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Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ & Philadelphia Expands "Green" Efforts with Direct Install

Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ & Philadelphia Expands “Green” Efforts with Direct Install

Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ & Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization, has employed green practices since it started serving the community. In 2012 alone, Goodwill recycled more than 50 million pounds of textiles and diverted 5.4 million pounds of e-waste from area landfills.  The nonprofit has further expanded its green initiatives by participating in Direct Install offered through the NJ Office of Clean Energy - where NJ buildings are eligible to save up to 70% on energy efficient projects. 

When it became clear that outdated HVAC equipment needed to be replaced at Goodwill’s stores and donation centers, Goodwill turned to Hutchinson Mechanical Services for energy efficient solutions to help reduce energy consumption and improve their bottom line.

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Hutchinson, a participating contractor for Direct Install, provided a free energy assessment in Goodwill’s stores and donation centers to identify eligible equipment upgrades, including lighting and HVAC. Hutchinson installed an upgraded energy efficient HVAC system and lighting retrofit at Goodwill’s Glassboro store and donation center as well as a HVAC system upgrade at the Hammonton store and donation center. Through the program, Direct Install paid 70 percent of the cost of energy efficiency upgrades.

According to Michael Shaw, chief operating officer for Goodwill of Southern NJ and Philadelphia, “As our HVAC equipment was at least 15 years old, it didn’t make sense paying for costly repairs. Instead, we took advantage of Direct Install and now have brand new, energy efficient equipment that has already enabled us to cut spending on repair services while helping us save on energy costs.”

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Previous energy savings measures Goodwill instituted through Direct Install included upgrading energy efficient lighting and new HVAC systems through five area Goodwill stores and donation centers. Goodwill also has service contracts with Hutchinson to ensure equipment is maintained and repaired in a timely and cost-effective manner.

“As a nonprofit or any organization, it’s important to be fiscally responsible. It was a matter of Hutchinson showing us the process and its benefits,” said Shaw. “At first, we thought the program was too good to be true, but Hutchinson walked us through each step and was able to show us the return on investment in energy savings.”

“Our energy savings is already incredible, and the reliability of a newer unit is immeasurable. We couldn’t have accomplished this without participating in the Direct Install program,” said Shaw.

“We seek out the latest strategies and technologies to help nonprofits, businesses and facilities reduce energy consumption and improve their bottom line,” said Ed Hutchinson, president, Hutchinson Mechanical Services. “Direct Install’s turn-key solution makes it easy for nonprofits and businesses to become more energy efficient, cut expenses and go green.”

For a free energy audit assessment to identify eligible equipment and lighting upgrades, contact Hutchinson at 888-777-4501.

About Goodwill

A nonprofit, community-based organization, Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey & Philadelphia’s mission is to put people with special needs to work.  The mass collection and resale of donated goods in Goodwill’s 22 area retail stores fund job training and career services that prepare individuals with disabilities and disadvantages for competitive employment while contributing to America’s recycling efforts.  Currently, Goodwill operates employment training centers in Maple Shade, Pennsauken, Stratford and Philadelphia.  For more information on Goodwill, please visit www.goodwillnj.org or call 856/439-0200.

About Hutchinson PHC LLC
Hutchinson is a third-generation family business and trades as Hutchinson Mechanical Services, Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling, and Hutchinson Energy Services and has specialized in commercial and residential mechanical and energy services since 1948. Hutchinson’s technicians are factory trained, NATE certified and are on-call 24/7 365 days a year. Visit www.hutchbiz.com for more information. Contact Hutchinson at 888-777-4501 to schedule an energy assessment appointment or Dicoordinator@hutchbiz.com.

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