Johnson Controls: Your Energy Forum: Sustainability/Green Technologies Archives

A Simple Approach to Solar Energy: Introducing SunKits to Wisconsin
June 02, 2008

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By Judith Mouton

In May, Johnson Controls held the first Renewable Energy Non-Profit Summit in Milwaukee to help some 130 Wisconsin public sector and non-profit organizations learn about renewable energy options. These groups had an opportunity to hear about installing on- site renewable energy at their facilities, one of the best ways to move closer to energy independence and achieve environmental goals.

At the summit, Johnson Controls announced the availability of SunKits® in Wisconsin. These pre-engineered solar photovoltaic packages are manufactured in the United States by SolarWorld AG and are designed to help businesses and organizations overcome their apprehension of incorporating solar energy into their efficiency portfolio by making solar energy a hands-on, no-risk opportunity. We Energies and Wisconsin Focus on Energy are providing grants and incentives to ensure the installations are cost-effective.

Power produced from solar panels, wind turbines and biomass is helping schools, colleges and universities, state and local governments, businesses and other organizations stabilize their energy costs while showcasing leadership within the community. Renewable energy also illustrates environmental stewardship to employees, the community, and investors. By improving the reliability of energy supplies, offsetting the rising cost of fuel, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and meeting state renewable energy goals, Wisconsin’s public sector will directly contribute to a stronger local economy.

The Renewable Energy Non-Profit Summit helped Wisconsin’s public sector to participate in this ever expanding renewable energy market. We’ll be sponsoring another Summit in the fall with our partners in sustainability, We Energies and Focus on Energy.

Judith Mouton is the Renewable Energy Solutions Education manager for Johnson Controls, Inc.

Judy collaborates with colleges, universities, and national associations in the development of renewable energy education curricula and seminars. In addition, she educates public sector customers on potential grant funding sources for renewable energy projects.

Birthplace of Energy Controls
May 23, 2008

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Kenneth J. Wirth, Jr.

The man who devised the thermostat, at all events in my private opinion, was a hero comparable to Shakespeare, Michelangelo or Beethoven. When writer H.L. Mencken penned that in the 1930s, he admitted he didn’t know who the inventor was. On May 28, that will be clear when the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) designates the Johnson Controls automatic temperature control system as a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. An event in Milwaukee is commemorating the designation. For your information, Mr. Mencken, the electric tele-thermoscope, was devised by inventor, educator and Johnson Controls founder, Warren S. Johnson. There’s a good deal of information on Professor Johnson and his other inventions (including electric storage batteries, steam and gas powered automobiles, huge pneumatic tower clocks and wireless telegraph communication) on the Johnson Controls website.

You’ll read how Professor Johnson installed the system in his classrooms to help keep students more comfortable. The situation often was worse in commercial buildings. Those control systems often consisted of someone banging on the pipes to wake up the janitor and put in some coal or open a window. This invention was the first of its kind to automatically and economically control temperature in different zones throughout a home or building. By the turn of the century, the Johnson System of Temperature Regulation was being sold in parts of Europe and Asia, including royal palaces in Spain and Japan. If you walked into some of the most important buildings in the United States, including the U.S. Capitol, Smithsonian Institution, New York Stock Exchange, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you’d see the ornate bronze thermostats. You’ll continue to see Johnson Controls high-tech equipment in many of those places today.The technology has come a long way since the days when they had to bang on the pipes to alert the custodial staff. Professor Johnson's 1895 invention has evolved into the modern refrigeration, fire and security systems for commercial, industrial and residential buildings that Johnson Controls provides today.

At the turn of the century, saving energy sometimes meant not having to shovel as much coal! Today, it means utilizing controls technology to operate buildings at their peak, thus reducing the need for energy generation, either onsite or via utilities, and reducing a building’s impact on the environment. It’s a legacy we’re proud of.

Ken Wirth is the records and archives project manager for Johnson Controls, Inc.

Ready for Its Close-Up: Solar Power as a Mainstream Commercial Solution
March 24, 2008

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By Bill Guiney

One common issue facing decision-makers is how to address environmental issues – from volatile energy costs to the mammoth issue of climate change. Traditionally the business world has perceived that doing anything more than grabbing the “low-hanging fruit” such as lighting retrofits is complex and expensive.

