Johnson Controls Expands Renewable Energy Services

In response to increasing global demand for renewable energy, Johnson Controls, Inc., is expanding its business direction in the areas of designing, installing, and servicing geothermal, solar, biomass, wind, and other renewable sources as energy supply options for customers.

“We expect demand from businesses and organizations for onsite renewable energy to escalate as fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas increase in price and concern grows about their economic and environmental impact,” says Bruno Biasiotta, Vice President, Solutions, Johnson Controls. “The real opportunity for customers involves combining renewable technologies with innovative energy efficiency strategies.”

A team will be dedicated to the development of Johnson Controls' renewable offerings to state, local, and federal government agencies, school districts, hospitals, and private industry.

The company already has implemented several renewable projects, including:

Geothermal: Utah Department of Corrections. This heating plant project includes an onsite geothermal well that provides building heat for prison cell blocks, a furniture manufacturing shop, and a dormitory. The geothermal well also heats water for use in showers and the kitchen and laundry systems. The waste water is piped to a neighboring tropical fish farm and a nearby wetland.

Wind Turbines: Erie (IL) Community Unit School District. The company is using wind energy generation to decrease the school district's purchased electrical energy consumption by 87 percent, representing approximately $5.5 million in total energy savings over 30 years. A 1.2 megawatt wind turbine and tubular wind tower, along with an electrical distribution system, will provide energy to area schools.

Solar: Denver Federal Center. Johnson Controls partnered with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and incorporated innovative strategies such as updating an existing solar domestic water heating system and improving an irrigation control system.

Biomass Boilers: Indiana Department of Corrections. Johnson Controls is installing four industrial-grade biomass boilers and fuel delivery systems, which will use an estimated 1.3 million bushels of Indiana corn per year. The improvements are forecasted to save about 6.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year—the environmental equivalent of more than 2,800 passenger cars not being driven for one year.

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