Honeywell service helps firms pursue sustainability

Honeywell on May 18 introduced a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory service that measures and provides a comprehensive snapshot of an organization's verifiable GHG emissions. The service gives customers the information to make educated, strategic decisions about reducing their environmental impact and creates an accurate baseline for measuring the success of sustainability programs.

Many organizations, including schools, universities and municipalities, have made a commitment to become carbon neutral or significantly cut GHG emissions. However, few have the expertise or resources needed to catalog current emissions – the cornerstone of effective programs. The GHG Inventory creates a baseline by using industry-standard tools to measure emissions attributed to all operations of an organization, compiling data from more than 200 possible sources. The findings, presented in a GHG Emissions Report, provide a detailed starting point for launching or validating green initiatives. Having a precise baseline is also essential for organizations that intend to access revenue streams associated with emissions trading.

"We already had an aggressive energy conservation program in place, but we needed a verifiable way to measure its impact," said Leon Bivens, physical plant director for University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signatory. "The Honeywell inventory showed that we were on the right track with the steps we've taken, which have reduced energy use by 30 percent."

The GHG Inventory has also given the university valuable data to measure and meet the environmental targets outlined under the ACUPCC. The GHG Emissions Report, for example, revealed that electricity was the largest source of emissions for the university. As a result, the university implemented more efficient lighting, as well as automatic cutbacks on large heating and cooling equipment, among other efficiency measures.

"The findings revealed exactly where and how much we needed to cut back to shrink our emissions footprint," Bivens said.

As part of the inventory, Honeywell determines organizational, operational and temporal boundaries, establishing criteria for all measurable data. The company's energy experts then compile data from three scopes of emission sources, going beyond traditional energy audit measures.

The first scope measures emissions from sources directly related to an organization, such as produced electricity or heating plant fuel combustion. The second scope takes into account emissions from sources brought in to an organization, including purchased electricity and heat. Finally, the third scope evaluates sources related to organizational activities, including emissions that result from employees commuting by car or plane travel.

After compiling and calculating the full range of data, Honeywell presents the emissions report, which summarizes the information by scope and includes recommendations for reducing environmental impact. With this information, organizations are better equipped to inform all stakeholders and the surrounding community about their climate impact.

"Many organizations are trying to improve sustainability, but it's difficult to make changes without fully understanding the areas that need to be addressed," said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. "The GHG Inventory removes ambiguity by collecting and measuring data from a myriad of sources. Plus, the results come from an organization with decades of energy and sustainability experience."

In addition to delivering the inventory service, Honeywell also offers workshops to educate customers on how to perform their own emissions profiling. Organizations learn how to use the tools and methodologies they need to launch and maintain successful sustainability programs.

Honeywell is a global leader in energy services, working with organizations to conserve energy, optimize building operations and leverage renewable energy sources. It was one of four energy services companies selected at the outset of the Clinton Climate Initiative to help the world's largest cities reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This work has extended to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and other groups.

Since the 1980s, Honeywell has completed more than 5,000 energy-efficiency projects in facilities across the globe. It also has helped 5 million homeowners decrease their energy use through our work with utilities. These projects are expected to deliver more than $5 billion in energy and operational savings.

Overall, nearly 50 percent of Honeywell's product portfolio company-wide is linked to energy efficiency. The company estimates the global economy could operate on 10 to 25 percent less energy by using today's existing Honeywell technologies.