At this year’s EE Global Forum in Copenhagen, EP100 members Johnson Controls and Danfoss will share their experiences of making smarter use of energy to lower their emissions and costs.
EE Global 2018 is organized by the Alliance to Save Energy and the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, and supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Taking place May 21-22, the conference convenes business executives, government leaders and advocates from around the world to explore best practice on energy efficiency and discuss the policies needed to spur further action.
Johnson Controls and Danfoss are both members of EP100, a global corporate energy efficiency drive led by The Climate Group in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy.
The companies are investing in energy-saving measures and technological innovation to double their energy productivity by 2030 (from 2007 and 2009 levels respectively) – meaning there will be twice the economic output from every unit of energy they consume.
The benefits of energy productivity
Being smart about energy use makes financial sense, with tangible business benefits on offer. Global technology and industrial leader Johnson Controls is already reporting cost savings of over US$100 million from a 2002 baseline after joining EP100 two years ago. Even though energy productivity has increased over 90% since 2002, the company sees lots of additional opportunities for energy and cost savings.
Danfoss has already increased its energy productivity by 77% since 2007. Reducing its energy consumption in buildings by a third has lowered energy costs for buildings by 44%, saving the company US$ 10.7 million (€9 million) per year – a figure expected to increase significantly on reaching its EP100 target.
“The global potential for energy productivity is vast and we are leading the way in Danfoss by showing that a 7-8 percent improvement in efficiency per year is economically viable and good business for Danfoss and the planet” said Flemming Lynge Nielsen, Sustainability Director, Danfoss.
The huge cost savings enable EP100 members to grow sustainably and increase their competitiveness, while lowering emissions and inspiring others to follow – accelerating a cleaner economy.
Implementing innovative solutions
So how are they doing it?
Starting out on its mission to achieve greater energy efficiency, Johnson Controls created an ‘Energy Hunt’ program – a set of workshops, tools and resources designed to empower employees at local sites to identify energy efficiency opportunities and implement energy savings projects.
“Integrating the Energy Hunt process into our enterprise-wide manufacturing system has been a key element of our success,” said Clay Nesler, vice president of Global Sustainability and Industry Initiatives at Johnson Controls. “After the first year of Energy Hunt implementation, our manufacturing facilities identified three times as many energy savings projects as they had in the previous year."
The next step will be installing an enterprise-wide energy metering and management system using advanced data analytics and fault detection algorithms to further optimize and maintain high levels of energy performance.
For Danfoss, too, carrying out audits and identifying issues has been a key part of progressing on its EP100 target. The company has identified where efforts are best spent to optimize energy savings – such as in the ventilation systems for factories and offices.
Danfoss has now re-programed its roof-top units to regulate heating and cooling in a more efficient way. It has installed LED lighting, and is renovating and refurbishing its buildings to showcase smart energy solutions.
Inspiring others to follow
Speaking at EE Global, Danfoss and Johnson Controls will spread the message of why energy productivity makes business sense to an audience of global companies – more than 500 energy efficiency professionals have registered to attend from 30 countries.
It is at such events, and by sharing experiences and networking with peers, that leading companies can inspire their peers to set ambitious targets for smarter and more innovative energy use.