10 BATTLE OF THE BUILDINGS APRIL 17, 2017
Ford Field Stadium Home of Detroit Lions 1ST PLACE • BIGGEST LOSER IN MIXED USE CATEGORY Detroit’s Ford Field Stadium is in Year Three of a five-year energy reduction plan. Home to the Detroit Lions football team, the 1.8 million-square-foot stadium includes 420 thousand square feet of tenant office space and a 275 thousandsquare-foot parking deck. Ford Field Facility Director Fred Reddig attributes the facility’s 5.87 percent energy reduction and strong Michigan Battle of the Buildings showing to his hard-working facility maintenance team and the support of senior management. “We have a fantastic internal team that works very hard to implement these energy-saving projects,” he explains. “We typically consider a five-hear return on investment a viable project, and senior management has been great to work with.”
Reddig cites numerous projects completed in the past three years, including: •The replacement of 660 metal halide field lights with 260 LED fixtures that provide improved lighting; •The expansion of lighting schemes from 12 to 40, programmable at the individual breakers, to accommodate smaller events; •The conversion of concourse lighting from T5 lamps to LED hybrids; •The greater use of daylighting on the concourses; •The use of variable speed drivers on domestic water pumps, which reduced running them at 100 percent capacity down to 20 percent; •Replacement of the outside damper system over leased office to reduce unnecessary heating and
cooling costs. It is anticipated that the eventual replacement of the remaining air dampers and controls will result in an added 10 percent energy savings in the facility’s chiller plant alone. Ford Field takes advantage of utility company incentives and works very closely with DTE Energy, its electricity provider. To date, the venue has received several rebates to help fund its energy projects. The initiatives have reduced the use of electricity, natural gas, steam and water/sewer costs, saving Ford Field approximately 15 percent in utility costs. And there is more to come: “We are about 75 percent finished with retrofitting our lighting over to LED,” Reddig says. The year 2016 marked the second time that Ford Field competed in the Michigan Battle of the Buildings energy reduction competition. Reddig presented the Ford Field story at the 2016 Battle of the Buildings Energy Summit, and this year his organization is a summit sponsor. “It is a great event that highlights the sustainability efforts of all different types of venues and buildings,” he says, “and as an organization, the Detroit Lions is committed to supporting
sustainability.” A Green Team meets monthly to work on Ford Field’s sustainability efforts. Among other projects the team is presently considering is the feasibility of capturing rainwater for irrigating green spaces, and possibly toilets. When asked about recent notable energy efficiency projects, Reddig mentions the 2015 installation of water softeners used in the towers at the facility’s chiller plant.
The process enabled the total dissolved solids (TDS) to be increased from 1,000 to approximately 1,800, which resulted in less blowdown and less makeup water, for a savings of three million gallons of water in its first year of operation alone. Based on the successes achieved in the first three years of its fiveyear plan, Ford Field is now looking ahead and planning future energyefficiency initiatives.
Huron County and the hosting of its own internal Battle of the Buildings. The wind farm project, completed in 2016, includes 14 wind turbines that generate energy equal to approximately 33 percent of the company’s demand at all U.S. locations. Gordon Food Service’s own 2017 Battle of the Buildings includes all 16 of its U.S. Distribution Centers, together totaling more than 6 mil-
lion sq. ft., and features the rollout of Midwest Energy’s Foresight Energy Management Dashboard. First- and second-place winners in each region will receive a financial incentive and company-wide recognition. “We are committed to continuous improvement and being great stewards in our communities,” Feenstra says.
Gordon Food Service – Clay Campus 2ND PLACE • BIGGEST LOSER IN MIXED USE CATEGORY Gordon Food Service is North America’s largest privately held and family-managed broadline foodservice distributor. The company operates in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwestern United States, and coast-to-coast in Canada. There are currently 170 Gordon Food Service Store locations. Gordon Food Service placed second in the “mixed-use” category of the 2016 Michigan Battle of the Buildings, with a 5.29 percent reduction in energy usage at its Clay Campus. The complex’s four buildings total 584,128 square feet and include the Distribution Center on Clay, the Distribution Center on 50th Street, the Grand Rapids Fleet Maintenance Garage and the Gordon Food Service Sotre on Clay, all very diverse operations served by one utility meter.
“Refrigeration is a very large portion of the energy load in all of our distribution centers,” says National Engineering Manager Mark Grimes. “Understanding operational needs and equipment deficiencies in refrigeration systems helps us make significant strides toward reductions in energy use.” Gordon Food Service performs audits annually at all 16 of its U.S. distribution centers. The audits generate a list of potential projects, which are then prioritized. “In general, we look for a minimum threeyear return on investment, but we take a long view on energy conservation measures and are willing to make an investment for long term savings,” Grimes says. In addition to the energy audits and refrigeration work, other projects that led the company to its Battle of the Buildings win
included a lighting upgrade, adding energy-efficient motors to its conveyor system, and conducting leak detection studies to identify sources of compressed air leaks, which place increased demand on air compressors. Grimes admits that lighting upgrades are his favorite project because the return on investment calculations are easy and the payback is typically quick when compared to more complicated projects like refrigeration. Gordon Food Service also takes advantage of incentives offered by utilities. Both the compressed air audit and the lighting upgrade were eligible for financial incentives from Consumers Energy, a consideration that helped move the projects forward. “We look at this (Battle of the Buildings) recognition as an affirmation of our long-term commitment to energy conservation,” Grimes acknowledges. “We have been at this awhile, and it’s really satisfying to see the trend line go down over the years.” Regarding other sustainability initiatives Gordon Food Service is committed to, Stewardship Specialist Jane Feenstra cites the construction of a wind farm in
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S ENERGY STAR PROGRAM HAS FOUND THAT A SPIRIT OF HEALTHY COMPETITION AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOGNITION ARE AMONG THE BEST DRIVERS FOR PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATION- AND COMMUNITY-WIDE ENERGY MANAGEMENT. COMPETITIONS ARE A GREAT WAY TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE BUSINESSES TO SAVE MONEY WHILE REDUCING CARBON POLLUTION THAT CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE. ENERGY STAR APPLAUDS USGBC-WEST MICHIGAN FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN PROMOTING COMMERCIAL BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT BUILDINGS COME OUT ON TOP!
- EPA ENERGYSTAR