Cost is a big factor for energy managers weighing choices in lighting retrofits, but so are concerns that today’s technology will only get more efficient and less expensive over time. Despite these concerns, waiting will only delay the potential energy and cost savings you can get by upgrading to fluorescent or LED lighting that is …Continue Reading
Novozymes and Novo Nordisk, two Danish biotech firms with neighboring facilities, have come together to set up a biogas reactor to use wastewater from their facilities to produce biogas, which can generate 47,000 MWh of electricity a year, equal to the power from 7 offshore wind turbines, the companies say. Novozymes said it uses a …Continue Reading
Rutland Plywood has taken its waste-fired steam production to the next level – by generating electricity and selling it to the local utility. The Vermont-based manufacturer of hardwood laminates has for decades burned wood waste to generate process steam, and designed its manufacturing to work well with steam power, Sustainable Plant reports. Rutland harnesses high-pressure steam …Continue Reading
In 2010, bulk chemicals accounted for about 5 percent of the nation’s energy use, according to the Energy Information Administration. The industrial sector is responsible for nearly a third of total energy use in the United States, consuming an estimated 31 quadrillion Btu in 2012. Much of this consumption is in energy-intensive manufacturing, including the …Continue Reading
Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) has formed a strategic alliance with The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB) to create a service that will help facilities assess and manage the risk of energy blackouts. Electrical blackouts in the US cost businesses and consumers more than $100 billion annually, according to AER, which says …Continue Reading
Alcoa spent $21 million to expand its Wheel and Transportation Products facility at its Barberton, Ohio, plant and now expects to cut in half the total amount of energy used to recycle aluminum for forged wheels. Construction of the new 50,000-sq-foot casthouse began in July 2011 and is now running at full capacity. The casthouse …Continue Reading
The Department of Energy has published a new series of protocols for determining savings from energy efficiency upgrades in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. Developed in collaboration with leading technical experts under the Uniform Methods Project (UMP), these protocols offer a straightforward approach for calculating energy savings made possible from common residential and commercial …Continue Reading
Ecova and San Diego Gas & Electric will collaborate to help SDG&E’s commercial clients have visibility into meter data through Ecova’s Meter Dashboard and the Green Button provided by SDG&E. Green Button is an industry-led effort that enables energy consumers to download their energy usage data via a “Green Button” on electric utilities’ websites. Green …Continue Reading
Lineage Logistics, a refrigerated warehouse provider, will use Cascade Energy’s energy management services to maximize refrigeration system energy efficiency at multiple facilities, reducing energy usage 10-15 percent. A key component of Cascade’s energy management system is the facility tune-up, which delivers savings through an operations and maintenance approach. Tune-ups are applied either to an entire …Continue Reading
Penn State University is creating an Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, involving both a new building and the renovation of a 1940s building. Officials broke ground on the project last week, and it is expected to be complete by January 2014. Paul Hallacher, director of the EEB Hub, said Navy Yard …Continue Reading
