Mini Wind Turbines to Help Power SC Johnson's Ark. Office

RACINE, Wis., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SC Johnson announced plans for a wind energy program at its Lowell, Ark. sales office.  Already known for its use of renewable energy at its manufacturing facilities around the world, the 126-year old company is adding three mini wind turbines at its largest U.S. sales office outside of its Racine, Wis. global headquarters.

"SC Johnson has long been committed to reducing our environmental footprint, and today we source 40 percent of our global electricity from renewable energy," said Fisk Johnson, SC Johnson Chairman and CEO. "We'll continue to grow that number by looking across our operations for ways that we can implement additional renewable energy sources."

The three SWIFT turbines, manufactured by Cascade Engineering, Inc., will be located on the office roof and will stand 10 to 12 feet above roof level. The turbines are expected to be installed by April 1, 2012 and fully functioning by May 1, 2012. Once fully operational, they will be connected to the site's electrical distribution system and will be capable of generating as much as 3,600 kWh of electricity annually – the equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions reduction from 278 gallons of gasoline consumed*.  

"These turbines not only show SC Johnson's commitment to doing what's right for the environment throughout its operations, but also demonstrate the company's support for the communities in which we live and work," said Johnson.

History of Doing What's Right

Leading in sustainability has been fundamental to how the company has operated for decades. Over the last five years, the company has made major strides driving environmental change by cutting its global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 26 percent**.  Other initiatives that demonstrate the company's commitment to renewable energy include:

• SC Johnson's largest global factory, based in Mount Pleasant, Wis., is partially powered with cogeneration using methane gas from a local public landfill, and the company recently announced a project to install wind turbines to generate the remaining energy.
• In Bay City, Mich., nearly half of the electricity needed to power the plant comes from wind power.
• At the company's manufacturing facility in Medan, Indonesia, waste palm shells are burned as a substitute for fuel, reducing the company's diesel fuel usage by 80 percent.
• In Mijdrecht, The Netherlands, the company's largest European manufacturing facility is operated by an 80 meter-tall wind turbine which eliminates 3,500 – 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
• The company installed three similar SWIFT mini wind turbines on the corporate headquarters campus in Racine, Wis. in 2010 as a pilot program, with the goal of reducing GHG emissions while at the same time raising awareness that renewable energy can be used in urban settings.

Through efforts like these, 40 percent of SC Johnson's total electricity usage worldwide comes from renewable energy.

*As calculated by the U.S. EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, found at http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html#results
** Using 2000 as a baseline.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR. MUSCLE®, and RIDSECT®. The 126-year old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

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Jam Stewart
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SOURCE SC Johnson