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Midwest HVAC News
Johnson Controls joins
White House roundtable to reinforce commitment to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
Company on track to meet $50 million R&D product investment that
benefits both the environment and building operators.
 Johnson
Controls today joined a White House roundtable discussion on actions
toward a phase down of high global warming potential (GWP)
refrigerants. In its first 12 months of a three-year commitment,
Johnson Controls reaffirmed its $50 million investment to developing
and expanding its existing low-GWP product portfolio.
Since last year, the company invested $15 million in research and
development (R&D) of low-GWP refrigerants and component technology
for scroll, screw and centrifugal compressor-based products.
Over the past decade, Johnson Controls' industry-leading product
innovations have reduced refrigerant charge in equipment by nearly
30 percent while improving efficiency over 40 percent, which has a
major impact on reducing greenhouse gas. Other R&D focus areas have
included efforts to reduce the potential for leaks, as well as
improved maintenance practices and service training.
"A building's heating and cooling systems account for approximately
40 percent of its yearly CO2 emissions. We can make an impact by
improving the energy efficiency of the system to reduce power
consumption as well as increasing the use of low-GWP refrigerants,"
said Laura Wand, vice president, global chiller solutions at Johnson
Controls' buildings business. "Today's commitment reaffirms our
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a comprehensive
approach providing safe, economical and available options for our
customers."
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In addition to the
investment disclosed at the Council on Environmental Quality
roundtable meeting last October, Johnson Controls announced
today that over the next 12 months the company will complete the
following:
•Develop
high-efficiency, low-GWP refrigerant options in its commercial
air-conditioning and industrial refrigeration product portfolio.
•Offer equipment that can be readily retrofitted with low-GWP
options for customers concerned that they will not receive the full
value over the entire life of their equipment.
•Develop aftermarket retrofit services for customers who desire to
convert their existing equipment to low-GWP refrigerants.
In addition, the company will donate up to $100,000 toward
independent, third-party, peer reviewed research to support the
development safety standards related to the use of mildly flammable,
low-GWP refrigerants. The company also plans to support and
participate in an industry effort to develop and standardize service
technician and operator training for the safe use of these same
refrigerants.
"In the end, we want to choose refrigerants for our products that
will best fit the needs of our customers and the environment, based
on safety and efficiency, as well as reliability, availability and
cost," said Wand.
About Johnson Controls:
Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial
leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. Our 130,000
employees create quality products, services and solutions to
optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid
automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric
vehicles; and seating components and systems for automobiles. Our
commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with
the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our
growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to
delivering value to shareholders and making our customers
successful. In 2015, Corporate Responsibility Magazine recognized
Johnson Controls as the #14 company in its annual "100 Best
Corporate Citizens" list. For additional information, please visit
https://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
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