Owens Corning has announced the formation of a strategic alliance to provide solutions that help communities reduce energy use by up to 50% and CO2 emissions by up to 80% versus standard developments.
The Alliance, which is focused on developers, campuses, and entire communities, includes Owens Corning, MVV decon GmbH (an international consulting subsidiary of the Mannheim-based German company MVV Energiedienstleistungen GmbH), and Garforth International, LLC, a Toledo, OH and Brussels, Belgium-based provider of energy productivity solutions.
“This integrated, holistic approach dramatically reduces the environmental impact of entire communities by focusing both on the way energy is distributed and enhancements to the energy efficiency of the buildings themselves,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer for Owens Corning, based in Toledo, OH. “Given that more than 40% of the energy used in the United States is for buildings—which is more than industry and more than transportation—these kinds of step changes are fundamental for us to make a significant impact in improving the performance of our homes and commercial buildings.”
“Climate protection interests and high energy prices have created a clear mandate for reducing energy and raw materials use,” said Michael Lowak, general manager for MVV Energiedienstleistungen GmbH . “By delivering on our mission, this international team will help drive sustainable development by providing energy-supply solutions specifically tailored to the community that reduce costs both today and tomorrow. We already have a wide range of experience in this field gained from numerous international projects.”
Peter Garforth, CEO of Garforth International, LLC, agreed. “We have created a team with world-class expertise, and we’re applying it on a local scale,” he said. “We are already making things happen, delivering major benefits at acceptable costs, and truly transforming communities.”
With the launch, the Alliance is embarking on a number of initiatives, ranging from college campuses in Ohio to a community in Urumqi, China, with the primary focus on new and renovated communities in North America.
When complete, the Integrated Energy Master Plan that serves as the basis for the implementation plans for these communities includes the detailed pathway to:
- Reduce energy demand, ranging from 25% to 50%, compared to the typical building-by-building approach to improving energy efficiency.
- Use smaller equipment to heat or cool the buildings, thus reducing cost and waste in the project.
- Reduce the need for each building to operate as an island, allowing peak loading for the system to be distributed among all the buildings and reducing the overall peak loads and energy waste.
- Decrease greenhouse gas emissions of up to 80% compared to business as usual energy use and delivery approaches.
The Alliance Web site contains more information on activities and how to work with the Alliance.
