Corporate Sustainability Programs

Decarbonization Hits Close to Home for Johnson Controls

By Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

Johnson Controls’ most recent decarbonization project has gone right to the heart of its 2040 net-zero commitment – working with its own Norman, Oklahoma, manufacturing facility on a chilled water plant and compressed air system upgrade that is projected to nearly halve its greenhouse gas emissions.

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Thought Leaders on System Optimization Past & Future

Edited by Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

As the Best Practices Magazines celebrate their twentieth anniversary, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable system efficiency gains achieved since our first issue. We also wanted to give subscribers a peek at what the next decades might bring. To do this, we asked a hand-selected list of original equipment manufacturers, independent compressed air system sales and service companies, manufacturing plants and independent system auditors to share their thoughts, highlighting the changes they’ve seen over the past 20 years, then predicting what the next 20 years will bring.
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Burns & McDonnell’s OnSite Energy & Power Group

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

If we're using sustainability as a broader term, there's waste management, water, carbon, renewable power and more. Those are some of the units now part of the equation we're solving for. It sometimes ends up with a different set of solutions than you would typically end up with if you were only looking at dollars.
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Sustainability Pillars at Intertape Polymer Group Inc.

By Roderick M. Smith, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

In February 2021, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine interviewed members of the Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (IPG) Sustainability Pillars team to gain an understanding of the work being done to improve energy efficiency. The team members interviewed were Michael Jones (Director of Corporate Energy), Michael Deitering (Senior Project Engineer), Jarrod Knapp (Maintenance Manager) and Mark Secord (Engineering Group Leader).
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Innovation Drives Sustainability Success at DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee Plant

By Chris Kent, Contributing Editor

Among key initiatives at DENSO’s Maryville, Tennessee, facility is the use of an innovative ice-storage system engineered to provide environmentally friendly comfort cooling to employees at the company’s main production facility. The system also allows Plant 101 to reduce cooling costs per ton by 44%, while providing a payback of less than four years. It also resulted in an annual carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction of 18,000 tons.
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Chrysler Reduces Annual Cooling Costs by 28% and Earns $200,000 DTE Energy Rebate

By Mike Flaherty, General Manager, tekWorx, LLC

Chrysler’s Technology Center (CTC), located in Auburn Hills, MI, is home to some fourteen thousand employees responsible for keeping the automotive giant in motion. Completed in 1991, the complex is essentially a small city, encompassing 5.3 million square feet situated on over 500 acres. In addition to corporate offices, the facility houses a full laboratory level of various wind tunnels with thermal testing capabilities, a 1.8-mile evaluation road, a noise/vibration facility, an electromagnetic compatibility center, an environmental test center (able to create rain, snow and extreme temperatures), and a pilot production plant.
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Energy Rebates Assist Industrial Sustainability Initiatives

By Rod Smith, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices

The CFO asks the Corporate Energy Manager, “The numbers for this energy efficiency project look too good to be true - $334,000 in annual energy savings requiring a $89,000 investment (after the energy rebate) with a simple ROI of just 3 months?” “How do we know the reduction in kWh useage, which the energy auditor has promised, will actually happen?” “Why don’t we just deploy this same capital into a production project where we have more experience and confidence in the expected ROI?”   The recently hired Corporate Energy Engineer answers, “Those are the right questions to ask - we strongly believe in this opportunity for the following reasons.”
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Energy Management at Intertape Polymer Group

By Rod Smith, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices

Chiller & Cooling Best Practices interviewed Michael Jones, Corporate Energy Team Leader, from Intertape Polymer Group (IPG).   Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) is a manufacturer of tapes, films, woven fabrics, and complementary packaging systems for industrial and consumer use. The company operates 10 production plants and employs approximately 1,800 people. IPG has developed a robust energy management program by using ENERGY STAR energy management tools and actively participating in the ENERGY STAR partnership. IPG is receiving ENERGY STAR recognition for the growth of its energy program and leadership as a medium-sized manufacturer.
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Global Energy Management at Corning

Chiller & Cooling Best Practices® interviewed Patrick Jackson, Director of Global Energy Management.

This is our first time receiving the award. We were hopeful we would receive it because we thought we achieved 23 out of the 23 attributes defined by the guidelines. Additionally, since the program was launched, GEM’s management practices have saved Corning more than $328 million in cumulative energy costs.  
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EMS Systems for Energy Demand Control and Response

By Bob Zak, Powerit Solutions

You may be wise to watching the demand meter or shifting heavy loads to off-peak hours, but those are not your only options. With advanced energy management technology, you can automate control of energy from refrigeration compressors, pumps, and other equipment so that your facility runs at optimal efficiency, you pay the lowest possible rates, and you can participate in incentive programs that pay you for unused kilowatts.
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Energy Management at Visteon

Chillers & Cooling Best Practices interviewed Jennifer Meier, Global Energy & Engineering Manager, at Visteon Corporation.

There are three main segments in Visteon's climate group are climate systems, powertrain cooling and engine induction. Climate systems include refrigeration compressors, fluid transport, heat exchangers, battery cooling modules, climate controls, auto defog/demist systems, and multi-zone HVAC systems. Powertrain cooling systems include heat exchangers (radiators, condensers, charge-air, exhaust-gas), airflow management, and diesel and hybrid thermal management. Engine induction includes air induction systems and intake manifolds.
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Electric Demand Management Strategy

By Thomas Mort CEM

This paper presents a discussion on the topic of Electric Demand Management as it relates to electric tariff rates, new power generation, and incentives to curtail peak usage.
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ISO Energy Management Standards

By Wayne Perry, Technical Director, Kaeser Compressors

Most readers of this magazine are familiar with the ISO 9000 and 14000 families of standards.  The 9000 family pertains to quality management systems and the 14000 family deals with environmental management.
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Sustainability Projects: HVAC Optimization

By Thomas Mort, CEM

Reducing energy costs and pollution emissions involves many areas within an industrial facility.  My studies have found key (or common) areas where low cost practical projects can be implemented.  Combined, these projects provide savings exceeding 10% of the annual energy spend with an average payback of less than one year.
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Sustainability Projects: Demand Control

By Thomas Mort, CEM

Reducing energy costs and pollution emissions involves many areas within an industrial facility. My studies have found key (or common) areas where low cost practical projects can be implemented.  Combined, these projects provide savings exceeding 10% of the annual energy spend with an average payback of less than one year.
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