Dukane Precast Builds a Sustainable Legacy
Sustainability is defined as "the capacity to endure." At Dukane Precast, an industry leader in the manufacturing of precast/prestressed concrete, the company is modeling what it means to be a sustainable company that is built to endure.
“We have the most technologically advanced precast facilities in North America,” explained Don Dardis, president of Dukane Precast. “As a result, we continue to be a driving influence for innovative building solutions and to do it in a way that is environmentally friendly.”
Dukane Precast has three production facilities located in the greater Chicagoland area in DuPage, Kane, and Will counties.
The company’s dedication to sustainability began with its investment in renewable energy initiatives at all of its facilities. Rooftop solar panels have been installed at two sites in Aurora and its facilities in Naperville and Plainfield, Illinois. This represents more than 9,400 solar panels combined.
As a result, the total peak generating capacity among its four locations is equivalent to 3.13 MW (megawatts) or 3,132 kWh (kilowatts) of power. This translates to an annualized generation volume of 4,006,000 kWh, based on average weather patterns.
Community Solar
Dukane Precast went one step further to bring a community solar project to its facility in Plainfield. Community solar projects are relatively new to the state of Illinois. They are designed to help create a clean energy economy for the state through job creation, and the reduction of carbon by displacing legacy coal generating units in the state.
The Dukane Community Solar Project is a rooftop photovoltaic system with 5,956 solar panels installed on the rooftop of its 180,000 sq. ft. industrial building in Plainfield.
The project was completed in 2019 and was interconnected into the ComEd grid in the summer of 2020.
MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (MC2) is the official subscription manager of Dukane’s community solar project, bringing subscribers, both residential and small commercial, to the over 1,600 kW project, as well as managing all billing and customer care functions.
“We already had a long-standing relationship with MC2 as our retail electric supplier,” said Dardis. “Turning to them to help energize our community solar project was a logical choice due to their experience with community solar projects that deliver guaranteed savings to customers via net metering credits.”
Community solar project subscribers, primarily residential and small commercial customers, receive guaranteed savings via net metering credits on their monthly electric utility invoices based on their prorated share of the energy generated by the solar project each month.
At 2,500,00 kWh of annual output, the environmental benefits at the Dukane community solar project help reduce carbon emissions and provide offsets equal to:
· 4,386,104* miles driven by an average passenger vehicle
· 1,947,653** pounds of coal burned
*Greenhouse gas emissions from
**CO2 emissions from
2019 Source Data – United States Environmental Protection Agency
Sustainable Operations
Dukane Precast has gone beyond its commitment to renewable energy by incorporating sustainability practices into its business operations.
“From top to bottom, our operations team looked at every aspect of our business to make sure we are operating in an environmentally friendly manner,” Dardis said.
Here are some of the initiatives that have already taken place.
· Combined heat and power generator (CHP) operations were decommissioned at the Naperville location and replaced with high-efficiency water heaters.
· Steam boilers have been retrofitted with high-efficiency modulating burners at the Aurora and Plainfield plants.
· All locations have undergone LED updates which include the replacement of more than 1,000 lighting fixtures with new LED lighting.
· Implementation of a new process for cleaning each of its concrete mixers and delivery trucks, so the accumulated sand and stone are rinsed and reused. The dirty water that is generated is processed through a filter press so it can be utilized as clean water.
· Metal and styrofoam are collected and recycled.
· Wood is cleaned and reused until no longer salvageable.
· Integration of fully electric and high-efficiency vehicles into the fleet.
For more than forty years, Dukane Precast has been a driving influence for innovative building solutions. To ensure national standards of excellence are met, each of the company’s facilities meets or exceeds the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Certified Plant Program requirements. PCI is the technical institute and trade association for the precast/prestressed concrete structures industry.
“Our company started in 1979 and has built a strong reputation for our attention to detail through quality control that includes material, production, delivery,d erection,” said Dardis. “With our commitment to renewable energy and sustainable operations, we have also built a strong legacy of environmental responsibility. We look forward to investing in further green initiatives, so our company continues to endure for the long haul.”