Energy Management Articles
Making the Case for Energy Management Information Systems
There’s hidden potential for energy savings in your buildings, but how do you tap into it? This column from Gavin Platt, VP of design and co-founder of Lucid, discusses how innovators are learning to harness the power of building data in Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) to activate a modern energy management program.
Amazon completes 50 solar systems before target date
Amazon announced the early completion of its commitment to host 50 solar systems on its fulfillment and sortation center rooftops globally by 2020. The on-site solar systems reduce Amazon’s reliance on fossil fuels and can generate as much as 80% of a single fulfillment facility’s annual energy needs.
Shorenstein Properties sets new goals
Upon achieving its environmental performance targets ahead of the original 2020 timeline, Shorenstein Properties LLC outlined new goals for 2025, including a 40% reduction in energy use and a 40% reduction in GHG emissions over a 2008 baseline measurement.
Weekend reads: RE at 50% by 2030?; Solar in space
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these don't-miss articles from around the web.
DE Forum Presentation: Walmart's Distributed Energy Journey - Past, Present and Future
Smart Energy Decisions' recent Distributed Energy Forum focused on creating and executing strategies to maximize opportunities from the deployment of distributed energy resources by large power users. We begin our series of event presentations with the opening keynote from Joby Carlson, director of global sustainability, Walmart.
Houston drafts city climate action plan
The city of Houston released a draft of its city climate action plan on July 25 that calls for increasing the generation of renewable energy, greater investment in “green infrastructure” and expanding the use of alternative modes of transportation by making it easier for people to walk, ride their bikes and use public transit.
Apple leads corporate solar procurement
Apple was named the leading procurer of corporate solar in the U.S. in 2018 with nearly 400 MW of total installed capacity. Rounding out the top five were Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Google.
Ball Corp. signs for 161 MW of wind
Ball Corporation has signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 161 MW of the Frontier Windpower II project in Kay County, Okla. Full mobilization for construction for Frontier II will occur later this summer, and the wind project will be fully operational by December 2020.
Portland General Electric plans for RE
Portland General Electric Company (PGE) has presented a new integrated resource plan to the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) for approval. This plan focuses on adding more renewable power, capturing more energy efficiency, and strengthening partnerships with customers to help balance energy supply and demand during periods of peak energy use.
What presidential hopefuls can learn from the original “Climate Corps”
The 2020 presidential candidates are starting to introduce an array of proposals to fight climate change. In this column from EDF Climate Corps, Scott Wood offers advice on what is needed to advance climate-related initiatives.
The Home Depot reports 26% energy use reduction
The Home Depot® reported a 26% reduction of energy use by its U.S. stores in 2018 compared to 2010, ahead of its stated goal of 20%. Supply chain efficiencies implemented by the company reduced carbon dioxide intensity by 6% per dollar sold for the year.
AIG releases inaugural TCFD Report
American International Group, Inc. issued its first Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report and created a position of Chief Sustainability Officer to lead the development and implementation of a company-wide sustainability strategy. Jennifer Waldner has been appointed to fill this role.
Efficiency keeps pace with production at Skyworks
Skyworks Solutions, Inc., a producer of high-performance analog semiconductors, reported year-over-year savings of 72.700-megawatt hours in 2018, enough to power more than 6,000 homes for one year.
BD reports progress on 2020 goals
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, reached a 75% reduction in GHG emissions in 2018 from a baseline year of 2008, normalized to cost of products sold, well ahead of its 2020 target of 50%.
S&P Global ahead of 5-year GHG target
S&P Global has reduced its GHG emissions by 30% from 2013 to 2018, twice the rate of its 15% goal for that timeframe. The company also achieved a reduction in their Scope 1 & 2 emissions.
Black Hills Energy is renewable ready
Black Hills Energy announced the Wyoming Public Service Commission (WPSC) has approved its voluntary renewable energy subscription program, the Renewable Ready Service Tariff, which is aimed at large commercial and industrial businesses and governmental agencies.
Weekend reads: a Marshall Plan for climate change; Car-free city centers
It's the weekend! Kick back, stay cool and catch up with these can't-miss articles from around the web:
Pathways to a Successful Renewable Energy Aggregation: Building an Effective Aggregation Team
In the second installment of the 3Degrees blog series on aggregated renewable energy purchases, Erin Craig, VP, Energy and Climate Practice, explains the various factors involved in creating a highly effective aggregation team.
New York signs largest offshore wind deal
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo executed the nation's largest offshore wind agreement and the single largest renewable energy procurement by any state in U.S. history - nearly 1,700 megawatts -with the selection of two offshore wind projects.
Mitsubishi beats emissions targets
Mitsubishi Electric announced total CO2 emissions from production (GHG other than CO2 converted into CO2 mass) were reduced to 1.3 million tons in fiscal 2019, beating the target of 1.43 million tons. The reduction was attributed to measures such as the introduction of high-efficiency equipment and revised operations.
Crafting a decrease in energy usage
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), a leading craft brewing company, posted a decrease in their all-in electricity and gas usage, including breweries, pubs, and offices, of 2,759 Gigajoules in 2018 compared to 2017, with 16% of their energy coming from RECs,
Georgia Power forced to double RE
The Georgia Public Service Commission on July 16 finalized Georgia Power Company’s 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), increasing the required amount of renewable energy procurement to 2,210 megawatts, more than double the utility’s initial recommendation to add 1,000 megawatts by 2022.
Utility acquires Geronimo Energy
National Grid, an investor-owned utility, has completed its $100 million acquisition of Geronimo Energy, a leading wind and solar developer in North America. The acquisition was made through its competitive non-regulated unit, National Grid Ventures
Cargill, Bank of America to lead RE Sourcing Forum
Executives from Bank of America, Cargill, Philadelphia Energy Authority, and the City of Phoenix will lead the program for Smart Energy Decisions’ 2019 Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum, September 16-18 at the Ponte Vedra Beach Club & Inn, Po
Rite Aid highlights energy efficiency in first CSR report
Rite Aid announced it has installed LED lighting in nearly 20% of their stores and plans to add another 200 per year going forward. These installations have decreased annual electric consumption by 18 million kWh.
LevelTen to Host Webinar on Emerging Models for Corporate PPAs
The renewable energy industry is rapidly evolving to meet the needs of corporate buyers. On July 24, LevelTen Energy will host a webinar discussing how two new renewable energy procurement models - buyer aggregation and PPA portfolios – work in practice, not just in theory, with real-world examples
UDR announces target with 1st CR report
UDR, Inc. has set initial targets to reduce energy consumption by 15% between 2015 and 2025, procure 10% of common area electricity through renewable energy sources by 2025, and reduce water consumption intensity by 10% between 2015 and 2025.
QTS commits to 100% RE
QTS Realty Trust, a provider of hybrid colocation and mega-scale data center solutions in North America and Europe, announced its commitment to procure 100% of power from renewable energy sources by 2025. The company has also joined RE100.
Weekend reads: RE storage goes Rube Goldberg; Major fleets go green
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:
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.