May 04, 2021
How We Lead by Example: Energy Improvements in Trane Technologies Facilities
At Trane Technologies we are boldly challenging what’s possible for a sustainable world, and we believe that the power to change our industry and the world begins with us. That’s why we’ve made bold 2030 Commitments that are changing every major facet of our business. No matter what the challenge, we’re committed to doing what’s right and creating a better planet for everyone.
We’re leading by example
To confront climate change, Trane Technologies is reimagining our supply chain and operations to have a restorative impact on the environment. We’re diligently working to achieve carbon neutral operations in our facilities and send zero waste to landfills. We’re also working toward reducing our absolute energy use by 10% - all by 2030.
Trenton facility leads the way
A shining example of this work is in our residential HVAC manufacturing facility in Trenton, New Jersey. In 2018 we installed the state’s largest solar system at a manufacturing facility. The solar system features 5,500 photovoltaic panels that generate nearly 2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually, accounting for 15% of the facility’s energy use. This is the equivalent of taking about 900 cars off the road or planting nearly 4,000 acres of forest since commissioning the solar system.
On days the facility isn’t operating, such as on weekends, we’re putting energy back into the grid. The system produces clean energy for the community, and reduces our facility’s carbon footprint and our business’s energy costs all at the same time. A fun bonus is the electric vehicle charging stations, which allow employees to take advantage of free energy from the sun to charge their electric or hybrid cars, and they do!
As a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, it’s our responsibility to put the planet first.
LED lighting and energy optimization in our operations
In addition to generating clean energy for use in our operations, the team in Trenton continues to find ways to reduce the facility’s overall energy use – decreasing our carbon footprint and increasing the percentage of clean energy we use. An LED lighting project in 2019 reduces the facility’s energy use by 1.5 million kWh annually.
The team also continues to evaluate equipment runtimes and retrofit machinery with a sleep mode function so machines will shut down automatically when not in use after a certain amount of time. Putting stricter procedures in place and updating standard work to reflect new shut down and sleep times – seemingly small actions – are having a big impact on the Trenton facility’s energy consumption.
Other facilities making an impact
Many other Trane Technologies facilities are making a positive impact on the environment and our carbon neutrality goal. Our facilities in Columbia, South Carolina, and Taicang, China, also have solar systems that supply clean energy for use in our operations. And our facility in Monterrey, Mexico, has implemented many energy-saving projects throughout the plant, reducing its carbon footprint by hundreds of metric tons of carbon emissions each year.
Sustainability is the answer
For Trane Technologies, sustainability is the answer to many of the world’s challenges. And as a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, it’s our responsibility to put the planet first. Through these energy improvements and more, we’re leading our industry in sustainability practices and it’s already having a positive effect, getting us closer to our goals of carbon neutral operations, zero waste to landfills, net positive water use and overall energy reduction.
To learn more about our progress toward our 2030 goals, read the 2020 ESG report.
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