Energy Management Articles
Washington Blazes a Trail for State Action on Energy Efficiency
Washington State recently became the first state to adopt an existing building performance standard, putting it at the forefront of all states in addressing energy efficiency in buildings. In this column from the Institute for Market Transformation, Executive Director Cliff Majersik shows how Washington is blazing a trail that other states are likely to follow.
PNM aims to shutter coal, replace with RE
PNM, the wholly-owned New Mexico utility subsidiary of PNM Resources, Inc. has filed with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) an application to abandon coal supply in favor of alternative energy resources.
Kimberly-Clark doubles down on GHG reduction target
After meeting its GHG reduction goal four years ahead of schedule by posting a reduction of 27% vs. a 2005 baseline, Kimberly-Clark announced it will double the target from the original 20% goal to a 40% reduction by 2022.
NYC expands EV charging for municipal fleet
The City of New York has received delivery of a $3.3 million, 50-unit purchase of EV ARC™ units, which will provide charging to electric vehicles across multiple departments including city police, fire, and other essential city services.
Outdoor Lighting Decision Tree Tool
High-performance outdoor lighting technologies are proving to be a cost-effective energy savings measure. Better Buildings presents the Outdoor Lighting Decision Tree tool to share successful approaches taken by cities, states, and regional groups.
AvalonBay posts LED retrofit savings
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. achieved a $2.3 million savings in annual energy costs from LED lighting retrofits, 6 LEED-certified new development communities and 34 LEED or Energy Star certifications in process as of year-end 2018. AvalonBay has completed 30 LED lighting retrofit projects and plans to finish 32 more in 2019 for a total of more than 165 LED retrofits by the end of the year, reaching 63% of its portfolio.
Amtrak engineers 17% GHG reduction
Amtrak reached a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 17% in 2018 over a 2010 baseline, including a 1.75% reduction from 2017 to 2018. The decline was attributed to the reduction of train fuel use and of electricity consumption in traction power and at Amtrak facilities.
Zyxel flips switch on new HQ solar system
Zyxel Communications, a provider of secure broadband networking, Internet access, and connected home products, announced a milestone in its green initiative program with the completion of a new 200 KW solar power system, which will generate enough energy to supply about 90% of the power required to operate its Anaheim-based North American headquarters facilities.
Hess continues towards targets
Hess Corporation is on track to meet its 2020 targets to decrease flaring and greenhouse gas emission intensities from operated assets by 50% and 25%, respectively, from 2014 levels. The company achieved a 17% decline in GHG emissions intensity in 2018 compared to 2014.
Distributed Energy Forum Wrap-Up
Smart Energy Decisions' inaugural Distributed Energy Forum focused on creating and executing strategies to maximize opportunities from the deployment of distributed energy resources by large power users. Held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver on June 24-26, the event brought together large electric power users from commercial, industrial, institutional and government sectors, along with suppliers and utilities.
Chobani commits to Milk Matters
Chobani LLC is collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund and National Milk Producers Federation's Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) to reduce the company's carbon footprint and help farms do the same. These partners will measure GHG emissions and energy use on dairy farms within Chobani's supply chain to identify potential efficiency gains and cost savings for farmers.
Holiday Weekend Reads: Freedom photons; The office of tomorrow
Need a break from family, friends and fireworks? Sit back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:
Infographic: General Motors - Progress Toward Our Vision
With the release of its ninth annual sustainability report, "Transformation in Progress," General Motors demonstrates that sustainability is deeply integrated into its business strategy and is core to operations. GM presents an infographic to explore highlights of the company's progress toward its vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
Binghamton U partners to develop warehouse energy solutions
Faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York will develop and demonstrate a new energy storage process and solution for warehouse energy management. The solution will use solar panels, a stationary energy storage system and lithium-ion batteries on forklifts that will reduce energy costs for warehouse owners.
