Aerospace and defense company offers solutions to climate change

Citation

(2009), "Aerospace and defense company offers solutions to climate change", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 81 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2009.12781cab.006

Aerospace and defense company offers solutions to climate change

Article Type: Aerospace technology From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 81, Issue 3

Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business reports that it has significantly reduced its energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by aggressively participating in Southern California Edison’s (SCE) energy management programs. Through energy efficiency projects and a corporate philosophy on conservation, SAS, a defense company with over 12,000 employees, has proven that saving energy can yield a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

In 2008 alone, SAS nation-wide claims to have achieved energy savings of 7.9 million kWh, qualifying them for the Cool Planet Project, an energy efficiency and GHG reductions program administered by SCE and The Climate Registry (The Registry). For the better part of a decade, SAS has annually installed large energy efficiency projects, including new chillers and air compressors, high-efficiency motors, building and occupancy light controls, and LED lighting inside and out. In only three years (2006-2008), SAS reports that it has reduced overall energy consumption at its El Segundo headquarters by 14.5 percent with growth, simultaneously avoiding over 5,500 metric tons of GHGs.

“Southern California Edison is proud to be the first utility to host the Cool Planet Project. Companies such as Raytheon that make energy efficiency a priority are vital to reducing greenhouse gases,” said Gene Rodrigues, Director of Energy Efficiency, SCE.

Along with saving energy through energy-efficient technology and retrofits, SAS has worked to instill a culture of conservation among its employees, the cornerstone of which is education and communications.

“Energy efficiency is incorporated from the ground up, starting with the individual. Training and education is as important as any energy saving project,” said SAS President, Jon Jones.

Thousands of employees are educated through multimedia communications including large-scale awareness events, newsletters and web sites. Volunteer “energy champions” are trained to lead teams that focus on minimising equipment run time, encourage and improve last-out shutdown practices and perform energy surveys.

Corporate parent, Raytheon Company, pledged to the EPA’s Climate Leaders to reduce GHGs by 33 percent from 2002 to 2009, normalised for revenue. By the end of 2007, Raytheon achieved a 28 percent reduction toward this goal, avoiding over 140,000 metric tons of GHGs since 2002.

Launched by SCE and The Registry, the Cool Planet Project rewards participants with a one-year membership to The Registry, which provides customers with the tools to measure, verify and publicly report their GHG footprints.