GM Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today unveiled the fourth installment of the “Better Buildings Challenge SWAP,” featuring General Motors and L’Oréal USA. In this online video series, the companies swap energy management teams to gain new insights, save money and improve the energy performance of their industrial facilities. The result is an informative, behind the scenes look at what it takes to improve manufacturing competitiveness through energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is a key part of General Motors’ strategy for a future with zero emissions. Last week, the automaker received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the seventh consecutive year for its continuous leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency and growing its corporate energy program. The award is the highest honor an organization can receive from the EPA for energy management.

This week, General Motors became one of the first companies in Michigan to participate in a new Consumers Energy program that will allow the company to match 100 percent of the electricity used at its Flint Metal Center and Engine Operations with wind energy generated from Cross Winds Energy Park II in Michigan.

General Motors has created a downloadable blueprint for accelerating and scaling a corporate renewable energy plan, intended to help companies of all sizes and industries create efficiencies, gain internal support and drive progress.

Are you interested in how companies are scaling their clean energy use? General Motors’ global manager of renewable energy, Rob Threlkeld, and Lily Donge, principal of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewable Center, will lead a free GreenBiz webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. eastern.

Michael Vachiraadisorn, General Motors’ Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow, brought a unique perspective to the company as an MBA candidate at the University of Oregon. During his 10 weeks with GM, Michael used both his engineering background and new business acumen to bring fresh perspective on solving energy challenges.

All of GM’s Ohio and Indiana facilities – including the assembly plants that build the Chevrolet Cruze and Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks – will meet 100 percent of their electricity needs through wind power. Once the turbines come online by the end of 2018, renewable energy will power 20 percent of GM’s global electricity use.

In sustainability, we often talk about the “three Ps” of the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. At GM, we use it as a framework to evaluate our performance as a company and leverage it to develop solutions to a variety of societal and environmental challenges.

As corporate citizens, it is our responsibility to protect our customers and the communities where they live. We also strengthen our business by operating this way. In the case of renewable energy, we save $5 million annually while delivering cleaner air to communities.

All of GM’s Ohio and Indiana manufacturing facilities – including those that build the Chevrolet Cruze and Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks – will meet their electricity needs through 100 percent renewable energy. GM is buying a total of 200 megawatts of wind energy from Ohio and Illinois wind farms.

General Motors’ Fairfax Assembly & Stamping plant, home of the Chevrolet Malibu, earned ENERGY STAR® certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, signifying it meets strict energy performance levels. GM Fairfax is the only manufacturing plant in Kansas to earn such certification in the last nine years. Below are some energy-efficient practices the facility employs.