Legrand Achieves Over 20 Percent Energy-Intensity Reduction in Presidential Challenge

WEST HARTFORD, Conn., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Legrand® announced a more than 20 percent reduction in energy intensity as the result of its first year as part of a Department of Energy (DOE) program to promote energy efficiency, realize energy and cost savings and spur job creation for communities across the United States.

In its role as one of the world's largest manufacturers of electrical and data networking products for residential, commercial and industrial buildings, last year Legrand committed to be among the first of a select number of industrial companies to join the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge. The company pledges not only aggressive efforts on energy conservation and efficiency, but to report and share its results with the DOE and the public. The Challenge was announced by President Obama in February of 2011 as part of the Better Buildings initiative.  

Legrand, North America president and CEO John Selldorff noted, "We have three major goals with this initiative. First is to reduce energy intensity by 25 percent in 10 years across 14 U.S. facilities. We began this effort in January 2011 and in just one year reduced our energy intensity by 20 percent." 

Reporting on Legrand's first year progress in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge, Susan Rochford, vice president, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability & Public Policy for Legrand, North America, said that a "variety of efforts contributed to the 2011 energy intensity reduction results including making significant changes in lighting for manufacturing and office facilities, as well as simpler but highly-effective measures such as fixing air leaks and installing insulation."

"Our next goal," according to Selldorff, "is to implement a 'showcase' project at a single site that will achieve a 10 percent energy intensity reduction in just two years."  The company announced it has chosen its West Hartford, Connecticut, company headquarters as the showcase site because, according to Selldorff, the 100-year-old, 263,000 square-foot, multi-use facility presents unique challenges in energy intensity reduction, similar to those faced by mid-sized manufacturers, as well as many existing buildings across the United States.

"Our third goal is to demonstrate to our customers, suppliers and peers that our success is replicable," said Selldorff.  "As industry leaders we have a responsibility to reduce our own energy consumption and to show our customers how they can use our learning to improve their own energy usage." 

Selldorff described the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge as a "catalyst for action," one that is driving operational improvements, cost savings and valuable learning that will ultimately benefit Legrand's distribution partners and their customers, as well as others in the business community that can take a page out of the Legrand energy playbook. 

Selldorff credited the efforts of the many Legrand employees who are rallying to meet the challenge, "employee awareness and engagement is a key element of our energy management strategy, along with evolving our internal processes and deploying the right mix of technologies."

About Legrand
Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for use in commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. Innovation for a steady flow of new products with high added value is a prime vector for growth. Legrand reported sales of $5.7 billion in 2010. Legrand has a strong presence in the North American market, with a portfolio of well-known product lines that include Cablofil, Electrorack, On-Q, Ortronics, Pass & Seymour, Vantage, Watt Stopper and Wiremold. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext (LR.PA) and is a component stock of indexes including the SBF120, FTSE4Good, MSCI World, ASPI. In 2010, Legrand was added to the European DJSI as well (ISIN code FR0010307819). www.legrand.us

About the Better Buildings Challenge
The Better Buildings Challenge is a voluntary leadership initiative that asks chief executive officers, university presidents, and state and local leaders to make a public commitment to energy efficiency. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is highlighting leaders that have committed to upgrading buildings and plants across their portfolio, and providing their energy savings data and strategies as models for others to follow. The goal of the Better Buildings Challenge is to make American commercial and industrial buildings at least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020.
www.legrand.us/aboutus/sustainability.aspx

SOURCE Legrand