G&W Electric designs and provides power grid solutions for commercial and industrial consumers. G&W Electric joined the ComEd Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program in 2020 to build internal, technical and organizational capabilities to save energy.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
G&W Electric joined the ComEd SEM program in 2020 with plans to increase their knowledge and become more energy efficient as an organization. What they did not expect was a culture-changing experience that made energy efficiency a new priority for the entire organization.
As a tenet of SEM, G&W Electric completed an energy treasure hunt and held frequent check-in calls with ComEd SEM Coaches. The treasure hunt provides an opportunity for G&W Electric’s energy team and the ComEd coaches to identify on-site energy-saving projects – typically related to how equipment is operated and maintained. These projects become the focal point for the energy team; as they complete more projects, they save more energy.
A few of their top projects included:
- Implementing a compressed air leak survey and repairing leaks
- Installing SAM Unit for compressor sequencing
- Lowering compressed air setpoints
- Replacing pneumatic tools with battery-powered tools
- Turning off vacuum pumps when not needed
It’s clear that some projects may be simpler than others, such as turning off vacuum pumps. This task could sound like common sense, but it often gets overlooked because it challenges the way staff have always done things.
PROJECT SUCCESSES
G&W Electric Energy Champion Mike Gilliam cited a success in which the energy team helped fellow employees “understand the benefits of shutting these (vacuum pumps) down when not using them.” He explained the benefits in terms of “the wear and tear and the energy being used.” By decreasing run hours, the pumps are subjected to less wear and tear which presents a great non-energy benefit along with the energy savings themselves, a true win-win scenario.
The energy team identified 15-20 different projects during the treasure hunt. Gilliam shared that “finding the time to get them done, obtaining resources, and managing them” were among the greatest challenges. However, ComEd SEM coaches helped prioritize projects and shared resources to ensure timely project completion. Additionally, to motivate his team and keep them on track, Gilliam set weekly meetings, created an action plan template, and put everything on the action plan with target dates. He also scheduled a monthly visual walk-through of the facility to review the changes to ensure successful implementation. These tactics proved effective as G&W Electric achieved 8.3% annualized SEM energy savings within their first year in SEM!
Gilliam also discussed the high level of enthusiasm from various G&W Electric stakeholders. With any program that promotes change, support from leadership is crucial. Gilliam noted that he had “the backing of ownership, VPs, and executive staff,” which resulted in “a [whole] company buy-in; everybody from
the owner down to employee-level.”
LOOKING FORWARD
Gilliam expressed an interest in meeting with his fellow industrial SEM peers in a future, in-person workshop. G&W Electric is an active participant in the ComEd SEM program and will
continue to save energy into 2022 and beyond.
“What kept us on track was that action plan and meeting with my team on a weekly basis. Handling these projects was a success for developing our employees too.”
- Mike Gilliam, G&W Electric’s Energy Champion
