• Highly efficient T8 fluorescent lighting is installed in our offices and manufacturing centers. Each T8 fixture uses about half the energy of a regular, non-fluorescent light fixture.
• Last year, we also updated the design of our downstairs offices to be more sustainable, using organic materials such as concrete flooring, natural brick and corrugated tin walls.
• We also installed solar panels that convert 13% of the sunlight they receive into energy, producing approximately 200 kilowatts of energy per day – enough to power 2,000 standard light bulbs a day.
• Because solar electricity produces zero carbon emissions, we're also saving about 50 acres of trees each year and because the production of solar energy doesn't use any water, we're saving over 150,000 gallons of water each year.
• To see a live monitor of how much solar energy we're producing, click here.
Our solar panel project was made possible in part by a solar installation grant from The Tennessee Solar Institute. The Tennessee Solar Institute is part of the Volunteer State Solar Initiative, a comprehensive solar energy and economic development program that was established using $62.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding received by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000160. |