Brightening the New Year: FCA US Sheds Light on “Smart” LEDs

JStar’s Orange County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Anaheim – FCA US LLC rings in 2019 on a bright note after installing intelligent lighting systems in two metro Detroit operations, Jefferson North Assembly Plant and Warren Stamping Plant, helping drive down energy costs by at least 50 percent and improving employee productivity by making the spaces responsive to the needs at each workspace.

“Making the move now to the most advanced LED lights with wireless control capabilities gives us the ability to track our real-time consumption and react, respond and customize our energy use quicker than ever before,” said Kevin Dunbar, corporate energy manager at FCA US LLC. “LEDs also mimic natural light, which has shown to increase our employees’ comfort and productivity. This transition is just one element that helps modernize our operations while also reducing our environmental footprint and operational costs.”

The sensors “talk” with each other via a wireless network and can adjust illumination based on occupancy needs or the intensity needed in the specific location. The sensor-based digital network creates a smart building that runs on autopilot, reducing operating expenses and increasing business efficiencies for the operations teams.

Additional HighLIGHTS
The Company has now retrofitted more than half of its manufacturing facilities, two Mopar Parts Distribution Centers and 87 dealerships with more than 35,000 LED fixtures:

• The 5-million-square-foot Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan is lit by 12,000 LEDs, making it one of the largest LED retrofits in the manufacturing industry. The installation reduced energy use by 34 percent.

• Through the “FCA Bright Initiative” launched in 2017, the Company has now transformed 87 FCA dealerships with indoor and outdoor LED lighting solutions to provide customers and dealership employees with a brighter and safer environment at night. The initiative can slash a dealership’s total electricity costs by up to 50 percent.

• The two newest U.S.-based Mopar Parts Distribution Centers in Romulus, Michigan, and Winchester, Virginia, use more than 2,800 LED lights.

Commitment to Energy Reduction
By 2020, FCA aims to achieve a 30 percent reduction in energy consumed per vehicle produced versus 2010 at mass-market vehicle assembly and stamping plants worldwide. By the end of 2017, FCA’s energy consumption was down 24 percent compared with 2010.