Forward Thinking

According to corporate and media spin doctors, every business has gone green and is a steadfast environmental steward. Truth, of course, doesn’t always support rhetoric.

Jeff Rank, specialty-program manager for Large Format Digital (Edgerton, WI), which also operates divisions that fabricate vehicle graphics, wall murals and window coverings, walks the talk. When the company built its new facility, he specified several steps that will save energy and, within a few years, pay for themselves.

The 11-year-old company formerly plied its trade in a 1,500-sq.-ft. Madison, WI-based facility. However, as Large Format Digital grew and diversified, it became apparent the company needed larger quarters. However, Rank didn’t want to pay stratospheric utility bills due to necessary expansion into its current, 20,000-sq.-ft digs. But, he carefully studied available products and their performance claims.

“We wanted our energy-conservation measures to pay themselves off within five years,” Rank said. “Some technologies couldn’t pay off that quickly, and other made claims based on inaccurate projections. We believe in green technology, but we didn’t want to overinvest.”

During the three-year process of planning the move to the new facility, he worked with his architect and Alliant Energy, a large utility in the Great Lakes region, to develop energy-saving measures. As an incentive, Alliant also offered low-interest loans to reduce the financing costs. Rank said the implementation of green construction costs increased the initial building cost by approximately 20%.

Advertisement

First, he specified construction of double-wall concrete to help better insulate the building. Installing a radiant-heat system, in which pipes installed under the floor heat a room from the ground up, represents another key change. This saves power consumption versus forced air because energy isn’t lost in ductwork. The company also opted to install windows near the building’s ceiling rather than drywall to allow increase natural light and reduce electrical demand.

The 30-employee shop further conserves energy by using high-efficiency fluorescents for most of the building, and LEDs for emergency-exit signage. Although using sensor to automatically turn off lights when people leave rooms is relatively common, Rank took an extra step. The building’s electrical system is set to color-correct the building’s illumination to 6,400K. Rank said this important so color proofing can be uniformly performed throughout the building.

To further help conserve energy, he powers the shop’s laminator with a three-step electrical hook-up (its printers have always operated with such a connection). To facilitate vehicle-wrap installation during Wisconsin’s harsh, lengthy winters, he had overhead, high-efficiency, natural-gas radiant heat installed over the shop’s installation bays. Installers only turn these on when a vehicle is brought into the bay.

Next year, Rank plans to have a mixture of ground polystyrene and soil installed on the roof to create a “prairie,” which will help insulate the building. He planned to complete the process this past spring, but decided to wait for better economic conditions. He also hopes to install turbines that will harness wind energy to power the radiant-heat system.

Thanks to the company’s conservation measures, Large Format Digital’s energy bills total approximately $1,200 in winter and $800 during summer months – approximately what the company paid in its former cramped quarters in Madison. And, Rank projects the extra construction costs will be recouped in four years – faster than the original five-year plan.

Advertisement