JCI Factory Renovation Expected to Slash Costs, Emissions
The central utility plant at the Johnson Controls facility in Norman, Oklahoma. Four York chillers provide the chilled water needed for both comfort cooling and processes.
Photo courtesy of Johnson Controls
MILWAUKEE — Johnson Controls is accelerating progress on its 2040 net-zero commitment with the completion of a sustainability project at its facility in Norman, Oklahoma. The project is expected to lead to $960,000 in annual savings, reduce emissions at the site by 43%, and create a blueprint for global organizations seeking to implement building modernization projects that bring value to owners, employees, investors, and communities, a press release from Johnson Controls said.
“We are demonstrating at Norman that our cutting-edge technology can deliver competitive advantages including reduced utility bills, uptime assurance and a more productive environment, all while significantly slashing carbon emissions,” said Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls. “The success at our Norman plant serves as a powerful case study to inspire other organizations to do the same.”
The Norman plant is a 900,000 square-foot flagship facility for research, manufacturing, and testing of Johnson Controls rooftop units. Facing common industry challenges such as deferred maintenance and competing priorities, a team comprised of facility leaders, engineers, and company executives designed, digitalized, and deployed a complete facility upgrade with minimal disruption to operations, the company said.
Central to the improvements is the company’s OpenBlue digital platform, which will support net-zero goals through automated emissions reporting and building insights generated through data. Johnson Controls also implemented various infrastructure improvements, including a more efficient central utility plant, a new compressed-air system, plug load controls, water-conservation measures projected to save 3.5 million gallons of purchased water a year, and a high- and low-voltage transformer replacement, the compahy said.
Additionally, the company installed a 1.56-megawatt carport solar-photovoltaic solution, along with vehicle charging stations, to generate on-site renewable energy and further support energy needs.
“We’re drawing insights from our own facility upgrades and translating the lessons learned into actionable roadmaps tailored to our customers’ net-zero goals,” said Mark Reinbold, vice president of global sustainable infrastructure at Johnson Controls. “The strides made at our Norman plant demonstrate the tangible outcomes made possible when organizations embrace a comprehensive decarbonization strategy.”
The Johnson Controls sustainable infrastructure team has leveraged a financing model – Infrastructure-as-a-Service – to preserve its capital budget for other business-critical investments. The Norman project will be paid for with a fixed monthly fee that allows the company to lower the project’s inherent financial risk.
Johnson Controls has been a leader in delivering outcome-based financing solutions for its customers, generating more than $8.4 billion in energy and operational savings and mitigating nearly 39 million metric tons of carbon dioxide since 2000, the company said.
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