For further Information contact:
Dave Cary, Communication Specialist
Orion Energy Systems
Plymouth WI
dcary@oriones.com
(920)-892-5804
Scott Powell
Maintenance Director
Millis Transfer
Black River Falls WI 54615
(715) 284-4384
spowell@millistransfer.com
Millis Transfer Inc., a freight company headquartered in Black River Falls, has 3been chosen to receive an Environmental Stewardship Award from Orion Energy Services, of Plymouth WI.
The award cites the hauling firm because its recent change to energy-efficient Orion lighting reduced the annual amount of electric power it uses for lighting by 44,029 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, a drop of 54 percent.
According to Federal EPA formulas, a power reduction this size will mean that, over the 20-year expected life of the Orion fixtures, 660 tons of carbon dioxide, 180 tons of carbon, two tons of sulfur dioxide and six tons of nitrogen oxides – all pollutant by-products of electric power generation – will not go into the local atmosphere.
Over the same time span, EPA figures indicate Millis’ power reduction will be the equivalent of saving 80,053 gallons of gasoline or 1,906 barrels of fuel oil. It is also the equivalent of an eight-acre forest or removing six cars from the road
“We certainly appreciate receiving an environmental award,” commented Millis Maintenance Director Scott Powell, who spearheaded the lighting project. “When people think of the trucking business, it’s true that environmental things aren’t often the first that come to mind.”
In the project, Millis replaced 61 outmoded 465-watt metal halide fixtures with 57 six-lamp Orion Illuminator ™ fluorescent fixtures in the maintenance, body, and trailer shops and four fixtures specially-designed for wet environments, such as Millis’ wash bay.
As a result, the power Millis used for lighting fell from 81,063 kWh per year to 37,034, a saving of 54% that produces an annual saving of about $2,500.
Powell said the project came about almost by accident. “We were doing some remodeling and an Orion rep happened to stop in one day. I told him to go ahead and do an energy audit.”
“We had a couple lights put up as a demonstration, and you could see a real difference in how bright they were,” Powell said. “He showed us the cost savings we’d have on the electric bill, but that was not the main factor in our doing the retrofit. The lighting was just so much better — it’s probably 75% better. Our employees like them and it’s a big improvement in the shops.”
The cost, lighting quality and environmental benefits are possible because Orion Illuminator™ fixtures are engineered to use a highly reflective, specially formed surface to ‘harvest’ light emitted from all sides of a fluorescent tube and send it downward where it is usable. As a result, The Illuminator™ fixture provides more light from far less energy than standard fixtures.
The Illuminator™ fixture is used with T8 full-spectrum fluorescent tubes and electronic ballasts. As a result, Orion systems turn on instantly, operate at a relatively cool 130 degrees F., have long life and low lamp-replacement costs, and are popular with employees in the typical workplace.
“It’s true we don’t often think of environmentally-friendly things when we think of trucking,” commented Orion president Neal Verfuerth, “but that’s really true of most businesses as well. We give this award to call attention to good things businesses do, and this is one of them.”
“Also important, however, is the fact that by reducing its electric power load, Millis is helping us move in the direction of stable energy prices. Government figures indicate that business use 70 percent of the power generated in the country and about a third of that goes just for lighting.”
“If all companies would do what Millis did here — change to energy-efficient lighting — our analysis indicates the reduction would be the equivalent of sixty typical power plants nationwide. That’s sixty power plants that would not have to be funded and built, sixty fewer to be blended into the power grid with new transmission lines and equipment, sixty fewer to consume fuel. And that would be just from lighting.”
“This is why we feel energy efficiency is a vitally important road to travel. And we congratulate Millis for helping us take that direction.”
Millis Transfer Inc. operates a fleet of over 550 tractors, 2000 trailers and over100 Owner Operators. Millis has a large customer following, with a variety of products ranging from glass containers, food products, paper products, and the Beer Industry. Operations are run from a central location in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, with maintenance facilities in Black River Falls, and Richfield, WI; Weedsport, NY; Cartersville, GA; and Trenton, OH, as well as drop yards in Ridgeway, VA, Albany, GA; Milwaukee, WI; and St Louis MO. The business is completely computerized and utilizes complete satellite communications with all equipment and drivers. Visit Millis’ website at http://www.millistransfer.com/
Located in Plymouth, WI, Orion Energy Services has been innovating in the energy and lighting business since 1996. Orion’s innovative Illuminator ® fixture, an energy-efficient lighting platform for industrial applications, has been awarded a series of 14 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, Orion has applied for numerous other patents related to metering and control technologies for lighting.
Neal Verfuerth, Orion President, was 2004 recipient of one of Wisconsin’s most prestigious awards, the Ernst & Young 2004 Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year.
Orion provides capacity displacement solutions for supply side management, transmission management, and demand side management for the electricity industry. Visit the Orion website at http://www.oriones.com/
