Tag Archives: energy o

2.4-Megawatt Solar Project

Owens Corning and Constellation Celebrate Completion of 2.4-MeGAWATT Solar Project Parking canopy solar installation at Owens Corning headquarters supports company’s new 50 percent target for greenhouse gas reduction Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, today celebrated the completion of a 2.4-megawatt (DC) solar generation project at Owens Corning’s headquarters in Toledo. Located above 935 parking …

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Big box stores could ditch the grid, use natural gas fuel cells instea

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Study finds potential for reduced carbon emissions and lower power costs RICHLAND, Wash. – Large facilities like big box stores or hospitals could keep the lights on by using a fuel cell that runs off the natural gas that already flows in pipelines below most city streets. Instead of drawing electricity from the power grid, facilities could use natural gas-powered …

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PROCTER & GAMBLE AND CONSTELLATION ANNOUNCE ONE OF NATION’S LARGEST BIOMASS RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANTS

  Scrap wood to create 100% of the steam needed to run one of P&G’s largest paper manufacturing facilities The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), today announced the development of an up to 50-megawatt biomass plant that will help run one of P&G’s largest U.S. facilities. The plant will significantly increase P&G’s use of …

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Microgrids Can Help Avert Major Global Risk: Report

  Microgrids are among 15 opportunities that can fix some big, world problems. That’s the word from DNV GL in a new report that looks at five global threats and the doors they open for innovators. One of the threats is our reliance on fossil fuels, says Global Opportunity Report 2015. Microgrids or “energy autonomy” offers an alternative path. “This …

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Fallout from Shale Boom, Fracking

SHALE-RELATED CONSTRUCTION BOOM IN 2014 MEANS GREENHOUSE GAS EQUIVALENT OF 12 NEW #143744271 / gettyimages.com Because of cheaper fuel prices driven by the shale drilling boom, U.S. companies in 2014 received draft or final permits to build at least 46 new or expanded petrochemical facilities across the U.S. that will produce 55 million tons of greenhouse gases a year, according …

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Some Retiring Power Plants May Not Need to be Replaced

Distributed Generation and New Technologies Are Improving Energy Efficiency, Reducing Need to Replace Generation Capacity Black & Veatch‘s 8th annual Strategic Directions: U.S. Electric Industry report shows that many retiring nuclear and coal power plants may not need to be replaced on a megawatt-to-megawatt basis. New technologies and distributed generation (DG), coupled with soft energy demand growth, enable utilities to replace …

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Solar Energy Just Powered a Race Across the Country

By Travis Hoium  It may not have gotten a lot of media attention, but a recent eight-day race across the country may be laying the groundwork for vehicles of the future. The American Solar Challenge pits universities against each other in a challenge to make the fastest and most efficient vehicle powered only by the sun. The course weaved from Austin, …

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AWARD HONORS INNOVATORS IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

HOPE FOR THE PLANET: CALTECH‘S RESONATE AWARD HONORS INNOVATORS IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY   Five Big Ideas in an Often Overlooked Field Get a Moment in the Sun   PASADENA, CA – May 19, 2014 – To promote innovative and potentially game-changing solutions to some of the hardest problems in alternative energy and the environment, Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Institute …

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Coal-fired boilers have gone cold as Ball State continues conversion to geothermal

Nearly 70 years after Ball State University installed its four coal-fired boilers, school employees have stopped shoveling and the old system has gone cold as the university embraces renewable energy with world’s largest district closed geothermal energy system. Jim Lowe, director of engineering, construction and operations, watched the historic event. He’s overseen the $80 million geothermal project — consisting of …

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Honda Unveils Smart Home US for Zero Carbon Living and Mobility

Though the first official assessment that climate change was caused by human activity came in 1988, with NASA scientist James Hansen’s famous testimony to the U.S. Congress, the “carbon neutral” concept, which refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions, is a relatively new one. The non-profit Climate Neutral Network, which developed the Climate Neutral Certification, was incorporated in 1999; the …

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Plenty of Geothermal Available in West

Geothermal power potential in California still largely untapped, says industry group As the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is examining their new scoping plan for implementing the state’s ambitious climate law, the leading geothermal industry group has issued a status report on California’s geothermal resources that says they are still largely untapped. Geothermal power is “a viable, cost effective, and …

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Small Hydropower Generator

Hydropower – Powerspout Generator How would you like to create power for your home or work space with the energy of that water flowing on or near your property already? We found this Australian built power generator and thought our readers would like to know more about this sort of option. If you live off the grid or would just …

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Californians Consume the Least Electricity Nationwide

Californians consume the least electricity per-person of any state in the country, according to new 2014 state energy rankings from EnergyTrends.org. Behind California, Hawaii, Rhode Island and New York used the least electricity per person. Meanwhile, Californians consumed the fifth-lowest total energy per person of any state. This ranking has remained unchanged in recent years – and shows California’s residential …

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Geothermal Potential in California

Still Largely Untapped, Industry Group Tells CARB As the California Air Resources Board is examining their new scoping plan for implementing the state’s ambitious climate law, AB 32, the leading geothermal industry group has issued a status report on the state’s geothermal resources that says they are still largely untapped. Geothermal power is “a viable, cost effective, and plentiful renewable energy …

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1st auction of solar rights on public lands in Colorado draws no bids

By Mark Jaffe Workers with Bella Energy install solar in Boulder in 2011. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post) The plan to auction rights to federal land across the West for solar power plants got off to a rocky start Thursday when no bidders showed up for the first auction in Colorado. Uncertainties about the solar market and federal rules …

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Why You Can’t Always Trust Energy Efficiency Data

The energy efficiency  industry is mad for data, especially anything that will give insight into what spurs consumers to save energy or buy green products. But unfortunately, not all data is good data and some leads the industry astray. Take for example the oft-cited surveys that consumers are willing to pay more for green energy. This led several utilities to …

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U.S. electric utilities flock to lower-priced wind power

Xcel, MidAmerican among leaders as more utilities sign up for consumer savings U.S. electric utilities are locking in fixed-price contracts for wind power, now more cost-competitive than ever, illustrating the success of a key federal tax policy in holding down rates for consumers. A total of 66 U.S. utilities bought or owned wind power by the start of this year …

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EnergySage Launches Online Solar PV Marketplace

Automation, Transparency Transform Solar Photovoltaic Shopping for Homeowners, Businesses and Non-profits   EnergySage, a free-to-the-consumer online marketplace for solar photovoltaic and other clean energy technologies, announced the release of the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive platform for researching and shopping for solar PV (also referred to as solar panel and solar power) systems for homeowners, businesses and non-profits. Through …

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Nuclear Power Still In Favor By Americans

New Poll Shows Americans’ Support for Nuclear Energy, New Facilities Remains Solid  A solid majority of Americans continues to hold favorable views of nuclear energy and believes that electric companies should prepare now for new nuclear energy facilities to be built. In a national telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, 68 percent said they favor nuclear energy, up from 65 …

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