http://www.environmentalleader.com Environmental Leader Fri, 25 May 2012 17:41:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/inexact-computer-chip-15-times-more-energy-efficient/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/inexact-computer-chip-15-times-more-energy-efficient/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 14:43:59 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77375 Researchers have designed an “inexact” computer chip (pictured) that they say is up to 15 times more energy efficient than today’s chip technology. The prototypes cut energy use by allowing processing components – like hardware for adding and multiplying numbers – to make a few mistakes. By managing the probability of errors and limiting which [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/inexact-computer-chip-15-times-more-energy-efficient/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/texas-instruments-sustainability-report-normalized-emissions-jump-23/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/texas-instruments-sustainability-report-normalized-emissions-jump-23/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 14:05:33 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77383 Technology firm Texas Instruments’ emissions normalized on a per-chip basis rose 23 percent year-on-year amid a host of other disappointing environmental figures, according to its 2011 corporate sustainability report. TI attributes this to a number of facilities running under capacity – which the company says requires a similar amount of energy to fully loaded operations [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/texas-instruments-sustainability-report-normalized-emissions-jump-23/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/matt-brewing-cuts-steam-use-energy-costs/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/matt-brewing-cuts-steam-use-energy-costs/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 13:33:29 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77373 The company behind Saranac brand beers has installed a steam pressure management system that has reduced steam use by about a third, while saving water and cutting costs. The Matt Brewing Company consulted with sales engineers R.L. Stone Co. about the new instrumentation, which includes an ABB Swirl flowmeter, an ABB ControlMaster CM10 flow computer [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/matt-brewing-cuts-steam-use-energy-costs/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 06:21:37 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77423 Daikin McQuay is the first manufacturer to meet the US Energy Department’s rooftop unit challenge, an initiative announced in January 2011 that aims to encourage companies to develop the next generation of cost-effective, high performance commercial air conditioners. The Daikin Rebel is expected to reduce energy use by as much as 50 percent to 60 [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/google-fox-52-others-among-edf-climate-corps-newcomers/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/google-fox-52-others-among-edf-climate-corps-newcomers/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 15:55:28 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77270 Google, Pfizer and Fox Entertainment Group are among the 54 companies joining the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program for the first time this year. The EDF Climate Corps fellowship places specially trained MBA and MPA students in companies, cities and universities to identify and assess cost-effective opportunities to save energy and reduce emissions. Since [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/google-fox-52-others-among-edf-climate-corps-newcomers/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/most-retailers-using-energy-management-in-over-half-their-stores-report-says/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/most-retailers-using-energy-management-in-over-half-their-stores-report-says/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 14:29:15 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77318 Some 63 percent of retailers now have an energy management system in at least 50 percent of their stores, according to a report by retail and multi-site facilities management organization the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association. The figures come from PRSM’s 2012 Benchmarking Report – its first benchmarking report on HVAC costs and best practices [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/most-retailers-using-energy-management-in-over-half-their-stores-report-says/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 14:22:13 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77188 Accor, the European hotel group that owns the Sofitel and Adagio brands, has launched an interactive tool designed to help seminar organizers determine the carbon footprint of an upcoming event. Accor, which operates meeting and seminar venues in about 2,000 hotels, yesterday unveiled its “carbon optimizer” tool at the IMEX Frankfurt trade show. The carbon optimizer [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/spartech-expects-over-1m-in-energy-savings-with-world-energy-solutions/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/spartech-expects-over-1m-in-energy-savings-with-world-energy-solutions/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 10:57:42 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77161 Spartech Corporation has awarded World Energy Solutions a three-year energy management contract expected to save the plastics producer more than $1 million in energy costs. The contract covers a range of sustainability and transactional services intended to help Spartech lower its energy commodity costs, reduce energy consumption and maximize available grid and utility incentives, such [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/spartech-expects-over-1m-in-energy-savings-with-world-energy-solutions/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 06:14:44 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77224 Melon, an app that simplifies the process of getting an Energy Star benchmark for a commercial building, was one of the big winners in the US government’s Energy for Apps competition. The Melon app delivers an Energy Star score and suggest next steps to improve efficiency and reduce waste, once a building manager supplies basic [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/japan-urges-industry-to-cut-energy-use-15/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/japan-urges-industry-to-cut-energy-use-15/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:02 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77067 The Japanese government is pushing its industrial sector and citizens in certain parts of the country to reduce the amount of energy they use, in an attempt to avoid summer blackouts. The country is facing a shortage of electric power after shutting down all 50 of its nuclear power plants in the wake of the [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/japan-urges-industry-to-cut-energy-use-15/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/standards-compliance-briefing-scs-biofuel-energy-star-health-care-emerge-climate-action-reserve/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/standards-compliance-briefing-scs-biofuel-energy-star-health-care-emerge-climate-action-reserve/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 13:55:11 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77105 Here’s the latest standards and compliance news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today’s briefing includes eight items. Scientific Certification Systems said that it is the first US certification body to be accredited by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification biofuel certification system. SCS is now approved to conduct biofuel certifications, and ISCC Plus certification [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/standards-compliance-briefing-scs-biofuel-energy-star-health-care-emerge-climate-action-reserve/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 07:40:59 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77072 Businesses are driving efforts to cut energy consumption even as the economy recovers, and plan to cut energy use nearly 25 percent over three to four years, according to a survey from the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. The annual survey, reSources 2012, found nine out of 10 companies have set goals on electricity use [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nascar-and-epa-partner-on-environmental-initiatives/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nascar-and-epa-partner-on-environmental-initiatives/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 06:14:20 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77117 NASCAR and the EPA have signed a memorandum of understanding intended to raise racing fans’ awareness of environmentally friendly products and initiatives. Under the agreement, NASCAR will use products that have earned EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) label at racing events. The DfE label tells consumers that, according to the EPA, the product performs [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nascar-and-epa-partner-on-environmental-initiatives/feed/ 3 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 16:43:29 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76985 AECOM, AMEC, Arcadis, CH2M Hill, ERM, SAIC and URS lead the US market for environmental services, according to a report from Verdantix. Green Quadrant Environmental Services Providers said the seven companies stood out in a field of 20 environmental services firms assessed in the study because of their national reach; ability to provide end-to-end project [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/university-of-texas-taps-locus-eportal-for-compliance/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/university-of-texas-taps-locus-eportal-for-compliance/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:30 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76927 The University of Texas at El Paso has selected software company Locus Technologies’ ePortal platform to provide an integrated system for monitoring and managing its compliance needs at its main campus. The UTEP EH&S department is responsible for a variety of regulatory compliance issues at the campus, which is undergoing a major expansion, with more [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/university-of-texas-taps-locus-eportal-for-compliance/feed/ 0