Energy Management Articles
Volvo Cars invests in EV tech
Volvo Cars continued its commitment to the expansion of the electric vehicle market on Oct. 24 when it acquired a stake in a San Fransisco-based electric car charging company.
University of New Mexico engineering center wins efficiency award
The University of New Mexico's Farris Engineering Center won the New Mexico Association of Energy Engineers' Energy Project of the Year award following a $26 million renovation project focusing on sustainability and energy efficiency.
Self-storage facilities switch entire portfolio to LED
National Storage Affiliates Trust plans to convert its entire portfolio of self-storage facilities to LED lighting to cut down energy costs, one of its largest operating expenses, by reducing energy consumption.
RESF Fall Presentation: Shell's Sky Scenario
Smart Energy Decision's Fall Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum featured presentations addressing the theme of creating and executing RE strategies. Here is the first in a series of these presentations, "Shell's Sky Scenario: Meeting the Goals of the Paris Agreement"
Nestle Waters uses wind to power Texas facilities
Nestlé Waters North America will start to power over 50% of its manufacturing and distribution facilities in Texas with clean energy supplied by a local wind farm through a renewable energy agreement signed with ENGIE Resources on Oct. 22.
Amazon UK implements solar, battery storage projects
Amazon is continuing its 100% renewable energy goal by installing large-scale rooftop solar panels on 10 of its UK fulfillment centers alongside rolling out a battery storage installation, the company announced on Oct. 16.
Weekend reads: Google graphs data centers; EVs conquer Antarctica
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read stories from around the web:
San Diego Zoo Global adds onsite battery storage
San Diego Zoo Global will add a new storage project featuring a 1 MW battery to mitigate spike in usage to lower demand charges. The system will also minimize energy costs by recharging the battery when energy is at its lowest available rates
City of Lincoln retrofits to LED
The City of Lincoln, Neb. will undertake a city-wide street lighting retrofit project that will improve the city’s safety and sustainability efforts while reducing its utility budget by 38%.
Reader study: Smart Energy Decisions is #1
Reader preference for Smart Energy Decisions is extraordinary. From most valuable to accuracy and reliability to first choice among industry media, Smart Energy Decisions is #1.
Walmart and Cargill join for wind VPPA
Cargill and Walmart are sharing the offtake of a new wind farm in South Dakota. Walmart first announced an agreement in April to purchase 150MW of wind power from Geronimo Energy’s 200MW Crocker Wind Farm. Cargil followed on October with the announcement of a 12-year VPPA for the remaining 50MW of the project.
Iron Mountain moves towards goal with wind PPA
Iron Mountain Inc., a storage and information management services company, announced on October 17 the signing of a 15-year PPA for 145 MW of new wind energy from the Pretty Prairie Wind Farm, located in Reno County, KS.
Climbing the Corporate (Renewable Procurement) Ladder
This white paper, presented by EDF Renewables, compares the process of procuring renewable energy to climbing a ladder. But how tall a ladder will you need? What steps do you need to take to get to the top?
Sony moves up RE goal
Sony Corporation has announced a new target for its commitment to using 100% renewable electricity. Just one month after announcing a 2040 target, the company moved the target to 2040.
GM is 100% clean in Arlington
General Motors announced that its Arlington Assembly plant will now run on 100% clean wind energy following the recent opening of the Cactus Flats Wind Farm. The company also announced that the facility earned a place on the EPA’s Top 100 List of the largest green power users.
Walmart announces trio of wind PPAs
Walmart has signed three PPAs for a total of 223 megawatts of wind power. These agreements will enable the construction of three new utility-scale wind farms in the states of Illinois and Indiana.
Royal Caribbean adds a gust of windpower
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced it has signed a PPA with Southern Power for its 200-megawatt Reading Wind Facility. This initiative will offset up to 12% of Royal Caribbean's emissions beginning in 2020.
Microsoft signs PPA for Big Level wind
Microsoft Corp. has signed a 15-year PPA for the 90-megawatt Big Level wind facility now under construction in Hector Township, Pennsylvania. The Big Level wind facility is Microsoft’s third PPA in the PJM Interconnection and will bring the com
2019 Innovation Awards open for nominations
The Smart Energy Decisions 2019 Innovation Awards program is now accepting nominations.
Weekend reads: Amazon vs. Big Oil; Cities embrace RE
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy articles from around the web:
Green Lease Leaders: Using the Lease to Drive Innovation and Clean Energy
With a green, high-performance lease, landlords and tenants can better work together to save billions of dollars and lock in smarter, more efficient operation of buildings. This report by IMT and Better Buildings Alliance, highlights companies that are enabling sustainability investments via their lease clauses.
Port of Long Beach to add microgrid
The Port of Long Beach in the city of Long Beach, California has signed a contract for a new microgrid that will enable critical energy resilience.
Solar comes to the (Bose) mountain
Bose Corporation has signed a 20-year PPA for a 1.7-megawatt solar installation on the southern hillside of its headquarters in Framingham, Mass, commonly known as 'The Mountain."
EPA hits pause on Energy Star updates
The Environmental Protection Agency is pausing plans to update its Energy Star program, which rates the energy efficiency of office and industrial buildings, following complaints by large property owners.
New York funds $40 million for solar-plus-storage
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on October 10 that $40 million will be made available in November for commercial and industrial (C&I) solar-storage projects, including community solar gardens. The incentives are designed to accelerate progress toward New York's energy storage target of 1,500-megawatts by 2025.
Clif Bar adds region’s largest solar system
Clif Bar Baking Company announced the start of construction on a new solar system at its Twin Falls, Idaho location. The two-megawatt system, including five acres of solar panels, will be installed on a portion of the property that includes parking structures and a pollinator garden.
IKEA features largest solar array in Illinois
IKEA announced the opening on Oct. 10 of a 1.25-million-square-foot distribution center in Joiliet, Illinois, 48 miles southwest of Chicago. The facility features a 268,920-square-foot solar array built with 9,036 solar panels, currently the largest in Illinois.
GM gains more wind power in Ohio
General Motor’s latest source of wind energy was officially opened on Oct. 8 at Northwest Ohio Wind, a 105-megawatt project that will generate clean energy for General Motors for at least the next 15 years.
Massachusetts, California lead in energy efficiency
The 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) shows Massachusetts and California as leading the country, with New Jersey as most improved.
RE Sourcing Forum Wrap-Up: A Collaboration-Driven Model
Smart Energy Decisions’ Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum’s fall event focused on the theme of collaboration as interest in renewable energy continues to expand. In addition to more traditional large energy buyers from commercial and industrial companies, new market entrants, including representative of cities and higher education, attended the event to interact and learn from their more experienced peers.
