TOLEDO, Ohio, December 18 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Trio of building science and energy thought leaders unite to deliver international experience with local expertise
Global building materials and composite solutions leader Owens Corning announced the formation of a strategic alliance to provide solutions that help communities reduce energy use by up to 50 percent and CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent versus standard developments. The Alliance, which is focused on developers, campuses and entire communities, includes Owens Corning, MVV decon GmbH, an international consulting subsidiary of the Mannheim-based German company MVV Energiedienstleistungen GmbH, and Garforth International, LLC, a Toledo and Brussels, Belgium-based provider of energy productivity solutions.
"This integrated, holistic approach dramatically reduces the environmental impact of entire communities by focusing both on the way energy is distributed and enhancements to the energy efficiency of the buildings themselves," said Frank O'Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer for Owens Corning. "Given that more than 40 percent of the energy used in the United States is for buildings -- which is more than industry and more than transportation -- these kinds of step changes are fundamental for us to make a significant impact in improving the performance of our homes and commercial buildings."
"Climate protection interests and high energy prices have created a clear mandate for reducing energy and raw materials use," said Michael Lowak, General Manager for MVV Energiedienstleistungen GmbH . "By delivering on our mission, this international team will help drive sustainable development by providing energy-supply solutions specifically tailored to the community that reduce costs both today and tomorrow. We already have a wide range of experience in this field gained from numerous international projects."
Peter Garforth, CEO of Garforth International, LLC., agreed. "We have created a team with world-class expertise, and we're applying it on a local scale," said Garforth "We are already making things happen, delivering major benefits at acceptable costs, and truly transforming communities."
With the launch, the Alliance is embarking on a number of initiatives, ranging from college campuses in Ohio to a community in Urumqi, China, with the primary focus on new and renovated communities in North America. When complete, the Integrated Energy Master Plan that serves as the basis for the implementation plans for these communities includes the detailed pathway to:
--- Reduce energy demand, ranging from 25 to 50 percent, compared to the typical building-by-building approach to improving energy efficiency.
--- Use smaller equipment to heat or cool the buildings, thus reducing cost and waste in the project.
--- Reduce the need for each building to operate as an island, allowing peak loading for the system to be distributed among all the buildings and reducing the overall peak loads and energy waste.
--- Decrease greenhouse gas emissions of up to 80 percent compared to business as usual energy use and delivery approaches.
To learn more or to contact the Alliance, visit http://www.owenscorning.com/sustainability/sustainable-devel....
Sustainability at Owens Corning
At Owens Corning, we define sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the world that we leave to the future. This approach to business energizes our people, creates growth opportunities for our customers and drives value for our stakeholders. For more information about our sustainability programs, how this announcement contributes to our company's commitment to accelerating energy efficiency improvements in the built environment, or to see the latest edition of our sustainability report, go to http://www.owenscorning.com/sustainabili....
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 54 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of US$5 billion in 2007 and 18,000 employees in 26 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com.
About MVV Energiedienstleistungen
With annual sales of Euro 218 million and more than 750 employees, MVV Energiedienstleistungen is one of Germany's leading energy-related service providers. Part of the MVV Energie Group, the company specializes in providing contracting solutions to municipalities, industry and the real estate and hotel sectors, as well as in care solutions, the operation of industrial parks, international consulting projects and land improvement and development. With an annual turnover of Euro 2.3 billion and around 6,400 employees, the MVV Energie Group is Germany's largest publicly listed municipal utility network. Additional information is available at http://www.mvv-investor.de/en/.
About Garforth International, LLC.
Garforth International, LLC. is a specialist consultancy based in Toledo, Ohio, and Brussels, Belgium. They advise major companies, cities, communities, property developers and policy makers on developing competitive approaches that reduce the economic and environmental impact of energy use. Their specialty has been profitable business development implementing energy productivity and ensuring any recommended investment approach has a sound business basis and reflects the larger movements in the energy market.
Copyright (C) 2008 Owens Corning
Kerry Desberg of Owens Corning, +1-419-248-5939, KerryDesberg@owenscorning.com; or Lisa Heathman of HMH, +1-503-973-9220, OCmediarelations@thinkhmh.com, for Owens Corning
