Energy Management Articles
Weekend reads: Grocers go green to compete; World's largest solar plant
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:
General Mills lowers GHG emissions
General Mills' greenhouse gas emissions footprint decreased 13% in 2018 compared to 2010, across its value chain in the areas of agriculture, packaging, producing, shipping, converting, selling and consuming.
University of North Alabama modernizes to reduce energy costs
The University of North Alabama (UNA), announced a plan to cut energy costs 20% by the end of 2020 through the implementation of a capital recovery and reinvestment project to modernize its facilities, drive sustainability efforts and help the university reduce its energy consumption.
NJ manufacturer converts to solar energy
A manufacturing facility in Manalapan, New Jersey shared by Cary Compounds and S&A Molders has added a solar array featuring 1,566 monocrystalline high energy solar panels on a 140,000 sq. ft. roof.
Dell Technologies campus gets smarter
Dell Technologies will bring smart building technology to its campus in Hopkinton, Mass. with a project that will provide real-time monitoring, fault detection & diagnostics and ongoing monitoring-based commissioning for the 313,679 square foot building
Perry Ellis fashions new rooftop solar
Perry Ellis International, Inc. (PEI) announced the completion of a new 2,432-panel rooftop solar installation atop one of the company’s largest distribution centers, which is located in Seneca, South Carolina.
Whirlpool develops emissions management system.
Whirlpool has developed a new global emissions management system to improve transparency about product emissions as the company moves towards its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 30% from 2005 levels by 2025.
Starbucks teams up for local power in Texas
Starbucks Coffee Company, Cypress Creek Renewables, and U.S. Bank are teaming up on a portfolio of solar farms across Texas. As a part of the deal, two solar farms developed, built and now operated by Cypress Creek are providing enough energy for the equivalent of 360 Starbucks stores in Texas.
Solar Tax Credits Are Stepping Down Next Year: What Does This Mean for Corporate Solar Projects?
The U.S. solar industry is continuing to flourish with the help of the federal investment tax credit, otherwise known as the ITC. As this column from EnterSolar notes, this incentive has been a major part of solar project economics for the past decade, but changes are coming in 2020. Here is what you need to know about the ITC Step-Down, and how your company can maximize the monetary benefits of a solar project today.
Murphy Oil touts emissions reduction efforts
Murphy Oil Corporation has spent approximately $95 million from 2015 to 2018 on environmental expenditures in order to reduce GHG and other emissions. The company reported this investment with the release of its inaugural sustainability report
Top 3 corporate sustainability trends all business leaders should be watching in 2019
Last year, Daniel Hill of EDF Climate Corps identified top corporate sustainability trends and revisited these trends six months later. Now he's repeating the process for 2019.
Microsoft signs 5-year hydropower deal in WA
Microsoft Corp. announced new agreements to boost clean energy and connectivity in Washington state. The two agreements with Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD) will see Microsoft receive carbon-free electricity to power its Puget Sound campuses
University of Michigan signs PPA for 50% of campus power
The University of Michigan has committed to purchase approximately 200,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy annually beginning in 2021. The deal puts the University on track to reduce GHG emissions significantly by powering about half of the purchased electricity for the Ann Arbor campus with Michigan-sourced renewable resources.
Weekend reads: Vehicle-Grid integration is the key; London premieres ultra low emission zone
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:
2019 ENERGY STAR Award Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are honoring 183 ENERGY STAR partners for their outstanding contributions to public health and the environment.
Apple reveals new supplier clean energy commitments
Apple® announced it has nearly doubled the number of suppliers that have committed to run their Apple production on 100% clean energy, bringing the total number to 44. Because of this partnership between Apple and its suppliers, Apple will exceed its goal of bringing 4 gigawatts of renewable energy into its supply chain by 2020, with over an additional gigawatt projected within that timeframe.
Walmart reports Project Gigaton progress, offers emissions calculator
Walmart announced that in the first two years of Project Gigaton, the company’s suppliers have combined to avoid more than 93 million metric tons of emissions as they head toward the goal of one gigaton (1 billion metric tons) by 2030.
CooperVision eyes 100% RE, efficiency advancements
CooperVision, a manufacturer of soft contact lenses, has converted its three Rochester, N.Y.-area sites to 100% renewable electricity usage. The company began moving to electrical power using RECs two years ago in Rochester.
Hormel closes in on 50% RE with VPPA
Hormel Foods Corporation has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for wind energy. Through this and other initiatives, the company will be supplied by almost 50% renewable wind power.
Iron Mountain expands to 100% RE in Texas and Illinois
Iron Mountain Inc. announced new energy transactions in Texas and Illinois that will provide access to 100% renewable power for its facilities in both states. The deals amount to more than 25,000 MWh of green energy per year over the next three years
Innovation Summit Presentation: Delta Force - Driving Energy Efficiency at UVA
The University of Virginia is having a great year, winning both the NCAA championship AND the Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Award for Energy Efficiency Technology! In this recap from the 2019 Innovation Summit, Jesse Warren of UVA offers a detailed look at the Clark Hall project, one of Delta Force's biggest successes.
Limoneira raises the roof on solar energy
Limoneira Company, a diversified citrus packing, selling and marketing company with related agribusiness activities and real estate development operations, announced the unveiling of the Company’s latest solar project, a solar array on the roof of its new packinghouse in Santa Paula, California.
Ameren Missouri offers C&I demand response program
Ameren Missouri has signed an exclusive agreement with Enel X to deliver 100 MW of demand response resources from the utility’s commercial and industrial (C&I) customers for the 2019 - 2021 program period. Customers participating in the program can earn payments for committing to reduce their electricity consumption temporarily during peak load times.
Amazon delivers three new RE projects
Amazon.com announced three new renewable energy projects as part of its long-term goal to power all Amazon Web Services (AWS) global infrastructure with renewable energy. These projects – one in Ireland, one in Sweden, and one in the U.S. – will deliver more than 229 MW of wind-generated energy.
Hawaii airport completes solar installation
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announced the completion of the installation of 2,980 additional photovoltaic panels on the 5th floor of the Terminal 2 (formerly the Overseas Terminal) garage at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
Aurora Public Schools Energy Management System
Aurora Public Schools (APS), which serves 40,000 students across 63 schools, has a goal to reduce energy usage by 10% by 2023. Knowing they needed to step up their efforts to reach that goal, APS decided to implement an energy information system (EIS). This case study follows the journey taken by APS and successes achieved.
Weekend reads: Energy Star shines; Utilities drive towards EV charging
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:
Innovation Summit Presentation: The Evolution of Sustainable Operations at Bloomberg
Continuing our recap of the 2019 Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Summit, we present "The Evolution of Sustainable Operations at Bloomberg" from Michael Barry, global head of sustainable business operations. Barry discusses Bloomberg's efforts around sustainability and energy efficiency and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and building a business case to support sustainability efforts.
Corning signs PPA for solar at Oneonta plant
Corning Incorporated announced it is building a solar array at its Corning Life Sciences (CLS) facility in Oneonta, New York, the company’s first solar project in New York state and 11th worldwide.
Renewable energy = one-third of global power capacity
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) announced an annual increase of 7.9% for 2018 of global renewable energy capacity, bolstered by new additions from solar and wind energy. Globally, total renewable energy generation capacity reached 2,351 GW at the end of last year – around a third of total installed electricity capacity.