The Dow Chemical Company has won four 2010 American Chemistry Council (ACC) Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards for programs that improved energy efficiency at three of the company’s U.S. facilities. The programs and their successes are in keeping with Dow’s 2015 sustainability goals, which include a commitment to reduce energy intensity 25 percent from 2005 to 2015.
“Dow is extremely pleased by this important recognition from the ACC,” said Doug May, vice president of energy, climate change, and alternative feedstocks. “Energy efficiency has been a critical initiative for our company for years and we have worked hard to be a leader in it through our actions and innovations. We’re proud to build on success that has allowed us to reduce our energy intensity by 38 percent since 1990.”
The ACC’s Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards recognize member companies that have improved energy efficiency and/or reduced greenhouse gas emissions through the application of innovation and technology. The judging panel awards an “Exceptional Merit” designation for the activities that achieve outstanding results.
“Energy efficiency is the cleanest, most available and most affordable way to optimize energy use and reduce carbon emissions,” said Joe Almaguer, global energy efficiency leader at Dow. “We applaud our employees for pursuing effective energy efficiency programs that help achieve our goals and reinforce Dow’s reputation as an industrial energy conservation leader.”
Dow’s 2010 Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Award winners are:
ACC Energy Efficiency Awards – Exceptional Merit
Facility: Freeport, Texas
Achievement: At the Freeport facility, engineers recognized the opportunity to de-rate a key refrigeration compressor and lower its horsepower while producing polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI). After careful planning, computer simulations and testing, the team was able to save 13,000 megawatts a year while maintaining production and quality standards.
ACC Energy Efficiency Awards – Exceptional Merit
Facility: Houston Dow Center (Houston, Texas)
Achievement: In 2008, the Houston Dow Center, which houses 1,200 employees, was built with energy efficiency in mind, using 90 percent recycled materials and new energy saving practices and appliances. In 2009, the facility earned Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and reduced total electrical usage by 47.7 percent and water consumption by more than 70 percent compared to the prior year.
ACC Energy Efficiency Awards
Facility: West Alexandria, Ohio
Achievement: Despite limited resources, employees at the West Alexandria facility joined together to form a cross-functional Energy Team to improve energy efficiency. The team was able to turn off all non-essential equipment, take advantage of rebates and grants and optimize processes to realize 14 percent annualized energy savings throughout the facility, and cut energy used per pound of product manufactured by 28 percent.
ACC Energy Efficiency Awards
Facility: Freeport, Texas
Achievement: Using conventional process optimization techniques to great effect, engineers were able to reduce the amount of solvent used in recycle and reboiler streams in their PMDI tower, and save 78,800 million British Thermal Units (BTU) a year by reducing the amount of liquid that was heated for their daily production.
About Dow
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2009, Dow had annual sales of $45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 countries across the globe.