MANITOWOC, Wis., April 21, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Through the deployment of its energy efficient technologies, Orion Energy Systems Inc. (NYSE Amex:OESX) has delivered more than 500 megawatts of displaced capacity to electric utilities.
The milestone is significant as 500 megawatts is equivalent to the amount of electricity produced by one traditional, fossil-fuel generated power plant.
Since December 2001, Orion has displaced 504 megawatts, reducing customers' energy consumption by more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours, saving them a collective $782 million in energy costs.
To utilities, the displaced energy means reduced strain on the already stressed electric grid and the decreased need for costly infrastructure improvements to accommodate growing demand.
"The benefits of this milestone are far-reaching as it affects customers through reduced costs, utilities through reduced demand, and the general public, as fewer greenhouse gas emissions are emitted into the atmosphere," said Orion CEO Neal Verfuerth. "We believe energy efficiency through permanent distributed load reductions, or PDLR, is the fastest, most economical path to energy independence. The reductions delivered by PDLR are taken at the load center and reduce the need to generate, transmit and distribute electricity during peak hours without the costly and cumbersome transmission issues that are a result of other energy solutions on the market today.
"Of course, this milestone wouldn't have been achieved without the confidence of the 5,374 facilities that have deployed our technology and their commitment to a cleaner energy future."
Orion first deployed its energy-saving lighting technology in 2001 at a Toro Worldwide Parts distribution facility in Plymouth, Wis. Toro, a landscape equipment manufacturer, installed 700 high-intensity fluorescent lights in the facility along with occupancy sensors.
Operations Manager Jon Scott said the facility has realized greater energy and cost savings than originally estimated.
"The savings we're achieving continue to exceed our expectations," Scott said. "We've enjoyed this benefit all along. In these economic times, Toro, just like other companies worldwide, is looking to save. What we don't make up in sales, we make up in savings, and savings from Orion's lighting goes straight to the bottom line."
Scott said that 9 years after installing Orion's high-intensity fluorescent technology, the lighting continues to perform exceedingly well.
"The original lamps are holding up and the savings are hard to beat," Scott said. "We continue to be a partner with Orion because of the performance of their technology and their ability to deliver significant energy savings as promised."
Other early adopters of Orion's technology include Bemis Manufacturing of Sheboygan Falls and Quad/Graphics, the world's largest privately held printer.
After Bemis deployed Orion's technology, utility officials were alarmed to see a 7 percent decrease in the city's overall energy consumption. Quad/Graphics reduced its energy bill by approximately $2 million after retrofitting several facilities and saved enough electricity to power 3,750 homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Since those initial sales, Orion has deployed its technology in 5,374 facilities in North America, including 123 of the Fortune 500. Orion has completed multiple projects for corporate giants like Coca-Cola Enterprises, Apple Computer, General Mills, and Kraft Foods, as well as smaller companies nationwide.
Orion Energy Systems Inc. (NYSE Amex:OESX) is a leading power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and implements energy management systems, consisting primarily of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting platforms, intelligent wireless control systems and direct renewable solar technology for commercial and industrial customers without compromising their operations. For more information, visit www.oesx.com.
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