For Johnson Controls of Milwaukee – a company that offers products and services to dramatically improve energy efficiency in buildings – the commitment to sustainability dates back to the company's roots in 1885 with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. The company focuses on its own environmental performance with the same discipline that it applies with its customers, reviewing operations and supply chain to identify continuous improvement opportunities to make products in more earth-friendly ways.
Many of the improvements at Johnson Controls have come to fruition by using the company's own resources. To record, track, forecast, and report energy use and greenhouse gas emissions across its global operations, Johnson Controls uses its own information technology – specifically, the company's Energy and Emissions Management System. At its global headquarters, Johnson Controls is using its new Sustainability Management System to integrate solar energy generation sub-systems with its building management system to provide real-time monitoring, metering, and control.
Additionally, the company's Energy Hunt training and continuous improvement drives culture change toward more efficient energy use and waste elimination. In 2009, 137 low- or no-cost projects resulted in more than $2.5 million in savings. Another 135 projects are in progress in 2010. These projects have earned Johnson Controls accolades from the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), which recently bestowed an Energy Saver Award on the company for realizing significant energy savings after implementing recommendations that were identified during an ITP-sponsored energy assessment. Johnson Controls' Red Oak, Iowa, facility achieved the award by saving more than 10,100 million British thermal units, equaling 9.9 percent total energy savings.
For more information, visit Johnson Controls Web site.