Welcome to 2008. Market forces that include grid reliability issues, regulatory changes and heightened public interest in environmental stewardship, not to mention rising energy costs, are beginning to push businesses and other organizations to consider alternative energy sources. The granddaddy of these is solar power, which first appeared on the scene in the 1960s but was dismissed as impractical because of the size and number of solar panels needed to produce significant energy and because it was far more expensive than conventional methods of generating electricity.

Advances in solar energy technology plus rising electricity prices have changed that equation. Today solar energy is worth a second look as an on-site, reliable, environmentally friendly power source. Reasons to consider it include:

It offers a hedge against rising fuel costs
It can offset peak energy demand
It demonstrates environmental stewardship
It provides an opportunity for community leadership
It helps local utilities meet State Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Targets

In addition, incentives such as tax credits are available in many states. You can find out what’s available in your state by searching the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org), a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

There are two solar options for commercial applications: solar photovoltaic which taps the power of sunlight to generate electricity, displacing utility grid-delivered power; and solar thermal, which uses the heat energy generated by sunlight to displace natural gas, electricity and LPG power sources.

Solar thermal is really the low-hanging fruit of renewable energy. It can be used very cost-effectively for hot water and steam boiler make-up as well as for heating water for swimming pools. And it’s easy to retrofit most buildings with the technology. Businesses and institutions that are already taking advantage of this technology include the hospitality industry, college dormitories, hospitals, laundry facilities and a variety of municipal entities, including the Chicago Cultural Center. Solar thermal systems are typically designed to handle 50 percent to 80 percent of the actual load for hot water needs.

Photovoltaic is a little more complex to install. However several companies now produce photovoltaic kits that deliver a pre-engineered, packaged stand-alone system. The kits can also be used as building blocks to create a larger system. Businesses interested in exploring this option can go to www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewables/estimator/index.html to quickly determine the economic benefits of a solar kit. The site connects to the Clean Power Estimator^TM, which is an economic evaluation software program. The program provides residential and commercial electric customers an estimate of the costs and benefits of investing in a photovoltaic (PV) solar (or small wind electric generation) system.

Remember that it is best to choose an installer that is NABCEP certified. NABCEP is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, which certifies contractors as properly trained in PV installations (www.nabcep.org). A qualified installer can help assess the site and provide a power production forecast reflecting your geographical location.

Solar power is definitely worth a second look.

Bill Guiney is Program Manager, Renewable Solutions for Johnson Controls, Inc. He has more than 26 years of experience in the solar industry as a contractor, educator, distributor and manufacturer of solar energy industry. Bill was a leading instructor for solar thermal at the Florida and North Carolina Solar Energy Centers and currently serves on the North American Board of Certified Energy Professional’s technical committee for solar thermal.

Energy efficiency takes the main stage at the Energy Efficiency Forum
June 25, 2007

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By Paul von Paumgartten

One of the most exciting projects I work on all year is being a member of the Executive Council that plans the national Energy Efficiency Forum. The 18th annual forum was held June 13-14 in Washington, DC, and the topic could not have been hotter.

The event actually started with a special session exploring onsite renewable energy. It including a broad overview of the technologies, legal and financial considerations, and incentives and emerging markets for credits through Green Tags (for renewable energy) and White Tags (for energy efficiency). In addition to subject-matter experts, we heard interesting case studies from an Illinois school district and the University of South Carolina, along with a great kick-off from Andy Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. What was most interesting to me was the step-by-step approach. Sometimes I think people believe renewable energy is too difficult to do – and I’m not going to suggest it’s simple – but it’s something that can be accomplished with good planning.

The Forum itself was a microcosm of what’s going on in the energy industry today. First of all, the people in the audience represented a broad range of energy end-users – from the federal government to global industrial companies – along with energy industry and NGOs. And the speakers were equally diverse. Republican congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, who as the former head of the Science Committee vigorously defended his recommendations not to have the U.S. sign onto the Kyoto treaty. He said any climate change solutions have to be realistic, affordable, globally inclusive and produce tangible results. Energy efficiency certainly is right up in line with those goals. In contrast to his speech, German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth talked about all the financial, environmental and social benefits his country is finding as it strives to comply with Kyoto mandates. It was great to have both points of view, then have a panel of industry representatives talk about how it will play out in the marketplace.

Also interesting was Energy Secretary Sam Bodman’s keynote address about the role of government in promoting energy efficiency. Ultimately, he said, “the transition to a more energy efficient economy will largely happen as a result of changes in the private sector. The marketplace can move faster than government, can accommodate and absorb breakthroughs in technology more quickly and, overall, has better access to information.”

