Energy Management Articles
Michigan’s first rooftop solar + storage premieres
Michigan’s first-ever rooftop solar array and battery storage system has begun operation at the Bridge Street Market and adjoining buildings within Circuit West, a 13-block district of Grand Rapids. The system includes nearly 1,800 solar panels accompanied nearby by a 500-kilowatt battery.
IKEA to open in VA with solar and EV
IKEA announced that its future Norfolk, Virginia store will be equipped with solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations when it opens this spring. This installation will represent the 56th solar project for IKEA in the U.S.
Facebook secures solar with back-to-back VPPA
Facebook has secured approximately 80 megawatts of solar power for its data centers through a VPPA signed by Digital Realty, which signed the deal with SunEnergy1, which has developed and will own and operate the solar project
What to Expect from Energy Markets in 2019
The energy markets are complex, and it can be difficult for large energy consumers to monitor the constantly changing energy world to determine how activity in the market could affect them. In their annual energy market outlook, Enel X North America’s Intelligence and Analytics team breaks down what large energy consumers need to know about the major developments set to take place in 2019.
Google signs its first clean energy deal in Asia
Google has signed a long-term PPA to purchase the output of a 10-megawatt solar array, part of a larger solar farm, in Tainan City, Taiwan, to power a data center located about 60 miles away in Changhua County. This represents the company’s first clean energy agreement in Asia.
Del Monte reports 18% reduction in carbon footprint
Del Monte Foods has reduced its carbon footprint by 185 from FY2016 to FY 2017. The announcement was made with the release of the company’s first sustainability report.
Brown to offset 100% campus electricity
Brown University announced agreements for two renewable energy projects that are expected to produce enough combined solar and wind power to offset all on-campus electricity use.
Madison College hosts WI’s largest rooftop solar
Madison College in Wisconsin has completed the installation of a 1.4 MW rooftop solar system at the Truax Campus’ main building, which the college calls Wisconsin’s largest such installation.
Gulfstream sets record using renewable fuel
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. used sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) to power a record-breaking flight by its super-midsize Gulfstream G280 aircraft. The Savannah-to-Van Nuys, California, journey covered 2,243 nautical miles/4,154 kilometers in 4 hours and 49 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.85.
Weekend reads: UPS & Amazon's last mile; NY's green deal
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
Webinar replay: Trends in Community Solar w/an Update on Illinois
This webinar, sponsored by Clearway Energy Group, presents a discussion of community solar, one of the fastest growing segments of the industry. The concept of subscribing to a neighborhood solar farm is appealing to both public and private entities
10 Corning facilities exceed energy efficiency goals
Corning Incorporated announced that its global manufacturing plans reduced energy intensity by up to 52.4% and that 10 of its global manufacturing facilities increased energy efficiency by at more than 10% in five years or less
Google plots 1.6 million solar panels in TN and AL
Google announced a deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to purchase 413 megawatts of power generated by 1.6 million solar panels from several solar farms, which will be used to power two new, energy-efficient data center campuses currently being built in Tennessee and Alabama.
Bloomberg, Salesforce, The Gap and others aggregate for VPPA
Bloomberg, Cox Enterprises, Gap Inc., Salesforce, and Workday have joined forces to collectively purchase 42.5 megawatts of a 100-megawatt North Carolina solar project as the Corporate Renewable Energy Aggregation Group.
Florida Power & Light plans to make FL solar leader
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) announced a “30-by-30” plan to install more than 30 million solar panels by 2030, making the state of Florida a world leader in the production of solar energy.
Green Lease Leaders: Using the Lease to Galvanize Landlord-Tenant Engagement and Higher Performing Buildings
The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Buildings Alliance’ Green Lease Leaders series looks at looks at Green Lease Leader designees that have successfully implemented effective tenant engagement strategies into their green leases and overall operations.
Clean energy investment exceeds $300B for 5th year
Global clean energy investment reached $332.1 billion in 2018, the fifth year in a row to top $300 billion despite an 8% decline from 2017.
Three Rivers Community College completes energy upgrade
Three Rivers Community College, located in Norwich, Conn., announced the completion of a facility-wide upgrade of its interior lighting. The upgrade led to a rebate of $95,018 from Norwich Public Utilities (NPU).
YMCA of NY adds new energy platform
The YMCA of Greater New York plans to reduce energy consumption across 21 branches through a $750,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Remote Energy Manager (REM) program.
Shell adds microgrid to Technology Center
Shell’s Technology Center in Houston has installed a microgrid to power part of the 200-acre campus while also serving as a research tool for Shell International Exploration & Production Company, Inc.’s work to explore the next generation clean power and distributed energy technologies.
City of Boston's improved energy management process
With nearly 4,000 utility accounts across more than a dozen different municipal departments as well as a need to leverage more granular data, the City of Boston needed a plan to improve their energy management processes. This column from Better Buildings reviews Boston's programmatic overhaul to how energy data was collected, analyzed, and reported, leading to the creation of real-time energy meter dashboards and recovering over $1.2 million in identified utility billing errors.
IBM sets next generation goals
IBM has announced a second-generation renewable electricity procurement goal and a fourth-generation GHG emissions reduction goal to cover the energy consumption and corresponding CO2 emissions associated with the company’s global businesses.
Volkswagen commits $800 million to build EVs in TN
Volkswagen AG announced it will invest $800 million in its Chattanooga, Tennessee facility to develop and build new electric vehicles. EV production at the site will begin in 2022.
Weekend reads: EIA says solar, wind to dominate; AOC & the Green New Deal
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
Top 10 Utility Regulation Trends
As we move into 2019, let’s check in on the top public utility commission (PUC) actions and trends of the past year. Ten prominent trends and actions stand out above the rest, from renewables continuing their downward price trajectory, to electric vehicle charging infrastructure build-outs getting approved, to exploration of utility business model reforms and non-wires alternatives to traditional distribution investments.
Boston buses go electric
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has ordering 194 electric-hybrid buses to help the state reduce emissions and noise pollution on its transit bus routes.
Five cities added to Climate Challenge
Albuquerque, Austin, Denver, Orlando, and San Antonio have been announced as the final winners in the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge. These five cities complete the twenty-five total winning cities in the challenge, joining the twenty others previously announced.
Toyota and Kenworth collaborate on zero emission trucks
Toyota Motor North America announced it is collaborating with Kenworth Truck Company to develop 10 zero-emission Kenworth T680s powered by Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains. The vehicles, which will have a range of more than 300 miles under norman drayage operating conditions will transport cargo across the Los Angeles basin
Wistar Institute adds energy control solution
The Wistar Institute, a biomedical science facility, has implemented a new energy management system that provides new access to data to help reduce energy use and costs and provide a better working environment.
Optimizing Solar, Storage, and a Fuel Cell for a Brooklyn Apartment Complex
As one of the most energy-intensive urban environments in the world, New York City faces a significant challenge in maintaining reliable access to power during periods of high demand for electricity. This case study, presented by Enel X, showcases how an apartment complex in Brooklyn integrates distributed energy resources to improve access to independent power while reducing energy spend and maximizing incentive earning.
