The Somfy solar-powered motor for outdoor vertical screens: an eco-designed product

The eco-friendly design aims to reduce the environmental impact of the product over the course of its entire life cycle from the extraction of the raw materials to the manufacturing and packaging processes, all the way to its recycling. It is part of a respectful approach focused on preserving natural resources and protecting the environment.

Our goal for 2030: 100% of the products we sell to be certified with the ACT FOR GREEN label!

Conscious of the issues surrounding sustainable development and its impact on the economy, the environment, and society, we’ve launched the ACT FOR GREEN® certification.

Having analysed the life cycle of our products, at each stage we observed various environmental aspects of their design, production, packaging, or use by the consumer.

That allowed us to identify the areas in which each product had the highest environmental impact. Then, we went about defining and implementing a wide range of eco-design criteria. And obtaining the ACT FOR GREEN label is just the first step in Somfy’s commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

Which system is more eco-friendly: a solar-powered or a conventional motor?

Installing a solar-powered or conventional motor will inevitably have an impact on the environment: from the extraction of the raw materials to the way in which the product is used, to what happens to the product at the end of its lifecycle. In order to calculate the impact of our products over their entire life cycle, Somfy bases its calculations not only on the product’s carbon footprint, but also on 27 specific environmental indicators, for example:

contribution to global warming through CO² emissions; -
primary energy consumption in megajoules (MJ); -
water consumption in cubic meters;
air pollution in cubic meters;
soil and water acidification in kg of SO², etc.

Taking these indicators into account right from the design stage of a product is an effective way to ensure reductions in non-renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and to promote environmentally friendly systems and appliances.

We have found that, over the entire life cycle of the product—and contrary to widespread misconceptions—80% of the environmental impact of a conventional product connected to the electrical grid comes from its use. Raw materials and components account for only about 20% of the product’s overall impact. Where does most of that come from? Primarily the metal and plastic mechanical parts, followed by the electronic components.

For a solar-powered product, no electricity from the grid is consumed, so almost all of its environmental impact comes from the raw materials.

Our solar-powered motor for exterior vertical window screens: a responsible and sustainable product

The Sunea 40 Solar io motor meets the requirements of the ACT FOR GREEN® label. It does not consume any power from the electrical grid and is manufactured using carefully selected materials, in accordance with the European REACH and RoHS standards. The packaging is made of renewable and recyclable materials and is designed to be eco-friendly as well.

The solar ecosystem also has excellent durability. The battery has a lifespan of over eight years, while the photovoltaic panel lasts for over 20 years! As for the motor, it will keep going for 14,000 raise/lower cycles. Many years of faithful service ahead!

Moreover, if your system stops working, there is no need to replace the whole thing: just take out the battery—which can be fully dismantled—and replace it with a new one. It’s as simple as that!

How is the Sunea 40 Solar io motorised system recycled?

To reduce the environmental impact of our products throughout their life cycle, Somfy works with accredited eco-organizations that collect and process solar-powered motors for rolling shutters at the end of their service life. To that end, we entrust BEBAT* with handling the processing of our photovoltaic panels, with a recycling rate of over 94%! As for the batteries, those are handled by RECUPEL*, which has a recycling rate of over 78%.

Visit our website to find out more about solar-powered outdoor retractable screens. Professional installers are ready to answer your questions and offer advice to help you choose the right solar-powered motorised vertical screens for you!

*WEEE partners (information to be completed locallly):

France: ECOSYSTEM for products and COREPILE for batteries
Switzerland: SENS for products and XXX for batteries
Austria: ERA for products and XXX for the batteries
United Kingdom: Batteries & products: WASTECARE
Belgium: Batteries: BEBAT, WEEE: RECUPEL
Netherlands: WEEE: STICHTING-OPEN Batteries: to be included