Through its participation in TVA’s EnergyRight Solutions for Industry program, JM was able to invest in a large capital project to replace the plant’s current lighting with a state-of-the-art, energy efficient system that lowers its energy usage and reduces CO2 emissions. The project is estimated to reduce the plant’s indirect annual CO2 emissions by more than 6 million pounds and will cut its yearly energy consumption in lighting by more than 70%.
"We’re pleased to work with TVA and the Athens Utilities Board on this lighting retrofit program, which is making a positive impact on our plant, our employees and the environment," said Mike Lawrence, senior vice president and general manager of JM’s Engineered Products Americas business.
"This type of investment improves working conditions for our employees while saving significant energy usage (lowering CO2 emissions associated with the production of energy), and therefore costs as well."
JM’s investment in Etowah was partially offset by a $343,410 rebate from TVA, which was presented today at the Etowah facility. The Etowah project is part of a larger JM initiative that to-date consists of a nearly $8 million investment across the company’s North American plants, with $1.5 million of rebates realized from the various energy efficiency programs managed by local utilities. The initiative has resulted in reduced energy consumption that will generate approximately $2.5 million in annual savings. The project will continue with additional lighting retrofits planned at more JM plants in 2014.
In Etowah, as in the other JM facilities where projects took place, an initial audit was conducted, taking into account plant operating hours; traffic conditions in various areas; and lighting density requirements. Based on that assessment, almost all of the high bay HID fixtures, which were predominately metal halide, sodium vapor or incandescent lights, were replaced with more efficient and less energy-intensive fixtures.
