Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) said its current public sector building efficiency projects in the United States are guaranteed to save more than $4.7 billion in reduced energy, water and operational costs over the next 10 years. Additionally, the company said it has already produced over $19 billion in energy savings for both its public and private sector customers.
Those projects have resulted in the reduction of more than 15 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions since 2000–roughly the same
level of emissions generated from the energy use of 1.3 million homes in
one year, Johnson Controls said.
Johnson Controls’ Building Efficiency business unit has more than 1,000 active projects in federal, state and local government facilities across 50 states, including administration buildings, hospitals, universities, schools, airports, correctional facilities and public housing.
C. David Myers, president of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, recently met with a group of state governors attending the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C. Myers told the state leaders that building efficiency projects provide guaranteed energy and budget savings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and immediately create local jobs – all with no upfront cost to the government facility.
"Buildings are responsible for 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Improving their performance represents a large opportunity to save energy and reduce the impact of harmful gases on the environment," Myers said. "Leaders are already achieving substantial savings through building retrofits and many have said they plan to place a greater emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives as they look for ways to reduce spending and create local jobs."
Public sector building improvement projects are typically funded through a performance contracting model which requires no upfront investment by the institution because the guaranteed energy savings offset the cost of facility improvements over time.
After the project has been completed, customers continue to benefit from ongoing energy and operational savings. On average, Johnson Controls’ energy efficiency projects result in annual energy savings of 20% to 40%, the company said. Measures used to make buildings more "green" include the installation of high efficiency HVAC equipment and control systems as well as updated lighting systems, insulation, water efficiency measures and renewable energy solutions.
Myers said public leaders can help create local jobs for engineers, installers, technicians and mechanics and further protect the environment by enabling legislation that will allow commercial building owners access to financing for guaranteed energy savings projects in the private sector.
"In addition to improving the performance of public buildings, our elected leaders have a tremendous opportunity to help make commercial buildings more efficient and create local jobs by providing financing vehicles and tax credits that encourage investment in private sector commercial building retrofits," Myers said.
In Related News…
Making appliances, cars, buildings and factories more efficient is called the “low-hanging fruit” of strategies to cut greenhouse emissions. But a growing number of economists say that the environmental benefits of energy efficiency have been oversold. Paradoxically, there could even be more emissions as a result of some improvements in energy efficiency, these economists say.
Read the New York Times story at the link below.
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