FEATURES AND NEWS
Sophisticated energy management systems enable organizations to track, control and reduce their energy use and spending. These platforms also help companies run smoothly by spotting problems earlier and form the foundation for value-added services that further push efficiencies. There is a problem, though: These services generally are expensive and complex. ... Read more »
Schneider Electric and the U.S. Navy say that they are working together on infrastructure improvement projects under an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) at the Naval Base Coronado and Naval Base San Clemente Island. The improvements are expected to generate $114 million during the 19-year contract term. The press release ... Read more »
The Sulphur Springs (CA) School District is set to begin installation of solar panels at nine elementary schools, according to SignalSVC. The installations are part of a 25-year agreement reached between the district and PFMG Solar last July. The electricity generated by the panels, which will be installed atop ... Read more »
Lead exposure in the United States has been declining since lead was banned from many products in the 1970s. Lead has been banned from paint, plumbing and gasoline, three of the primary historical sources of exposure. Far from being a public health crisis or epidemic, lead exposures are at their ... Read more »
Some may call it a political move designed to undermine the fossil fuel industry. Others, though, are saying that a comprehensive report issued by multiple government agencies is warning shot — to tell Congress and industry that carbon mitigation efforts are absolutely necessary. On Monday, the Obama released its Scientific ... Read more »
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Businesses can expect stricter carbon pollution regulations coming soon — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to some. We saw this reasoning explained in companies’ briefs supporting the EPA’s Clean Power Plan last week, with major tech firms Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, along with Ikea and Mars ... Read more »
Duke Energy, National Grid and TransCanada Pipelines are among the 41 energy companies that have agreed to voluntarily reduce their methane emissions as part of an EPA partnership program launched last week. The Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program builds upon the Natural Gas STAR Program, a voluntary partnership between ... Read more »
The Public Utility Commission of Oregon (PUC) voted on March 29 (Order No. 16-130) to approve Pacific Power’s request to reduce the eligibility cap for solar generation at qualifying facilities to 3 megawatts (MW) from 10 MW. However, the commission denied the utility’s application to reduce the negotiated contract term ... Read more »
The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) approved Westar Energy’s request (Docket No. 16-WSEE-375-TAR) on March 31 to update the Transmission Delivery Charge (TDC) it imposes on 690,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Sunflower State. However, the approval is subject to refund, should an investigation by KCC staff determine the ... Read more »
General Electric has acquired Metem Corp., in a move GE says will help it produce more efficient gas turbines with lower emissions. GE first announced its intent to purchase the technology provider in December. By bringing the cooling hole-manufacturing technologies in house, GE expects to streamline its supply chain and ... Read more »
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A full-blown building energy assessment can lead to great savings. However, the assessment itself is a costly affair. The DOE’s Building Energy Asset Score is a less expensive – as in free – approach that provides usable and relevant data that points management toward steps that should be taken. Two versions of the ... Read more »
The Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy at California Polytechnic State University has received a $1.5 million grant to create a facility for testing the efficacy of collecting usable energy from waves. The Tribune in San Louis Obispo reports that the grant was the second round of funding for ... Read more »
A report by MarketsandMarkets predicts that the worldwide HVAC market will reach $17.51 billion and will enjoy a 10.8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the period from this year to 2020. The study says that the major drivers will be demands for energy-efficient devices that will be used ... Read more »
Oil is the lifeblood of the global economy, but the processes to turn raw crude oil into a refined product are complex and costly. Specifically, refiners of “opportunity crude” face mounting pressure to improve safety and stability, while increasing revenue and decreasing environmental impact. Technology is helping address these concerns ... Read more »
Calling their quest to conquer climate change a “pillar” of the relationship, the White House says that this country and China will ink a deal on April 22 — Earth Day — that formally advances their mutual cause. The goal, it says, to get a grip on global warming before ... Read more »
Earlier last week the EPA and other parties supporting the EPA – a coalition of 18 States and seven cities and counties, a large group of power companies, and three advanced energy trade associations representing more than 3,000 companies and organizations in the advanced energy sector — submitted their briefs ... Read more »
It’s that time of year again. Time to gather emissions data and other environment-related metrics to prepare corporate sustainability reports and respond to CDP’s, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project’s, annual climate questionnaire. Luckily for companies, reporting organizations are increasingly streamlining their frameworks and standards. This makes it easier for businesses, which face ... Read more »
On March 28, the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) approved (Docket No. U-33434) the sale of Cleco Corporation, the parent of regulated electric utility Cleco Power, to a group of North American infrastructure investors led by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC), with ... Read more »
As the number of fracking operations increases in the US, so does the stress on water supplies. Oil and gas wells use as much as 1 million gallons (almost 24,000 barrels) of fresh water per wellhead, according to WesTech Engineering, which manufactures process equipment for the industrial, mineral, municipal water ... Read more »
Yesterday, Energy Manager Today posted a blog on the need to carefully plan often expensive and ambitious LED retrofits. One of the suggestions – from industry expert Jody Cloud – was to make sure that the LEDs are properly certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). As if to reinforce the important point that ... Read more »
Arby’s Restaurant Group said that as of the end of last year it achieved a 15.2 percent energy reduction at its company-owned restaurants as measured against a 2011 baseline. The chain, in the story at Restaurant.News.com, also reduced water use by 8.6 percent in the same timeframe. The company had pledged in ... Read more »
Researchers have found what Optics.org refers to as the “holy grail” of photovoltaics: A semiconductor that can collect energy from the entire spectrum of light. The story says that the news, originally report the Journal of Solar Materials, was accidental. The team stumbled upon a mix of argon and selenium ... Read more »
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) gave a limited go-ahead on March 31 to two controversial rate requests – one, from American Electric Power Ohio (AEP), intended to guarantee its income from six area coal plants (Docket No. 14-1693-EL-RDR); the other from FirstEnergy, designed to mitigate the financial risks ... Read more »
What do consumers expect from their electric utility? What programs and services are they likely to be interested in? And how can utilities earn their trust? Each year the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) releases its annual State of the Consumer Report. This report helps smart grid stakeholders gain a ... Read more »
Call this the tale of two different sets of state attorneys general: one group represents coal producing and consuming states and the other speaks for states that are adversely affected by those who burn coal. While it’s all playing out in the nation’s legal arenas, the efforts are surely political. ... Read more »