“This is not only a major achievement for Johnson Controls, but also the community. This change has dramatically reduced emissions and the plant’s environmental impact for many years to come,” says Joe Oliveri, vice president and general manager for global ducted systems at Johnson Controls. “This is a prime example of Johnson Controls commitment to sustainability and a healthier planet.”

The plant is receiving its wind energy from Evergy’s Soldier Creek Wind Farm, a 300-megawatt wind farm in Nemaha County, Kansas, that was completed in November 2020. The energy cost savings projections from the wind power agreement are expected to be approximately $2.7 million over the life of the 20-year contract. In terms of the plant’s carbon footprint, the switch represents the equivalent of taking 100,000 passenger vehicles off the road.

Johnson Controls will be installing improved capacitor banks to more efficiently consume the plant’s wind energy. This will lower the plant’s energy consumption by nearly 5 percent, equaling an additional energy savings of $3 million over the next 20 years.

Since 2017, Johnson Controls reduced its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 26 percent and energy intensity by nearly 6 percent. The company is aiming to achieve zero carbon emissions before 2040 as well as reducing the company’s operational emissions by 55 percent and reducing customers’ emissions by 16 percent before 2030. In addition, the company aims to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity usage globally by 2040.