Energy Management Articles
Total corporate solar funding increased 24% in 2020
Mercom Capital Group announced on Jan. 11 that total corporate funding into the solar sector globally, including venture capital, private equity (VC), debt financing and public market financing, came to $14.5 billion in 2020, a 24% increase compared to 2019.
Vermont’s State House is the first in the nation to have battery backup
Vermont’s State House is the first in the nation to have clean backup power stored in batteries, according to an article Vermont Business Magazine shared on Jan. 5.
VRESF Video: Collaborating for Customer-Centricity in Achieving Sustainability Objectives
Our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum continues with "Collaborating for Customer-Centricity in Achieving Sustainability Objectives." Andre Canguçú, Chief Commercial, Industries, and M&A Officer at ENGIE North America discusses the need to simplify procurement contracts in order to make them universal and accessible to players of all sizes in order to meet their sustainability goals.
Comcast Spectacor commits training facility to renewable energy
Comcast Spectacor, owner of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers, announced on Jan. 8 that it added a 1.06-MW onsite solar system and an electric Zamboni ice resurfacer to its Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in New Jersey, a training facility for the Flyers.
BloombergNEF reports sustainability and green bonds grew in 2020
BloombergNEF announced Jan. 11 that sustainable debt (sustainability bonds) grew 81% in 2020 to $68.7 billion, while the longest-established theme, green bonds, saw volumes rise 13% to a new record of $305.3 billion.
Joliet Junior College flips the switch on new campus solar system
Chicago’s Joliet Junior College (JJC) announced on Jan. 11 that its 1.3-MW onsite solar system is online at its main campus. The solar array consists of 3,542 solar panels and will save the college more than $1.6 million in electricity expenses over 25 years.
Weekend reads: Sustainability resolutions for 2021; Hydrogen trends to watch this year
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
NRDC's 8th Annual Energy Report: Slow and Steady Will Not Win the Climate Race
NRDC presents its 2020 Annual Energy Report, for 2019 and part of 2020, highlighting both the progress made and challenges to face in transitioning to a carbon-free economy.
Tyson Foods partners to convert methane into renewable natural gas
Tyson Foods announced on Jan. 7 that it partnered with natural gas service provider NW Natural to convert methane from its facilities into renewable natural gas (RNG) to heat homes and businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Hunt Military Communities adds rooftop solar to Illinois air force base
Hunt Military Communities (HMC), the largest U.S. military housing owner, announced on Jan. 4 that it will integrate rooftop solar PV systems across its facility at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. This community includes more than 1,500 homes serving 3,000 residents.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority enters into new renewable energy contracts
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced on Jan. 4 that it has entered into two new 100% renewable energy contracts with BP Energy Company to reduce its carbon footprint and save more than $3 million per year.
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty signs pgPPA for 153 MW of solar power
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), a global corporate insurance carrier, announced on Jan. 7 that it signed an agreement to source 153 MW of solar power from developer Lightsource bp’s Briar Creek solar farm in Navarro County, Texas.
CentraState Medical adds 1.6-MW solar power carport system
New Jersey hospital CentraState Medical announced on Dec. 31, 2020, that it has commenced commercial operations of its additional 1.6-MW solar carport system. The installation will generate approximately 2.1 million kWh of solar electricity per year.
City of Madison adopts new EV requirements
The City of Madison, Wisconsin, announced on Jan. 5 that it adopted new requirements to advance EV charging. The new ordinance requires at least 10% of newly-constructed parking for multifamily residential, and some commercial uses to be “EV ready,” meaning having infrastructure in place to easily add EV chargers in the future.
Dane County, Wis., to generate 40% of county energy needs with airport solar installation
Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin completed a 9 MW solar installation onsite that will generate enough power to cover 40% of the entire county's energy needs.
