Promega supports limiting anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions because we take the threat of climate change seriously. We actively work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all operations globally and track our efforts. We consider fuel combustion, purchased electricity and indirect emissions from business travel, outgoing distribution, water usage and paper usage. We are currently on target to achieve our carbon emissions goal for 2020 thanks to significant focus placed on energy efficiency and efficient product distribution.
Minimizing Electricity Usage and Associated Emissions
Electricity usage is a primary sustainability focus at all Promega locations because it makes up over half our total carbon emissions. We invest in energy efficiency, generate electricity from photovoltaic panels and purchase electricity from renewable sources to minimize carbon emissions. In the last year, electricity usage decreased by 1.1% as indexed to revenue even with growth in energy-intensive environmentally controlled rooms. This was made possible because of initiatives implemented by full-time specialists trained in energy efficiency and the efforts of all employees worldwide. Actions taken in 2018 included:
- Incorporating high-efficiency LED lighting was driven by company-wide initiatives. Renovations were completed at four facilities in 2018, affecting over 475 light fixtures and saving approximately 100,000 kWh annually. Promega France was renovated in Fall 2017 with LED lighting, reducing electricity usage by 12% in 2018.
- Hosting an LED lighting fair on the Madison, WI campus by a newly formed sustainability committee encouraged employees to save energy at homes. This fair provided 800 lighting products to individual that are projected to save over 800,000 kWh.
- Saving approximately 500,000 kWh at our R&D facility in Madison, WI, by connecting to a more efficient central chiller plant.
- Retrofitting the Biopharmaceutical Technology Center in Wisconsin started in 2017 and included more cooling towers, LED lighting and controls for efficient scheduling of air handling units.
- Planning air change surveys and control upgrades for select laboratories in 2019 to further reduce energy consumption.
Renewable energy helps run our facilities without producing greenhouse gas emissions. Our use of renewable energy has increased 13-fold in the last ten years, providing enough energy to power 50 homes each year. In 2019, several new and existing facilities will add photovoltaics. Facilities that use renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic and geothermal currently include:
- Promega GmbH and Promega Euro Hub in Mannheim, Germany
- Promega Brazil in Sao Paulo
- Promega Italia in Milan
- Promega Biotech Ibérica in Alcobendas, Spain
- Promega Biotech AB in Stockholm, Sweden
- The Aviation Operations building in Madison, WI
- The da Vinci facility in Madison, WI
Conserving Natural Gas
Natural gas is our largest source of direct air emissions and third in overall emissions and is used primarily at manufacturing sites for heating and production-related processes. Geothermal wells, solar water heaters and heat capture technology in many facilities minimize heating requirements and related emissions. In the last year, natural gas usage was reduced by 1% as indexed to revenue.
