Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Industrial, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables - December 15, 2017
Steelcase passes major energy use reduction milestone
Global furniture maker and design company Steelcase Inc. has passed a major milestone toward its energy and environmental goals this year: Its global energy use is 20% lower than it was just seven years ago.
The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company's 2017 corporate sustainability report outlines a number of its related initiatives, all rolling up toward its ultimate goal of cutting its global greenhouse gas emissions and energy use by 25% by 2020 and achieve 100% renewable energy equivalent to its global electricity consumption.
A significant component of how the company is managing its energy use is a new software program that tracks Steelcase's global consumption. With help from consultants, the company is now able to collect, analyze and report its energy data "more quickly and accurately than ever before," across its 150+ offices, showrooms and manufacturing facilities worldwide, according to the report.
Steelcase also offered insight on a lighting project at its wood plant in Michigan to replace more than 1,300 energy-intensive
light fixtures with 1,250 energy efficient LED lights:
To further maximize energy and cost savings, we paired the new fixtures with an advanced, cloud-based control system, allowing us to remotely schedule, monitor and control light conditions. This has translated into energy savings by dimming fixtures when appropriate and turning off entire sections when they are not needed.
"Being a sustainable, community-minded organization is central to who we are," said Jim Keane, president and chief executive officer of Steelcase. "We continue to improve upon our sustainability goals, and I applaud our employees at every level of the organization who passionately drive these efforts for meaningful change on a global scale."
Note: This article was amended at 9:45 a.m. ET to correct information about the lighting upgrade at Steelcase's Michigan wood plant.
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