Today we're premiering a midweek edition of Energy Management News. Rather than recapping the previous week's news every Monday morning, we're now going to give you energy management and sustainability highlights a couple of times each week. If you prefer these shorter, more frequent posts, be sure to let us know.
The Many Facets of Green Building Innovation
The process and adoption of innovation are the result of several forces at work, not all of them necessarily aligned: The need to customize the product to fit the specific needs of the client and the need for scope, scale and speed. You also must understand the group for which you are innovating.
A Pocket Full of Power
A new startup has created an economical, pint-sized fuel cell that could be just the thing for emerging markets. One prototype (built around a container that once held breath mints) will generate two to three watts of power.
USPS Inks $28.7M Deal to Cut Energy Costs at nearly 2,300 Locations
The U.S. Postal Service has signed a $28.7 million contract to install energy-management systems in up to 2,250 post offices as part of its plan to cut energy costs 30 percent by 2015 from 2003 levels, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.
Great Lakes to Get Great Big Wind Turbines
Traditionally, offshore wind farms have been located on the coast, but GE and LEEDCo hope to generate 1000 MW of wind energy from Lake Erie within the next decade.
Tax Fraud Plagues Carbon Trading Program
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, tax fraud is the carbon trading market's most egregious form of cheating, affecting about seven percent of this $125 billion market in 2009.
And now for something completely different . . .
iPhone More Important Invention Than Flush Toilets?
A question for the ages: Is the iPhone a more important invention than the humble toilet? Amazingly, for many Britons, it is. A recent survey indicates the iPhone is literally the greatest thing since sliced bread - at least in the UK.
Wind Energy Causes Pollution?!?!
A new report claims that coal based power plants create more emissions than they normally would because utilities must comply with pro-wind energy policies.
A Pared-Down, Oil-Friendly Senate Energy Bill to Be Released Monday
The latest Senate bill would only implement a cap and trade program for electricity-producing utilities, at least initially, though it won't be called that because cap and trade has become a dirty word.
The Good and Bad of LED Lighting
In this podcast, Lisa Cohn of realenergywriters.com interviews Ron Harwood, president of Illuminating Concepts, about the advantages and disadvantages of LED lights.
Three Options for Energy-Efficient Data Centers
The best options for cost-effective data center retrofits that significantly reduce energy consumption include electrical equipment upgrades, server virtualization and cooling optimization, according to an article written by Coy Stine, director of Data Center Services for Bluestone Energy Services for Data Center Knowledge.
Report Signals Rebound in Energy Efficiency Spending
The Energy Efficiency Indicator found that energy efficiency projects are on the rise, but many organizations still lack carbon reduction strategies.
DOE Seeks Participants for Commercial-Building Initiative
As part of an ongoing effort to reduce energy use in new and existing commercial buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites commercial-building owners and operators and technical experts to join its Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) initiative.
Photo by andjohan
01.15.2010 - Don't Blame Higher Electric Bills on Meters
Consumers have been unfairly blaming their higher electric bills on newly installed smart meters, concludes a Texas utility investigation.
01.14.2010 - CA Approves Stringent Statewide Building Code
California approved the most stringent, environmentally-friendly building code in the United States that will apply to new commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, shopping malls and homes, reports USA Today.
01.14.2010 - A Blueprint for Greening New York City's Buildings
Buildings in the United States consume more energy than any other sector of the economy. A new report looks at the challenges posed by green buildings and strategies to address it.
01.13.2010 - EIA Sees Gasoline Hitting $3 per Gallon by Summer
DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) is predicting that the price for regular-grade gasoline will rise above $3 per gallon by summer. The EIA's most recent "Short-Term Energy Outlook" also projects an increase in the price of diesel fuel to around $3 per gallon.
01.13.2010 - Four Solid State Lighting Trends for 2010
How will technical advancements in 2010 improve quality and drive down pricing for LED lighting? Will the much discussed mass adoption of solid state lighting finally arrive?
01.12.2010 - OPEC Grows Accustomed to $100 per Barrel Oil
According to Imad Al Atiqi, Kuwait's senior OPEC representative, crude prices would have to rise to $100 per barrel, or more than 22%, before the organization's member countries would consider changing production quotas.
01.12.2010 - Leading Economist Says Cap & Trade is a Ticking Time Bomb
According to Dr. Severin Borenstein, an outspoken economist and thought leader on energy-related issues, cap & trade models represent a ticking time bomb.
01.11.2010 - Ten Green Building Trends for 2010
The Earth Advantage Institute has released a list of the top ten "green" building trends in 2010 that range from energy "scores" for homes to web-based displays that track energy usage in real time.
Photo by BlatantNews.com