Environmental Defense Fund Highlights Two Scalable Solutions for Energy Management

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced today the release of two in-depth case studies that reflect the innovation of the adidas Group and the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA)—both of which employed EDF Climate Corps fellows to cut costs while reducing their energy use and carbon footprints.

The two case studies—Conveyor Belt to Energy Savings about the adidas Group's efficiency strategy for material handling equipment and Public Housing: Let Your Roof Make it Rain about DHA's solar Power Purchase Agreement—are the latest examples of success stemming from the relationship of EDF's Climate Corps program and forward-thinking organizations around the country.

They join the recently released case studies of Chicago-based JLL and Urban Innovations, both of which have risen to the City of Chicago's call to reduce commercial building energy consumption by 20 percent in the next five years.

EDF Climate Corps transforms the way organizations use energy by pairing fellows—top graduate students from the nation's leading universities—with companies, cities, schools and public institutions to identify, measure and implement high-value ways to save energy, carbon emissions and money. EDF Climate Corps has worked with over 300 organizations since the program's launch in 2008, finding an average of $1 million in energy savings for each participating organization. Collectively, the program has uncovered enough energy savings to power 260,000 homes each year and save $1.4 billion in energy costs.

The release of the adidas Group and DHA case studies coincides with EDF's announcement of the first batch of companies enrolled in EDF Climate Corps in 2015 (see related release), including Verizon, Shorenstein Properties and Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

"The adidas Group and Denver Housing Authority case studies highlight the innovation and cost savings that result from managing energy strategically," said EDF Managing Director Victoria Mills. "They provide a pathway to any organizations seeking to improve energy efficiency and expand the use of renewables."  

The adidas Group's Corporate Real Estate Energy and Environment team looked to its Spartanburg, South Carolina distribution center for energy savings. Thanks to the work of their EDF Climate Corps fellow, the company shifted its approach to focus on lifecycle costs when specifying equipment for new distribution centers, and uncovered efficiency opportunities in existing distribution center operations. Realizing that even small improvements can have significant carbon and cost reductions at scale, the adidas Group is applying these practices across its 15 million square feet of owned and leased distribution space globally, and sharing key practices with its contract logistics providers around the world.  

DHA wanted to expand its portfolio of renewable energy sources and decrease utility expenses for the 12,000 units of affordable housing it oversees. The answer was an innovative Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) whereby solar panels were installed on 387 DHA buildings, yielding 3.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year and reducing CO2 emissions by 3,400 tons annually. As a result, DHA receives revenue from leasing its rooftops and purchases the renewable energy at a discount. 

The case studies can be found at http://edfclimatecorps.org/impact/case-studies.

Like adidas Group and DHA, participating organizations benefit from EDF Climate Corps' well-known expertise in product distribution strategies, demand response, energy data analysis, project financing, renewables, greenhouse gas reporting, energy-efficiency opportunity assessments and employee engagement campaigns.

EDF Climate Corps is still accepting applications for organizations interested in achieving energy wins in 2015. To sign up for EDF Climate Corps, visit edfclimatecorps.org or e-mail [email protected].

About EDF Climate Corps
EDF Climate Corps (edfclimatecorps.org) taps the talents of tomorrow's leaders to save energy, money and the environment by placing specially trained EDF fellows in companies, cities and universities as dedicated energy problem solvers. Working with hundreds of leading organizations, EDF Climate Corps has uncovered $1.4 billion in energy savings. For more information, visit edfclimatecorps.org. Read our blog at edfclimatecorps.org/blog. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/edfbiz and on Facebook at facebook.com/EDFClimateCorps.

About Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on EDF Voices, Twitter and Facebook.

About adidas Group
The adidas Group is a global leader in the sporting goods industry, offering a broad portfolio of footwear, apparel and hardware for sport and lifestyle around the core brands adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, Rockport and Reebok-CCM Hockey. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the Group employs more than 50,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 14.5 billion in 2013.

About The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver
DHA was established in 1938 as a quasi-municipal corporation with an annual budget of $148 million. DHA is one of Denver's largest subsidized landlords, serving 26,000 very low, low and middle income residents and middle-income residents and managing over 12,000 units located throughout the city. To learn more go to: http://www.denverhousing.org, Facebook or Twitter.

Contact: Rick Velleu, 212-616-1360, [email protected] 
Joyce Radnor, 617-787-5192, [email protected]

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund