in this issue: may 1-15, 2012 e 2011...martifer solar panels using saint-gobain’ssingle-piece...
TRANSCRIPT
In this issue: May 1-15, 2012 e 2011
Issue 15• May 17, 2012
Latest sustainability & environmental management developments
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EL Trends: May 1-15, 2012
Contents: ENERGY MANAGEMENT 3 COMPLIANCE & STANDARDS 5 ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY SOFTWARE 10 CORPORATE REPORTS 11 POLICY & ENFORCEMENT 12 FLEETS & TRANSPORTATION 19 GREEN BUILDING 22 EXECUTIVE MOVES 23 WATER MANAGEMENT 25 WASTE & RECYCLING 26 RENEWABLE ENERGY 26 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY 28 RANKINGS 30
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Energy Management Major electronics manufacturers may drop out of Energy Star because of the EPA’s third-party testing requirements, according to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek. The Consumer Electronics Association, whose members include Apple and Sony, says “unilateral” changes in January 2011, requiring third-party lab tests of products’ energy usage, are too expensive.
The Benjamin and five other Manhattan boutique hotels can expect upwards of 30 percent energy savings by using Telkonet’s EcoSmart energy management platform, according to the technology developer. Denihan Hospitality Group selected the cloud-based system for The Benjamin, Affinia Gardens, Affinia Dumont, Affinia Shelburne and Affinia 50.
Switch Lighting unveiled 40, 60, 75, and 100 watt-equivalent lamps and the SWITCH3-Way, a 25/50/75 watt-equivalent LED incandescent replacement A-Lamp for use in three way fixtures. The EMerge Alliance announced the addition of six new members: GVA Lighting, Amatis Controls, PolyBrite International, SRI North America, Power Sources Manufacturers Association and Penn State University. WAC Lighting unveiled a commercial grade outdoor wall sconce that casts light up and down. The die-cast aluminum constructed sconce is designed with a regressed LED light source and a 35-degree cut-off angle that provide consistent glare-free, shadowless illumination, the company says. Lighting Science Group launched its Forefront line of architectural luminaires. Forefront lights are available in area, flood, highbay, pedestrian and wall variations. The line is also the first to use Lighting Science Group’s occupancy sensing technology PixelView. Cirrus Logic Inc. introduced its second family of digital LED controllers with digital TruDim dimmer compatibility technology. The new CS163X family provides two-channel LED color mixing capabilities allowing LED bulb manufacturers to more efficiently create warm, natural-style light, while also lowering the cost barrier for two-channel LED retrofit bulbs.
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GlacialLight has launched the GL-PL0312 LED Panel Light. The high-efficiency 58W LED panel is designed to replace older, less-efficient light panels. Its key advantages are reduced power costs, long life, and low heat, the company says. Lunera Lighting Inc. has released a 110 lumen per watt recessed troffer that the company says delivers efficient, natural light to a variety of general lighting applications. The Series 22 luminaire supports multiple lumen packages and is robust enough to deliver up to 8000 lumens. Lumenergi, a provider of network-controlled lighting energy management networks, extended its product line with Room Solution, which brings Lumenergi’s intelligent lighting control network down to small spaces. The Empire State Building unveiled plans to install an external lighting system that will use 75 percent less energy than its predecessor. LED surgery lights, HVAC systems and improved facility design, among other technologies, can cut large hospitals’ energy costs in half, according to the Department of Energy’s Advanced Energy Design Guide for Large Hospitals. Central Hudson Gas & Electric is implementing a commercial lighting program, under a four-year contract with Lime Energy Co. that aims to complete 5,000 energy efficiency projects. National Grid, PacifiCorp, PPL, TXU Energy and Chattanooga EPB yesterday committed to provide more than 8 million businesses and households with easy access to their energy use data with the click of an online Green Button, the White House said. International Rectifier introduced a family of ultra-compact uIPM power modules for high efficiency appliance and light industrial applications including compressor drives for refrigeration, pumps for heating and water circulation, air-conditioning fans, dishwashers, and automation systems.
Panoramic Power launched its P3E device-level energy management system for commercial and industrial properties. The cloud-based system generates real-time alerts on buildings’ energy efficiency, and enables users to reduce energy costs and identify operations and maintenance issues such as equipment malfunctions before a major problem occurs, the company says.
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Pepco Energy Services will save Delaware Technical Community College more than $9 million in energy costs by installing more than $7 million in energy conservation measures at the college’s Wilmington, Stanton, Terry and Owens campuses, according to the company.
Compliance & Standards The American Wind Energy Association’s Windpower 2012 Conference & Exhibition in Atlanta next month will be the first North American event to earn the WindMade label for events 100 percent powered by wind energy.
Epson and Neenah Paper announced that two Epson inkjet printers with Neenah inkjet Kimdura labels for harsh environments achieved International Maritime Dangerous Goods BS 5609 certification, a GHS standard for chemical labeling. The joint offering marks the world’s first BS 5609-certified solution using color inkjet printing technology.
Samsung and Qualcomm have joined other technology leaders – Ever Win International, Gill Industries, Peiker Acustic, Powermat Technologies, and SK Telecom — to form the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) to promote global standardization of a wireless power transfer technology.
Icom North America, a manufacturer of liquid-injection propane vehicle systems, received eight new EPA certifications for its JTG II Propane Liquid Injection bi-fuel systems. The new certifications cover all Ford E-Series vans, Expeditions, Crown Victorias, Lincoln Town Cars and Navigators.
ClimateMaster’s geothermal heat pumps from the Trilogytm 40 series are the first geothermal heat pumps certified by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute to exceed a 40 Energy Efficiency Ratio and 50 EER at ground-water test conditions.
Computer technology manufacturer AMAX earned ISO 14001 EMS certification for US manufacturing operations, as well as China Compulsory Certified and TL9000 Certifications for safety and quality at its China operations, AMAX said.
Dubai-based Drydocks World and Maritime World was re-certified to ISO 14000/1 by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). The shipyard also has initiated two programs to ensure workplace safety, the firm said.
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Packaging and business consumables supplier Woodway UK has earned ISO 14001 EMS certification after investments into packaging manufacturing facilities and delivery systems.
Genzyme’s Biologics Support Center in Framingham, Mass., earned LEED Gold certification, the tenth Genzyme building to achieve a LEED rating for sustainable construction and design. The 186,000 square foot administrative and lab facility uses 100 percent renewable energy sources for electricity, diverted from landfills 90 percent of construction waste, and reduced water usage by 43 percent.
Four permanent modular buildings along El Paso Corp.’s 683-mile “carbon neutral” Ruby Pipeline are certified LEED Gold and designated Green Globe structures. Space and storage provider Williams Scotsman provided the buildings now located in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, writes the Wyoming Business Report.
The EPEAT global environmental rating system for electronics announced that four certification and testing organizations – DEKRA, Intertek, UL Environment and VDE – will provide manufacturer support and claims verification for the EPEAT registry.
The ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 100-2006, which addresses retrofit of existing residential and commercial buildings for greater energy efficiency, is open for public comment until June 18.
UL Environment is launching a global environmental product certification for janitorial and sanitation products, including carpet and upholstery cleaners, disinfectants, floor care products, hard surface cleaners, sanitary paper products and hand cleaners. The certification was formerly recognized mainly in Canada and the US.
The US Adhesive and Sealant Council received approval for labeling for three definitions – sustainability, renewable resource, and life-cycle assessment – from the ASTM D14 Adhesives Committee. The new definitions will be added to the ASTM document D907 – Standard Terminology for Adhesive by July, Waste & Recycling News said.
The London Data Exchange earned ISO 50001 certification for energy management processes to become the first data center operator in the UK and Ireland to meet the standard. It received the accreditation at its newly opened 22,000 sq ft northwest London data center, writes Data Center Dynamics.
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High-precision engineering machine shop CTM in Frankfort, N.Y., implemented an ISO 14001 environmental management system. A grant for the environmental training was procured by the Workforce Development Institute, and the training and implementation was provided by Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corp.
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will open its new 24,350-square-foot Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh, Pa., this month. The facility aims to achieve or exceed the world’s highest sustainable standards, including the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum and SITES certification for landscapes.
Swedish parts manufacturer SKF said it has partnered with the WWF Climate Savers Program, and has identified goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for SKF, its suppliers and logistics operations, and its customer solutions.
Martifer Solar panels using Saint-Gobain’s single-piece SolarBond InFrame have been accredited to the IEC 61215 standard for the safety performance of crystalline silicone terrestrial PV modules. SolarBond InFrame is a foamable, single component reactive adhesive compound, writes PV Magazine.
TÜV Rheinland India was globally accredited by Germany’s national accreditation body DAkkS to provide ISO 50001 third-party auditing and certification. The company joins the ranks of the few worldwide that can provide accredited 50001 certification, writes the India Education Diary.
A new ISO standard, ISO 14051:2011, Environmental Management – Material Flow Cost Accounting, sets up a framework for businesses to reduce costs linked to waste and better understand the environmental and financial consequences of material and energy use practices.
GRI issued new Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for media companies targeting transparency and accountability in the media. The standard includes values such as freedom of expression, and also evaluates the effect of financial contributions from governments.
The GSA released its first review of three facilities certification systems – Green Globes, LEED and the International Living Building Challenge – which will help to update the GSA’s green building certification systems to meet federal sustainability requirements for new buildings, major renovations, and upgrades to existing facilities.
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The Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative – in partnership with the Green Purchasing Institute – issued purchasing specifications for compostable biobased food serviceware based on the SBC BioSpecs for food serviceware. The specs established mandatory product criteria and a set of desirable criteria in grade products.
Networking technology company Ember said it is one of the first vendors to earn Golden Unit certification for the ZigBee Alliance Light Link standard, which ensures that different vendors will easily connect into a single network.
New Zealand-based GHG certification company carboNZero Holdings said it is the first non-UK company to offer accredited certification for product carbon footprints under the British Standard Institute’s (BSI) PAS 2050.
DEKRA Certification said that it is the first US-based accredited body to achieve ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board accreditation for the ISO 50001 energy management systems standard.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority earned LEED Silver certification for its Metro North facility in White Plains, N.Y. The building features low-flow water fixtures, high-efficiency lighting and HVAC equipment, and about 72 percent of the total construction debris was reused during the construction of the building.
Lime Energy completed to LEED Gold specifications its design-build task order for the 15,000-sq.-ft. Dewey Short Visitor Center for the US Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Ala. The building’s energy efficiency is 35 percent above ASHRAE standards and 83 percent of construction waste was recycled.
The Responsible Jewellery Council certified its first refiner to the RJC Chain of Custody Standard, which was released in March. Metalor USA Refining received the certification with the verification assessment conducted by UL-Responsible Sourcing, the association said.
The number of electronic recycling facilities with R2 certification has reached more than 200 globally, doubling in about seven months. Newly certified facilities include the first public entity and the first R2 facility in Iowa – the Waste Commission of Scott County’s Electronic Demanufacturing Facility, according to R2 Solutions.
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QSolar Limited contracted with TUV Rheinland to achieve IEC 61730 and IEC 61215 certifications for its PV solar panel modules in addition to UL 1703 certification. The company said it already carries certifications necessary for European markets.
Molex Incorporated’s SolarSpec panel-mount DC connectors are now fully certified to IEC, NEC 2008 (690.33) and NFPA 70 US, and endorsed by the TUV and UL approval agencies. Safety features of the connectors include an interlocking mechanism that protects against accidental and unauthorized decoupling of the connector during field application, the company said.
The East Setauket headquarters of Stafford Associates in Brookhaven, N.Y., earned LEED Gold certification. The new construction includes energy-efficient mechanical systems, low-VOC interior coatings, underground water storage tanks, low-flow water fixtures, natural light elements, local materials and recycled or re-used products, writes Three Village Patch.
Insurance brokerage and risk management firm DeWitt Stern Group contracted with MKDA to renovate its 37,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in New York, N.Y., to meet LEED CI Gold standards. The design firm specified pre- and post-consumer recycled content, low-VOC carpet tiles and paints, and lighting systems that reduce power density to 35 percent below the standard.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians has a newly opened LEED Gold certified Community Center in Dowagiac, Mich. The center has on-site solar generation, stormwater conserving design features, a green roof, and on-site solar generation. It is the first gold certification in southwest Michigan.
Carrington College’s newly opened medical and dental assistance training campus in Mesquite, Texas, was awarded LEED Silver certification. Sustainable features of the campus include a 4-year agreement with renewable energy providers, use of recycled and regional construction materials, low-flow and motion-activation plumbing fixtures, and water-efficient landscaping, the college said.
Virginia-based environmental testing company SanAir Technologies Laboratory said it is one of the first labs to offer the new ISEO/RIA Standard 6001. The standard was released in February by the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization and the Restoration Industry Association for identifying and evaluating potentially hazardous fire-related particulates in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Torraspapel’s Sant Joan les Fonts and Sarrià de Ter paper mills in Girona, Spain was certified to the ISO 50001 energy management system standard.
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Sacramento International Airport’s new $1 billion terminal and concourse earned LEED Silver, and is California’s second airport facility to earn the accreditation. The terminal was designed by Corgan Associates, with Fentress Architects.
Boulder-based firms Mile High Organics and Pangea Organics received USDA organic certification for their products. Pangea Organics had 12 skin-care products certified by the USDA in March and18 items by the NSF. Mile High Organics also has certification from the California Certified Organic Farmers trade group, the Boulder County Business Report said.
TÜV Rheinland PTL, the Tempe, Ariz.-based division for solar and PV testing, was named a standards developing organization by the ANSI Executive Standards Council. The company tests and certifies systems for sale in the EU, Asian and North American markets.
Shanghai-based solar module manufacturer Upsolar is now offering component and module testing, auditing and consultation services for PV companies. Bureau Veritas gave the go-ahead for the company to provide testing on electrical safety, bypass diodes, wet leakage currents and insulation in compliance with IEC standards.
The University of Colorado’s 317,000-square-foot Center for Community earned LEED Platinum certification, and is the university’s second platinum-rated building. The dining hall and student center features LED lighting, energy-saving appliances and low-flow water fixtures. More than 75 percent of construction waste was recycled, the university said.
Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., earned LEED Gold certification. Features of the hotel include roof-mounted solar panels, high-efficiency burners and boilers, and a stormwater capturing system for landscaping, writes The Washington Times.
Architectural products manufacturer Construction Specialties launched a transparency label for interior wall product line Acrovyn 4000. The label was developed to adhere to the requirements of the LEED Pilot Credit 62, which requires manufacturers to disclose chemicals of concern used in building products, the company said.
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Environmental & Energy Software UL Environment, the environmental services unit of Underwriters Laboratories, launched a free web-based tool to help manufacturers assess their corporate sustainability efforts. The self-assessment tool is the latest component of the UL’s Sustainability Quotient Program.
Greenstone Carbon Management Limited launched SupplierPortal, an online tool that allows suppliers and their buyers to share and monitor environment, labor, health and safety and anti-bribery and corruption information.
EMCO Software launched a new version of its remote shutdown software. The new EMCO Remote Shutdown version 5 is aimed at helping network administrators to manage Windows PCs across corporate networks remotely from a centralized console.
The market for building information modeling software and services is evolving rapidly as the architecture, engineering and construction industry realizes its tools and processes are inefficient compared to those of other global industries such as manufacturing, according to a recent analysis from Pike Research.
GreenPrint Technologies has launched software that provides detailed metrics on ink and toner use on the individual user, workgroup, or organizational level, allowing companies to measure – and therefore manage – toner coverage.
Corporate Reports Pharmacy chain CVS Caremark’s absolute CO2 emissions rose 1.2 percent from 2010 to 2011, but when rationalized against the square feet of retail space the pharmacy chain operates, its emissions fell by 3.85 percent over the same time period. Coca Cola Enterprises decreased its carbon footprint by 8.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, while increasing production volume by 3.5 percent, according to the company’s 2011 corporate responsibility and sustainability report.
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Total CO2 emissions at department store chain Kohl’s rose 2.8 percent from 2010 to 2011, while the company’s sales rose by 2.25 percent, according to the company’s 2011 corporate sustainability report. American Electric Power’s total CO2 emissions rose just shy of 1.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, while revenues rose 4.8 percent over that time period, according to the company’s 2012 combined annual report and corporate sustainability report.
Adidas missed the chance to include energy, water and carbon metrics in its 2011 sustainability report because of data deviations caused by a new environmental reporting and management tool.
Nike committed to a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per unit, a 15 percent improvement in water use per unit of production and a 10 percent reduction in waste from manufacturing by financial year 2015, according to the company’s 2010-2011 sustainability report.
Global health care company Abbott Laboratories reached its 2015 goals for carbon dioxide emissions, water intake and waste output in 2011, while increasing year-on-year sales by more than 10 percent, according to Abbott’s 2011 sustainability report.
With Hershey’s second corporate sustainability report, the company established a set of new sustainability goals including reducing its waste by a quarter, achieving a recycling rate of 85 percent, cutting water consumption by 10 percent and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent, all by 2015. Clothing brand Timberland’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 4.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to its 2011 corporate social responsibility report. The company says this is a “near constant” result when compared to its financial performance, although the report doesn’t include any raw data on business growth in 2011.
Policy & Enforcement
The German parliament’s upper house rallied enough support to delay plans to cut solar subsidies for as long as several months. But those opposing the proposal to slash feed-in tariffs by between 20 and nearly 40 percent did not get a big enough majority to reject the law outright.
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A carbon-pricing expert from the Australian National University’s Climate Change Institute said that Australian Treasury’s forecast for carbon prices of $29 per ton in 2015-16 is “unrealistic in the extreme,” and a more realistic estimate is $5. The forecast puts the budget at risk if the floor price is not maintained, The Australian said.
A California Superior Court judge overturned a small-claims court judgment against Honda in a case involving the Civic Hybrid car. The car owner had earlier won an award of $9,867 after claiming the car maker misrepresented the fuel economy of the 2006 Civic, rated at 50 miles per gallon, the Wall Street Journal said.
A proposal by the California Public Utilities Commission would double to 10 percent the electricity cap of the state’s net metering program. Net metering is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program currently is capped at five percent of a utility’s aggregate customer peak demand.
Two US lawmakers have proposed a bill to cut tax breaks for US oil, gas and coal companies, which they estimate will save more than $113 billion in subsidies over 10 years. The bill also aims to cut funding for industry research programs, loan guarantees and infrastructure funding, the Chicago Tribune said.
Five states so far have failed to pass proposed laws seeking to prevent states and cities from endorsing or implementing the United Nations Agenda 21 principles of sustainable development. But three other states – Alabama, Kansas and Louisiana – still are trying to pass similar bans.
The owners of the Dubai Star reached a settlement related to a spill into San Francisco Bay in 2009. The ship’s owner, Panama-based South Harmony Shipping, and its operator, Dubai-based Pioneer Ship Management Services, were ordered to pay $1.4 million in damages and $550,000 in penalties in a settlement with local governments.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating whether the work environment under a deputy director at NRC in Arlington, Texas, discouraged enforcement actions, and whether there was a case of retaliation against agency staff who raised safety concerns about Nebraska’s Fort Calhoun Station, which sparked an investigation, Fuel Fix said.
The California Air Resources Board released proposed regulations to link its cap-and-trade program to the carbon market in Quebec. The proposal, which has a 45-day public comment period, includes market
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security measures, guidelines for ensuring that carbon allowances on the two platforms are interchangeable at auction, and enforceable standards for the use of carbon offsets.
The EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive may be agreed upon by July 1, the end of the Danish presidency, but environmental advocates say that the current version, slated for three more discussion sessions in May and June, is too weak.
Canada’s environmental commissioner said a lack of government oversight, especially for the fast-growing oil and natural gas industry, will keep Canada from meeting its target of 17 percent GHG emissions reduction from 2005 levels by 2020.
China’s recently released draft climate change law states the country’s rejection of carbon or similar taxes placed on its airlines or ships by other countries, and indicates that the government will continue to back Chinese domestic companies in their development of Clean Development Mechanism projects.
Saudi Arabia announced plans to install 41 GW of solar power by 2032; PV is expected to contribute 16 GW, and CSP will add 25 GW.
The EPA added three new hazardous waste sites to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites: Jervis B. Webb Co., a former metal fabrication facility in South Gate, Calif.; Southern Avenue Industrial Area, an adhesive manufacturer in South Gate, Calif.; and Bremerton Gasworks, a former gasworks facility in Bremerton, Wash.
The EPA issued a final rule that systems used at gas station pumps to capture gasoline vapors while refueling cars can be phased out beginning later this year because modern vehicles are equipped to capture those emissions.
Senate Republicans introduced a bill to make the appointment of the EPA’s 10 regional administrators subject to confirmation. The bill follows the controversial remarks and subsequent resignation of former EPA Region 6 administrator Al Armendariz, The Hill said.
Acting under-secretary of energy Arun Majumdar will leave his position effective immediately and will step down as head of the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy in early June, citing family reasons. Majumdar was never confirmed as under-secretary of energy because of a hold placed on the nomination, The Hill said.
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Growth in Argentina, where GDP increased by 7.3 percent last year, is driving energy demands primarily served by fossil fuels. Climate strategists see the government dealing with its energy crisis, which included the government takeover of oil company YPF from Spain’s Repsol last month, by moving away from a national climate change law and renewable energy plans, Reuters said.
Syngenta Crop Protection agreed to pay a $102,000 civil penalty and to relabel certain shipments in a settlement related to the sale or distribution of misbranded pesticides at a facility in Omaha, Neb., and a farm supply retailer in Savannah, Mo., the EPA said.
President Barack Obama urged Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit and expand the 30 percent tax credit to investments in clean energy manufacturing, known as the 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit.
Warren Buffett expressed support for the Keystone XL pipeline. Asked if he would support the pipeline, assuming that it doesn’t pose a threat to environmentally and culturally sensitive areas in Nebraska, Buffet told Fox Business Network, “I’m not an expert, but it certainly seems like it makes sense to me.”
Vermont will be the first state to outlaw fracking when Governor Peter Shumlin signs a bill banning the practice. Though the state is not rich in the energy resource, legislators approved the measure. New York, Maryland, Texas and Michigan have signed some restrictions on fracking while Ohio and Pennsylvania blocked efforts to impose such measures, Reuters said.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources released strict standards for biomass plants to qualify for RECs. From now qualifying plants must generate power at 50 percent efficiency to earn one-half REC per MWh, and at 60 percent for one full REC.
California air regulators will uphold the requirement in its cap-and-trade program that blocks covered utilities from displacing rather than reducing emissions. CARB said that utilities may not “shuffle” resources by changing the delivery point of dirty energy, Point Carbon said.
Norway opened a 5.8 million Norwegian crown ($1 billion) government-funded center to develop carbon capture and storage. It is the world’s largest facility to test the commercially unproven technology.
Lufthansa estimates it will spend about 100 million Euros ($130 million) for participation in the EU ETS. Combined with other taxes and regulations – Germany’s air travel tax, a night flight ban at Frankfurt airport
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and other items – the airline expects costs to exceed 700 million Euros ($913 million) this year, Reuters reports.
China National Offshore Oil Corp has its first deep water oil drill ready for production in the South China Sea. The rig will start operations today in waters 200 miles southeast of Hong Kong and drill at depth of 1,500 meters.
The Australian government’s preliminary list of companies facing a carbon tax included 248 names, much lower than the expected total of 500. Those on the list will pay $23 per ton of carbon beginning in July.
Japan’s 50 nuclear reactors – which have provided about 30 percent of the country’s electricity needs – are now off-line after the government did not win public support for nuclear safety reviews in the aftermath of Fukishima. The government aims to give an estimate by mid-May of anticipated summer power shortages and develop a conservation plan.
The Vietnamese Ministry of National Resources and Environment announced a plan for a 20 percent GHG emissions reduction from 2005 levels by 2020 for the agriculture and forestry sectors. The plan also seeks to establish a domestic carbon market and open participation in the international carbon market.
China announced that by 2020, 30 percent of all new construction projects should be energy-efficient buildings, to bring its building energy consumption in line with that of developed countries.
The World Bank says a reduction of Chinese cities’ emissions through energy-efficient buildings and industries, improved public transport, and better water and waste management is critical if China is to meet its carbon intensity reduction target from 2011-2015.
Businesses including Royal Dutch Shell, Unilever, Acciona, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone advised EU officials that carbon prices on the EU ETS should triple – to about 20 Euros ($26.30) per ton – if the EU expects to meet its green targets.
The Obama administration released rules for oversight on public lands of oil and natural gas drilling using fracking technology. The proposal includes new reporting standards and requires that companies get approval before using the drilling technique, but disclosing of chemicals used for fracking is required only after the process is complete.
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The EPA released draft permitting guidance for an underground injection control program for the use of diesel fuel in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing. Fracking operations are exempt from the requirement to obtain a UIC permit, except in cases where diesel fuel is used as a fracturing fluid.
TransCanada submitted its new application for the Keystone XL pipeline to the State Department. The new plan includes a number of environmental review steps, as well as a route which sidesteps the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. The review process for the revised plan is expected to take until Q1 2013.
The California Air Resources Board posted its cap-and-trade program’s compliance offset program application forms, outlining steps for accrediting offset verification bodies. Only ARB-accredited verifiers may then approve offset project registries and early action offset programs, ARB said.
The Sierra Club and WildEarth Guardians sued to block coal leases in Wyoming, related to what is called one of the largest coal-mining plans ever approved by the US government. The groups say the BLM has not considered the impact of emissions when coal is burned in power plants in the US and in Asia.
Portland, Oregon-based chemical manufacturer Kanto Corporation will pay a penalty of $58,200 and has corrected violations related to reporting use of toxic chemicals at its facility. The EPA said the company used more than 25,000 pounds each of ammonia, hydrogen fluoride and nitric acid in 2009 and failed to report under the federal Toxics Release Inventory Program.
South Korea approved a national emissions trading scheme, despite strong industry opposition. The cap-and-trade program is expected to start in January 2015, with companies trading permits or buying offsets from UN-backed clean energy projects in poorer nations, the Baltimore Sun said.
An Energy Information Administration analysis of the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 indicates that electricity rates would not increase in the first ten years that the standard is in effect.
Quebec governmental departments and agencies have not instituted changes necessary to reach its GHG emission reduction target of 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, a report from the province’s sustainable development commissioner found.
The UK and the EU must prepare for uncertain water resources, as well as cost increases for water, a UK parliamentary subcommittee reports. The Lords Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment EU Sub-Committee said urgent action is required to safeguard water quality and availability in the UK and parts of Europe.
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New World Bank data suggests that the US shale energy industry is behind the first global rise in waste gas flaring since 2008. In 2011, global gas flaring increased by about 2 billion cubic meters, attributed to shale oil exploration in North Dakota, Reuters said.
US power grid operator PJM asked for reliability-must-run arrangements from FirstEnergy on three Ohio coal-fired plants. The plants, which together generate about 885 MW, were slated for retirement this year, Reuters said.
New Jersey launched a competitive grant program, the Large Scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP)/Fuel Cell Program, to support CHP and standalone fuel cell projects. The state has set aside $20 million for the program, and awards are capped at $3 million per project, Green Car Congress said.
Three businesses, Jazmin Family Trust, GLACS and Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, will pay fines totaling $141,200 for failing to close large-capacity cesspools at commercial properties and a coffee plantation visitor center on the island of Hawaii. The EPA said that in enforcing the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, new large capacity cesspool construction after April 2000 is prohibited; existing cesspools had to be closed by April 2005.
Corporate sustainability reporting may drop out of the main negotiating text for the upcoming UN Rio+20 meeting, according to remarks from participants at informal discussions ahead of the June conference. Other points, including one calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, also may be dropped, Reuters said.
EPA Region 6 administrator Al Armendariz resigned following fallout for his remarks comparing enforcement of environmental laws to crucifixion.
The EPA determined that 45 areas across the country are not meeting the 2008 air quality standards at 75 parts per billion for ground-level ozone. Only three areas will be identified for the first time as not meeting these smog standards; the other areas already have programs in place to improve air quality because they did not meet the 1997 smog standards, the EPA said.
The USDA proposed new guidelines for the BioPreferred program that would expand the ability of USDA to designate biobased products for federal purchasing guidelines. The department said it is proposing to allow for the designation of intermediate ingredients such as fibers, resins, and chemicals so that the products made from them could more easily be designated for preferred federal procurement.
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The EU is in talks with Russia on an “EU-Russia 2050 road map” for natural gas supply agreements, but for the bloc to continue using Russian gas beyond 2035, it needed carbon capture and storage technology to limit greenhouse gas emissions, Reuters said.
Government planners in India say water management issues may impact economic growth and political stability. Despite India’s strong economy, development is uneven and rural areas have limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
The New York City Council unanimously approved zoning changes to facilitate energy efficiency upgrades. The Zone Green amendment includes provisions to ease maximum building height limits to permit solar panels, green rooftops or greenhouses, allows for a gas boiler room as a permitted obstruction on a rooftop and allows the use of exterior solar shades, the New York Times said.
The Oregon DEQ will begin issuing permits for the reuse of greywater for landscaping purposes. The rules forbid the water from touching the edible parts of food plants. The cost for a permit ranges from $90 to $584 per year, the Salem Statesman Journal said.
The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is investigating the Exxon Mobil pipeline shutdown after detection of a leak in Louisiana. The regulator has not issued any enforcement orders, but the repaired section would have to meet PHMSA safety requirements, the Orlando Sentinel said.
The EPA published a list of 28 chemicals and two viruses that approximately 6,000 public water systems will monitor from 2013 to 2015 as part of the agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3.
Fleets & Transportation
Baltimore’s first propane autogas taxi fleet has launched. Veolia Transportation – which says it is the largest private provider of multiple modes of transportation in North America – is converting 300 of its taxis nationwide from gasoline to propane autogas. The company also installed an autogas fueling station in Baltimore to serve 50 Checker and Yellow taxis.
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British Gas is using a Nissan electric e-NV200 test car for a few weeks at its Leicester and Newbury depots. Its job has been to help British Gas determine which of its 14,000 drivers’ daily travel patterns are most suited to an electric van’s typical working range, including getting to and from work.
Total Transportation Services of Rancho Dominquez, Calif., will buy 100 hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid Tyrano Class 8 Trucks from Vision Industries, according to Green Car Congress. The purchase agreement also allows TTS to purchase an additional 300 Vision trucks, bringing the total value of a contract to roughly $108 million dollars.
