Janesville, Wis. – Established in 2001, the founders of Coextruded Plastic Technologies, Inc. have demonstrated their commitment to pioneering green thermoforming practices in the food industry. With the help of FOCUS ON ENERGY® and utility provider Alliant Energy, the manufacturer made energy-efficient upgrades to its facility and is now being honored for its continued efforts.

“From day one, we have been focused on reducing scrap and [increasing] energy savings,” said Coextruded Plastic Co-Founder, Alan Jordan during a virtual award presentation last week. “That’s the foundation of the company. We’ve produced more with less carbon emissions.”

Coextruded extended into Janesville in 2009 and, since then, has partnered with Focus on Energy on multiple energy-saving projects. When the company initially expressed to Alliant Energy the desire to improve its facility by replacing old operational equipment with more efficient models, Coextruded learned about the benefits offered through Focus on Energy. This became the first of many projects completed by the manufacturer to reduce energy waste that would earn the company a 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award.

“Focus on Energy works because of businesses like yourself that take advantage of the offerings and technical assistance and complete sustainable and energy-efficient upgrades in your facilities,” said Commissioner Tyler Huebner of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, who attended the virtual presentation to congratulate Coextruded on the award. “Thank you for being a leader. We are proud to work with you and look forward to your continued leadership and success in Wisconsin.”

The Excellence Award, provided by Focus on Energy, honors Focus on Energy customers who have shown a commitment to leading in energy efficiency. In the past two years, Coextruded added three thermoforming machines and a high-barrier coextrusion line. The manufacturer operates 24/7 to meet consistent increases in demand.

“These have been challenging times for all of us,” Jordan said. “We were deemed an essential supplier, so demand for our products has increased over the last year. Luckily, we made investments prior to this year and that has paid off.”

Additionally, in late 2019, Coextruded replaced nine rooftop units with new Advanced Rooftop Control units, which save energy by using variable frequency drives to slow down the motor at times of low demand. The units also have Demand Control Ventilation to reduce the amount of outside air by measuring carbon dioxide levels in the service zone’s conditioned space and adjust the required level of outside air to avoid over-ventilating.

These new units will save Coextruded 301,049 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 14,575 therms of natural gas annually. In the long term, energy savings throughout the life of the equipment will amount to 3,010,487 kWh 145,750 therms, which is equivalent to burning almost 3.2 million pounds of coal. To offset the cost of the more expensive energy-efficient upgrades, the manufacturer received an incentive of $30,375 from Focus on Energy.

Jeffrey Danielson, Coextruded’s Energy Advisor from Focus on Energy over the last six years, nominated the manufacturer for the award because he recognized its ongoing dedication to energy efficiency and creating a healthier environment for Wisconsin.

“It’s been my pleasure working with Coextruded and I look forward to working with them on future projects,” said Danielson.

Coextruded has completed five projects in the last five years with Focus on Energy and received incentives totaling $49,433 throughout that time. Other energy-saving measures implemented include upgrading to a compressor with heat recovery, installing a chiller with a dry cooler, a cabinet cooler conversion. Most recently, the company upgraded to more efficient lighting, which was completed just this year.

“The story never ends. We continue to invest; we continue to grow,” said Jordan. “We’ll continue to discuss how to move forward as we require more energy – hopefully, more efficient energy.”

Focus on Energy is working with utility companies across the state throughout September and October to present Energy Efficiency Excellence Awards to 14 outstanding businesses.

Focus on Energy partners with 107 utilities across the state to offer energy expertise and financial incentives to residents and businesses that choose to reduce energy waste. A third-party evaluation last year revealed Wisconsin runs the most cost-effective energy efficiency programs in the nation, in terms of energy savings per dollar spent. A separate evaluation released this year found every $1 invested in Focus on Energy generates $4.80 in benefits for Wisconsin, including economic benefits, reduced energy costs and reduced pollution.