Commercial | Page 137

AgroFresh's SmartFresh food-waste reduction initiative has improved the sustainability of the apple supply chain by taking more than 8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the system, the company announced June 20.

After reducing its carbon emissions more than 50% percent, Best Buy is committing to its next goal: decreasing its own emissions 75% from a 2017 baseline and helping consumers reduce their carbon emissions by 20% and save $5 billion on utility costs by 2030.

The city council of Des Moines approved an ordinance that will require nearly 800 building in the city to report their energy and water usage. The ordinance, passed by a 5-2 vote, will require all City of Des Moines buildings, commercial buildings, and multi-family buildings over 25,000 square feet to participate.

Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. reduced energy consumption by 8% through 2018, on the way to a goal of 15% by 2025. The company also hit a 9% reduction in GHG emissions for the year, in this case heading towards 15% by 2018.

Cargill announced it has decreased CO2 output per cargo-tonne-mile by 12.1% in 2018 compared with a 2016 baseline, as the company heads towards a goal of cutting 15% by 2020.

Summer heat, rising demand, and tightening supply increase the price risk for electricity consumers this summer. This white paper from NRG Energy shows both the challenges and opportunities for Texas businesses as a hot summer can encourage refocused energy planning for a smart energy future.

The 2019 Progress Report from Better Building highlights the accomplishments of the 900+ partners working with the Better Buildings Initiative to share and replicate positive gains in energy efficiency while also creating jobs and increasing market competitiveness in the commercial, industrial, government, and residential sectors.

Walmart and Electrify America announced that more than 120 plus ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now operational and open to the public at Walmart stores in 34 states across the U.S.

To enjoy an energy efficient building, your overall strategy must address two different areas of energy efficiency: the regular routine (automation) and the irregular (anomalies). In this column, Sal Alhelo of JCPenney warns that addressing only one of these two areas - or worse, applying the same strategy to both - means you are likely wasting energy.

Union Pacific’s utility conservation projects reduced energy consumption by 3.1 million kWh in 2018, which is enough to annually power more than 280 U.S. homes. The company reported that many conservation projects were employee-driven solutions such as retrofitting lights with LED bulbs and upgrading air compressor systems.