Toyota announced the Japanese launch of the “Pixis Epoch,” the second passenger minivehicle to be sold under the Toyota brand. The vehicle will be sold through more than 200 Toyota dealerships nationwide. The vehicle boasts a fuel economy of 30.0 km/L (70.6 mpg).
EVs based on gasoline powered car designs – such as the Chevrolet Volt – are full of usability compromises, as areas such as the truck or passenger space are reduced to accommodate the EV’s bulky battery, according to Consumer Reports. The Volt is based on Chevy’s gasoline-powered Cruze. But to accommodate its inverted “T”-shaped battery, the central passenger seat has been replaced with an extra large console between the rear seats, according to the website.
Frito-Lay will purchase 100 all-electric trucks in 2012, bringing its electric fleet to more than 280, and will deploy compressed natural gas vehicles in the coming months.
The transportation sector will choose emerging structural materials to save fuel, as energy use rises 53% from 2008 levels to 765 quadrillion BTUs in 2035, according to a Lux Research report.
Energy management specialist Schneider Electric announced the US availability of its new EVlink DC Quick Charger for electric vehicles (EVs). The charger is part of Schneider Electric’s line of EV charging stations, and extends Schneider Electric’s reach to public parking, shopping malls, gas stations and rest stops, fleet applications, car sharing programs and rental companies.
Siemens announced plans for the eHighway of the Future—the electrification of trucks and select highway lanes via overhead electrified wires, similar to those used for modern-day trolleys or streetcars. German roadways are already testing a pilot, and Siemens is planning further projects to connect the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to cargo centers.
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Select California Toyota dealerships will sell the RAV4 EV later this summer for $49,800. The all-electric SUV has an expected driving range rating of about 100 miles and charging time of about six hours on a 240V/40A charger, according to Toyota.
The Port of Seattle awarded AeroVironment a contract valued at up to $8.8 million through 2014 to supply its PosiCharge Electric Ground Support Equipment fast charge systems to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Every large hub and many smaller airports in the US now operate at least one AeroVironment PosiCharge eGSE fast charge system, the company reports.
A number of companies rolled out new charging products. ABB entered the US EV charger market with its Terra 51 DC charger. Schneider Electric says its EVlink DC Quick Charger, now available in the US, takes less than 30 minutes to charge a typical battery to 80 percent. Leviton’s Level 2 (240V, 40A) charging station provides 9.6 kW output, and will charge the Toyota RAV4 EV in approximately six hours, according to the company.
Sunny Delight Beverages put into service a fleet of three compressed natural gas vehicles for distribution in southern California. The move is expected to cut about 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel in 2012, and to cut well-to-wheel greenhouse gas by 23 percent versus diesel-powered engines. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen agreed to standardize a single-port fast charging approach, called DC-fast charging with a Combined Charging System, for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the US, bypassing the CHAdeMO charging standard already used by Japanese cars including the Nissan Leaf. The Port of Los Angeles adopted an international clean air program that will pay a monetary reward to ocean carriers for bringing their newest, most efficient and lowest emission vessels to port. The port estimates that if the predicted 30 percent of vessels qualify for participation, this would cut diesel particulate matter emissions by 16 tons within the first year. Delta Airlines will buy a refinery from oil giant ConocoPhillips for $150 million, in an effort to reduce its $300 million-a-year jet fuel bill.
BMW unveiled its London 2012 Olympic fleet of more than 3,000 low-emission, diesel, hybrid and electric cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Olympic officials capped the vehicles’ emissions at 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer, and the automaker says the BMW and Mini fleet surpasses the target with average emissions of 116 grams per kilometer, and average efficiency of 64.5mpg.
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The first 67 Ford dealers have been certified to sell the company’s first all-electric car, the 2012 Focus Electric, arriving later this spring. The fuel-efficient five-seater has an EPA rating of 110 MPGe city and is capable of being recharged in nearly half the time as a Nissan Leaf, according to Ford.
Richard Parry-Jones, former Ford chief technical officer and chairman-designate for the UK’s Network Rail, says carmakers’ targets will make their autos as clean-burning as electric trains by 2020. He says the automakers are targeting 40g/km of CO2 tailpipe emissions by 2020, reports Autoblog.
UK Supermarket Sainsbury’s ordered an additional 10 units of Clean Air Power’s Genesis Edge Dual-Fuel system, taking Sainsbury’s total to 24 bio-methane trucks. The supermarket will receive the additional trucks this financial year.
Gamesa and Toyota Spain inked a deal allowing the Spanish wind turbine manufacturer to test drive a plug-in hybrid vehicle for six months. Gamesa will test the car in an attempt to facilitate the mass-market rollout of electric vehicles in urban Spain, the companies say.
All-electric vehicle developer CODA Holdings says it signed a contract with Great Wall Motors Company to co-develop the first all-electric vehicle designed for all major markets: North America, China and Europe. The co-developed EV is intended to be the most affordable EV on the market, according to CODA, comparable to entry-level internal combustion engine vehicles.
GE Energy unveiled a software platform and connectivity features for its WattStation EV charging station. The system now allows WattStation owners to manage charging stations remotely, set customer pricing for EV charging, provide access control at their facilities and generate reports.
Volvo Trucks will use SABIC’s Valox iQ PBT resin, which incorporates upcycled water bottles, for the brackets of the side air deflection system in all seven 2012 Volvo VN heavy truck models. SABIC’s Valox iQ resin contains up to 60 percent PCR content and helps reduce the resin’s carbon footprint by as much as 49 percent compared with virgin PBT resins, the company says.
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Green Building
EnerNOC won a seven-year efficiency services contract with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The energy-efficiency services company will work with builders and construction engineers to ensure new buildings in the city operate efficiently and to the owners’ specifications. San Francisco’s new Public Safety Building, a $168 million, 300,000-square-foot LEED Gold facility set to open in 2014, is the first project under this agreement.
Compliance with the EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) poses “significant challenges” for coal plants, forcing many to retire rather than make the required retrofits, according to a study commissioned by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator.
HonestBuildings.com, a free web service, released information for more than 250,000 commercial and mixed-use buildings in New York City, representing more than 4 billion square feet. CEO Riggs Kubiak described the service to Forbes as “a cross between Yelp and LinkedIn for the built environment.”
