Silen Office Pods March Towards Net Zero With Local Renewable Energy

Silen is a premier designer and producer of the world’s largest selection of office pods and acoustic workspace solutions. Renowned for their market-leading meeting pods, Silen’s products are favored by Fortune 500 companies worldwide. With a client base spanning 60 countries across six continents, Silen excels in delivering exceptional noise reduction and sustainability. In 2023, Silen was honored with the Exporter of the Year title in Estonia, highlighting their global reach and export success.

The Future Belongs to Sustainable Workspaces

A remarkable 95% of the company’s revenue comes from export markets, with single orders exceeding 1,000 units. To stay ahead of the competition, Silen is fully committed to providing not only the highest quality two-way noise reduction and focus-enhancing solutions but also meeting the most stringent sustainability standards for future workspaces.

To meet these goals, Silen has launched a comprehensive roadmap called Silen Zero, an actionable guide to edge closer to their ambitious net zero objective. Built on design thinking principles, Silen's use of sustainable materials, modular and prefabricated design, and effortless customization results in a 20+ year lifespan across their entire product range, setting an unmatched standard in the office pod and privacy solution market. Furthermore, through the Silen Rent office pod rental service, sustainability is further embraced by adopting circular economy principles. However, achieving net zero requires even more to build a better tomorrow and maintain a competitive edge. This is where Sunly’s local renewable energy comes in.

"When you're entrusted with delivering focus and productivity for thousands of workspaces globally, excellence isn't an option—it's a necessity. The message from boutique offices to Fortune 500 giants is unmistakable: the future of workspaces can be summed up in three words—Health, Focus, and Sustainability," says Silen Co-Founder and CEO Endrus Arge. "For Silen, sustainability is not just a marketing slogan; it is a direct demand from our end clients, whether through direct orders or tenders. Through our collaboration with Sunly, we will meet 100% of Silen factory's energy needs with local renewable sources. This commitment is crucial for ensuring a future for our planet and securing a competitive edge in export markets."

Sustainability as the New Norm

A good example of the competitive advantage is the huge tender Silen won in Germany in 2024, where a lack of sustainability measures would have resulted in immediate disqualification.

From 2025, more prominent and publicly listed companies will have to report on their environmental and social impacts, which will also affect their partners and subcontractors. Additionally, banks will start to consider a company's environmental impact when applying for loans. A company that is actively mapping and reducing its ecological effects is, in many ways, preferable to both partners and banks.

Silen switched to local renewable energy with Sunly Hybrid to gain a competitive edge in their export markets and to lead the path towards a more sustainable future.

Know Where Your Energy Comes From

The solar power plant connected to Silen consists of 175 solar panels (7.36% of the Aidu solar park). Additionally, Silen is connected to a windmill in Estonia. These two energy sources cover 60% of Silen’s yearly consumption. The rest of the electricity comes from other windmills and hydroelectric plants in the Baltics.

"This is a moral issue for us. Most companies understand that switching to renewable energy is the right choice but doubt the cost-effectiveness of this move. We are extremely proud to collaborate with pathfinders like Silen, who also take practical steps and see the economic benefits of switching to renewable energy. This also gives confidence to other companies to act accordingly," comments Siim Lääts, Management Board Member from Sunly Retail.

The case study has been co-written with Team Sunly.