Airstream Inc. has completed the transformation of the company’s Jackson Center, Ohio, corporate office and manufacturing center to 100-percent powered by renewable energy credits.
Airstream’s new 750,000-square-foot facility opening in the next 12 months will also carry the same green energy commitment and be powered completely by renewable energy credits.
“Our work at Airstream is inextricably linked to the outdoors, so we are continuously exploring ways to do more with less,” said Bob Wheeler, Airstream president and CEO. “Powering our operations through renewable energy credits purchased here in Ohio is a net win for our community and our customers.”
Airstream is participating in Jackson Center Municipal Power’s EcoSmart Choice program. The program allows participants to purchase renewable energy certificates from wind, hydroelectric, or landfill gas projects offered through American Municipal Power Inc.
By using renewable energy certificates to power Airstream’s facilities in 2018, the company was able to offset 4,220 metric tons of CO2. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, this is equivalent to:
Greenhouse gases from:
· 896 passenger vehicles driven for one year; or
· 10,318,735 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle
Or CO2 emissions from:
· 474,892 gallons of gasoline consumed; or
· 414,574 gallons of diesel consumed; or
· 4,613,810 pounds of coal burned
It would take a 4,967-acre forest an entire year to sequester the amount of CO2 emissions that Airstream prevented by going green.
“As Airstream grows, we’re thrilled they’ll continue to be 100-percent powered by renewable energy credits through the EcoSmart Choice program,” said Bruce Metz, Jackson Center’s village administrator who manages the utility. “It’s especially noteworthy that a business like Airstream is participating in this program. It shows the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship and demonstrates real leadership in the manufacturing industry.”
Airstream’s commitment to the environment extends well beyond its energy sourcing. The almost 90-year old company has made numerous “green” upgrades to existing facilities to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. The Jackson Center campus exclusively uses T5 and LED lighting along with high-efficiency motors during the handcrafted production of its recreational vehicles.
“Getting outside and enjoying the outdoors is at the heart of Airstream’s mission, and the environment is so important to the people who use our products,” said Mark Wahl, Airstream’s Senior Vice President of Operations. “As new generations look to explore the world around them, it only makes sense to do everything we can to conserve resources for future Airstreamers.”
Each Airstream vehicle has been rated “Certified Green” by TRA Certification, the internationally accredited certification organization. In June 2018, Wheeler was named to the volunteer Board of Directors of the National Forest Foundation. Airstream’s parent company, Thor Industries, made a multi-year financial commitment to support the organization.