HPE celebrates progress in ESG report
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has set a new goal to reduce its operational emissions by 55% by 2025 compared to 2016 levels. The company also reduced customer energy use by as much as 60% using memory-driven computing.
All-electric commuter plane revealed in Paris
The recent 53rd Paris Air Show was the site of the premiere of a full-scale, all-electric commuter plane, Alice. Eviation Aircraft will complete its first flights and begin manufacturing in the U.S. in 2019.
Duke Energy to offer Bloom Energy fuel cell tech to C&I customers
Duke Energy One, a non-regulated subsidiary of Duke Energy, announced it will acquire a portfolio of distributed fuel cell technology projects from Bloom Energy Corporation as part of the company’s efforts to serve commercial and industrial cus
Energy as a Service Solutions Targeted to Fit Customer Segments
Corporate commercial and industrial (C&I) energy and sustainability managers are looking for cost-effective, customized, and comprehensive energy solutions that can guarantee energy savings. In this column, William Tokash of Navigant Research discusses a new, broader set of financed distributed energy resources (DER) solution options that extend beyond energy efficiency that have emerged to define how energy as a service (EaaS) solutions will be deployed across the C&I landscape.
Burberry adds Scope 1, 2 and 3 targets to strategy
Luxury fashion brand Burberry has set new climate goals, including the reduction of absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 95% and absolute scope 3 GHG emissions. Both targets are set for 2022 from a 2016 base year. These goals have been approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
Kohler achieves declines in energy use and emissions
Kohler Co. posted a decrease of 5% in energy use and 6.8% in GHG emissions for 2018. The results were announced with the release of the company's third public Social Impact report.
Weekend reads: Lightyear One solar car; Powering pot
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these can't-miss articles from around the web:
Pathways to a Successful Renewable Energy Aggregation: Convening Participants
In the first installment of a blog and video series on aggregated renewable energy purchases, Erin Craig, VP of the Energy and Climate Practice at 3Degrees, outlines practical advice for organizations that are interested in taking part in an aggregation but are unsure about how to get started.
European airports pledge net-zero emissions by 2050
Almost 200 airports in Europe pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Bloomberg reported June 26.
SITE Centers generates solar power, installs EV stations
SITE Centers, an owner and manager of open-air shopping centers, installed 222 operating electric car charging stations, generated 4.1 MWh of renewable energy from 15 solar arrays, and completed a comprehensive LED retrofit program over the past year
SED to premiere Accelerate Philly in December
Smart Energy Decisions (SED), in association with the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), will host a major regional clean energy conference, Accelerate Philly, in December 2019. The event is organized in response to the growing interest and urgent need to increase the use of clean energy and reduce energy use and emissions to meet the City’s and region’s climate mitigation goals.
Mondelēz International signs PPA with Texas solar farm
Mondelēz International on June 27 signed a power purchase agreement to source energy from a Texas wind farm, its largest renewable energy partnership around the world and the snack company's first such agreement in the United States.
Michigan bill would open state parks for EV charging
The Michigan state legislature on June 26 introduced a bill that would allow for electric vehicle charging stations to be installed on state parks and park-and-ride lots.
The Latest Evolution of Distributed Energy Resources - Opportunities for Businesses Within PJM
The increasing deployment of distributed energy resources is causing shifts in the century-old electric grid and a rethinking of business models. This white paper from NRG Energy focuses on opportunities available to businesses and institutions within the PJM Interconnection, one of the world’s largest organized wholesale markets.
Bio-tech company see 8% drop in emissions, implements efficiency projects
A Madison, WI., based life sciences innovation company saw an 8% decrease its carbon footprint and the reduction of energy use through the improvement of the efficiency of its facilities, according to its newly released 2019 Corporate Responsibility
Tufts University installs two rooftop solar arrays
Tufts University announced June 26 plans to install two rooftop solar power systems on its Medford/Somerville campus, expected to generate 161,000 kWh and save the university $187,000 over the next 20 years.
