Johnson Controls is a leading manufacturer of automotive parts and a global leader in integrated facility management services and building controls systems. One of the company’s goals is to provide energy efficient building systems and operations, designed explicitly to help customers conserve energy and protect the environment.

As part of their efforts to provide integrated, energy efficient systems in large commercial buildings, Johnson Controls develops Water Management Programs to reduce facility water use and provide cost savings. For example, a simple program of enhancing plumbing technology and metering water-cooled mechanical equipment at the Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee reduced water usage by 22% and produced substantial annual cost savings. By adding water management as a new facility service, Johnson Controls has been able to create new markets, build top-line value, and offer a full scope of facility solutions. Johnson Controls has found that the cost savings from proposed water conservation measures often provide the additional funds needed to achieve paybacks from energy efficiency upgrades in a reasonable period.

The company is also expanding markets by promoting the construction of “green buildings” that include efficient water systems. They have participated in the U.S. Green Building Council’s program, “Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design (LEED),” a building rating system that evaluates environmental performance from a “whole building” perspective, including impacts on local water resources. Johnson Controls, along with several partners, has developed a new initiative, Buildings for a Livable Future™. The initiative is designed to increase awareness of the positive impact that green buildings have on the natural environment, on providing healthier indoor environments, and on a company’s bottom line. The company offers seminars on the topic across the nation.

Johnson Controls has also increased awareness of “green building” by constructing the Brengel Technology Center, the first LEED-certified building in the nation, next door to the company headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Center uses rainwater recovery, metering, and other innovative technology to reduce water use and discharge.