-
Hamilton Sundstrand
Otis
Pratt & Whitney
Sikorsky
UTC Climate, Controls & Security
UTC Power
-
Hamilton Sundstrand
-
Otis
-
Pratt & Whitney
-
Sikorsky
-
UTC Climate, Controls & Security
-
UTC Power
UTC sets aggressive new sustainability goals
The driving force behind UTC’s environment, health and safety (EH&S) goals is the belief that our workplaces should be free from all hazards and that the environmental impact of our products, factories and suppliers should be minimized and, where possible, eliminated. Since our first EH&S goals were established in 1991, United Technologies has improved employee health and safety, significantly reduced hazardous waste and air emissions, and reduced the environmental impact of our products.
Our record of performance has positioned UTC to confidently set aggressive new 2015 Sustainability Goals. These new goals build on our history and include additional challenges that reflect the continuing evolution of our program. The goals raise the bar across every facet of our operations, from safety to environmental management. They will be measured against the 2006 baseline to show continuity and progress. The goals were developed in collaboration with business unit management and approved by UTC’s Board of Directors.
During the goal development process, we solicited external feedback from nongovernmental organizations and benchmarked peer companies and other best-in-class programs. “Working with UTC to help set its 2015 Sustainability Goals, the World Resources Institute was able to help the company further define the areas where it has the most significant impact and continue to demonstrate how sustainability is integral to its business,” said Kirsty Jenkinson, Director, Markets & Enterprise Program, World Resources Institute.
Connecticut factory uses innovative technology and teamwork to reduce GHG emissions
Pratt & Whitney’s facility in Middletown, Connecticut, installed a cogeneration power plant in 2008 as a part of UTC’s $100 million investment towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In its first year of operation, the site reduced its GHG emissions by 12,000 metric tons, a 12% overall reduction. Cogeneration systems are power stations that simultaneously generate both electricity and heat; the waste heat produced by the turbine creating the electricity is captured to make steam used for building heating, operation of steam absorption units and manufacturing process applications.
The project was a veritable demonstration of teamwork across UTC. Design, planning and installation of the unit was completed in partnership with Carrier, another division of UTC. Pratt & Whitney worked closely with Carrier to benefit from its expertise in heating, cooling, and powerhouse operations as Carrier served as the lead integrator and installer for the equipment.
The new system saves the company approximately $3.1 million in energy costs each year and is capable of generating 7.5 megawatts of power- enough power to provide nearly two-thirds of the site’s electricity and the majority of steam necessary for winter heating, summer cooling and the running of manufacturing equipment.
The overhaul of the Middletown plant’s power station was part of a $100 million investment plan to fund cogeneration systems throughout UTC’s operations in support of a company-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3% each year. Pratt & Whitney also operates a 30 megawatt cogeneration plant to power its East Hartford, Connecticut facility which provides similar environmental and money-saving benefits.
Hamilton Sundstrand provides water in outer space
Astronauts on-board the International Space Station (ISS) are utilizing Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International’s technology for water generation.
The company’s Sabatier Reactor System creates a chemical reaction between hydrogen and carbon dioxide (both recycled waste products previously released into space) to produce water and methane. The water is then fed into the station's waste water system where it undergoes treatment before it is used for drinking, personal hygiene, food preparation and oxygen generation; the methane is currently vented into space.
Engineers are developing plans to potentially further process the methane into hydrogen and carbon, which would allow NASA to close the station’s environmental loops even further. Hydrogen could be used as fuel or fed back into the system and combined with oxygen to produce water, leaving carbon as the only waste product.
The equipment employs a chemical process known as a Sabatier reaction, named for French Nobel laureate and chemist Paul Sabatier who discovered that hydrogen and carbon dioxide produce methane and water at elevated temperatures and pressures. The reactor system has the capacity to produce as much as 2,000 pounds of water each year.
Historically, about half of the space station's water requirements were met by recycling used water. Astronauts aboard the station relied on deliveries from visiting space shuttles for the remainder of their water. But as ISS crew growth coincides with the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, the station simply needed to find a new source of water - Hamilton Sundstrand found a creative way to fulfill those needs.
