Sources: Environmental Protection Agency; Turner Construction Co., New York; CP staff
Lower electricity consumption at fixed offices, contributing to a 5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over a five-year period, spawned a 2013 Climate Leadership Award for general contractor top gun Turner Construction. Installation of interactive, real time dashboards has allowed employees to see current power use and usage patterns, and compare their energy consumption levels against those of other Turner offices.
Additionally, offices and project sites deployed a “Turner Green Zone” checklist to raise awareness of ways to improve energy performance. “As a leader in the green building market, it is important to focus on our environmental performance. We are proud to have exceeded our goal of a 5 percent reduction in company-wide greenhouse gas emissions by achieving a reduction of nearly 6 percent,” says Turner Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Deane.
In addition to power use dashboards, the contractor conducted a pilot test where devices were installed at outlets to monitor plug load energy use; data was monitored and reported so employees could be aware of how much energy they consumed and which devices consumed the most energy. Conservative scheduling of all devices (to automatically turn off during non-business hours) resulted in a 33 percent reduction in plug load energy use. Additionally, the company asked offices and project sites to post “Turner Green Zone” checklist results on an internal website, fostering friendly competition across the business.
EPA cosponsors the Climate Leadership Awards with the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Climate Registry, and Association of Climate Change Officers.