And this new award wasn’t easy to get either. The Lansing Delta Township Plant had to make the top twenty five percent of similar facilities across the country in order to qualify. It also had to meet extremely strict energy performance levels that have been set by the EPA. This facility is the one that brings you the Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia and it has gone above and beyond the standards that it had to meet to make this award.
The plant also presented with lighting levels that qualify for another society, this one being more concerned about the safety of the facility. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America stated that the Lansing Delta Township plant met the society’s requirements for their recommended lighting practices, which meant adequate lighting for workers while still using energy efficient bulbs.
“Certifications like this demonstrate our commitment to improving energy efficiency practices beyond our vehicles,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president for Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs.
GM had to meet several qualifications to be considered ENERGY STAR efficient. The plant met the LEED Gold standards for energy efficiency by providing adequate energy levels to all heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems without the use of steam. They also integrated their energy management work into their monthly performance checks, always making sure that their energy goals stayed on track. The plant used efficient lighting and even harvested daylight energy to conserve precious resources. And the plant helped its employees learn about their responsibility to making the plant energy efficient and to making the plant environmentally friendly.
“Every day we stress the importance of building vehicles with the environment in mind,” said Scott Whybrew, Lansing regional plant manager. “The collaborative work by our employees to save energy and improve the efficiency of our plant is the key to achieving Energy Star Certification.”
The Lansing Delta Township plant is not only GM’s only ENERGY STAR plant, it is also GM’s newest U.S. plant and it has been dedicated to environmental protection since its inception. It was the largest and most complex manufacturing site to receive any sort of LEED certification upon its opening.
And the Lansing Delta Township plant hasn’t just dedicated itself to making its facility the most energy efficient that it can be. It has dedicated itself to being the most environmentally friendly that it can be as well. One excellent example of this plant’s sustainability practices is that they use the rainwater which is collected from the roof to flush toilets instead of using the clean water which could be put to much better use as drinking water. And seventy five acres of the plant’s property have been set aside and established to preserve the local wildlife surrounding the plant.
“This facility was designed to blend in with the environment, rather than stand out,” said Whybrew. “This designation by the EPA only helps to further that notion.”
This is just one more example of how GM is going green and doing its part to preserve the environment. If you would like to support GM’s efforts in preserving the environment by purchasing a new vehicle please visit our contact us page or call 888-306-1908!
Jessica Harmon, Staff Writer, CCP Web Design