The Sabatier Reactor System was created under a service contract awarded by NASA to Hamilton Sundstrand in 2008, but the water production technology used in the system had been under development for over 40 years at the company
Carrier facility in India sets the bar for EH&S best practice
Employees and management at Carrier Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Ltd. in Gurgaon, India (Carrier Gurgaon) have demonstrated superior leadership in upholding UTC’s company-wide EH&S policies and standards over the past decade. Since 2000, the facility has made significant improvements in its energy usage, water usage, air emissions, recycled and non-recycled waste, and employee injury rate. These EH&S practices have earned the facility prestigious national awards for energy-efficiency and employees continue to raise awareness of environmental issues through innovative community programs.
Senior managers at Carrier Gurgaon led the charge to EH&S excellence through management audits, EH&S-related reward and recognition events and scheduled safety stand down sessions (an exercise in which every employee is required to take a break). These efforts resulted in zero lost workdays since April 2007, an 81% reduction in total recordable incident rate in the past decade (2001-2010), and 13,166,161 man hours logged with only one lost time incident.
In total, environmental advances over the past decade have resulted in a 71% reduction in energy use, 68%reduction in water consumption, and 68% reduction in air emissions. During the same period, the facility greatly reduced overall waste generation, including a 74% reduction in non-recycled waste.
Carrier Gurgaon’s exceptional performance in EH&S practices garnered the attention of the Indian government, which presented the facility with National Energy Conservation Awards in 2009 in two categories: the Consumer Goods Manufacturing Sector and Manufacturers of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Star labeled Appliances Sector. The awards recognize manufacturers that have achieved excellence in energy conservation. Employees also celebrated their facility’s EH&S accomplishments - 96% voted favorably in the EH&S category of the 2009 employee satisfaction survey.
Sikorsky’s Project Firefly takes flight
In 2010, Sikorsky Innovations unveiled Project Firefly, an ongoing effort to demonstrate the concept of an all-electric helicopter. The unveiling took place at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture exhibition in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
With Project Firefly, Sikorsky plans to demonstrate the benefits of an electrically powered helicopter, a concept that was enabled only recently by energy storage technology. On a broader scope, the project hopes to drive future development of state-of-the-art, environmentally-sound technologies and practices in the industry. Firefly is a stepping stone in a vision to provide zero emission vertical flight that is smooth, quiet, clean, simple, reliable and affordable. Ultimately, Sikorsky Innovations envisions initial applications for a small electric helicopter to include sightseeing, urban transportation, and flight training.
The project team behind Firefly replaced the existing propulsion system with a high-efficiency electric motor, coupled with a lithium ion energy storage system. The electric helicopter also features new capabilities, providing real-time aircraft health information to the pilot through an interactive LCD monitor. The result is a more efficient system that opens doors to a new era of propulsion systems for rotorcraft.
Through the electrical conversion, propulsion efficiency of the aircraft has been increased roughly 300% from baseline. Electric propulsion also simplifies the complexity of the propulsion system by reducing the number of moving parts. These, along with the other intrinsic benefits of electric propulsion, results in significant noise reduction, reduced vibrations, and game changing advances in reliability with associated dramatic decreases in direct operating costs.
The demonstrator has an expected flight time of 15 minutes, but as energy storage technologies improve, flight time will increase. While the maturation of a practical electric helicopter is dependent on the growth of battery energy and power density, Sikorsky Innovations intends to push the boundaries of both helicopter and battery storage technology to achieve the Firefly vision.
Carrier’s own consultants LEED the way to more sustainable facilities
Two Carrier factories have joined an elite group of manufacturing facilities to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for existing buildings, a distinction that only nine other facilities in the world have earned.
Carrier leveraged the prowess of its own in-house LEED consultants and comprehensive expertise in HVAC and building management to redesign and revamp the facilities to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner. The LEED rating system is a process for certifying buildings that meet sustainable design criteria published by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
At the UT Electronic Controls (a unit of Carrier Corp.) factory in Huntington, Indiana, efforts toward LEED certification focused primarily on water conservation projects. To reduce water usage throughout the facility, low-flow hand sinks and toilets were installed and all lawn and landscaping irrigation was eliminated. Through several projects, the site was able to increase energy efficiency by 3%. UTEC installed occupancy sensors in all private offices and conference rooms, and T-8 florescent lighting in the manufacturing and office areas. Implementing green cleaning practices, such as using Green Seal® certified products, and waste recycling also contributed to the progress toward certification.
Carrier’s Charlotte, North Carolina Chiller Operation plant has also earned LEED certification for existing buildings. The facility installed high efficiency T5HO fluorescent lighting, a variable speed air compressor and enhanced building controls, improving overall energy efficiency by 20% thus far. Total recycling climbed to 81% through employee training, weekly employee communications, returnable dunnage, and Kaizen events. Bicycle storage and preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicle users were also included as part of an alternative transportation plan that helped the facility to attain the LEED certification.
