From fossil fuels to sustainable futures: an (almost) virtuous circle

Say it loud and clear. The technology is “absolutely there” now for humanity to switch over to using huge amounts of renewable energy, reliably, says Wärtsilä VP for Europe Melle Kruisdijk. Then again, if you’re not reading this site for the very first time, you probably already know that. So why has a natural gas generator manufacturer contacted Energy-Storage.news to argue the business case for a 100% renewable energy future? We will get to that shortly, but first, to put things in context, yesterday, our sister site PV Tech reported on efforts by a trio of US House Committee Chairs to introduce a plan to shift to a “100% clean economy by 2050”.

Spotlight

Skanergy Srl

Skanergy project, produce and install renwable system, biomass, solar and wind energy. The company project and produce innovative urban grower system, aquaponic system and biological fertilizer production system.

OTHER ARTICLES
Strategy and Best Practices, Industry Updates

Geothermal Energy: How it Works and Stacks Up Against Coal

Article | August 16, 2022

To maintain the goals of the Paris Agreement and save the Earth from ecological breakdown, one of the most important things experts agree we need to do is transition to a renewable energy economy. While most of us may associate renewable energy with wind energy and solar energy, there are several other sources of clean energy that are growing in popularity. One such source is geothermal energy.

Read More
Strategy and Best Practices

Indigenous lands can be ground zero for a wind energy boom

Article | July 8, 2022

It all started about four years ago, when SUVs and pickup trucks drove uninvited onto their lands, remembers Olimpia Palmar, a member of the Indigenous Wayúu peoples, who historically have occupied the La Guajira desert in northern Colombia and Venezuela. "We started seeing these arijunas [Wayuúunaiki for non-native peoples] wearing construction helmets and boots and vests, getting out of the cars, checking the desert, and then leaving," she recalls. Word soon began circulating across the Guajira Peninsula, from the rancherías — the community’s rural settlements — to the few urban centers: The arijunas were offering money to those who would let them plant tall, slim towers on their lands to measure the wind. On La Guajira’s dusty earth, where few things grow, towers began to sprout. By 2019, at least 30 wind-measuring towers had risen on Wayúu land, according to a report by Indepaz, a nonprofit research center.

Read More
Solar+Storage

Slashing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Business Perspective!

