“We call it the ‘wow’ factor. With the skylights, people just have an uplifted feeling, they want to do better.”
Eneref Institute examines how Volvo group truck plant reduced their energy load with natural interior daylight.
Volvo Group North America has taken a leading role in demonstrating the benefits of natural interior daylight at their largest facility, the New River Valley Cab & Vehicle Assembly plant where all Volvo Trucks for North America are assembled.
In 2010, just one year into a ten-year energy reduction challenge issued by the US Department of Energy (DOE), the plant became the first facility in the nation to meet the goal.
Volvo’s energy reduction success began with a comprehensive plan to implement multiple energy reduction strategies, including the installation of heat-reflective white roofing and extensive use of natural interior daylight (NID) with rooftop skylights.
“Very early on, the skylights were really one of the first items to kickstart the whole energy program,” said Mike Kijak, Facilities and Energy Manager for the New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia.
As part of our Natural Interior Daylight initiative, Eneref Institute interviewed key stakeholders from Volvo Trucks North America, including: Mike Kijak, Facilities and Energy Manager and Johnny Kincer, New River Valley plant facilities engineer. Eneref also interviewed Daniel Kimball, VP Sales Southern Group for CentiMark Roofing, Canonsburg, PA.
We get a lot of questions and discussion about our energy program. People want to know about the skylights,”