Energy Efficiency Blog
Lime Energy and sOccket at Community School of Davidson
January 27th, 2012On January 27th, Chad Solomonson, Vice President of Marketing at Lime Energy, spoke to a group of 8th graders at the Community School of Davidson.
Chad Solomonson demonstrating the sOccket
Chad discussed sources of energy as they relate the world’s growing population and opportunities that exist to create renewable energy. To demonstrate new technologies that are emerging, Chad brought along a sOccket ball to demonstrate how kinetic energy can be harnessed and used to power small electrical devices.
“The kids had a fantastic time bouncing and kicking the ball and then watching it actually provide power to a reading lamp,” said Chad. “This just reinforces how powerful the sOccket truly is in its ability to better understand our global community and to encourage innovation. These 8th graders are our future leaders and to have them see, feel and hold the future of energy in their hands was a great experience.”
8th Grade Students at Community School of Davidson and the sOccket
Missouri can save billions in energy costs & produce jobs
January 25th, 2012Energy efficiency in the United States continues to receive policy support mainly at the state rather than federal level. An August 2011 study from American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE), entitled “Missouri’s Energy Efficiency Potential: Opportunities for Economic Growth and Energy Sustainability,” once again illustrates the big benefits from state-level energy efficiency support, including reduced energy costs, increased grid reliability, and more jobs.
ACEEE believes that its energy efficiency policy prescriptions could save Missouri consumers and businesses $6.1 billion in energy costs, produce 8,512 new jobs, and provide $224 million in wages for those employees by 2025. ACEEE says that these jobs would be well-paying trade and professional jobs needed to design, install, and operate energy efficiency measures. This job creation would be the equivalent of opening about 50 small manufacturing plants in the state.
Missourians currently spend about $12 billion on their energy bills to heat, cool, and power their homes and businesses. While Missouri has comparatively low energy prices, the state wastes huge amounts of energy as illustrated by the fact that it ranks a very poor 45th in the nation in terms of per capita energy usage. ACEEE believes that with the right policies Missouri could reduce its electricity needs by 10% by 2020 and by 17% by 2025.
The ACEEE policy recommendations cover policy areas such as energy efficiency targets for utilities, building energy codes, sector-specific policies for manufacturing and agriculture, state and local public building energy retrofits, demand response, and combined heat and power (CHP).
Regarding utility programs, the report points out that in 2009, Missouri took an important step by approving the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act (MEEIA), which declares that the state’s energy policy is that customer investments such as energy efficiency shall be equal to traditional investments in energy supply and transmission infrastructure. In April 2011, The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) published its final rulemaking to implement MEEIA. Those rules specify how utilities can recover costs and earn performance incentives from energy efficiency programs.
However, ACEEE believes that the new rules have not been fully effective in aligning utility financial returns with energy efficiency because utilities have recently reduced the size of their energy efficiency programs. ACEEE recommends a revised rule framework and specific energy efficiency targets for utilities to deliver energy savings of about 1% by 2016. Utilities in Missouri spent about $27 million on energy efficiency programs in 2009 and that figure rose to about $40 million in 2010. However, recent trends indicate energy efficiency program spending will decline under the new Missouri PSC rule-making.
One particularly successful energy efficiency program in Missouri is the “Energy Revolving Fund,” which provides low-interest loans to public schools, universities, colleges, cities and counties to help reduce their energy costs. The program has so far loaned more than $80 million for completed energy efficiency projects since 1989, producing more than $146 million in cumulative energy savings.
While Missouri has significantly stepped up its energy efficiency efforts in the past several years, the ACEEE report suggests that there is much more that the state can do to fully capture the benefits from energy efficiency.
ACEEE’s policy report for Missouri was produced as part of the ACEEE’s “State Clean Energy Resource Project,” which is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. ACEEE’s report on Missouri adds to the collection of reports that have already been issued for eleven other states. ACEEE says that many of the recommendations made in these reports have resulted in legislation and/or executive orders establishing energy efficiency and renewable energy portfolio standards, better building codes, and effective climate policies.
