Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) 1.5 million-square-foot headquarters facility in Cincinnati received an ENERGY STAR label in February 2008, becoming one of the largest of the 650 private-sector office properties to gain such a distinction.

The label, presented to buildings that are in the top 25 percent of efficient energy usage, as compared to typical office buildings, was a major achievement for the combined team of P&G and Jones Lang LaSalle professionals that has been working toward greater energy efficiency at the facility for several years, not only to save money, but also as part of P&G’s overall commitment to sustainability.

“This is great recognition for the innovative solutions that the team has developed to minimize energy use,” said Filippo Passerini, president, Global Business Services and chief information officer at P&G. “It’s also a good example of how, together with our business partners, we can enhance efficiency and become more sustainable as well.”

The P&G and Jones Lang LaSalle professionals spearheading the building energy initiative are collectively known as the Cincinnati GO Operations team, so named because the headquarters is known internally as the General Office. When Jones Lang LaSalle began managing P&G facilities worldwide in 2003, P&G had already taken steps toward greater energy efficiency, such as installing high-efficiency burners on existing boilers and DDC controls for HVAC and lighting systems.

The energy management program faced several logistical challenges. One was the age of the General Office, which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago and underwent two significant expansions in the 1970s and 80s. The project plan needed to assign priorities based on assessments of the cost and payback of upgrading equipment and systems installed at different times.

“The ENERGY STAR certification shows that you can deliver a sustainable work environment at sites of all ages,” said Mike McLaughlin, the Jones Lang LaSalle Cincinnati GO operations manager. The facility’s size, at 1.5 million square feet, added to the complexity. “Perhaps the biggest challenge was ensuring that operations were maintained at a high level of quality and minimal disruption throughout the process,” McLaughlin said.

Maximizing Efficiency

Myriad workplace strategies support companies’ sustainability goals by enabling employees to work outside the office (saving on transportations costs, etc.); increasing daylighting; and reducing the overall need for office space, which translates to less space to heat, cool, light and maintain.

The GO Operations team took a disciplined project management approach that coordinated resources from maintenance/operations, engineering, purchasing and customer support. The team developed a long-term strategic plan that combined engineering and facility practices with a capital improvement program that required alignment with key site stakeholders:

• Capital improvements over several years have included: installation of new heat recovery chiller to reclaim internal heat loads for perimeter heating and to avoid adding boilers; upgrade from existing motors to energy-saving variable frequency drives; installation of an energy-efficient T-5 lighting system with automatic lighting controls, motion sensors to control lights in equipment rooms, restrooms and small conference rooms only when they are occupied; and replacement of incandescent lighting with compact fluorescent.

• Engineering and operations engaged an “Energy Team” that focused on automation and innovation to minimize energy use in building systems and equipment. Tactics have included: setting chiller operations to auto-shutoff; implementing pulse operations for lighting controls; resetting elevator generators to operate in sleep mode during times of low demand instead of operating continuously; reducing after-hours operations; and installing small electric heaters in shower areas to avoid full heating systems. In addition, the team used conditional measures to reset supply air for handling units and heating water temperatures, installed a new computer software program to use outside air to reduce heating and cooling operating time by an estimated 60 hours per week.

• Facilities teams have focused on maximizing the use of office space and common areas, on the premise that less space per employee translates to less energy use per employee. Implementation of the Agile Office program has increased density by reducing office sizes from 96 square feet to 64 square feet, partially offset by including more privacy rooms and small conference rooms. Open space configurations in 70 percent of workstations help smaller spaces seem larger and maximize the use of ambient light and views. Other energy saving office features include workstation task lighting and ENERGY STAR-rated office machines, including multi-task copy/print/fax machines.

The reduction in energy and other operational costs is a sufficient rationale for the GO Operations team program, but there are other benefits. As a global household products company, P&G has a deep corporate commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of its products and operations.

“ENERGY STAR certification is another milestone in P&G’s sustainability effort,” said Len Sauers, Vice President, Global Sustainability at P&G. “As a company, we see sustainability as an opportunity for efficiency and for innovation. In the facilities area, we have been working actively with Jones Lang LaSalle to see how, together, we can make a difference.”

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Facility Overview

Site: Procter & Gamble’s Headquarters
Size: 1.5 million square feet
Location: Cincinnati

Materials & Resources

Chillers (phase I): Trane
Chillers (phase II): Carrier
Lighting Control Panels: General Electric
Elevators (with “sleep mode”): Otis
High-Efficiency Burners for Boilers: Coen
Variable Frequency Drives: Square D; Allen-Bradley
Motion Sensors: Hubbel