“Energy efficiency and environmental stewardship is a top priority for Carrier,” adds John Mandyck, vice president, Carrier sustainability & environmental strategies. “We've set goals to continue to reduce emissions, waste and water consumption over the next several years.”
UTC has made a corporate-wide commitment to incorporate sustainable features that enable LEED certification in all majority-owned facilities and new long-term leased facilities (greater than 10 years).
Quebec facilities sort waste and see dramatic reduction results
Pratt and Whitney’s Quebec facilities were producing more than 4 million pounds of non-recycled waste each year. But implementation of a waste sorting project at the site resulted in an 80% reduction of non-recycled waste generated.
Consisting mostly of oil and oily water, the facility’s waste came from various sources within the plant and was collected in a holding tank before it was sent for incineration at a government approved disposal facility. This process was costly and consumed energy that could easily be avoided.
The new waste management process separates the oil and water. Oily waste is now collected for re-refining, through a filtering system, while the wastewater is treated and returned to the environment. The re-refined oil is branded as “eco-label” oil and sold to the public.
Through the combined benefits of oil and water recuperation, as well as eliminating energy use and emissions associated with incineration, the facility was able to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,160 metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking over 300 cars off the road.
Otis leads “The Way to Green”
In February 2011, Otis Elevator Company announced a major global environmental program, The Way to Green, which spans every aspect of its operations, from design and manufacturing to products and end-of-life recycling. Designed to significantly enhance the company’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, The Way to Green encompasses improved products and services that reduce energy consumption and offer optimum performance, as well as energy-saving manufacturing processes that help reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The Way to Green will constantly encourage environmental awareness among Otis’ 60,000 global employees, while also spurring the company’s vast network of suppliers and customers to embrace environmentally sensitive practices.
As a multi-faceted, ‘end-to-end’ initiative, The Way to Green integrates and builds upon the company’s significant accomplishments to date, including the award-winning line of Gen2® elevator systems featuring ReGen™ drives, which reduce energy consumption by up to 75 percent compared to conventional systems with non-regenerative drives, a 12% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 – 2010, and the Gold LEED certification of the TEDA factory in China.
Learn more at http://www.otisworldwide.com/d51-green.html
Carrier University Launches Institute for Sustainability
Under a collaborative initiative with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Carrier became the first company to license USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) curriculum to train employees and customers in sustainable building solutions with its launch of the Carrier University Institute for Sustainability.
Carrier University (the in-house employee training program) already offers comprehensive heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) training in a range of areas including technical skills, sales and marketing skills, business management, customer service, and controls and system design.
The Institute for Sustainability will be a new, concentrated area of study, offering curriculum that bundles Carrier’s knowledge and expertise into a single toolkit, allowing participants to develop and refine skills pertinent to sustainability practices in the HVACR industry such as technical training, professional development, and application tools.
As a focal point for sustainability education in the buildings marketplace, the Institute promotes the advancement of green buildings around the world. USGBC’s mission is to transform built environments to create a more sustainable future and well-trained green building professionals are necessary to accomplish this.
Carrier has more than 400 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff and now they have the capacity to organize and coordinate education events through licensed USGBC LEED workshops and to offer courses to employees and other audiences on a global scale. Course materials are highly adaptable as they are available in several different languages and include regionally specific case studies.
“Carrier’s pioneering leadership in the field of green building has long been established, and as the first company to license USGBC’s LEED curriculum and train its employees as instructors, Carrier is showing that leadership once again,” said Thom Lowther, Vice President of Education at USGBC.
Water conservation team delivers results
In 2007, when faced with the challenge of meeting sizeable water reduction goals for 2010, the employees at Pratt & Whitney’s Middletown, Connecticut factory formed a water reduction team to tackle the challenge. So far, the team’s efforts have reduced water consumption from 144 million gallons in 2007 to 77 million gallons in 2010.
Working with the site’s established Pollution Prevention team, the new team developed a plan for the 1.9 million square foot facility that included employee awareness and training to identify water reduction projects.
Sub-meters, which track water use, were installed throughout the facility allowing the team to identify the larger water consumers and then engineer tailored solutions. One of the largest projects identified was the lawn irrigation system. By decreasing the amount of water used and the frequency of watering, the site made massive reductions in its overall water use. And by planting native flora able to survive on rainwater alone, the site has continued to make reductions.
