Johnson Controls is a well known WI company that deals with everything from batteries to automated HVAC systems. They employ over 180,000 workers worldwide but it is their campus in Glendale that I want to focus on.

Six of us from MUHS went to visit and tour their buildings to see the various sustainability practices they showcase. Although some of their buildings are from the 1960’s, they have earned LEED Platinum certification on 2 old and 2 new buildings on their campus. If you are unfamiliar, LEED ranking deals with strict sustainability criteria of energy, water, waste, and material use and consumption.

These pavers allow storm water to percolate through and fill water basins for toilet use

Solar Panels (they have both rooftop and ground panels, as well as, solar hot water)

Above are two interesting examples of sustainability. Johnson Controls has solar photovoltaic’s on the ground, rooftop, and for solar hot water. They also do quite a bit for water issues. Above is a picture of the permeable pavers in the parking lot. Water drains through the pavers instead of into a storm drain contributing to large storm overflow discharges by MMSD. The water that percolates through the pavers is instead stored in basins that is used for part of a gray-water system to flush toilets and also to fill water features on site.