Owens Corning Advances Sustainability Goals With New Solar Project

As a leading manufacturer of roofing, insulation and composites, Owens Corning is committed to building a more sustainable future through its own operations and empowering its customers to do the same.

The company recently took a major step in achieving its newly expanded sustainability goals by working with Constellation in completing a 2.4-megawatt (DC) solar generation project at its headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. Located above approximately 935 parking canopy spaces, the installation is one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest.

Constellation financed, built, owns and maintains the solar power system. Electricity generated by the system is purchased by Owens Corning under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation. This is the second project Constellation has completed for Owens Corning. Two years ago, Constellation installed a 2.7-megawatt solar project at the company’s facility in Feura Bush, New York.

“In our continuous quest to improve the sustainability of our company, we relentlessly seek partners who will step up and help us redefine what is possible,” said Owens Corning Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O’Brien-Bernini. “Once again, Constellation has delivered, helping us to imagine and then build a large-scale solar photovoltaic system to deliver significant renewable energy to our facility, and, at the same time, become an iconic structure for Owens Corning and the downtown Toledo streetscape.”

The Solar System and Its Impact

The solar power system is comprised of approximately 8,000 photovoltaic panels and expected to generate 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year (based on first year production.) Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of approximately 2,069 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 436 passenger vehicles each year, according to the U.S. EPA data for the region.

Employees and visitors to Owens Corning’s headquarters can view energy output data from the system in real time through a kiosk in the lobby. The parking canopy solar installation is also equipped with two electric vehicle charging stations, which can charge up to four vehicles at a time. ChargePoint, a Constellation Technology Ventures portfolio company, supplied the stations.

The Goals

Owens Corning is a Fortune 500 company that has been on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for five consecutive years. Its recent solar power project is just one component of its long-term sustainability goals. After meeting its 2020 sustainability goals for greenhouse gas emissions, Owens Corning has increased its greenhouse gas intensity reduction target from 20 percent to 50 percent of its 2010 baseline.

Other recent sustainability achievements include:

• Reducing its primary energy intensity by 10 percent
• Reducing its energy consumption intensity by 12 percent
• Reducing its fine particulate matter intensity by 11 percent
• Reducing toxic air emissions intensity by 65 percent

The company has set ongoing goals to make the total life cycle assessments (environmental impact) for its core products transparent by the end of the year. It is also making measurable improvements in the sustainability of its supply chain, including converting 50 percent of North American transportation miles from diesel fuel to natural gas.

Constellation’s Commitment to Sustainability

Constellation owns and operates more than 300 megawatts of distributed energy projects that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the United States. Our distributed energy solutions include solar, cogeneration, backup generation, fuel cells and battery storage.

We understand affordability is a chief consideration in many distributed energy projects, which is why we offer solutions that may require no upfront capital. Through various pricing options, including power purchase agreements for solar generation, we can also provide fixed power costs that may be less than projected market rates.

To learn more about our solutions for solar power, distributed generation and other sustainable solutions, contact us today.