Duke Energy honors six companies with 2021 Power Partner Awards

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has selected six organizations to receive its 2021 Power Partner Awards.

The program, which began in 1992, recognizes businesses and other organizations that achieve notable results in categories including innovative energy solutions, solution innovation, service excellence, and sustainability excellence.

"We are honored to do business with the exceptional organizations selected to receive this award that recognizes their operational excellence and innovation," said Chris Edge, Duke Energy vice president of large business customers. "All of these distinguished businesses not only are a benefit to their customers, stakeholders and communities, but are also valued customers of Duke Energy."

The 2021 Power Partner award-winning organizations are:

Barrette Outdoor Living, Brooksville, Fla.
Category: Sustainability Excellence

Barrette Outdoor Living, a leader in manufacturing steel and aluminum residential fence and railing, constructed and interconnected a 200,000-square-foot rooftop solar array at its manufacturing facility in Brooksville, Fla. It is capable of producing more than 2.3 MW of power. The company says the solar installation offsets approximately 81% of the facility's electricity consumption. Additionally, Barrette Outdoor Living converted all of its Duke Energy Florida-owned outdoor lighting to LED. Barrette further expanded its sustainability focus by owning and operating GreenWays, a recycling program for pre- and post-consumer rigid PVC with facilities in Fredericksburg, Va., and Plant City, Fla.

Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Lenoir, N.C.
Category: Service Excellence, Solution Innovation

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caldwell Memorial Hospital (CMH) worked in collaboration with Samaritan's Purse to provide an area to set up COVID-19 hospital tents to relieve the influx of patients in surrounding area hospitals. The 30-bed complex took in patients from five counties, including Caldwell, Burke, Catawba, Watauga and Alexander. Duke Energy worked closely with CMH and Samaritan's Purse to expedite new electric service to the tent complex. Additionally, the Duke Energy Foundation provided a donation to help with the cost of the hospital tents.

DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.
Category: Sustainability Excellence

In 2017, DePauw University began planning a Campus Energy Master Plan (CEMP) to develop a long-term energy infrastructure strategy to upgrade heating and cooling systems to lower costs and improve sustainability. In alignment with the planning of the CEMP, DePauw opted back into Duke Energy's Smart $aver program to take advantage of incentives and rebates. Since 2017, the university has received a total of more than $319,000 in incentives and is expected to receive another nearly $178,000 for the new chiller plant and HVAC system. Leveraging its sustainability focus as an educational opportunity, DePauw also installed a net-metered rooftop solar array on the indoor track and tennis facility, along with a dashboard to empower student ideas and opportunities.

Ford Motor Co., Sharonville, Ohio
Category: Sustainability Excellence, Service Excellence

Ford has operated its Sharonville, Ohio, transmission plant since 1958. Beginning in 2017, Ford undertook a needed plant upgrade, investing $900 million in modernizing its facility. As part of this effort, Ford replaced over 10,000 HID lights with LEDs, earning more than $1 million in Duke Energy Smart $aver incentives. Additionally, when Duke Energy needed land to build a new transmission switching station to improve reliability in this industrial area, Ford donated the property, significantly reducing the time and cost of this vital project.

IBM, Durham, N.C.
Category: Sustainability Excellence

Known for its technological innovation, IBM is also a leader in driving sustainability throughout its global footprint. By purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) through Duke Energy's Clean Energy Resources, IBM has offset 100% of its Durham, N.C., facility's energy consumption with green attributes. IBM is working with DECER to purchase RECs to offset its 2021 energy consumption, as well as a multiyear deal for the future. In addition, IBM took advantage of Duke Energy's Smart $aver Custom incentive to upgrade its chilled water system, saving nearly 2 million kWh of energy annually, which is enough energy to power 166 homes.

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
Category: Solution Innovation

Purdue University and Duke Energy have a long-standing operational relationship and most recently worked together on a new project at the West Lafayette campus – a 16-MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant that will produce both electricity and steam more efficiently and cost-effectively than a traditional utility plant. A Duke Energy-owned asset, the CHP plant will provide a new steam source to Purdue for campus heating, while at the same time providing power to Duke Energy's grid and increasing reliability for Duke Energy customers. This project is one of those rare win-win-win successes!

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities – with goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable energy provider, on track to own or purchase 16,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2021 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Ana Gibbs
Cell: 813.928.7263
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AnaGibbs

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SOURCE Duke Energy