To me, no matter your political affiliation or business, those are the keys: technology and information. I think a timely combination – along with some additional government leadership on the local, state and national levels – will keep us going in the right direction.

The theme of the conference was “Energy Efficiency: Daring to Commit.” It sounds like the time is now to do just that.

For transcripts, photos and more information, see www.eeforum.net.

State of the Union: Energy is about Technology, Buildings and...
February 14, 2007

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The energy pundits certainly have had a field day in the aftermath of President Bush’s State of the Union speech (link to speech - http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html)

Many of us were pleased to hear the President's plan for reducing U.S. gasoline usage, as alternative and renewable fuels are a very important part of our nation's energy future and they can contribute mightily to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also important to, as the President says, “press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles."

While much of the focus is on America’s addiction to gasoline, in actuality, the transportation industry only consumes about one-quarter of our nation’s energy. Wouldn’t you think the pundits would be more focused on the area where there can be a bigger impact: Buildings

According to the American Institute of Architects, “Buildings account for forty-eight percent of U.S. energy consumption and generate far more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector.” From schools and office buildings to big-box retailers and factories, all those structures use energy.

The good news is that something can be done, and it’s far easier than setting up biofuel stations around the country. It is always easier and cheaper to save energy than it is to create it. In fact, the president said, “In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation.”

Commercial, off-the-shelf technologies exist to save a third of almost any building’s energy use. Yes, Johnson Controls is in the business of high-tech building controls that help save energy and money. But there are dozens of innovative technologies – from better lighting and fixtures to insulation and new windows– that reduce energy and result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

The president’s commitment to energy efficiency in buildings was demonstrated the day after the State of the Union when he signed an executive order (link to http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070124-2.html) requiring federal agencies to lead by example by reducing energy and water use. Agencies also need to ensure that new construction and major renovation of existing buildings comply with sustainability principles.

Energy efficiency is too often overlooked in the energy policy debate. If we are to truly manage our energy needs and combat greenhouse gas emissions, we need a balanced portfolio of remedies, which includes a major focus on energy efficiency, particularly as it relates to buildings.

Energy Efficiency Challenges
September 14, 2006

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In this dialogue, Gerrit Reinders, director, Sustainable Energy Solutions, Johnson Controls Inc., and Ron Fillmore, Dow Corning global executive director for Construction and Xiameter, discuss the importance of sustainability to businesses.

How are energy-efficiency challenges driving business sustainability initiatives?

GR: With today’s volatile energy prices and unprecedented awareness of the environmental impact of our addiction to oil, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that upgrading buildings to make them “green” is critical, particularly since green buildings are, by definition, very resource efficient. Many local governments now require that new buildings be constructed to green standards. This is a great thing that unfortunately only addresses one percent of buildings; the opportunity is greatest if we also “green” the existing building stock. For that reason, organizations are hiring energy services companies to renew their infrastructures with more energy-efficient equipment. Some are paying for these improvements through the savings they generate. We’ve seen energy savings as high as 90 percent by upgrading lighting and 60 percent by upgrading HVAC, office equipment, and appliances. The business case for energy efficiency is clear, and there’s widespread acceptance that doing the right thing and making money are not conflicting strategies.

Continue reading "Energy Efficiency Challenges" »

A Steady Regimen of Diet and Exercise
August 07, 2006

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On Monday, July 31, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) held a press conference announcing its National Energy Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. The plan seeks to address the nation’s growing demand for energy in U.S. homes, buildings and industries through efficiency. I’m all for it!

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The Yopp Moment
July 25, 2006

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When I took my kids to see Seussical, the musical based on the children’s books of Dr. Seuss, who knew that I would get more out of it than a stale cookie at intermission.

The story centers around little people happily living on a speck of dust, when they realize that they may be threatened because there is something beyond their horizon. They shout and shout to get the attention of the bigger world, but no one hears them until one boy adds a new word, Yopp!, to the commotion. Somehow that helps them break through so people in the bigger world get the message, and their little speck of dust is saved.

So many of us who are involved in energy efficiency feel like we’ve been on that speck of dust for way too long. From Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson to Lawrence Berkeley’s Art Rosenfeld, voices have been clamoring for people to consider the impact of their energy use on the environment, the economy and people’s lives..

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