FEATURES AND NEWS
Macroeconomic trends such as population growth, climate change and resource dependence are driving investment in the energy storage and energy efficiency markets, according to research by cleantech research firm Kachan & Co. and nonprofits As You Sow and the Responsible Endowments Coalition. Energy storage is a crucial element in clean energy ... Read more »
Coal, natural gas, and oil accounted for 87 percent of global primary energy consumption in 2012, as the growth of worldwide energy use continued to slow due to the economic downturn, according to the Worldwatch Institute. The relative weight of these energy sources keeps shifting, although only slightly. Natural gas ... Read more »
This Timberland promo video looks at the company’s plastic recycling program.
The Army’s Network Integration Evaluation 13.1 provided valuable feedback on a number of communications systems to enhance the Army’s tactical network, but it’s also helping the Army explore improved energy efficiency concepts. Video by Army Sergeant Janelle Sennert.
It has become a common practice to charge cell phones and other small devices by plugging them into a computer with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. But in 2014, the USB cable will be able to provide power to bigger electronic devices, according to The Economist. USB cables only ... Read more »
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Since the collapse of communism, more than twenty years ago, capitalism has been, more or less, the only show in town. As a system for running our economies, it is widely acclaimed for having delivered an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity. But the limitations of capitalism are also blamed ... Read more »
The EPA will issue proposed standards for existing power plants by June 1, 2014. Photo Credit: coal power plant image via Shutterstock
Building material suppliers have a number of options available to them, including life cycle assessments (LCAs), environmental product declarations (EPDs) and health product declarations (HPDs), to make their products attractive to companies pursuing LEED v4 certification, according to an environmental consultant and a third-party certifier. Jim Mellentine, corporate sustainability manager ... Read more »
Haworth partnered with BEE, a Shanghai- and Hong Kong-based specialist for green materials and LEED consulting. For the Beijing project, Haworth purchased renewable energy credits equivalent to five years of energy use at the showroom. Haworth continues to buy renewable energy credits or carbon offsets for its LEED projects globally. ... Read more »
Home Depot and KB Home were among several companies and organizations honored by the EPA for their commitment to water efficiency and support of the WaterSense program. Since the EPA launched the program in 2006, WaterSense-labeled products — and its 2,700 other WaterSense partners — have helped Americans save $8.9 ... Read more »
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Samsung Electronics has received ISO 50001 energy management certification for all sites worldwide. The company’s Gumi, South Korea site was the first to receive certification, in July 2011. Samsung has cut GHG emissions 57 percent since 2008, and plans further reductions by minimizing energy waste. SCS Global Services has verified Fruit ... Read more »
DuPont Industrial Biosciences, in collaboration with Huntsman Corporation, says a six-year study of its enzymatic bleaching technology shows reductions in water use, energy consumption and chemical use coupled with increases in product quality and yield. Portugal’s Acabamentos Têxteis de Barcelos (ATB), the nation’s leading knitwear dyeing and finishing specialist and ... Read more »
The green building insurance market is competitive and growing, the Insurance Journal reports, with green construction industry driving this growth. By 2015, between 40 percent and 48 percent of new non-residential construction, when measured by value, will be environmentally friendly. That equates to a $120 billion to 145 billion opportunity for ... Read more »
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) for wet stack particulate matter emissions enables simplified compliance with EPA regulations for utility companies, cement manufacturers and organizations with industrial and commercial boilers, the company says. The new Thermo Scientific Particulate Matter Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (PM CEMS) is designed to ... Read more »
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Denver-based software developer concept3D have developed the simuwatt Energy Auditor, a tool that could replace clipboard-style audits with a computer model that could save money for building owners. The tool that pinpoints potential energy savings could cost 35 percent to 75 percent less than ... Read more »
The Energy Department has launched seven new regional Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships across the country in a bid to strengthen US manufacturing competitiveness, lower energy consumption, and reduce harmful emissions. Located in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington state, these organizations will offer ... Read more »
ConEdison Solutions and Borrego Solar Systems dedicated a 1,680-panel solar system at Kerman, Calif.’s wastewater treatment plant (pictured). The installation is expected to reduce the treatment plant’s electricity costs by about 40 percent per year for an annual savings of more than $95,000. Through a 20-year power purchase agreement with ... Read more »
Energy Secretary Moniz announced about $60 million to support solar energy research and development as part of the Department’s SunShot Initiative as follows: >>More than $12 million across 17 companies to help commercialize a wide range of technologies and services – from online tools that can map a rooftop’s solar potential ... Read more »
In June I wrote an advisory around why rising consumer expectations in property are set to disrupt the Real Estate Sector in an extensive and volatile manner. My arguments were that many industries have already undergone rapid and transformational change due to a convergence of technologies that allow customers to ... Read more »
Schneider Electric added StruxureWare Power Monitoring Expert Data Center Edition to its StruxureWare software suite to ensure reliable power distribution infrastructure in data centers. The software is designed to help decrease the number of unplanned power outages, reduce the duration of those that do occur, improve the effectiveness of maintenance ... Read more »
The city of Chicago launched Chicago Solar Express, a streamlined permitting, zoning and interconnection process for those seeking to place solar installations on residential and commercial properties. The project aims to slash wait times for solar permits for small installations from 30 days to one day, cut fees by 25 ... Read more »
Panel discussion on lighting upgrades from the Southeast Sustainability Summit.
There are some successes with the “guilt + education” model. At some retail centers, for instance, consumers are invited to participate in recycling by helpful sales associates: “Can I take your old battery?” This timely question, asked at a moment when action is needed, prompts participation in recycling. The right ... Read more »
The report tracks the industry’s green efforts and includes more than two dozen case studies from various electronics companies such as Samsung, Best Buy, Sharp and FulTech Solutions, illustrating challenges and accomplishments in their environmental efforts. The report also documents and illustrates green practices across the industry.
Black Friday – it’s the day retailers anticipate all year; the official start of the holiday shopping season. In 2012, Black Friday generated more than $11 billion in sales and brought 307 million shoppers to the stores; and 2013 is shaping up to be even bigger: more sales, customers and ... Read more »