Dom Lempereur, Lime’s Director of Engineering East Coast, shares experience with students of Pine Lake Prep School
November 22nd, 2011On November 18, 2011 Dom Lempereur, Lime Energy’s Director of Engineering East Coast, was invited to share his experience as an Energy Engineer during the Career Day event at Pine Lake Preparatory School in Mooresville, NC.
Dom Lempereur presenting at Pine Lake Preparatory School
“Talking about what you do every day may sound like a trivial exercise until you realize that within the half hour of your presentation you may have helped shaping one of these young people’s future”, said Dom.
His presentation covered the daily tasks and challenges of an energy engineer, but topics such as the recent turn in the energy efficiency markets or education and career opportunities in the energy field were discussed.
“When you ask a 10th grader to give you examples of renewable energy technologies or ask what LED lighting is about and you get the right answers, you really feel positive about how the upcoming generations are already preparing for the energy challenges ahead.”
Value of a P4P – AtlantiCare Testimonial
July 18th, 2011Pay for Performance (P4P) is a comprehensive energy efficiency program that provides incentives towards whole-building energy improvements. Existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings with a peak demand over 100 kW for any of the preceding twelve months are eligible to participate. P4P is not a financing offer, but a state-administered grant designed to help states meet their ambitious energy reduction goals.
Bill Kissinger, Director of Facility Service at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, explains the value of a Pay for Performance (P4P) Partnership.
To learn more about the value of a Lime P4P Partnership visit limep4p.com or review the AtlantiCare success story.
Value of a Lime P4P Partnership – AtlantiCare Testimonial
July 18th, 2011Pay for Performance (P4P) is a comprehensive energy efficiency program that provides incentives towards whole-building energy improvements. Existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings with a peak demand over 100 kW for any of the preceding twelve months are eligible to participate. P4P is not a financing offer, but a state-administered grant designed to help states meet their ambitious energy reduction goals.
Bill Kissinger, Director of Facility Service at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, explains the value of a Lime Pay for Performance (P4P) Partnership.
To learn more about the value of a Lime P4P Partnership for your business or institution, visit limep4p.com. Or review our the AtlantiCare success story.
Energy Efficiency Update – July 2011
July 1st, 2011LIME’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY COMMENT:
Newly-released ISO 50001 Energy Management standard provides an exciting new way to uncover energy savings and certify sustainability efforts
In an exciting development for the energy efficiency effort, the International Standards Organization (ISO) in June released its ISO 50001 Energy Management standard. ISO 50001, which took two years to develop, builds on the popularity of the ISO 9001 Quality Management standard and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard. There are more than one million organizations worldwide that currently use ISO standards.
ISO 50001 lays out a pathway by which any global enterprise in any industry sector can adopt management systems that result in continuous improvement in reducing energy usage and saving money. The ISO 50001 standard potentially addresses 60% of the world’s energy use as represented by the global commercial and industrial sector.
The ISO 50001 standard is a voluntary program. After implementation, a company can choose to either obtain third-party certification of ISO 50001 or can simply self-declare compliance.
Will ISO 50001 save companies money? The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting ISO 50001 pilot programs at 25 companies across 14 U.S. states. One ISO 50001 pilot program conducted by Dow Chemical produced energy savings in one of its plants by 17.9% over two years. The program can also be highly successful in small businesses as seen by the fact that a plant owned by CCP of Houston, Texas employing 46 people achieved energy savings of 14.9% over two years worth $250,000 per year. Other testimonials about the program are available on the DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) web site from companies such as 3M, Owens Corning, Grays Harbor Paper, Kenworth Trucking Company, and others.
How does a company get started on adopting the ISO 50001 standard? The DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy agency suggests the following steps (web site link):
- Secure commitment from top management
- Acquire, track and analyze data
- Determine significant energy uses
- Establish a baseline
- Identify energy opportunities
- Prioritize energy-saving opportunities
ISO 50001 in short is an exciting new way for businesses to learn how to save money on energy and to certify their sustainability efforts.
ISO 50001 Resource Links
Superior Energy Performance (SEP) certification program
LIME’S RENEWABLES COMMENT:
Solar PV projects become increasingly attractive as solar panel pricing plunges
Historically, the rap on solar photovoltaic energy has been that it is expensive. However, that view is becoming obsolete with the sharp decline in solar panel pricing that has been seen in the past 2-1/2 years. This sharp decline in panel pricing, combined with various state and federal subsidies, is making solar an increasingly attractive source of power for business and institutional clients.
