Putting our commitment to the environment into action - learn about some of our green initiatives.
We are advancing technology to empower our customers.
At Exelon, we are advancing technologies that empower customers, promote sustainable solutions and drive a 21st century economy. We understand that there is a growing interest in customer-generated power, such as rooftop solar. We continue to support customer-generated power by modernizing our system. These large customer generation projects help Exelon increase the grid’s capacity, expand the transmission network and upgrade aging equipment at substations. Adding capacity will allow the grid to accommodate more customer-generated power in the future. Exelon is committed to meeting state goals on renewable energy and achieving environmental sustainability, power reliability and cost-effectiveness for the communities we serve.
We are incorporating green design features into our buildings and substations and providing an innovation and energy showcase to encourage our customers to do the same.
In June 2009, Edison Place (the PHI headquarters building) became the first building in Washington, DC to achieve LEED EBOM, or Leadership in Energy and Environment for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. Edison Place was able to achieve a LEED Gold rating for this certification based on a program that was implemented in early 2008 to make Edison Place "greener" through building retrofits, operational adjustments, energy conservation measures and high efficiency design. These efforts cut the building’s energy consumption by 16.7 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 508 metric tons and water consumption by more than 1.1 million gallons and also enabled the building to receive EPA’s Energy Star Certification in 2008 – a demonstration of the success of the energy efficiency measures implemented for the building. In February 2016, Edison Place was recertified as LEED Gold by maintaining existing and implementing new practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Exelon is also incorporating solar panels and green walls into the designs of their new and upgraded substations.
We are increasing the use of alternative fueled vehicles
Exelon continues to invest in alternate fuel vehicle technology and biodiesel fuel for our fleet. We also plan for the future by participating in pilot programs to evaluate the potential for new vehicle technologies that reduce costs, make more efficient use of off-peak power and reduce emissions.
Exelon operates numerous hybrid vehicles in our fleet as part of a larger strategy to improve energy efficiency, increase the use of alternative fuels and reduce our environmental impact. Hybrid vehicles have been systematically phased into the Exelon fleet across all regions through our vehicle replacement program since 2007.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were introduced into the Exelon fleet during 2011. There are (10) Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric hybrid passenger cars in service throughout Exelon. In addition we have (2) Kia Soul All Electric vehicles, (3) Plug-in Hybrid Compressor Trucks used by our Gas Department in Wilmington, DE as well as (3) Plug-in Hybrid Walk-in Vans for use in servicing our underground network.
Exelon has committed to spending 5% of its overall vehicle procurement budget on plug-in electric vehicles as part of an Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Fleet Electrification Initiative. For 2017 Exelon has committed to (7) Underground Walk-in Vans equipped with a plug-in rechargeable Odyne battery pack which is used to operate all of the vehicle’s power requirements while at the job site, eliminating the need to run the vehicle engine. All Exelon Company-operated fueling sites currently provide B10 biodiesel.
We are building an industry-leading green supply chain.
Exelon is working to reduce the environmental impacts of the materials and services we procure, and to encourage the environmental performance of suppliers themselves. Our Supply organization includes environmental questions in sourcing requests. This allows Exelon to evaluate the environmental performance of its suppliers.
Exelon's parent company Exelon uses a number of environmental standards that are incorporated in its business processes, including standards for transformers, wire and cable, wood poles and the vehicle fleet. As one of the founders of the Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (www.euissca.org), Exelon has become a national leader in supply chain-environmental management. Through the Alliance, Exelon has helped lead the development of industry standards for evaluating the environmental attributes of key materials and services as well as performance metrics for supplier companies. Exelon's Supply group continuously looks for opportunities to introduced eco-friendly products into the supply chain focusing on sustainability and materials total live cycle.
We are helping employees adopt green practices in the workplace and at home.
Exelon has helped maintain the health of the environment by conserving natural resources, reducing our waste generation and controlling our greenhouse gas emissions. Exelon has many strategies in place to stabilize and gradually reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through the deployments of cost-effective, emission-reducing technologies throughout our operations. These emission reduction initiatives include installing energy efficiency technologies in our facilities; investing in alternatively fueled hybrid electric and plug-in vehicles in our vehicle fleet; and replacing older electric and gas distribution equipment to reduce fugitive sulfur hexafluoride and methane emissions. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic synthetic gas used in some switches and breakers.
Exelon recycles office paper as well as bottles, cans, and cardboard at the majority of our facilities with buildings and employees. Recycling products helps to reduce the amount of energy and materials needed to create virgin product as well as reducing the amount of methane created by land filling these materials thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted.
Exelon recycles materials such as metal and mineral oil that is generated during construction projects or other projects executed in building or maintaining the transmission and distribution system. Recycling these products helps to reduce the amount of energy and materials needed to create virgin product as well reducing the amount of methane created by land filling these materials thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. Exelon recycled over 20 million pounds in 2016.
