Indoor air quality at two Goodyear facilities improves by 300 percent with new energy systems
GoodYear

Background

Goodyear is one of the world’s biggest tire companies, with facilities around the world. Founded in 1898, Goodyear is the number one tire maker in North America and Latin America. It also produces respected international brand names such as Dunlop, Kelly, Fulda, Sava and Debica. Its non-tire business provides rubber products and polymers for a variety of markets.

Goodyear achieved its goal of a 15 percent reduction in energy use at its manufacturing facilities by 2015 and has set a new goal for 2020 for an additional 10 percent reduction. It seeks to continually improve performance, reduce its environmental footprint and increase the sustainability of its materials, operations and products.

Approach

World Energy Innovations was hired by Goodyear to primarily solve indoor air quality issues. The challenge was to achieve substantial reductions in the particulate toxin concentrations at the tire distribution center in Cumberland, MD, and the manufacturing plant in Valleyfield, Quebec.

With use of its patented Ductless “Bigfoot” HVAC system and energy efficiency strategies, World Energy Innovations designed and installed energy systems converting oil- and coal-fired steam boilers to gas-fired boilers. Energy delivery was moved from steam to closed hot water loops.

Bigfoot removes the need for ductwork by pressurizing a building and using the laws of thermodynamics to distribute warm and cool air. Without ductwork, this pressurization significantly reduces the cost of circulating air.

Results

Air quality in the two Goodyear facilities improved by about 300 percent with World Energy Innovations’ systems. With a total investment of $1.8 million at the Cumberland and Valleyfield facilities, Goodyear realized annual savings of $500,000.

After these successes, Goodyear hired World Energy Innovations to design an energy model for a new plant in Napanee, Ontario. An initial $12 million investment yielded $10 million in savings on start-up costs and a 30 percent reduction in operational costs compared to other Goodyear plants. The Napanee facility showcases World Energy Innovations’ warm air cooling methodology.