FEATURES AND NEWS
KCP&L, MRIGlobal, and Exergonix Inc. are trialling a new smart grid energy storage technology in Kansas City. The new technology is a nano-battery cell developed by Exergonix, a Lee’s Summit-based firm. The one-megawatt battery is in its first live smart grid test and was installed this summer at the KCP&L ... Read more »
RAU has undertaken a number of projects for both the public and private sector, including the Dutch HQ for WWF and the revamp of a 1950s laboratory into a CO2 neutral, self-sufficient system.
Toyota Motor Sales, USA has activated a new 1.1 MW hydrogen fuel cell generator on its Torrance headquarters campus. The fuel cell will supply approximately half of the electricity for six headquarters buildings during peak demand, while producing zero emissions. Designed and built by Ballard Power Systems, the proprietary Proton Exchange ... Read more »
The data center at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center is using GE’s SG Series Uninterrupted Power Supply with eBoost technology, and operates at 99 percent energy efficiency in eBoost mode, according to GE. The 664-bed hospital’s new critical power system began operating last year. Read more at Energy Manager Today.
Toyota Motor Sales, USA has activated a new 1.1-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell generator on the Torrance headquarters campus. The fuel cell will supply approximately half of the electricity for six headquarters buildings during peak demand, while producing zero emissions. Designed and built by Ballard Power Systems, the proprietary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) ... Read more »
Partner Content
FedEx Express has announced plans to install its largest rooftop solar system at a distribution hub at the Newark Liberty International Airport after several years of planning with the Port Authority of NY & NJ, Marina Energy, Solops and Ray Angelini, Inc.. When completed, the system will generate about 2.4 ... Read more »
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has successfully demonstrated vehicle to grid (V2G) capabilities using Ideal Power Converters’ bi-directional battery converter, according to the company. IPC says the demonstration proves both the product’s technical capability and its economic viability. NREL successfully integrated and used the new global ... Read more »
Older cities face significant obstacles in installing district energy and combined heat and power systems, according to a new report. Meanwhile Vancouver, BC moves forward with its plans to expand district heating. New Energy for Older Cities: District Energy, Combined Heat and Power, and the Northeast-Midwest Region’s Older Industrial Cities, ... Read more »
Sustainable behavior is a challenge for most businesses. The scope of what needs to be done seems to constantly increase, and the target seems to be moving ever faster. One thing is clear though: businesses need to look beyond their own operations and supply chain, and find ways to engage ... Read more »
A KFC franchisee based in Iowa is using a recycling system from Restaurant Technologies Inc. to dispose of and replace fryer oil from his restaurants. Kevin Schlutz, president of Central Iowa KFC, is now using RTI’s Total Oil Management system at his restaurants. The closed-loop system comprises two tanks – ... Read more »
Partner Content
Budgetary belt-tightening is prompting an increasing number of fire services and other emergency responders to start levying clean-up charges on companies spilling hazardous materials, according to environmental claims management specialist Spill Center. Many states and municipalities have statutes on the books that allow for the recovery of “necessary and reasonable” costs ... Read more »
Media company Good Worldwide has become a Certified B Corporation, joining a group of more than 600 companies from 60 different industries that have committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, the company said. Korean steelmaker Posco has earned ISO 50001 certification to become the first company in ... Read more »
“CSR enablers” is a term I use to describe organizations that exist to help drive the CSR conversation in Canada. They provide research support, peer-to-peer learning, advocacy and networking. In this ongoing series, I am profiling the organizations that are well established in the Canadian business sustainability network. This is ... Read more »
A chemical accident and resulting fire at a factory operated by Kraft Foods in Germany forced around 1,400 people from their homes on Monday, reports the Agence France-Presse. The blaze, in Bad Fallingbostel in northern Germany, occurred on Monday after employees mistakenly poured nitric acid into a container of sodium ... Read more »
Southland Industries’ new office in Garden Grove, California showcases a blend of mechanical systems that work efficiently together, while incorporating an energy management dashboard to monitor energy usage.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2006, amidst rising natural gas prices, Nissan North America implemented a host of energy efficiency investments that have reduced its US manufacturing plants’ overall energy consumption by more than 30 percent, saving Nissan more than $11.5 million per year, according to the American Council for an ... Read more »
The Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply industry has grown over the past five years, despite the recession. Industry revenue has risen at an average of 1.8% annually to $1.9 billion over the five years to 2012, according to IBIS World industry analyst Deonta Smith. Read more at Energy Manager Today.
Human rights, workers’ rights and climate change are the top three sustainability priorities for companies in the coming year, according to a poll of 500 business leaders. Company executives said their primary challenges for climate sustainability include effectively coordinating business units throughout the value chain, establishing an effective strategy, scaling ... Read more »
Nestle USA’s Pizza Division – whose brands include DiGiorno, Jack’s, California Pizza Kitchen and Tombstone – has reduced its water usage by 7.4 million gallons per year at its factory in Little Chute, Wis., using GE’s advanced water-treatment chemical technology. In addition to achieving greater water efficiency, the factory has ... Read more »
Join LNS Research, ERM Information Solutions, OSIsoft, IHS and Environmental Leader for a webcast on how a unified enterprise sustainability management strategy can help organizations achieve operational and financial performance goals. The webcast begins with the results of an independent study into the emergence of enterprise sustainability management, followed by ... Read more »
The US power industry and academic institutions are working together more than ever before to develop technologies for marine power generation, according to a report by GlobalData. The report, “Marine Power – Installed Capacity, Levelized Cost of Energy, Profiles of Technology Developers and Key Country Analysis to 2030,” said more ... Read more »
The key to successfully implementing a comprehensive energy management program is systems integration — being able to simultaneously monitor heating and cooling systems, lighting, production machines and all other energy-consuming equipment, according to Control Engineering. Feras Karim, a senior systems engineer on the energy management team at SAIC, tells the ... Read more »
Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras has signed a loan of up to $1 billion to finance a cogeneration facility and other GHG-reducing efforts. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will pay $600 million, according to JBIC, while the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, which is co-financing the loan, will provide ... Read more »
Four Roko Health Club sites in the UK have contracted EuroSite power to provide on-site utility solutions. The total contract value is about $10.7 million. Under the 15-year agreement, EuroSite Power will install and operate combined heat and power (CHP) systems at each of the four health clubs. EuroSite will ... Read more »
Electric battery maker A123 Systems filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday and announced it was selling its automotive business to Johnson Controls in a deal valued at $125 million. A123, the Waltham, Mass-based company that supplied batteries to GM and luxury car maker Fisker Automotive, has agreed to sell to ... Read more »