Executive Moves
General Electric named sixteen-year company veteran Andy Holt general manager of renewable energy services at GE Energy. Holt will lead the growing wind and solar services segment of GE’s renewable energy business.
First Solar appointed James Hughes CEO. Hughes succeeds Mike Ahearn, First Solar’s founder and chairman, who has been serving as interim CEO since October 2011.
Aquion Energy Inc. appointed Karen Tichenor as vice president of quality and environmental health and safety.
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Chesapeake Energy Corp will name an independent chairman to replace chief executive officer Aubrey McClendon. The former CEO used an incentive scheme to build personal stakes in thousands of company-owned wells, Fuel Fix reports.
Urban Land Institute named Helen A. Gurfel executive director of the ULI’s Greenprint Center for Building Performance. She was most recently a director of GE Capital Real Estate’s global sustainability group.
NAIMA Canada named Jay Nordenstrom as executive director. Jay joins NAIMA Canada from the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers.
Glenn d’Eon and David Bell joined Pasteurization Technology Group as national sales manager and senior engineer respectively.
Power Assure Inc. named Paul De Martini, managing director of Newport Consulting Group, and Ashley Davis, a university lecturer and global specialist in the design, build and operability of data centers, to its board of directors.
ZeaChem Inc. named Peter H. Cheesbrough as the company’s chief financial officer. Cheesbrough joins from Denver-based IT consultancy Ciber Inc.
Ecolab selected Leslie S. Biller, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Michael Larson, Victoria J. Reich and John J. Zillmer as five directors of the clean water technology firm, for a term ending in 2013. Each nominee received more than 90 percent of the shares cast.
Solar Electric Power Association recently held elections for two of its three officer positions. Ervan Hancock, manager of renewable and green strategies for Georgia Power, was elected to the position of vice chairman. Matthew Cheney, CEO of CleanPath Ventures, was elected as treasurer. David Rubin, director of service analysis for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, continues as chairman.
Amyris Inc. announced that three members of the management team will be departing the company: Mario Portela, president of global operations; Tamara Tompkins, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary; and, Neil Renninger, chief technical officer. Dr. Renninger will remain as a member of Amyris’s board of directors.
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Amyris announced the following changes to the management team: Peter Boynton will lead business development activities; Gary Loeb will serve as Amyris general counsel and corporate secretary; Steve Mills became CFO; Mark Patel is being promoted to senior VP of commercial operations; Ramesh Raman is being promoted to senior VP of global manufacturing; and Christine Ring will lead legal technology strategy and intellectual property.
Siemens appointed Matthias Rebellius to lead its Building Technologies Division of the Infrastructure & Cities Sector in the US. Rebellius will succeed Andreas Schierenbeck.
EnerNOC named Gerry Wilson Chief Information Officer. In this role, Wilson will drive EnerNOC’s IT strategy across its global operations. He most recently worked as VP and CIO at Unica Corporation, now part of IBM.
Vestas Wind Systems appointed Dag Gunnar Andresen as new CFO and member of the executive management. He is expected to take up office around 1 August this year.
DONG Energy appointed Henrik Poulsen as CEO. Poulsen joins from telecommunications company TDC, where he is currently CEO.
Aqua-Chem named Thomas Gillcrist as CFO and Ron Shook as pharmaceutical applications engineer. Gillcrist comes to Aqua-Chem from CUSTOMatrix Inc., where he served as a principal in strategic services for the past five years. Shook moves up from a position as Aqua-Chem’s business development manager.
SunWize Technologies appointed Kevin Cunningham as chief financial officer. Cunningham will be responsible for controllership, accounting, treasury and all other financial functions at SunWize.
Power Assure announced the appointment of Peter Maltbaek to vice president of channel sales. Maltbaek bring 30 years of experience in international business development and partner management in the IT and energy industries to the firm.
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Water Management
Hydraulic fracturing’s huge output of polluted wastewater is putting drinking water supplies, rivers, streams, and groundwater at risk, primarily because state and federal regulations have not kept pace with the industry boom, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report.
Walmart stores equipped with WeatherTRAK smart irrigation controllers have reduced outdoor water use an average of 39 percent since they were installed in 2008, the companies announced.
Unsustainable water use is threatening agriculture, other business and populations in China, India and the US, according to The Water Stress Index study by risk analysis company Maplecroft. The arid Middle East and North Africa region is the most at-risk region in the index, with Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Djibouti, UAE, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt categorized as the 10 most water-stressed countries, listed in order of risk.
The market for treating hydraulic fracturing water – a waste byproduct of shale gas production — will grow nine-fold to $9 billion in 2020, according to a report by Lux Research. But despite the opportunities in this growing market, only a few companies are positioned to profit, Lux said.
GE will install its zero liquid discharge (ZLD) wastewater recycling technology at the POSCO Cold Rolling Mill Steel Plant in Maharashtra, India in the second quarter of 2013. This marks the first steel mill application of a complete GE ZLD system containing electrodialysis reversal, GE said.
Waste & Recycling
Waste Management will add 35 compressed natural gas-powered vehicles to its Houston fleet by the end of 2012, the company said, and will soon open its CNG fueling station in Conroe, Texas to consumers. GE Appliances partnered with the EPA in the agency’s WasteWise and SmartWay programs, pledging to reduce landfill waste and emissions.
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PCC Natural Markets, the nation’s largest member-owned grocery retailer, selected its Issaquah, Wash., store for its first on-site food scrap “harvester.” The overall system includes a sealed harvester that grinds food scraps, as well as a finishing process that results in an organic liquid fertilizer. Technology firm Fujitsu Frontech North America joined Casella Waste Systems’ Power of Three closed loop recycling service. Power of Three is Casella’s newest service for customers aiming to create zero waste.
Renewable Energy
IKEA ordered 7MW of Q.Cells’ solar modules. The retailer will install Q.Cells’ CIGS thin-film modules on the rooftop of its main warehouse in the northern Italian town of Piacenza within the coming months.
BAA Airports, which operates six airports in the UK, is installing an Organic Rankine Cycle turbogenerator from Turboden at London Heathrow. The biomass-fuelled CCHP unit will produce 1.8 MW of electricity and 8 MW of thermal heat and cooling by summer.
The Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County gave Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group (B&W PGG) full notice to proceed for the engineering, design, procurement and construction of a waste-to-energy power plant in West Palm Beach, Fla. B&W and its consortium partner, KBR, won a $668 million contract for the design and construction of the 95 MW energy facility in April 2011.
GE’s Waukesha gas engines factory manufactured and delivered two, 1 MW biogas cogeneration sets for the Forest County Potawatomi Community’s combined heat and power project in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley. The Potawatomi Tribe expects the CHP plant to begin operation in April 2013.
Tim Parker Chrysler, located in the Hot Springs National Park in central Arkansas, installed a 2,000-square-foot solar panel system on the dealership’s roof, making it one of the largest privately owned solar panel systems in the state, according to Chrysler. The dealership is one of 30 that Chrysler Group has recognized under the Dealer ECO (Environmentally Conscious Operations) Program. Cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions from solar photovoltaics are about 5 percent of those from coal; wind and solar are about equal in emissions; and nuclear energy is on a par with renewable energy, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
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Information management company Iron Mountain will install solar PV systems on the roofs of eight document storage facilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey – the first stage of a review of rooftop solar generation potential across its 1,000 global facilities. A newly opened Boston transit hub promises to achieve net-zero energy through geothermal, solar and wood biomass power. Engineering firm Arup built the $15.4 million John W. Olver Transit Center, which will be home to a bus terminal, the Franklin Regional Transit Authority and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. West Fraser Timber Company will generate 13 MW of power for its British Columbia plant and the province as a whole, using wood chips converted to biomass fuel. The Maine Public Utilities Commission directed three utilities to buy 4 MW of tidal electricity from Ocean Renewable Power Company, in the first long-term power purchase agreements for tidal energy in the US. Construction on Oberlin College’s 2.27 MW solar array will begin in early May and should be completed by the end of August. Spear Point Energy will purchase electricity from Oberlin; the school says the PV array, generating about 3 million kWh of electricity per year, will be the largest on any Ohio college campus. St. Petersburg, Fla., expects to save more than $20,000 per year on its electricity bills after Solar Source installed 21 active hot water systems at various municipal buildings. Stimulus funds, provided through an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, paid for the solar thermal systems. Synergy Dairy, a 2,000-head dairy farm in Covington, NY, now houses the state’s largest on-farm, co-digestion biogas power project, according to CH4 Biogas, which built the 1.4 MW plant using a 120,000-gallon co-digester and GE engine. Agua Caliente, the US’s largest PV power plant in operation, starting delivering electricity from its first 100 MW. NRG Energy owns the Yuma County, Ariz.-based plant, and First Solar is the project’s developer. The companies say the 290-MW PV plant will be will be among the world’s largest. WGL Holdings installed a Bloom Energy Server at its Washington Gas subsidiary’s Springfield Center. The fuel cell will provide approximately 35 percent of Washington Gas’ baseload power needs for the entire facility, eliminating almost all SOx, NOx and other harmful smog-forming particulate emissions, says Bloom Energy.
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The telecom service industry will invest more than 61 percent of its capital expenditures into sustainable infrastructure by 2016, representing a $194 billion market, according to a Pike Research report.
Corporate Sustainability
Cafedirect – the UK’s largest fair trade hot drink supplier – is using the carbon market to fund adaptation projects that, in turn, support the sustainability of its own coffee production.
Initiatives started by Publix Super Markets in mid-2007 have saved two billion paper and plastic shopping bags from being used, the company announced.
General Motors is building an engine plant in southern Brazil equipped with numerous sustainable features including solar energy and water recycling systems, which the company expects will secure it LEED certification. If successful, the facility would join GM’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in Michigan and its China headquarters in Shanghai in earning this distinction.
Anglo American, Grupo Andre Maggi, PepsiCo, Vale, Votorantim and Walmart have partnered to develop business strategies that protect the ecosystems in which they operate in Brazil. The newly formed Brazilian Business and Ecosystem Services Partnership is an initiative to show how biodiversity and ecosystem services can enhance corporate performance in Brazil.
Nearly 60 percent of all new higher-education programs or training opportunities in 2011 focused on renewable energy and green careers, with $543 million recorded toward the effort, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s 2011 Higher Education Sustainability Review. Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, Sony, Volvo and other members of WWF’s Climate Savers program cut their carbon dioxide emissions by more than 100 million tons between 1999 and 2011, according to an independent review of the program released today.
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Kraft Foods cut the amount of plastic packaging in its YES Pack salad dressing by 60 percent using a lifecycle analysis system, the company announced. Microsoft will charge an internal carbon offset fee starting in fiscal year 2012-2013 in its effort to be carbon neutral beginning July 1, according to the company’s blog. Drink giant Diageo says it will no longer fund the Heartland Institute, a free-market think tank that denies global warming, following a controversial ad campaign by the non-profit. More than 90 percent of the household cleaning products sales at Whole Foods Market pass muster under the company’s Eco-Scale rating system, a year after the launch of the program, which requires full ingredient disclosure on these products’ labels. Only 21 percent of the American public and 25 percent of executives believe the majority of businesses are making efforts at sustainability, according to the 2012 Gibbs & Soell Sense & Sustainability Study. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment will eliminate plastic shopping bags from its 10 theme parks by the end of the year, making it the largest theme park operator to make this commitment, according to the company. Its parks include Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Adventure Island and Sesame Place. Coca-Cola was reportedly forced by regulators to temporarily stop production at a bottling plant in north China, after inspectors allegedly found chlorine in a batch of drinks. Cox Enterprises saved 17,400 tons of carbon through alternative energy projects since 2007 and conserves 20 million gallons of water annually, according to data released on the fifth anniversary of the company’s national sustainability program.
Rankings
A sustainability study of 46,000 US hotels by tech company Brighter Planet found budget hotels had greater energy efficiency than more expensive establishments, with upscale chain Marriott ranking 75th out of 75 chains.
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Safeway and Whole Foods became the first retailers ever to earn a “green”, or “good” rating for commitment to the sustainability of the seafood they sell, in Greenpeace’s annual Seafood Retailer Scorecard.
German sportswear manufacturer Puma tops EIRIS’ Top 10 Global Sustainability Leaders list while Apple earns a D, in a ranking that sees UK and European companies receive higher marks than their US and Asian counterparts.