HARBEC, Inc. Achieves Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge Goal for Greater Energy Efficiency

Sept. 25, 2015 - PRLog -- ONTARO, NY – Today the Energy Department recognized HARBEC, Inc. as a goal achiever in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge. HARBEC, Inc. has achieved its goal of 25 percent energy savings, and saved 8,364 MMBTUs of energy and 444 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. HARBEC is one of eleven goal achievers announced this year meeting its goal ahead of schedule.   Since President Obama launched the Better Buildings Challenge in 2011, over 250 partners have saved $840 million dollars and saved 94 TBTUs of energy which represents 6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Since its baseline year of 2010, HARBEC has been steadily decreasing its energy intensity. HARBEC implemented an integrated strategy of energy efficiency, management, and on-site generation and optimization to achieve its Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge Goal.

For example, the adoption of on-site renewables (i.e., 250 kW and 850 kW wind turbines) and an 850 kW combined heat and power (CHP) system operating on thermal priority, significantly reduced HARBEC’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its energy requirements. In 2013 Harbec achieved carbon neutrality. This accomplishment was made possible by HARBEC’s investment in demand-side high-efficiency and renewable energy systems, as well as its adoption of an energy management system and the pursuit and certification of ISO 50001 (energy management systems) with a “superior energy performance (SEP)” designation (achieved by having an energy reduction target established and annual energy performance monitoring, reporting, and reviews conducted).

HARBEC’s implementation of ISO 50001/SEP enabled the company to monitor, track, report, and analyze the energy performance of its power and thermal generation equipment, and many of the energy consumptive measures (i.e., manufacturing equipment and other energy measures such as lighting). In doing so, HARBEC has greater transparency to the manufacturing processes, equipment, and activities that drive energy use and costs. This level of knowledge supports HARBEC’s ability to make informed decisions on where to focus new investments for continuing energy efficiency, management, and cost reductions.

Bob Bechtold, President of HARBEC stated, “HARBEC’s attainment of our USDOE Better Plants goal has been a multi-year and multi-million dollar effort involving significant capital investments and public-private partnerships and collaborations. We are grateful for the leadership and support of the DOE in helping our company establish and achieve our goals for energy management and infrastructure improvements. We’ve learned a great deal since we started this journey many years ago. In recent years HARBEC has developed an internal “Eco-Economic” model for evaluating the costs and benefits of all technologies, equipment, and projects that relate to business objectives for achieving energy performance goals. Our Eco-Economic model is a deliberate tool to ensure that the business always achieves financial value from its investments, so that goals for environmental, energy, social, and sustainable impact do not interfere with the ability of the business to achieve desired financial performance.”

“As the Better Buildings Initiative enters its fourth year, leaders continue to showcase how saving energy saves money, creates jobs, and most importantly accelerates the nation’s competitiveness in the clean energy economy while preserving our environment for generations to come,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

Currently, over 250 partners in the Better Buildings Challenge span 3.5 billion square feet, 650 manufacturing plants, 50 cities and states and $5.5 billion in financing investments.  Read more about Better Buildings Challenge partner results, showcase projects and innovative solutions being shared with others in the 2015 Progress Report (http://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/news/bett...).

As HARBEC continues to make progress and share successes and results, the Energy Department is profiling partner solutions and making more resources available to U.S. businesses and state and local governments with the launch of a Better Buildings Solution Center (http://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov). The Solution Center is an online tool designed to help organizations explore the solutions tested and proven by partners. Users can easily browse energy solutions by topic, building type, solution type, specific barrier, technology, location and more. There are more than 200 solutions available today, with 100 more to be added by the end of 2015.

As a cornerstone of the President's Climate Action Plan, the Better Buildings Challenge is aimed at achieving the goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating corporate and public sector leaders across the country to save energy through commitments and investments.  More than 250 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department to achieve 20 percent portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. Across the country, partners have shared energy data for more than 32,000 properties and are reporting savings of 20% or more at 4,500 properties, and 10% or more at 12,000 properties.

For more information on the Better Buildings Challenge, visit: www.energy.gov/betterbuildingssolutioncenter.

ABOUT HARBEC

HARBEC’s mission is to provide tightly toleranced prototypes, tooling, machined components and quality injection molded parts in a sustainable manner with a social conscience. HARBEC provides superior customer service, satisfaction and timely delivery of custom engineered solutions. HARBEC proudly fosters an atmosphere of encouragement and respect for the health and prosperity of customers, employees, and the global community.

HARBEC provides capabilities and solutions for consumer products, sporting goods, defense/aerospace, transportation, medical, marine, and energy industries. HARBEC excells in the use of innovative materials, problem-solving, and working with R&D and commercial organizations on unique prototypes or engineering and manufacturing groups on high volume production. HARBEC has capabilities for short (1-to-100 parts) or longer run (>1M parts) production. Certified  ITAR, ISO9000-2008, ISO14001, and ISO50001/SEP

HARBEC has developed and implemented technical and process solutions to offset emissions, utilize waste and conserve resources.  Currently, the facility has 2 wind turbines and operates a 25 microturbine CHP plant which generates electricity and provides thermal energy for heating and cooling requirements.  www.HARBEC.com.