DUBUQUE, IOWA – April 17, 2012 – Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), an Alliant Energy company, recognizes John Deere Dubuque Works for its commitment to using energy efficiently and being green.
John Deere Dubuque Works was honored with a 2011 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award for its leadership and vision in integrating energy efficiency in to the design, construction, or operation of their business. The company accepted this award today at the 2012 Iowa Energy Summit, held in Cedar Rapids.
The company recently completed one of the largest lighting projects in the United States when it upgraded nearly 8,000 lighting fixtures to an energy efficient fluorescent system.
The new fixtures use significantly less energy and are equipped with motion sensors that turn off the lights after a period of inactivity. When the seven-month project was completed in March, 2011, it was estimated that the project will save more than 15 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year – equivalent to the annual consumption of about 1,400 homes. The improvements will also significantly reduce the factory's energy costs and cut its annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12,500 metric tons of CO2-equivalents.
"The light level changes in the factory due to this project were like night and day," said Neil Schonhoff, facility engineer. "We have had a lot of positive feedback from employees, not to mention the significant energy reduction that we achieved by going to fluorescent fixtures with motion sensors. Overall, this has been a very successful project."
“Energy efficiency addresses both energy cost concerns and our environment,” said Tom Aller, President of IPL. “We’re recognizing John Deere Dubuque Works for the impact and leadership shown.”
Alliant Energy awarded the 2011 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Awards to its commercial and industrial customers who underwent energy efficiency initiatives that yielded the highest cost and energy-savings. The 2012 Energy Summit provided attendees with a variety of energy-related educational sessions, technical information and energy solutions.
Media Contact: Justin Foss (319) 786-4788