Today, Legrand joined President Obama and Department of Energy officials in Washington, D.C. to announce the company has joined the Better Building, Better Plants Presidential Leadership initiative to create American jobs through energy efficiency.
Legrand is a manufacturer of electrical and data networking products for residential, commercial or industrial buildings. The company is one of just nine U.S. industrial organizations that have joined the initiative as Challenge Partners, pledging to the most aggressive energy savings, management and reporting practices outlined in a U.S. Department of Energy agreement.
By encouraging office and plant upgrades and renovations, the deployment of energy-saving solutions will boost local construction projects and expand opportunities for architects, design engineers, contractors and installers in communities throughout the U.S.
“People think energy-saving solutions are more complex than they are,” explained John Selldorff, president & chief executive officer of Legrand North America. “We hope to show our customers, suppliers and other mid-size manufacturers how to cut through the complexity with simple, repeatable solutions that are currently available to significantly reduce energy consumption. It can be as simple as controlling the lights to make sure they are off when not needed.”
The Better Building Challenge reporting requirements demand transparency and encourage replication of Challenge Partner projects across the U.S. economy.
“As other companies see what we do and deploy these ideas, they’ll realize energy and cost savings and, ultimately, spur more job creation in their own communities,” continued Selldorff.
As a Challenge Partner, Legrand has agreed to a series of high-impact actions that include:
- Reduce corporate wide energy intensity by 25% over ten years.
- Implement a “Showcase” project at a single site that will achieve a 10% energy intensity reduction in just two years.
- Deploy a “market innovation” that will accelerate achievement of energy efficiency gains.
- Report regularly on progress toward goals and lessons learned in deploying innovations and energy efficiency solutions.
Specific Legrand energy saving pledges and projects will be announced at a later date; however, the company is already installing sub-meters technology at 14 of its U.S. offices, manufacturing plants and warehouses. The technology will allow Legrand to instantly measure energy use, determine where greater efficiencies can be achieved through lighting and plugload management, and identify other upgrades needed to achieve energy efficiency goals. BD+C
Related Stories
| Apr 23, 2013
Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours
Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.
| Apr 23, 2013
Architects to MoMA: Don't destroy Williams/Tsien project
Richard Meier, Thom Mayne, Steven Holl, Hugh Hardy and Robert A.M. Stern are among the prominent architects who on Monday called for the Museum of Modern Art to reconsider its decision to demolish the former home of the American Folk Art Museum.
| Apr 22, 2013
Top 10 green building projects for 2013 [slideshow]
The AIA's Committee on the Environment selected its top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
| Apr 19, 2013
Is LED lighting keeping its promises?
Lighting experts debate the benefits, drawbacks, and issues related to specifying LED fixtures.
| Apr 19, 2013
Must see: Shell of gutted church on stilts, 40 feet off the ground
Construction crews are going to extremes to save the ornate brick façade of the Provo (Utah) Tabernacle temple, which was ravaged by a fire in December 2010.
| Apr 18, 2013
Survey seeks info from managers of high-tech facilities
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), and Laney College in Oakland California, a National Science Foundation-funded Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center, are collaborating to identify education and training needs and strategies for high-tech facility operators.
| Apr 18, 2013
SOM, CASE team up to launch crowd-sourced apps library
SOM and CASE have formally launched AEC-APPS, the first crowd-sourced, web-based library for applications used by architects, engineers and construction professionals. This is a one-of-a-kind initiative in the AEC Industry and is a non-profit online community that allows digital tool users and toolmakers to share ideas, tips and resources.
| Apr 18, 2013
Calatrava projects encounter issues with water, structure, Guardian says
A dozen years after Calatrava built the spectacular Ysios winery in the rainy Alava region of northern Spain, the building's dramatic, undulating roof continues to let in the damp.
| Apr 17, 2013
Frank Lloyd Wright's Park Avenue showroom demolished
New York loses another architectural gem by Frank Lloyd Wright as new owner razes auto showroom.