A company-wide commitment to environmental stewardship from the shop floor to top management has led Phillips Plastics Corporation®, with facilities in Phillips, Eau Claire, Hudson, New Richmond, Medford, Menomonie and Prescott, Wis., to save more than $750,000 on its energy bills each year. This will not only help the manufacturer save money, but protect the environment and keep jobs in Wisconsin.
Phillips Plastic Corporation received $400,000 in financial incentives from Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, to complete energy saving projects that will save more than 8.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 78,000 therms of natural gas annually–enough energy to power 940 Wisconsin homes for a year.
Since 2002, Phillips Plastics has completed energy assessments at all 15 of its buildings to find cost-effective ways to save energy including traditional applications, innovative technologies, energy management plans and high-performance equipment upgrades. Major projects include:
–Numerous plant-wide lighting upgrades, including advanced controls where appropriate
–Adding variable speed drives on heating, cooling and ventilation equipment at multiple sites
–Installing energy efficient compressed air equipment
–Upgrading ventilation equipment in multiple sites
–Installing cutting edge chilled water technology at two sites
–Completing numerous feasibility studies to determine which projects to pursue
Not only do these upgrades save Phillips Plastics money, but they are also environmentally friendly. The annual environmental benefits are equivalent to taking 1,500 cars off the road — eliminating 15.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere.
And, Phillips Plastics didn’t stop at energy savings. The company has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources through its Wisconsin Green Tier Program to demonstrate its commitment to environmental excellence. The manufacturer has also been honored as a 2009 Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment by the Wisconsin Environmental Working Group and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce for demonstrated leadership with environmental stewardship.
Focus on Energy can help businesses and residents across the state identify and evaluate energy-saving opportunities, provide specific recommendations, develop energy management plans, arrange technical training opportunities about energy conservation and offer financial incentives. For more information, call (800) 762-7077 or visit focusonenergy.com.
Phillips Plastics Corporation®
www.phillipsplastics.com
Focus on Energy
www.focusonenergy.com
Filed Under: Green engineering • renewable energy • sustainability, Materials • advanced, Energy management + harvesting