Lockheed Martin’s Eagan, Minn.-based business has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious Energy Star Award, a national recognition for protecting the environment through superior energy performance. The company’s Pilot Knob Road facility joins only about 3,200 buildings nationwide to have earned the Energy Star Award.
In the U.S., energy lost from commercial buildings is responsible for about 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. The Energy Star Award recognizes that Lockheed Martin’s facility uses 35 percent less energy than average buildings, while still providing quality service and comfort to occupants. Over the past 10 years, the company has reduced energy costs by $350,000 per year through cost-effective improvements to its building. The energy saved by Lockheed Martin has reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 1,211 vehicles.
“Lockheed Martin is pleased to accept the EPA Energy Star Award in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Rick Udicious, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Eagan facility. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering energy costs and making our business more competitive.”
To improve the energy efficiency of its building, Lockheed Martin installed automated lighting controls and motion detectors throughout the facility, including restrooms, conference rooms, labs, cafeterias and work areas; improved thermal insulation on 85 percent of the building’s perimeter and windows; made innovative design and control improvements to the building’s systems, eliminating 28 pumps and six air handlers with a combined 432 horsepower usage; developed and installed a building management system which provides constant feedback and control over the building’s energy consumption, heating/cooling equipment, and building systems for optimum control during varying conditions; developed a five-year plan that further reduces energy consumption, including recapturing excess heat generated from the labs and computer data center to heat the building and water; and provided operational and awareness campaigns and training for employees.
Organizations participating in the Energy STAR program use the EPA’s national energy performance rating system to critically “grade” their building’s energy-efficiency on a scale of 1 to 100 relative to buildings of similar size across the country. The rating system is available for office buildings, schools, dormitories, hotels, hospitals and grocery stores, among other commercial buildings.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs approximately 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.