Solar pricing has fallen by an average of about 5% a year over the past several decades due to improvements in solar technology and reduced production costs. During 2004-08, solar pricing stalled and moved sideways due to the sharp increase in solar demand during that period as well as lagging production of polysilicon and solar panels, as seen in the nearby chart. However, solar pricing has fallen sharply during 2009-11 as existing solar companies and new entrants have sharply boosted global production of solar panels.
Global solar installations in 2010 more than doubled to 18.23 gigawatts, representing a 139% gain over 2009, according to Solarbuzz.com. However, demand in the first half of 2011 then softened mainly because of reduced European subsidies. As a result, Solarbuzz is now expecting solar PV installations in 2011 to grow by only 11% yr/yr to 20.3 gigawatts, which would be far below the industry’s average annual growth rate of about 50% seen in the past five years.
The latest data from Solarbuzz indicates that global solar installations in Q2-2011 actually declined by 22% qtr/qtr compared with the industry forecasts for a 12% qtr/qtr rise. At the same time, production has remained very high, resulting in a big oversupply of modules. Solarbuzz reports that global solar PV inventories at the end of Q2-2011 reached a record 8.6 gigawatts. Solar companies have already started to cut back production in response to weaker demand, but it will take time for excess industry inventories to be worked down and for supply and demand to come back into balance.
In the meantime, the current oversupply of solar modules has put sharp downward pressure on solar pricing. The Solarbuzz Solar Electricity Price Index for industrial solar PV systems in sunny climates has fallen by 5.6% so far in 2011 to 16.11 cents per kWh from 17.07 cents at the end of 2010. That adds to the sharp decline of 13.0% seen in 2010 and 7.9% in 2009. The Solarbuzz Electricity Price Index has plunged by an overall 24% from the end of 2008, illustrating how much more affordable solar power has become in just the last 2-1/2 years.
Solar pricing for a specific solar installation project depends on many variables such as solar intensity at the installation site, the size of the installation, the balance of system costs, installation costs, the availability of government subsidies, and the cost of financing. Still, the industry solar pricing indexes provide useful benchmarks to highlight the sharp decline in solar pricing.
Solar pricing, after taking into account current subsidies, is now easily competitive with grid pricing. Solar PV systems allow a business or institutional client to generate electricity on site and gain protection from grid unreliability and utility price increases. Installing solar also allows a company or institution to reduce carbon emissions and meet sustainability mandates and goals.
SELECTED ENERGY EFFICIENCY NEWS CLIPS
Click on headline to retrieve full story
ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard Published
June 15 – Environmental Leader – The International Organization for Standardization has released ISO 50001, a standard for energy management systems. The standard aims to help organizations establish the systems and processes to improve their energy performance, including efficiency and consumption….
Department of Energy Highlights New Global Energy Efficiency Standard
June 20 – EERE – The Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized the publication of ISO 50001, a new global energy efficiency and energy management standard which will help organizations worldwide save money in their buildings and industrial facilities….
ISO 50001 energy management launch event
June 21 – ISO – Substantial improvements in energy efficiency with positive financial impacts have been experienced both by a major company and by a small business taking part in a pilot programme to test the new ISO 50001 energy management standard….
Building Owners Expect Energy Price Spike, Target 12% Energy Reduction
June 16 – Environmental Leader – Eighty percent of building owners expect double-digit energy price increases over the next year, which has prompted an average energy reduction target of 12 percent, according to Johnson Controls annual global energy efficiency indicator survey of nearly 4,000 building owners and operators around the world….
Post-Quake Japan Shows Highs & Lows of a Hasty Path to Efficiency
June 20 – …In the wake of this year’s horrific earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in northeastern Japan — a disaster that is still, and perhaps will always be, ongoing — the country has shut down 35 of its 54 nuclear power plants, cutting electricity output by 15 percent. To make up the difference, Japanese society has taken up a number of efforts to cut energy, with mixed results….
