Williams-Sonoma – Brandon Tarbert – 2014

Goals

Brandon Tarbert was tasked with investigating opportunities for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) to reduce its energy consumption, initiate energy efficiency upgrades and identify attractive opportunities for on-site renewable energy generation. This was the second year in a row that Williams-Sonoma Inc. (WSI) teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program.

Solutions

Tarbert worked hand-in-hand with WSI Corporate Responsibility manager David Williams to analyze WSI’s electricity consumption at its corporate offices and largest distribution center in Olive Branch, MS. Tarbert also identified opportunities for WSI to educate associates on energy efficiency and sustainability strategies and embed them into the product development and deployment process. He also researched and identified renewable energy generation opportunities for properties within the WSI real estate portfolio, which the company is now investigating with industry-leading solar developers. 

Potential Impact

Together they identified three net-positive energy efficiency projects that are forecasted to save WSI approximately $1.2 million in avoided energy costs and reduce its aggregate emissions by roughly 6,800 tons over five years.