Energy Management Articles
Kona brews solar-plus-battery storage project
The Kona Brewing Company has signed a 20-year PPA with Holu Energy, a subsidiary of EnSync, Inc. to build a solar-plus-battery storage system at the beer company's new brewery, under construction in Kailua Kona. The system, expected to be online in 2019, will meet one-quarter of the brewery’s electricity need and will allow the company to produce a peak output of 6,875 cans of sun-powered beer per hour.
Facebook signs wind PPA in Indiana
Facebook has signed a 15-year PPA for 139 MW of power from the Headwaters II Wind Farm in Randolph County, Indiana. The wind farm, operated by EDP Renewables, SA, produces a total of 200 MW and is expected to be operational in 2020.
UPS partners on electric delivery truck
UPS announced a collaboration with Thor Trucks, Inc., to develop and test a fully-electric medium-duty delivery truck in Los Angeles. The truck, which will have a driving range of approximately 100 miles powered by a Thor-designed and built battery, is expected to be ready for deployment later this year.
Case Study: Bloomberg—From RECs to RE100!
This case study, presented by Edison Energy, powered by Altenex, details the renewables efforts made by Bloomberg L.P. — from their initial procurement of RECs in 2007 to a commitment to source 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
J.M. Smucker signs wind PPA
J.M. Smucker announced on August 1 that it has signed a long-term PPA with Lincoln Clean Energy (LCE) for 60 megawatts (MW) of the utility-scale 230 MW Plum Creek Wind Project in Wayne County, Nebraska. Starting in 2020, the wind energy produced from this project will cover approximately 50% of Smucker's total electricity use.v
Detroit Lions score with solar
The Detroit Lions have added solar-powered lights to the parking garage at their Ford Field home as well as their training facility in Allen Park, representing their first foray into solar energy as part of the team’s ongoing sustainability efforts.
Levi Strauss targets 100% RE, supply chain goals
Levi Strauss & Co. announced on July 31 a new climate action strategy, which includes a 100% renewable electricity target in company-owned facilities, a 90% reduction in GHG emissions in all owned-and-operated facilities, and a 40% reduction in GHG emissions in its supply chain, all by 2025.
Honda rolls out SmartCharge beta
Honda has introduced a new SmartCharge™ beta program to Honda Fit EV customers as a way to permit these customers to charge their vehicle when electricity demand is low and when the availability of renewable energy is high.
RESF Presentation: Fifth Third Bank - 100% Renewable with a Single Solar PPA
Fifth Third Bank and Schneider Electric's presentation on "Fifth Third Bank’s bold entry into RE sourcing" was a highlight of Smart Energy Decisions' recent Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum Spring event.
Solar sings at Miami concert venue
The amphitheater at Bayfront Park, a downtown Miami performing arts venue, will add a ring of solar panels and a retractable roof following approval by the Miami City Commission for a no-bid, 25-year contract to Florida Power & Light for the project.
Trinseo reports 24% GHG reduction
Trinseo, the global manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber, announced it has achieved a number of notable reductions in its environmental footprint from 2011 to 2017, including a 24% decline in GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled by the company
Weekend reads: Shaving peaks, saving bucks; Mine is bigger
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
Wind Catcher canceled
American Electric Power (AEP) announced on July 27 that it has canceled the $4.5 billion, 2000-megawatt Wind Catcher project, which would have created the largest wind farm in the U.S.
Michigan adds PACE energy efficiency projects
Roberts Riverwalk Urban Resort Hotel in Detroit and the Liquid Web Data Center in Lansing are each beginning new energy-efficiency projects through the Lean and Green Michigan program, funded by Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE.
BlueScope signs Australia’s largest solar PPA
Australian manufacturer BlueScope Steel announced a seven-year PPA to offtake 66% of the 133MW of energy generated from ESCO Pacific’s Finley Solar Farm. This represents 20% of BlueScope’s total Australian electricity purchases.
Yum! Brands restaurants go green
Yum! Brands announced that more than one-third of their new restaurants are meeting the requirements of the company’s Green Building efforts that provide guidelines for reducing energy and water consumption and constructing buildings to leave a smaller footprint.
White paper: Reinventing Electrical Resiliency - Power Failure and Your Business
This white paper, presented by Enchanted Rock, begins with the warning that as the electric grid becomes more vulnerable to disturbances, organizations must be able to endure, minimize, and recover from disruptive power outages.
Fujitsu accelerates RE use to achieve Vision
Fujitsu announced that it has set a goal of sourcing 100% of the electricity consumed at its group locations, both inside and outside of Japan, from renewable sources by 2050, with an intermediate goal of 40% by 2030. The company has also joined The Climate Group’s RE100 initiative.
Honolulu airport installs solar carport
The Honolulu airport will install an array featuring 4,260 solar modules atop a new carport on the roof of its Terminal 1 parking garage in a project that aligns with the state’s goal to reach 100% renewable energy by 2045.
General Motors revamps lighting for efficiency
Efforts to reduce lighting-related energy consumption have brought General Motors closer to its goal of reducing energy and carbon intensity by 20% from a 2010 baseline by 2020 and have generated more than $3 million in annual energy cost savings
Goodyear reports energy intensity, GHG reductions
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company reported a 15% reduction in manufacturing energy intensity and a 20% reduction in GHG emissions in 2017 compared to its 2010 baseline. Results were released as part of the company’s 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report.
Case Study: Cargill's 20+ Years of Setting & Achieving Energy Savings Goals
This case study by the Alliance for Industrial Efficiency documents the process taken by Cargill, a leading provider of food and agricultural products and services, in setting energy efficiency goals.
Daimler, Penske, NFI partner for electric fleet innovation
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced that Penske Truck Leasing and NFI, a supply chain solutions provider, have agreed to partner in operating the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet of eCascadia™ heavy-duty trucks
AT&T drives towards 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles
AT&T announced plans to reach 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles on the road by the end of this year.
Weekend reads: Microsoft data center tests batteries; Croatia takes the (energy) lead
It's the weekend! Kick back and relax with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
BB&T announces investment for energy reduction
BB&T Corporation announced it will invest more than $40 million in 1,200 of its facilities with the goal of decreasing energy and water consumption. The company also set new corporate sustainability targets of reducing energy consumption by 25% and water consumption by 10% over the next five years.
Tiffin University adds 240-kW rooftop solar array
Tiffin University in Ohio announced construction will begin on its first rooftop solar project. Located at the University’s Heminger Center, the solar array will feature 705 panels constructed on 14,000 square feet of rooftop space.
Webinar: Walmart's Project Gigaton - Driving RE in the supply chain
Walmart's Project Gigaton is a bold global initiative that best exemplifies the emerging dynamic of supply chain initiatives as an important growth engine for renewable energy sourcing.
Fordham University benefits from largest NYC solar array
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced on July 18 the completion of the largest solar system installed in New York City, located in Staten Island. The 3.1-megawatt solar array will offset a large portion of the electricity used by Fordham University and Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx.
IKEA powers largest rooftop solar project in Wisconsin
IKEA has installed a solar array on top its new 290,000-square-foot store in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The 1.6-megawatt array is expected to provide between 20% and 50% of the power needed for the store, producing more than 2 million kilowatts of electricity annually.
