Renewed energy, renewable energies: five ways we’ve progressed towards the energy transition over the last five years

Summer is over! At Saint-Gobain, we’re back from holidays with our batteries recharged and plenty of energy to take on the rest of the year. And speaking of energy… with New York Climate Week and the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement coming up, it feels like just the right time to look at how far we’ve come in the energy transition — and what’s still to be done.

1️⃣ Over the past few years, Saint-Gobain has made a major shift toward electricity and clean energy to power our industrial processes. Manufacturing is highly energy-intensive, which means achieving the energy transition requires rethinking the Group entire energy footprint, from input types to usage and storage.

A key step in this journey is electrifying processes and ensuring that the electricity used comes from clean sources. In 2023, the Fredrikstad plant became the world’s first zero-carbon plasterboard producer by switching from natural gas to hydroelectric power. In November 2024, Saint-Gobain also signed a long-term renewable electricity purchase agreement with Boralex Inc. , leveraging two solar plants and one wind farm to cover 10% of the company electricity needs in France.

2024 was a milestone year: 67% of the electricity the Group consume now comes from decarbonated sources, largely thanks to new power purchase agreements and green electricity contracts worldwide.

2️⃣  More broadly, Saint-Gobain is also supporting the industry’s shift to electricity by developing a comprehensive technical materials offering: spanning R&D, supply chain, and global market access. Many of these materials enable the key technologies driving the industrial energy transition, from electrochemical processes to coatings, sealing, catalyst systems, manufacturing, and more. Saint-Gobain’s venture arm, NOVA by Saint-Gobain , is continually scouting and supporting promising innovations in these areas.

3️⃣ Because the energy transition also means diversification, Saint-Gobain is investing in the clean energy sources of the future, such as hydrogen, to showcase their potential and encourage broader industry adoption. In 2023, at the Herzogenrath site in Germany, Saint-Gobain achieved a world first: test-producing flat glass using more than 30% hydrogen during R&D trials. This breakthrough demonstrates the technical feasibility of manufacturing flat glass with a significant share of hydrogen.

 4️⃣ Beyond switching to cleaner energy sources, the energy transition also means reducing the production of new energy-intensive materials by promoting recycling, reuse, and circular economy practices. One example: in collaboration with @Skanska, @Saint-Gobain Glass recycled 95 tons of glass from the deconstruction of Prague’s Merkuria building. This recycled glass was then reintegrated into new flat glass production at our Torgau plant in Germany. The result: 114 fewer tons of virgin raw materials used and 66 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided.

5️⃣ Finally, because energy efficiency is central to the transition, Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland focused on designing and demonstrating more energy-efficient homes. Built in 2023 in collaboration with The University of Salford and Barratt Redrow , the three-bedroom concept house, eHome2, was designed to achieve net-zero carbon for regulated energy use and to significantly reduce upfront carbon emissions. And it delivers: an independent study recently found that eHome2 cuts whole-life embodied carbon by 11% over 60 years.

From electrification to hydrogen, from recycling to efficiency, the energy transition is a wide-reaching journey that demands to rethink the way we build. Saint-Gobain’s teams can be proud of what they’ve accomplished so far, but there’s still more to do. So it’s full speed ahead toward the net-zero carbon future that will help make the world a better home!

Innovation station

Robots aren’t capable of building roofs… Or are they?

• In October of last year, CertainTeed Roofing partnered with Renovate Robotics to transform roofing installation. Through this collaboration, Renovate Robotics has been working with professionals from CertainTeed’s network of credentialed roofing contractors on pilot projects using its first robot, capable of automating asphalt shingle installation on steep-slope roofs.
• Because images speak louder than words, check out Renovate Robotics 's robot in action, it turns out the future is already here!

Window to the future

By shaping public policy, governments and lawmakers are at the forefront of the energy transition. But no transition can be complete without the involvement of private actors.

•  In a podcast by the Embajada de Francia en Argentina , Maximiliano Fontela , Operational Excellence WCM Global Champion / Technology and Industrial Performance at Saint-Gobain Argentina , discusses the strategic role Saint-Gobain and the broader industry can play in advancing clean energy in Argentina.
• From designing more energy-efficient buildings to promoting lightweight construction on a continent facing an acute housing deficit, tune in to explore how our choices are making a difference on a larger scale.

Can you guess?

Ceiling fans, shutters, cold drinks… You might think you know how to stay cool during heatwaves. But there’s one key element you could be overlooking.

• When the temperature rises, efficient window glazing can make all the difference. To prove it, Saint-Gobain Glass teams ran a simple experiment simulating sunlight on classic glazing versus the Summer Comfort Glazing solution.

The results confirm what the R&D teams suspected: a clear, visible difference in indoor heat management—and energy savings to boot!

Pioneers

They’re at it again! The teams at Saint-Gobain Research Paris are breaking new ground—this time in electrified transportation.

• How? By developing higher-performing, more durable, and safer halide batteries to power the electric vehicles and aircraft of tomorrow. This is the goal of HELENA, an ambitious European R&D project led by Saint-Gobain Research Paris in collaboration with the EMC2 department.
• Behind the project’s success is a wide network of partners working across the entire value chain, from innovative materials to large-scale manufacturing, safety testing, and sustainability assessments. Watch to see how their collective efforts are shaping the future of mobility.⤵️

Building bridges

Helping the two million residents of Phnom Penh access clean, drinkable tap water? A daunting task and inherently a collective one.

• After the Civil War of 1993, the city’s water supply was in dire condition: up to 72% of water was lost due to leakages throughout the network.
• Since 2012, working alongside SUEZ and VINCI , Saint-Gobain PAM Canalisation has provided the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority with over 150 kilometers of ductile iron pipes, connecting several water treatment plants across the capital. The result: one of the continent’s most efficient networks, with a leakage rate below 10%.
• But providing drinking water for all goes beyond a single worksite; it requires the collective commitment of construction companies, local authorities, subcontractors, workers, and the many others helping to build tomorrow’s infrastructure. Find out more here.

Expanding our horizon

Don’t let summer end, enjoy the thrill of the amusement park!

• Every year, millions of visitors flock to amusement parks. That’s a lot of foot traffic in a small area, which calls for resistant, durable materials. That’s exactly what Saint-Gobain's teams provided for one of the landmark theme parks in the Paris region. There, Saint-Gobain Weber France's product lines will be essential when the park’s new 2,500-square-meter restaurant opens, serving 400 visitors at a time!