More than 114,000 New Jobs would be Created by White House Better Buildings Initiative
June 13 – USGBC – More than 114,000 new jobs, many which would come from the hard-hit construction industry, would be created through the Better Buildings Initiative, a White House plan to make existing commercial and multifamily buildings more energy efficient…
Why Cities’ Climate Change Strategies are Good for Businesses
June 2 – Greenbiz.com – Cities’ climate change-related projects often have a ripple effect on businesses, whether towns are putting more renewable energy in the electrical grid, expanding recycling systems or adding bicycle lanes….
Building Owners Expect Energy Price Spike, Target 12% Energy Reduction
June 16 – Environmental Leader – Eighty percent of building owners expect double-digit energy price increases over the next year, which has prompted an average energy reduction target of 12 percent… Lighting and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and controls improvements are the most popular energy efficiency improvements….
Black & Veatch’s 2011 Electric Utility Survey – What’s on the mind of utilities in 2011?
June 16 – Greentech Media – Here are the top insights: Prepare for a “significant” increase in your electric bill over the next five years….
Energy Concerns Could Make Panetta First Green DOD Chief
July 1 – NY Times – When Leon Panetta was sworn in this morning as the 23rd secretary of Defense, he inherited a force that is more fuel-dependent than ever — a fact that those inside the Pentagon increasingly say underlies the budgetary and battlefield issues that will consume his attention….
Global Focus on Energy Efficiency Grows
June 17 – Greentech Media – Johnson Controls released its fifth annual survey, 2011 Energy Efficiency Indicator: Global Results, which takes a birds eye view of the international state of energy efficiency….
DOE to Help Train Next Generation of Industrial Energy Efficiency Experts
June 22 – EERE – DOE announced on June 16 the availability of more than $30 million to train engineering students in manufacturing efficiency, helping them become the next industrial energy efficiency experts….
EFFICIENT BUILDINGS
USGBC Launches LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance
June 27 – USGBC – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance is now available for existing green building projects. The track, which focuses on operations and maintenance needs, debuted at the 2011 BOMA International Conference held in Washington, D.C….
Revised LEED Demand Response Credit Requirements Promote Automated Demand Response in LEED building
June 15 – USGBC – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced the release of the comprehensively updated LEED Demand Response Pilot Credit. Originally launched in 2010, the revised and enhanced Demand Response Pilot Credit establishes guidelines that are anticipated to increase participation in automated demand response programs….
UC Davis Plans the Largest Zero-Net Energy Community in the U.S.
June 1 – Reuters – The University of California-Davis are planning to build the largest zero-net energy community in the U.S. in the fall. The UC Davis West Village will combine a number of innovative energy-efficient technologies, including a 4 megawatt, high efficiency SunPower solar power system….
June 13 – DOE – As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to improve commercial building efficiency 20 percent by 2020, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a partnership with The Appraisal Foundation that will help expand access to energy efficiency and building performance information for commercial buildings and help American businesses to reduce energy waste….
June 16 – Environmental Leader – Energy-efficient heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) still faces an uphill battle for adoption, but many lower-cost options are making this technology more attractive to companies, according to intelligence and strategy firm Lux Research….
EFFICIENT LIGHTING
From the Capitol to the Market, Inside the Battle of the Bulbs
June 18 – Greenbiz.com – First up this week, Correspondent Lee Patrick Sullivan visits the Lightfair International trade show in Philadelphia to find the latest offerings in energy efficient bulbs….
Obama Shines Light on Job-Creating Efficiency Standards
June 13 – NDRC – President Obama is scheduled to visit today the Cree high-efficiency lighting manufacturing plant in Durham North, Carolina. Cree is a leading manufacturer of light emitting diode (LED) lights…
COMPANIES & EFFICIENCY
US Postal Service Delivers a Smaller Carbon Footprint
June 7 – Greenbiz.com – Aggressive work to cut energy use in facilities helped the U.S. Postal Service reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent since 2008 and put the agency solidly on track to achieve its environmental performance targets for 2020….
Companies ‘Unprepared to Meet Their Environmental Targets’
June 21 – Environmental Leader – A quarter of the sustainability executives surveyed for the study say their companies have set “aspirational” sustainability goals and lack a clear plan to achieve them….
