Office Depot – Brendan Edgerton – 2013

Goals

Office Depot enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Brendan Edgerton with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and generation projects.

Solutions

Ranging across stores, supply chain and headquarters, the projects Edgerton identified that could contribute toward company savings included LED lighting, intelligent controls, high efficiency HVAC units, solar photovoltaic systems and fuel cells. Additionally, Edgerton outlined a cost-effective plan for Office Depot to achieve organization-wide net positive energy by 2030.

Potential Impact

By implementing Edgerton’s projects, Office Depot could reduce annual electricity use by more than 32 million kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to a reduction of 16,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. These projects would have an average payback of three years, an average internal rate of return of more than 60 percent, an average return on investment of approximately 300 percent and a total net present value of more than $6 million (averages weighted).

Learn more about Brendan’s feature on Showtime’s Years of Living Dangerously