Energy Management Articles
University of Illinois to add second solar farm
The University of Illinois (UI) plans to add a second solar farm that is expected to help the campus meet its goal of generating 5% of its energy needs from renewable sources as part of the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCap). The existing solar installation currently generates about 2% of campus use.
Bank of America commits to long-term RECs
Bank of America will purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated from the first commercial integrated solar-wind hybrid power generation project in the U.S., to be built in Minnesota.
Martha’s Vineyard to modernize with microgrids
The Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority is implementing a plan to modernize its public transit system. The agency is currently replacing its fleet of 33 diesel buses with battery electric models
Collaborative Offsite PPA Structures for Renewable Energy Buyers
This white paper, presented by Schneider Electric, introduces the fundamental concepts of PPAs, examines the opportunities and challenges presented by collaborative smaller sized or aggregated transaction, and provides practical recommendations for buyers interested in pursuing these types of PPA structures.
Ohio trucking terminal adds microgrid
Pitt Ohio, a regional trucking and logistics company, will deploy a renewable energy microgrid at its trucking terminal in Parma, Ohio. The microgrid uses solar, wind power and battery-based energy storage to optimize on-site power and distribution for cost and reliability
University of Kansas signs wind PPA
The University of Kansas has signed a 20-year wind PPA to cover roughly 100% of its electricity needs. The agreement, signed with Westar Energy, will provide the campus with 31 MW from the 300-MW Soldier Creek Wind farm, which is expected to begin operations by the end of 2020.
Weekend reads: Green New Deal gains momentum; Beijing turns to solar
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy articles from around the web:
SED’s Distributed Energy Forum premieres in 2019
In response to growing interest in Distributed Energy Resources (DER) among corporate and institutional energy buyers, Smart Energy Decisions has announced the launch of an innovative new event focused on helping large electric power users understand the opportunity and offer a roadmap for success in the adoption of DER.
Chattanooga airport first to hit 100% solar
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport will become the first in the U.S. to run on 100% solar power.
University of Pittsburgh turns to hydropower
The University of Pittsburgh announced that starting in 2022, 25% of its electricity will be purchased from a new hydropower plant currently under construction five miles from campus. The announcement is part of the University’s plan to get the research institution to 50% renewable power by 2030.
Partners HealthCare adds fuel cell system
Partners HealthCare, an integrated health system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will deploy 4.1 megawatts of fuel cell-based energy systems at locations throughout Massachusetts.
The Invisible Enemy of Energy Management Programs (And 5 Steps to Beat it)
The efficiency you get out of your building today is rarely what your building is capable of. In this column, Sal Alhelo of JCPenney discusses the issue of efficiency degradation and how to avoid it in five steps.
Disneyland Paris considers solar plant
Disneyland Paris is considering building a solar power plant that would supply 15% of the electricity load for its site on the outskirts of the city.
200 MW solar allocated to Facebook data center
Facebook’s new data center in Newton County, Ga. will be supplied with 100% renewable energy, courtesy of contracts with two solar developers for three new solar projects.
Xcel Energy targets zero-carbon electricity by 2050
Xcel Energy announced it will deliver 100% carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. The Minneapolis-based energy provider also plans to reduce carbon emissions in the eight states it serves by 80% by 2030 from 2005 levels in the eight states it serves.
Lowe’s signs first RE agreement
Lowe’s has signed the company’s first renewable wind energy agreement. The deal calls for 100 megawatts of wind, which is enough to power all 143 Lowe’s stores in Texas.
Shell to link pay to interim targets
Shell announced plans to link executive pay to the meeting of its energy targets, one of a series of steps aimed to help meet their target to reduce the company’s net carbon footprint by around half by 2050, including an interim target of around 20% by 2035.
Stanford signs PPA to hit 100% RE
Stanford University has signed a 25-year PPA for solar energy that will allow the campus to achieve its goal to source 100% of its campus electricity from renewable energy.
Weekend reads: Could RE + storage reach 90% of grid?; On-campus energy efficiency
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read energy articles from around the web:
A Battery Storage System Can Be The Perfect Complement to Your New Solar PPA
This column by EDF Renewables North America asks, what do you do with too much of a good thing—namely an oversupply of cheap solar during daylight hours? The answer could be battery storage systems.
Wesleyan continues comittment to energy efficiency
Wesleyan University has signed a three-year agreement with Eversource Energy for an energy efficiency plan that is expected to save 3.2 million kWh of electricity annually and support the University’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
IKEA pledges 80% GHG cut
IKEA announced on Nov. 30 a pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its production by 80 percent in absolute terms by 2030 from a baseline of 2016. The commitment applies to IKEA’s own factories and most of its direct suppliers.
ExxonMobil signs for 500MW of wind, solar
ExxonMobil Corp. has signed two 12-year agreements to purchase 500 megawatts of wind and solar power from Orsted A/S. The power will be used by Exxon in the Permian Basin, located in west Texas and southeast New Mexico, which is the fastest growing oil field in the U.S.
Arsenal FC adds battery storage to stadium
Arsenal Football Club has installed a battery storage system at Emirates Stadium in London. The 3MW system will store enough energy to run the stadium for 90 minutes, the length of a match. The system is the largest at any sports ground in the UK.
Swarm Logic unlocks HVAC energy savings
This white paper, presented by Encycle Corporation, provides insight into Swarn Logic®, a patented cloud-based system that maximizes the efficiency of multi-rooftop units (RTUs), especially across multiple locations, by creating a network of smart RTUs .
Starbucks signs agreement for wind power in Illinois
Starbucks has signed a long-term agreement with Constellation, an Exelon company, to power more than 340 company-operated stores in Illinois with 100% renewable energy. The energy will be sourced from Enel Green Power North America’s HillTopper wind project, located in Logan County, Ill.
Smithfield Foods harnesses hog power
Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Dominion Energy announced a joint venture called Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)℠ that will capture methane emissions from hog farms and convert them into clean renewable energy for residential home heating and power for local businesses.
Equinix plots energy efficiency for new data center
Equinix announced it will build a new International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center at its Slough campus in London. The data center, called LD7, will provide interconnection and colocation to businesses to support their IT transformation
Canada offers tax write-off for C&I RE
Canada has announced a new policy that offers a full tax write-off to businesses adopting clean energy solutions. The tax break will be counted for the fiscal year in which the renewable energy system is commissioned.
Energy Storage Helps an Ontario Food Manufacturer Take Control of Electricity Costs
This case study, presented by Enel X, breaks down how Algoma Orchards leverages energy storage and DER optimization software to transition its facility’s load on and off the grid automatically and seamlessly—reducing energy spend without disrupting site-level productivity at the facility.
