Iron Mountain
At a Glance
Industry
Internet, Software, Hardware and Technology Services
Project Types
Commercial Energy Efficiency, Data Analysis
Year
2015
Location
Windsor, CT
Annual kWh Savings:
58,000,000 kWh
Annual CO2 Reductions:
35,000 metric tons
Summary
Jong Tae Park identified lighting, HVAC and power management opportunities that could be scaled across Iron Mountain’s North American operations.
Goals
Iron Mountain, a leading storage and information management services company, enlisted Jong Tae Park to help identify potential electricity-related opportunities at more than 600 facilities in North America. Iron Mountain had not yet quantified electricity consumption patterns and had not yet evaluated which projects might provide the best return on investment. By gathering and analyzing data from its facilities in Connecticut, the goal for Park was to estimate the electricity consumption pattern of its North American facilities by end uses and deliver possible energy efficiency solutions.
Solutions
After analyzing the energy data gathered from Connecticut facilities, Park developed a model to quantify the consumption by end use. Then, he calibrated the results to estimate nationwide consumption patterns. Park determined lighting upgrades, HVAC system control management and office equipment power management presented the greatest opportunities. For lighting, he discovered that adjusting schedules and operational behaviors as well as reducing the number of light fixtures could help. Upgrading to LEDs in selected areas was expected to reduce energy consumption as well. Park found that the HVAC system could be optimized because the system did not respond to factors other than seasonality. Also Park identified that a power management program for office equipment including PCs, monitors and printers could increase efficiency.
Potential Impact
If implemented, all the projects Park identified could save Iron Mountain nearly $6.5 million annually, cut over 58 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year and avoid approximately 3,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. At the end of his fellowship, Park presented his findings to senior facility program management. Iron Mountain has incorporated Park’s research into its energy planning for 2016.