IRVING — Irving business leaders and energy experts on the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce’s Green Business Council recently volunteered and donated energy efficient upgrades to Our Children’s House at Baylor – Irving (OCH).
The energy upgrades, including a new energy-efficient washer and dryer for OCH, are expected to save the licensed pediatric hospital an estimated $1,932 to $2,135 annually on electricity and water consumption. OCH’s licensed child development program assists special-needs children and their siblings, ages six weeks to five-years-old.
In the summer of 2013, the Green Business Council, which works to reduce the business community’s environmental impact, created an objective to support an Irving nonprofit once a year by providing an energy saving cost analysis and implementing energy efficient upgrades to the nonprofit’s building.
“The Green Business Council’s goal was to help a nonprofit save money on energy costs so they could use those savings toward their programs and services,” said Joy Goodrum, Irving Chamber’s staff liaison to the Green Business Council.
After touring OCH’s facility, Green Business Council member Johnson Controls, Inc. volunteered to conduct an energy audit report of the facility to understand the facility’s energy usage, develop a 12-month cost baseline and identify energy and operational saving potential and budget cost.
Recommendations from the audit included new electricity and water upgrades to the facility to impact consumption in those areas.
Through the Chamber’s strong business and community ties, Frito Lay, Inc. donated $1,000 for a new energy-efficient washer and dryer for OCH and Shermco Industries picked up and delivered the washer and dryer to the facility. Additionally, Frito Lay donated motion-censored lighting controls and Johnson Controls donated light fixtures and programmable thermostats for OCH.
“A big part of the Green Business Council’s work has impacted our financial savings by helping us be more energy efficient,” said Linda Laws, OCH manager. “We wash probably two to three loads of blankets, sheets, shirts and bibs daily, and a lot more on Fridays. It’s so great to have this kind of support in the Irving community,”
Green Business Council Committee Vice-Chairman Lonnie Mullen, who is vice president of Shermco Industries, said the Green Business Council is excited about giving back to the Irving community.
“Not only are we focused on helping the business community, but we’re a council directly focused on helping the people in need in our community,” Mullen said.
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