Better Buildings Project and Partners Map

FMC Corporation serves the global agricultural, industrial and consumer markets with innovative solutions, applications and quality products. 

Focus on Energy is Wisconsin utilities' statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. 

The new Central Energy Plant (CEP) at Ford’s Dearborn Research and Engineering Center delivers significant energy and water savings while supporting the modernization and future expansion of a 900-acre campus. The new plant was completed at the end of 2019 and is projected to achieve a 50% reduction in campus office space energy and water use. 

Ford's traditional process for applying paint to vehicles used approximately 860 kWh per vehicle. A new paint facility reduces the amount of energy required to apply paint finish by about 27%, or to less than 625 kWh per vehicle.

The Foremost Farms Plover facility obtained 50001 Ready recognition and surpassed its 2.5% energy reduction goals by 20%.

Facing maintenance challenges due to the nearby coast's salty air, Forest City improved the efficiency of its chilled water circulation loop with new chillers, VFD retrofits, and refurbishment of air handling units, reaching 25% energy savings - nearly $600,000 saved annually.

The Fort Atkinson School District installed a geothermal heat pump system to replace the gas fired boiler at its Luther Elementary School. This new renewable energy source is expected to reduce energy consumption by 40%, and save $22,000 annually.

Through efficiency improvements including air sealing soffits and door weather stripping, LED lighting retrofits, and upgrading to an on-demand tank-less water heater, the Fort Atkinson School District's Rockwell Elementary School is on track to achieve 17% annual energy savings.

The second initiative was in partnering with the US Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) in implementing the DOE 50001 Ready program to deploy an energy management system compliant with ISO 50001, the global best practice standard around energy management systems, across the entire installation.

The City of Fort Lauderdale is a Better Buildings Challenge Partner located in Florida. 

The Fort Wayne Housing Authority (FWHA) is a High Performing PHA with a portfolio of over 700 public housing units and an additional 2,900 Housing Choice Voucher families, providing affordable housing to a diverse range of income eligible families.

Foundation Communities (FC) is an Austin-based nonprofit that owns and manages 22 multifamily and single resident occupancy (SRO) communities – 19 in Austin and three in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. FC’s goal is to end the cycle of poverty using its unique housing-plus-services approach.

Foundation Communities used a grant to implement comprehensive energy- and water-efficient upgrades at Trails at the Park, an affordable housing property in Austin, Texas. The project achieved 15% energy savings and 16% water savings.

Constructed in 2020, Waterloo Terrace is one of FC’s permanent supportive housing communities and is roughly 40% less energy intensive than the ASHRAE 90.1 2019 standard for a mid-rise apartment.  

Four Seasons Produce, Inc. is a full-service wholesaler of organic, local and conventional fresh produce serving the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. They operate out of a 266,000-square foot refrigerated warehouse facility in Ephrata, PA. In June 2017, Four Seasons Produce was recognized for being the first 50001 Ready facility by DOE by implementing a continuous improvement-based energy management system consistent with ISO 50001.

DOE recognized Four Seasons Produce Inc. as the first U.S. 50001 Ready facility, for implementing a continuous improvement-based energy management system at its fruit-and-vegetable refrigerated warehouse facility in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.

The 2014 water and energy retrofit project at NHT/Enterprise Preservation Corporation's Friendship Court boasts a 3-4 year payback.

Gateway Management Services, LLC, is a family owned and operated affordable housing full-service, boutique property management company.

Gateway Management achieved 33% energy savings at Elk Valley Manor, a three-story apartment complex built in 1982. The comprehensive retrofit of the property included improvements to the HVAC units, building envelope, lighting, and water heating.

GE Aerospace joined the Better Climate Challenge and the Better Plants Challenge

Genentech is a biotechnology company with more than 13,500 employees across the United States.

General Aluminum Manufacturing Company is a full service aluminum die casting supplier to a variety of industries including the automotive, agricultural, industrial, and appliance industries. The company operates as a business unit of Park Ohio Holdings Corporation, a publicly traded company. The company's facilities are certified to one or more of the following; ISO/TS 16949:2009, ISO 14001:2004, and ISO 9001:2008.

General Dynamics-Ordnance and Tactical Systems empowers the U.S. military and its allies with an extensive range of over-arching product segments. Applied across all levels of strategic and tactical operations. In 2016 General Dynamics achieved its Better Plants goal of reducing energy consumption by 20%.

General Electric Gas Power Systems upgraded 100 rooftop HVAC units at its Greenville, South Carolina gas turbine manufacturing facility, reducing the energy use of the HVAC system by 55%.

Profile of the partner’s engagement with the Better Buildings Initiative and progress towards their efficiency goals.

General Mills conducted a comprehensive heat recovery project at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa plant that achieved a 23% reduction in annual energy usage and 34% reduction in annual energy costs.

General Motors has approved Science-Based Targets for Scope 1,2 with 72% absolute reduction in 2035 from a 2018 baseline.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes General Motors Co. (GM) for achieving 50001 Ready recognition at 25 of its U.S. manufacturing plants for three years in a row, with two additional sites added in 2021.

Optimization of a chilled water system increased efficiency and reduced operating costs at GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee, manufacturing site. GM intends to apply lessons learned at Spring Hill for future project installations and modernizations.

Almost every process in the Arlington Assembly uses compressed air, from stamping door panels, fastening machines, to cleaning and painting processes. GM wanted to maximize the overall compressed air system energy performance, so GM executed an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) to optimize controls, reduce leaks and improve system-wide performance.

Through a combination of competitive bidding, innovative design, advanced controls sequencing, and attention to hotel guest satisfaction considerations, the Hotel Monaco team compiled a comprehensive suite of impactful retrofit opportunities that save nearly $450,000 in energy costs annually.

NAICS 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

Date of Pledge: February 2014

GKN is a global engineering business. Every time you travel by road or air almost anywhere in the world it is likely that GKN is helping you on your way. We design, manufacture and service systems and components for original equipment manufacturers around the world. We are continuously evolving, pioneering new technologies and reinventing existing ones, stretching ourselves to better in everything we do.

To preserve both the affordability and the structure, improvements to the building shell and fenestrations, as well as modernizing the HVAC and lighting were needed.

Glen Falls, NY joined the Better Climate Challenge in 2022. Partner profile details coming soon.