United Rentals publishes white paper on sustainability

United Rentals has published its Roadmap to Low-Emission and Zero-Emission Jobsites white paper, which outlines four steps to reduce emissions and the tools and equipment to make sustainability strategies a reality on the jobsite through the use of digital tools.

United said the tools guide fleet sustainability decisions and greener equipment options that help construction and industrial companies reach lower-emission targets without reducing profit margins. 

The first step the company has outlined urges companies to use data to guide decisions around fleet sustainability efforts to identify changes that bring the biggest return on investment.

United said this is a more realistic improvement than replacing an entire fleet with lower-emission equipment.

Meanwhile, it said the utilisation of alternative power generation solutions such as renewable diesel, hydrogen and solar energy can “provide the power needed for productivity and safety” while also reducing site emissions. 

It also highlighted battery energy storage systems as a key tool to reduce the use of emission-generating portable power equipment, adding that some units can replace diesel generators and be added to existing systems to create a hybrid power solution. 

Finally, the company said the addition of electric or hybrid equipment to a fleet can offer performance that is “on par with diesel-fueled equipment while eliminating direct emissions.”

It added that the higher upfront expense of electric equipment is “partially offset by lower operating costs and significantly reduced maintenance needs.”

Grant Zoldowski, director of environmental management, United Rentals, said, “For companies with budgets large or small, reducing jobsite emissions is possible now. A smart jobsite sustainability strategy starts with data.

“Targeting the predominant sources of emissions on projects and jobsites allows companies to focus their efforts and dollars on changes that will yield the biggest results. This approach provides the foundation for more sustainable power generation, battery storage and electric equipment options.”

Zoldowski added that the technologies can “work together to reduce the reliance on petroleum-based diesel and help companies shift to lower-emission and even zero-emission fleets.”