Commercial, Energy Storage, CHP, Commercial, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  March 2, 2019

Weekend reads: Amazon's electric megafleet; CHP wakes up

It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these can't-miss energy articles from around the web:

Is Amazon Planning A ‘Megafleet’ For Electric Delivery? (PYMNTS.com)  Pretty much anything Amazon does impacts so much else — and that truth, one of the longest-standing in the world of commerce and payments, seems ready to play out when it comes to fleets of retail delivery vehicles. Reports have emerged that “megafleets” of Amazon delivery vans and trucks — “megafleets” being a descriptor for the tens of thousands of vehicles owned by certain companies — will be going electric. The news stemmed from a Morgan Stanley report that says the eCommerce company’s goal of having half of its delivery trips “carbon neutral” by 2030 will spark a buying spree of electric vans and trucks. 

Combined Heat and Power: A Sleeping Giant May Be Waking (Power) One of the oldest energy efficiency ideas—combined heat and power—is prospering in the U.S. and looks promising elsewhere as the world searches for low-cost energy by increasing efficiency while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Last November, Penn State University issued a guide for those interested in combining natural gas-fueled electric and thermal energy generation—combined heat and power (CHP)—with renewable energy resources such as solar photovoltaic arrays and battery storage systems. 

Behind-the-meter energy storage surges ahead of utility-operated batteries (Solar Power World)  Behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage—on-site options that allow energy customers to store capacity for use as needed—surged in 2018. In fact, for the first time, customer-operated BTM storage surpassed front-of-meter capacity (operated by electric providers) in the second quarter of 2018. Multiple factors—including high demand charges, reliance on solar, changes to energy tariffs and lower storage costs—are driving the trend, according to industry experts. Demand charges—the portion of an electric bill that reflect a customer’s peak level of demand—can account for 30 to 70% of a customer’s electricity bill. 

Employees Are Seeking Greener Companies (Forbes) More than 70% of US employees surveyed are more likely to work for a company that has a strong green footprint, according to a survey of 1,000 employees by Swytch. Nearly half of respondents are even willing to accept a smaller salary to work for an environmentally and socially responsible company. In fact, more than 10% reported they would accept a salary decrease between $5,000 and $10,000 and over 3% would even be inclined to accept a decrease of more than $10,000 per year. It’s the younger generations that feel most strongly about their employers taking steps to increase corporate sustainability. 

The Green New Deal Is The Real Deal – If We Do It Right (North American Windpower) As proponents of offshore wind energy and the clean energy revolution, it’s exciting to see that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others new to Congress are grabbing headlines by calling for a Green New Deal. After being ignored or ridiculed by the current administration for two years, climate change is now front and center in American politics, where it belongs.

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