Top Energy Policy Trends from 2020–and How They Can Inform your 2021 Energy Plans
The year 2020 was certainly one for the history books, and for many of us, the cycle of bad news throwing wrenches into our lives and our livelihoods could not have ended soon enough. In terms of energy policy, however, the year brought some good along with the bad. In this column, Caitlin Marquis of AEE reflects on the trends that dominated energy policy in 2020 and will be shaping the debate for the year ahead.
Volkswagen plans 750 EV charger installations in Germany for 2021
Volkswagen announced Dec. 29 that it plans to install nearly 750 new electric vehicle charging stations in 2021 as part of a planned expansion of its charging infrastructure in Germany.
Agilent Technology meets emissions targets through onsite solar
Agilent Technologies recently announced that it added three new solar sites that will offset 277 metric tons of carbon in 2019 and made progress toward its energy targets.
Denver event and coworking space explores Vehicle-to-Building energy tech
The Alliance Center, an event and collaborative working space in downtown Denver, Colo., announced Jan. 5 that it will be installing a Vehicle-to-Building energy system onsite to provide power to the building through electric vehicles at the location.
California, Massachusetts rank at top of efficiency scorecard, despite Covid setbacks
California was named the top state for energy efficiency targets and initiatives in a study that found that more U.S. states have adopted or advanced new energy-saving targets and vehicle and appliance rules, while Covid-19 has slowed other efficiency efforts.
AMPED sports arena receives zero-carbon building certification
AMPED Sports Lab and Ice Complex, a hockey facility and physiotherapy clinic in Ottawa, announced Jan. 4 that it has become the first Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard arena certified through the Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Program.
Monolith signs letter-of-intent to procure renewable energy for production facility
Monolith Materials, a chemical and hydrogen company, announced Jan. 4 that it signed a letter-of-intent to procure enough renewable energy resources from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to generate two million MWh annually, keeping its Olive Creek production facility emissions-free.
Kilroy Realty achieves carbon-neutral operations
Kilroy Realty Corporation (KRC), a West Coast landlord and developer, announced Jan. 4 that it achieved carbon-neutral operations at the end of 2020. In 2018, the company was the first North American real estate investment trust to make a commitment to achieve carbon-neutral operations and it accomplished its goal.
Microsoft, Unilever, Neste join The Climate Pledge
Unilever, Microsoft, Brooks, Neste and ITV, among eight other companies, are the most recent signatories of Amazon’s The Climate Pledge.
German chemical producer BASF agrees to source 55 MW of solar power
BASF Corporation, a German chemical producer, announced Dec. 21 that it completed an agreement for 55 MW of solar power from a new Texas project.
VRESF Video: Addressing Residual Emissions on the Path to Net Zero
We continue our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum with "Addressing Residual Emissions on the Path to Net Zero." Stephanie Harris, Director of Carbon Markets at 3Degrees explains that more and more organizations are recognizing the role carbon offsets can play as an instrument to address residual emissions in the near term while better criteria are developed to understand what it means to be net-zero.
Schnitzer Steel exceeds clean energy target five years early
Schnitzer Steel recently announced that it exceeded its 90% carbon-free electricity goal in FY 2020, five years ahead of schedule, while pursuing a more sustainable business model focused on recycling scrap metal.
Madison plans 8 MW solar array to power municipal operations
The City of Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in Wisconsin announced Dec. 30 that they are embarking on a joint project to develop an 8 MW solar array in the city.
VRESF Video: Inspiring Diversity in Energy
"Inspiring Diversity in Energy," part of our series of sessions from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum, presents Telisa Toliver, General Manager, Renewable Power at Chevron Pipeline and Power. In this discussion, which explores ways to increase diversity in the industry, she advises, "The first thing our industry needs to do is to tell our story better. We serve an incredible purpose and we provide energy for people every day and we support their quality of life."
VRESF Video: The Future of Sustainability Strategy
Continuing our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Forum (Winter Edition), Greg Kandankulam, Senior Manager, Sustainability at NRG Energy discusses a series of paradigm shifts that have led to larger conversations around carbon mitigation strategies, including both opportunities and challenges that must be considered when creating a sustainability strategy.