Kohl’s Reports 30% Energy Savings Through LEED Volume Program
June 29 – Greenbiz.com – The U.S. Green Building Council’s streamlined LEED certification for large groups of existing buildings graduated from pilot phase to official status this week after five years in development, and some of its early adopters are already reporting strong energy and water savings from the program….
NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
House Bill Would Cut Clean Energy and Efficiency Programs by 40 Percent
June 21 – SolveClimateNews.com – Appropriations bill puts renewable energy and efficiency funding about $1 billion below current levels, roughly equaling dollars doled out in 2005…
Note to Congress: This is How to Encourage Better Buildings
June 9 – Greenbiz.com – A few weeks ago USGBC, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Real Estate Roundtable, spearheaded the development of a letter sent to several key Senators on proposed changes to the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial facilities, as put forth by President Obama…
Can Obama’s Better Building Plan Create More Jobs?
June 16 – NDRC – …Among Council’s ideas for job creation was one that we have been pressing on for a long time — increasing the energy efficiency of our existing building stock. Not only will this create jobs in the ailing construction sector, but also in manufacturing, operations and throughout the economy as earnings and energy bill savings are spent in other sectors….
Obama Pledges $250 Million to Upgrade Aging U.S. Electric Grid
June 13 – Bloomberg – The Obama administration outlined a plan to upgrade the U.S. electric grid, providing as much as $250 million in loans for rural towns and urging steps that would bar utilities from using market power to raise prices….
Obama Pushes for More Cleantech, Green Jobs and Training
June 14 – Greenbiz.com – Facing heavy criticism for a sluggish economic recovery, U.S. President Barack Obama brought his talk about the importance of growing more green jobs to a thriving LED factory in North Carolina Monday….
A Renewed Push from the White House on Grid Modernization
June 13 – NDRC – At a White House event today, the administration released a new report that frames the modernization of the US power grid and launches a number of public and private initiatives including new outreach efforts, partnerships and loan programs….
Supreme Court’s Emissions Decision Puts Climate Spotlight on EPA
June 21 – NDRC – The Supreme Court today reaffirmed that it is the Environmental Protection Agency’s job to curb dangerous carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act, deciding in Connecticut v. American Electric Power that states cannot bring suit directly against five of the nation’s largest power companies to curb their emissions as a public nuisance….
June 10 – ACEEE – A diverse coalition of consumer, manufacturing, and environmental groups praised new energy efficiency standards just released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) establishing the first-ever regional standards for central air conditioners and furnaces, as well as strengthened national standards for heat pumps….
Blueprint for DOE Features Energy Efficiency
June 9 – Alliance to Save Energy – On May 10, 2011, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu released the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Strategic Plan, a comprehensive blueprint to achieve the agency’s core mission of providing energy solutions to the United States’ energy and environmental challenges….
REGIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY DEVELOPMENTS
Across the Nation, State Energy Efficiency Policies Deliver, Save Consumers Billions
June 15 – ACEEE – A diverse coalition of consumer, manufacturing, and environmental groups praised new energy efficiency standards just released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) establishing the first-ever regional standards for central air conditioners and furnaces, as well as strengthened national standards for heat pumps….
Cities Leading the Way: The Mayors Climate Protection Awards
June 20 – NDRC – Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, TX, and Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl of Evanston, IL, won top honors at the 2011 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards (sponsored by Walmart) on Friday. The program recognizes mayors of large and small cities for finding innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce global warming pollution. I’ve been a judge in this competition for several years, and on Friday I attended the awards ceremony for the first time, in Baltimore….
States’ efforts lead the way on energy efficiency
June 21 – USA Today – With Congress largely stalled on the issue, U.S. states are taking the lead on energy efficiency. New research shows 26 have set rules requiring utilities to save a certain amount of power each year, and the results are lower bills for consumers and a reduced need to build power plants….
Guest Post: Politics Obscures Policy in New Jersey RGGI Battle
June 17 – Greentech Media – Personality outdid policy when Governor Chris Christie announced his intention to withdraw New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state climate and energy program that is a bipartisan model for using the market to reduce energy costs, reduce air pollution from fossil fuels, and stimulate the clean energy innovation economy. The news coverage focused on politics instead of policy, leaving untold one simple truth: RGGI works, and has been a resounding success….
