When Neutral Is a Plus

Division promotes cleaner buildings

Recently, worldwide media attention has focused on the notion of carbon neutrality—that is, the idea that objects, such as buildings or cars, can exist without negative impact on the environment. It has been the talk of celebrities and statesmen and featured on the covers of magazines and in movie theaters. A former U.S. vice president even received a Nobel Peace Prize based on his lectures and globetrotting evangelism regarding the environment and carbon footprints left by consumers.
And to think Johnson Controls has been advocating carbon neutrality for years. In fact, the company has a division set up specifically to help businesses work toward achieving carbon neutrality. The division has seen a dramatic uptick in requests for consultations.
The Energy, Environment & Solutions (EES) division at Johnson Controls consults with customers on new or retrofit building projects, recommending ways to become more energy efficient and implementing the solutions to guarantee savings results.

Reducing Waste

“We audit client buildings, facilities and processes,” says Tim Griffiths, U.K. director for EES. “We try to take a solutions-oriented view, looking at the interaction of systems and how best to make use of energy and waste energy. It’s a collaborative consultation because we work with clients to try to understand how they use energy, and how best to channel waste energy back into their building.”
As a simple example, Griffiths notes that a customer could take waste heat from a gas spark turbine used to generate electricity and funnel it into an absorption chiller to create air conditioning. That way, waste is shuttled back into a HVAC system, reducing energy costs and leaving far less of a carbon footprint.
Of course, even a simple solution requires careful planning. That’s why Griffiths’ team looks at all systems in a building, determining where energy savings can be made—and waste recycled. Aside from the systems, the team also assesses where energy is wasted, such as inefficient or improper window and door seals. The team then can make and carry out recommendations to reduce wasteful practices.

Not Just for New Buildings

Most consultations in the United Kingdom occur when a building is undergoing renovation, so the solutions are retrofits to legacy systems, says Griffiths. “We’re seeing a lot of business throughout Europe as well,” he says. “There’s a growing mood for more carbon-neutral environments, and we’re seeing a gathering momentum from planned retrofits to newly planned energy projects.”
And because gas prices have increased 20 percent and electricity costs have risen 15 percent, businesses are reexamining projects that were previously shelved to make current systems more efficient.