Additional projects included implementing higher efficiency lube oil heat exchangers which use recycled water, replacing water-cooled air conditioners with air-cooled units, replacing old heat exchangers with new units, performing leak surveys on underground piping and performing repairs. They also installed ozone generators to extend tank/solution life, and reduced air compressor cooling water consumption through operation modifications.
These reduction efforts along with future team efforts will help UTC meet the water reduction targets of the 2015 company-wide sustainability goals.
UTC wins prestigious ethics award
Governance at UTC begins with the Code of Ethics, created in 1990 and re-launched in 2006. The Code is the foundation of UTC’s ethical culture. In recognition of this continued commitment to business ethics, United Technologies has won the 2010 Stanley C. Pace Leadership in Ethics Award, presented by the Ethics Resource Center (ERC), one of the world’s leading ethics organizations. The award recognizes UTC for developing internal systems to successfully encourage, achieve and measure ethical behavior across the company.
Judges from ERC praised improvements in ethics performance metrics at UTC since the launch of an internal training program in 2006 that makes every employee responsible for meeting the company's ethical goals. They were further impressed by a set of ethics objectives that cascade annually from the CEO to business unit presidents and, then, to other executives and managers.
ERC President Patricia Harned applauded UTC and told the company: "You've approached ethics with the same rigor and energy as other business imperatives. Your CEO, Louis Chênevert, has led you to build the kind of permanent foundation that is making ethical conduct a fundamental part of UTC's DNA – and not just a passing fancy. At ERC, we believe that's the kind of leadership that deserves recognition."
ERC is a private, nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and the advancement of high ethical standards and practices in public and private institutions.
UTC and the American Architectural Foundation join forces to support sustainable design practices
In 2010, UTC partnered with the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) for the second time in two years to host the Sustainable Cities Design Academy (SCDA) in Chicago, Illinois.
The SCDA is a 2 ½ day workshop that provides leadership development and technical assistance to community leaders from three geographically diverse U.S. cities that are planning sustainable building projects in their community. Through this initiative, UTC and AAF seek to educate and support local government, business, and community developers who gather to work with teams of sustainable design experts to analyze designs, discuss issues, and identify best practices to strengthen their local development projects.
One of the project teams, from Chula Vista, California, focused on the E Street Trolley and Bus Transfer Stations, a 20-acre area adjacent to the urban city center. The plans for the transit-oriented design site aimed to lower the city’s energy and water use through solar-powered energy systems, promotion of alternative fuel vehicles and the design of footpaths to encourage walking.
The Living City Block project team from Denver, Colorado presented a redevelopment plan to convert a four-block site of historic properties in downtown Denver into a model for an energy- and resource-efficient neighborhood design. The team learned techniques in retrofitting historic buildings, tracking and measuring how livable the model was, and determining how easy it would be to replicate it in other U.S. cities.
Lastly, a team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania worked on a residential neighborhood redevelopment project. During the course session, team members learned best practices in alternative construction techniques, using repurposed materials to increase sustainability and economic viability to transform the neighborhood into a green and equitable center.
UTC values its partnership with AAF and the ability to help SCDA participants benefit from best practices from urban planners, environmental engineers, and other experts in the building industry. Plans are currently underway for the 2011 event.
Learn more at: http://www.archfoundation.org/aaf/aaf/Programs.SC.htm
UTC gives $1 million to support deep sea research
Supporting science, technology, engineering, and math education (STEM) is a top priority for UTC. Giving students the tools and technology to learn about these critical subjects increases their interests and abilities, helping to create the next generation of scientists and engineers.
As part of UTC’s ongoing STEM commitment, UTC donated $1 million in 2010 to build the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to deep sea oceanographic archaeology and exploration. Set to open in 2012, the Mystic Aquarium’s new Ocean Exploration Center in the town of Mystic, Connecticut, will feature the past, present and future of human undersea exploration.
Visitors will be able watch live satellite transmissions of undersea research being conducted around the world by renowned oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard and his team aboard the exploration vessel Nautilus. The 20,000-square-foot space will also include a permanent Titanic exhibit and a “4D” motion theater with a unique deep-dive show.
“United Technologies has a proud history of supporting science and technology education and the communities in which we live and work,” said Dr. J. Michael McQuade, UTC Senior Vice President, Science and Technology. “This exploration center is closely aligned with UTC’s own history of pioneering innovation and discovery.”
