“We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity,” he said in March.
Even before Obama took office, Decatur was enjoying the benefits that accrue from green jobs.
His administration’s emphasis on the sector may hurt some companies, but it is a boon for the companies in this area that produce products aimed at reducing energy consumption.
3M Co., Toray Carbon Fibers America Inc., Hexcel Corp. and others have found that helping
save the Earth can be a profitable enterprise.
“There is an opportunity for us to see positive financial impact by helping our customers reduce their environmental impact,” said Rebecca Morlando, Ph.D., manager of 3M’s Decatur film plant.
At 3M, which employs 760 in Decatur, the green emphasis involves the production of optical films used in televisions, computer monitors, solar arrays and even on windows.
During the past decade the company has put more than $400 million dollars in the Decatur factory’s optical film manufacturing
capabilities.
Brightness enhancers
The films 3M produces for LCD televisions, computer monitors, cell phones and other electronic display devices are brightness enhancers.
“You have this monitor that has light bulbs in the back of it,” Morlando explained. “What happens is, the lights are not unidirectional. Light’s going in all kinds of directions. The film allows the set to recycle that light into the screen to get brightness with less energy. What it comes down to is they can use fewer bulbs.”
Under the brand name Vikuiti, 3M’s reflective polarizing film reduces energy consumption of LCD TVs by up to 32 percent.
“For example, a 37-inch TV with the film uses about 12 bulbs to produce an image as bright as the same TV with 16 bulbs with no film,” Morlando said.
The film reduces the power needed to operate energy hogs like televisions and computer monitors. It also extends battery life in handheld devices like cell phones and laptops.
Window films
Another Decatur-made product that benefits from increased attention to energy conservation is window film.
The energy-reduction goal of 3M window films is to allow visible light to pass through while blocking heat-producing infrared rays. In the summer, this means sunlight places less drag on air conditioning. In the winter it reduces the escape of warming infrared rays, thus reducing heat loss.
3M’s secret is to compress hundreds of layers with alternating refractive indices into a film about as thick as a sheet of paper.
“It essentially reflects along each of those surfaces,” Morlando said. “It’s like when you look at a body of water and you can see the reflection of the area around you. That’s because of the change in the refractive index between the air and the water. Light reflects off that surface.
“It’s that same kind of thing with the window film. The infrared and ultraviolet rays reflect off the surface of all these layers.”
The film is increasingly popular in residences, where it insulates windows at a far lower cost than triple-pane window replacements.
The major market is for large structures, like skyscrapers and government buildings, where the infrared rays that sneak in with visible light make shambles of utility budgets.
Some companies may gripe about federal efforts to increase energy efficiency, but not 3M. The company, especially its Decatur plant, has found a profitable niche within the renewed emphasis on the environment.
“There are definitely strong market spaces focused on energy reduction products,” Morlando said.