DGNB Certification
During the Plant’s Design Phase in order to receive the DGNB silver certificate, GROHE had already decided to incorporate various sustainability measures while planning the expansion.
The project was designed and directed by the architecture office OIA (Office for Interior & Architecture Co., Ltd.) in an integrated collaboration with the energy and climate consultancy EGS-plan (Bangkok) Co., Ltd. who also managed the certification process.
The climate concept, for example, includes thermal insulation in the roof to reduce long-wave radiation and improve thermal comfort in the not air-conditioned factory. GROHE also applies natural ventilation: The pressure differences between the building's supply air and exhaust air openings allow a continuous change of air, keeping the production room’s temperature at a comfortable level. As a result, GROHE does not need energy-intensive air conditioning.

Photovoltaic-System Reduces CO2 Emissions Photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof of the 12,000 square meter factory building, reducing CO2 emissions by about 1,000 tonnes per year. And when it comes to waste water, high standards apply as well. The domestic waste water is biologically treated, providing it with the quality of shower water that is re-used for irrigation and flushing. Another sustainability feature of the production site is its green resting areas inside and outside the plant.

New GROHE Plant Is the Most Sustainable of its Kind in Southeast Asia
“GROHE comprehensively incorporates sustainability measures, including the construction of new production plants. The DGNB silver certificate is an impressive proof of this”, said Thomas Fuhr, Executive Director Operations at GROHE and board member responsible for sustainability. “The DGNB certificate acknowledges the successful balance between the high economical, ecological, socio-cultural and functional quality of a building. I am pleased that our GROHE site fulfils these parameters and is now evidently the most sustainable plant of its kind in Southeast Asia.”

Sustainability Is an Important Brand Value of GROHE
For many decades, the global brand for innovative sanitary products has applied the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability, making the pursuit of the greatest possible level of sustainability an integral part of its corporate DNA. GROHE consistently operates using a 360-degree sustainability approach that encompasses the fields of action of employees, suppliers, plants, processes, products and the contribution to society in equal measure. The global sanitary brand also follows the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. These include, for example, the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation (SDG 6).

DGNB Is Europes Biggest Network for Sustainable Building
Founded in 2007, today the DGNB is Europe's biggest network for sustainable building with approximately 1,200 related organizations. The association’s aim is to promote sustainability in the construction and real estate industry and instil awareness of building sustainability among the broader population. With the DGNB’s certification system, the independent non-profit organization has developed a planning and optimisation tool for evaluating sustainable buildings and urban districts that helps to enhance the tangible sustainability of construction projects.

For more information, please visit
www.grohe.com/sustainability
https://www.dgnb.de/en
Matching images can be found here.

Caption 1: Completing the factory building in Thailand in 2017 enabled GROHE to operate the most sustainable production plant of its kind in Southeast Asia.
Source: GROHE AG

Caption 2: Dr. Christine Lemaitre, Chief Executive Officer DGNB e.V., Gunther Adler, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, Michael Huth, Head of Project Management Central Europe, GROHE, Johannes Kreißig, Chief Executive Officer DGNB e.V.).
Source: DGNB e.V.