5 Ways Kohler Offers A Cleaner Power Advantage

Maybe you’ve read about Kohler’s belief in a greener digital future through energy saving equipment, and want to know how that belief manifests itself. Maybe you’ve heard about our commitment to reducing emissions worldwide and want to see what that commitment looks like in practice. Maybe you’re comparing Kohler’s solutions to our competitors and want to know how our sustainability efforts compare in the marketplace. Whether you’re just curious or looking for a reason to make a purchase, here are five reasons to trust in Kohler’s clean power advantage.

High Fuel Efficiency

Minimizing fuel consumption is a great signpost in the quest for sustainable business practices. Kohler KD series generators offer maximum fuel efficiency, meaning the most possible fuel goes into energy and is not dispersed as heat or excess fuel through the system. That efficiency allows Kohler KD generators to have the smallest footprint in the market per kilowatt and — because of that compact efficiency — the highest power density available.

Proof of that fuel efficiency can be found in Kohler’s policy supporting no load testing. If fuel in the generator’s cylinders didn’t burn so effectively, excess fuel would accumulate and need to be dissipated (known as wet stacking). Creating enough heat to dissipate that extra unburned fuel is why many generator maintenance programs recommend running exercises with at least a small load. Not Kohler. Kohler KD generators fully approve no load testing in the engine manuals and warranties. That kind of fuel efficiency means you're getting the most combustion out of that fuel, making it the most sustainable solution.

For more information about wet stacking, check out Kohler’s white paper on the topic here. Or, read about Kohler’s no load testing success in a case study here.

Industry Sustainability Recognition

You don’t have to take our word for it. Kohler has been recognized by plenty of third-party organizations to mark our achievements in sustainable product design and commitment to environmentally friendly corporate policy. Let’s take a quick look at our trophy case from the past few years.

One particularly notable achievement was winning Business Intelligence Group’s Sustainability Product of the Year award. The award went to Kohler’s Tier 4 Final KD Series generator, acknowledged for its best-in-class emissions technology—specifically the engine control units and integrated sensors that monitor and control the exhaust aftertreatment system. Another memorable award is Mission Critical magazine naming Kohler the winner for their Top Tier Products Awards. Mission Critical says “technological innovations designed to save energy are the inspiration behind the Top Tier Product Awards” and Kohler was recognized for our innovative KD Series once again. Other sustainability-related accolades include:

• Kohler’s Senior Vice President of Stewardship and Sustainability was named the Innovative Leader of The Year by Fast Company for implementing new environmental and social initiatives.
• Kohler Power was named to Data Centre Magazine’s Top 10 Power Supply and Management Companies, partly for environmental and social initiatives.
• Kohler’s DfE program received the Corporate Leadership Award from the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment for innovation in environmental sustainability.

Unique Aftertreatment Approach

When you’re looking for a Tier 4 certified solution, your generator will use some kind of after-treatment technology to control particulate matter, carbon dioxide emissions, and other greenhouse gasses from the generator’s output. Typically, emissions standards are reached using some combination of the following technologies: selective catalytic reduction (SCR), diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), and diesel particulate filters (DPF). While other generators use other devices in addition to SCR, Kohler achieves certification using only one very effective SCR system.

SCR on its own, without a duplicate system, is a particularly useful solution for any company looking for a simpler system with fewer parts that need to be maintained, repaired, or replaced. Fewer components, less manufacturing, and less waste—that’s a sustainability advantage.

To learn more about Kohler’s approach to after treatment technology, check out our white paper on the topic here.

Exceptional Design Program

One way to know you’re buying from a company that takes sustainability seriously is if environmental improvements are included in each stage of the design and production process. That’s the case with Kohler’s Design for Environment Program (DfE). The program incorporates environmental impact analyses and metrics into each part of a product development project: from initial proposal, research, materials, budget, and timeline to manufacturing, transport, longevity planning, and end of life considerations. Part of the DfE program involves using special classifications like Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), More Environmentally Favorable (MEF) designations, and Positive By Design (PBD) qualifications to give visibility to measurable year-over-year success toward Kohler’s goal of net zero environmental impact by 2035. Currently, 100% of mechanical engineering and new product development projects in North America adhered to DfE standards, with all new product development worldwide set to meet them by the end of the year.

To learn more about Kohler’s sustainable design and production goals and progress, check out Kohler’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports here.

Low Noise Pollution

In our mission to reduce pollution wherever possible, that includes air pollution, water pollution, and even noise pollution. When looking at noise and vibration considerations for your data center, you already need to worry about fans, compressors, ducts, chillers, and more. Depending on your location, sound-level regulations could be strict, and backup generators can be particularly disruptive. That’s why Kohler design and installation regard local sound environment impact closely, and offer best-available noise mitigation.

To learn about Kohler generator noise mitigation in action, check out this case study.

And Many More

There you have it: five ways Kohler exists as a leader in sustainability for data center backup power. This list represents only a handful of the numerous methods through which Kohler has established itself as a trailblazer in the realm of sustainability. To gain further insights into the many other ways Kohler is providing cleaner energy solutions, click here.