by Ann Withanee — August 31, 2011—Reducing energy consumption has become a mandate of corporate America as companies search for efficient sustainability plans and programs to implement in their facilities, from office to manufacturing. Such happened at SC Johnson, involving its largest plant in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, and it came from employees who met the serious challenge with the playful name of Flip the Switch, a program to empower employees to champion energy conservation. In addition, SC Johnson has initiated and implemented a number of other sustainability programs.
The ambitious Flip the Switch energy-savings initiative driven by employees resulted in a 35 percent energy savings per fixture in more than 700 light fixtures at the company’s Sturtevant plant. The project underscores the huge energy savings possible throughout industry by employing efficient energy practices.
As part of SC Johnson’s “Flip the Switch” campaign, these new energy-efficient light fixtures were installed at its 2.2 million-square-foot Waxdale plant, the size of 36 football fields, contributing to an elimination of 776 tons of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions at the plant since mid-2010. The campaign seeks to empower employees to champion energy conservation and education, advocate for responsible practices and help the company reduce its overall environmental footprint.
The International Energy Agency estimates that such energy-efficiency initiatives in buildings, industrial processes and transportation could reduce the world’s energy needs in 2050 by one third and help control global GHG emissions. Given that there are more than 32,000 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. alone, initiatives like this pose a significant opportunity for other sites to accomplish similar environmental goals.
The “Flip the Switch” campaign aims to pare energy use, including turning off lights, fans and other energy-consuming equipment when not in use. The new light fixtures, for instance, generate a higher level of lumens, or brightness, while using far less power. Motion sensors have been installed in limited use meeting rooms and other areas to help reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs. The facility also recently installed photovoltaic solar panels to power a new safety sign at the plant’s entrance that furnishes safety statistics and employee updates. Combining this renewables innovation with the employee behavior change and the lighting retrofit helps to set this project apart from other corporate lighting initiatives.
The Waxdale plant, which manufactures well-known cleaning products, has taken a number of leading environmental steps over the past several years. The facility is powered by cogenerated electricity from twin turbines that run on renewable waste methane from a public landfill and natural gas, eliminating 52,000 tons of GHG emissions per year as a result. In 2007, Waxdale was recognized by the Center for Resource Solutions for using Green-e certified energy, the leading renewable-energy certification and verification program in the United States. Most recently, Waxdale’s initiatives contributed to SC Johnson’s achievement of a 27.4 percent absolute reduction in GHGs from 2005 levels, exceeding the eight percent reduction target the company set through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program.