SEEA Advances Energy Efficiency Among Southeastern Industrial Manufacturers
June 14 – ASE – A recent meeting with 80 attendees from 25 manufacturing companies in the Southeast promoted energy efficiency in manufacturing plants. At the meeting, energy managers exchanged best practices, touted their accomplishments and encouraged one another’s efforts….
Governor Christie Outlines Greener and More Affordable Vision for Future of Energy in New Jersey
June 7 – State of New Jersey – Governor Chris Christie today released the State’s draft 2011 Energy Master Plan (EMP), a greener and more affordable vision for the use, management, and development of energy in New Jersey over the next decade and beyond. The draft EMP establishes a path for the Administration to manage energy in a way that promotes renewable sources of energy, saves money, stimulates the economy and job creation, and protects the environment….
Chicago Program Lights a Path Forward for Energy Savings in Multifamily Buildings
June 9 – ACEEE – …One effort that has successfully turned this potential for energy improvements in the multifamily housing market into a reality is the Chicago area Energy Savers program, profiled in a new ACEEE local policy case study….
Ameren Illinois ramps up efficiency spending
June 21 – stltoday.com – Ameren Illinois is sharply increasing the amount of energy efficiency incentives available to customers as the utility tries to help reduce energy use across its service area to comply with a 2007 state law. In all, about $78 million in discounts and rebates for energy saving lighting and electric and gas appliances…
City of Houston Wins Mayors’ Climate Protection Award
June 17 – EPA – Today, the U.S. Conference of Mayors announced that the City of Houston’s Mayor Annise Parker has received the 2011 U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Award…. Mayor Parker is being recognized for her work in implementing the Houston Green Office Challenge. The voluntary campaign encourages commercial building managers and tenants to reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste production by 10 to 50 percent….
San Francisco Named North America’s Greenest City
June 30 – Greenbiz.com – San Francisco took the title as the greenest city in North American in a study of the environmental performance and commitments by 27 major metro areas in the U.S. and Canada….
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY DEVELOPMENTS
EU to Watch Carbon Prices to Gauge Fallout of Energy-Efficiency Push
June 17 – Bloomberg – Regulators will watch carbon prices to gauge whether new energy efficiency measures cut demand for emission permits, a senior official at the European Union said….
EU Sets Tough Targets for Utilities to Cut Energy Consumption
June 23 – Greenbiz.com – Energy companies will be forced to offset sales with energy-efficiency measures and public buildings face green makeovers as part of new EU plans to cut energy consumption by 20 percent….
RENEWABLES
World should double renewable energy by 2030: U.N.
June 3 – Reuters – …The renewables target would add to a U.N. drive to widen supplies of electricity to everyone by 2030 — about 2.5 billion people now have little or no access — and to improve world energy efficiency by 40 percent by 2030, he said….
U.S. Solar Market Stats: Q1 2011 by the Numbers
June 30 – Greentech Media – The U.S. solar market has been a late bloomer. But it came into its own in 2011, surpassing one gigawatt for the first time, and shows signs of being one of the top, if not the top global market for solar in the coming years…
New York City’s Solar Landfill Plan Finds Eager Energy Developers
Developers say they want in on New York’s solar landfill project, but agree that Masschussetts and New Jersey have more enticing policy incentives…
Who’s Buying Renewables? Some Familiar Names, and Some Surprises
July 1 – Greenbiz.com – Here are 10 companies that are putting real dollars behind their sustainability rhetoric: Kohl’s, Whole Foods Market, TD Bank, Swiss Re, Nordea Bank, Adobe Systems, Vestas Wind, News Corp., CLP Holdings and Deutsche Bank….
Obama’s $7 Billion Renewable Energy Grants Targeted for Audits
June 27 – Bloomberg – Government investigators are auditing some of President Barack Obama’s more than $7 billion in renewable energy grants to determine whether the money was awarded properly and the recipients were eligible….
If Renewable Costs Are Down, Why the Financial Uncertainty?
June 30 – RenewableEnergyWorld.com – Over the past few years, renewable costs have been on the decline, particularly solar and wind. According to industry experts, we are getting closer and closer to grid parity. So why is there still such financial uncertainty?…