Article | June 14, 2022

“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” – Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) We, humans, had completely buried this quote until it was brought back to life recently. Business leaders should remember this quote as it perfectly fits into the environmental-business perspective that we are presently facing. If the world has to tackle the problem of climate change or come even close to achieving that goal, businesses and industries will have to play a key role. Almost a quarter, or 23% to be precise, of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, come directly from industries. This number rises to 29.6% if we combine indirect emissions too. When looking for causes of climate change, the private sector is often linked to. Minimizing your carbon footprint appears to be the year's buzzword, but where can businesses begin with such an ambiguous task? How do we assess progress? Peter Drucker wrote the premise of an answer back in 1954: "What gets measured, gets managed." If a business really wants to become more sustainable, the first step should be to try to understand its current situation and begin tracking its carbon emissions. Measuring carbon emissions is a difficult problem. Major businesses that do not have carbon monitoring and reduction programs have become the exception. Recognizing and measuring CO2 emissions aids in the identification of excessive energy consumption and other inefficiencies. Most of the time, lowering greenhouse gas emissions goes hand in hand with making a business's processes more efficient and cost-effective. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: What Do Businesses Gain? In addition to the long-term environmental benefits that will help us in saving our planet, organizations can also benefit from the positive impacts of greenhouse gas emission reduction. Some of the top benefits of effective emission management are as follows. Cost Saving When it comes to cost reductions, simply minimizing your energy consumption reduces both your organization's carbon footprint and its operating expenses. According to a 2016 Energy Star report, the owner of Kimberly-Clark Berkley Mill invested $350,000, which generated yearly savings of $160,000 and a rapid return on investment (ROI) of just over one and a half years when LED lighting was installed to replace the fluorescent and HID lighting that was traditionally used. Regulatory Compliance With a 20-fold rise in global climate change regulations since 1997, securing proactive regulatory compliance is much more important than ever in the minds of corporate leadership, public spheres, and stakeholders – and it's only becoming more important. Adopting an effective greenhouse gas emission reduction program, as well as tracking and reporting on progress, is essential for businesses to adopt in order to maintain operations and avoid penalties. Improved External Relations Consumer spending power has an enormous impact on the process of shaping organizational action. In the eyes of the public, the process of committing to responsibility in the domains of broader sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reduction is a significant credibility boost. When your company takes proactive steps to reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, the resulting increase in the quality and depth of relationships with potential partners and external business connections is priceless. Enhanced Stakeholder Relationships Along with a stronger relationship with the audience, the influence of transparent sustainability indicators and performance has the potential to strengthen crucial relationships with stakeholders. More investors than ever are shifting capital away from carbon-heavy, secretive businesses and toward companies that have decided to be open, proactive, and honest regarding their greenhouse gas emissions management within the sustainability world and beyond. Emission Sources Defined in Business Operations Within a business's operation chain, emission sources are classified into three categories. These scopes are established so that businesses can trace the source of their greenhouse gas emissions and modify their operations to minimize their carbon footprint. Emission scope is defined as follows: Scope 1 Emission Scope 1 emissions are directly caused by business operations. Organizations with fossil fuel-burning vehicle fleets, for example, are directly liable for carbon emissions by burning those fossil fuels. Scope 2 Emission Scope 2 emissions are caused by an organization purchasing energy (e.g., electricity, heat, or air conditioning) produced by a process that emits greenhouse gases. A scope 2 emission is, for example, electricity generated by burning coal that a business later purchases. Because the company consumes this energy, they must record the emissions generated when it was generated. Scope 3 Emissions Scope 3 emissions are not caused by a company's direct activities. Other entities in a company's value chain are responsible for these emissions. Scope 3 emissions for one organization could be scope 1 and 2 emissions for another. A company that manufactures products, for example, would have scope 3 emissions from a company that eventually disposes of those items. Scope 3 is responsible for most of a company's emissions, accounting for 65% to 95% of a company's carbon footprint. Currently, reporting scope 3 emissions is optional for businesses. Organizations must, however, start tracking their scope 3 emissions since this is where tremendous reductions in carbon emissions can occur. How Are Large Enterprises Measuring and Reducing Their Carbon Footprints? Larger enterprises, like Apple and ExxonMobil, have begun to provide scope 3 emissions data. Other companies are collaborating with their supply chain to build collaborative initiatives among companies to report these emissions. Businesses have begun to cooperate even outside of supply chains. Competitors in the same industry have started to form partnerships to solve the issue of measuring their carbon footprints. Because these organizations often share manufacturers and suppliers, they have decided to deal with the issue together. Other businesses manage environmental sustainability in a different manner.Enterprises in the agriculture industry have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recycle, and provide resources and information to smaller agricultural organizations wanting to go green.Many of the world’s leading auto manufacturers help by producing vehicles that are more environmentally friendly and have the better fuel economy. Others are creating alternative-fuel cars or investing in sustainable energy projects. The major retailers, manufacturers, and software companies have all made efforts to reduce their carbon footprint in different ways. Many multinational enterprises are adopting more sustainable business practices, such as using renewable energy and recycled materials in product manufacturing. How Can Small Businesses Seek Help Measuring Their Carbon Footprints? For the time being, many small businesses are finding it difficult to gather data on all these emissions that are beyond their control. According to the BBC, only 10% of more than 1,000 organizations surveyed in the United Kingdom keep track of their carbon footprint. Moreover, one in every five companies does not understand what the term "net-zero" means and a third really hasn't sought any help to make their company more sustainable. Exploring available information on measuring emissions data is the best approach for small businesses to understand more about the ways they can reduce their carbon footprint. The EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership includes a wealth of resources to assist small business owners in measuring and reporting their emissions. Business owners can learn how to establish a greenhouse gas inventory, measure their emissions, collaborate with sustainable suppliers, and gather data to develop sustainable solutions. Small businesses can also utilize a carbon footprint calculator to determine the quantity of emissions generated by their activities. Once company owners realize how much carbon they are emitting, they can start to tackle where it is coming from and make the necessary modifications. The most important thing that business owners can do is to always look for ways to improve their business's sustainability. Additional information will be made available to help company owners as they seek guidance on how to minimize their carbon footprint. Best Practices for Companies to Achieve Net Zero and Stay Profitable Transitioning to net zero is such a demanding task that many businesses believe it is impossible to do while retaining profit margins. As a result, many businesses concentrate on low-hanging fruit and short-term alternatives, like offloading emissions onto others by divesting from high-carbon-emitting companies. Businesses, on the other hand, can start by creating a greenhouse gas inventory to monitor their carbon emissions. Here are just a few of the many ways we found that could help your business. Cut Emissions Across the Whole Value Chain For most businesses, the majority of emissions and the possibilities for climate action lie in "scope 3 assets". These aren't owned or managed by the reporting company, but they add to the business's value chain indirectly. Businesses must take action on scope 3 emissions in order to successfully cut emissions. Use Sustainable Web Hosting Services Hosting services are the silent consumers of fossil fuels. Until you host it yourself, your website is most certainly hosted on a data server in a warehouse that runs on fossil fuels. Data servers use a lot of energy since they have to be turned on and kept cool all the time. Renewable Energy Certificates are acquired by sustainable hosting providers in order to claim their renewable energy utilization. Tackle the Root Causes The areas of major emissions are often not the most effective sites for action. It is found that businesses are measuring emissions in order to determine underlying causes, either inside their own processes or anywhere in the value chain. Big tech businesses evaluate power efficiency down to the code level in their AI and cloud implementations and collaborate with chip manufacturers to reduce energy usage in the use of their products. Don’t Automatically Defund High-Carbon Business Investors are often enticed to enhance their portfolio of low-carbon activities merely by rearranging their capital allocation. However, when it comes to really incentivize reduction, a more effective technique is to engage in activities that presently generate high carbon emissions while giving out a clear and urgent roadmap to change. Some activists have realized this idea and are shifting their demands from divestment to a managed shift of high-carbon businesses. Purchase Carbon Offsets Carbon offsets are a type of trade. When you buy an offset, you are contributing to projects that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. A carbon calculator can help you calculate your travel carbon footprint and the monetary cost of those emissions. Remember that carbon offsets do not decrease the quantity of carbon in the atmosphere; rather, they serve as a balancing agent to neutralize the carbon emitted. Carbon offsets could be tax-deductible based on the company from whom you purchase them. Closing Lines Many prominent brands, from Amazon to L'Oréal, have started to make significant investments in renewable energy and commitments to reduce emissions in their freight and logistics operations. Being mindful of how your activities contribute to greenhouse gas emissions can assist you in minimizing your carbon footprint. With the above-mentioned methods under your belt, you will be able to support the environment that we live in a while simultaneously pushing your organization to the next level of success. Don't miss the opportunity to get involved in energy-efficiency and sustainability initiatives for your company because the newest generation of consumers, millennials, have $2.45 trillion in spending power and are eager to spend more on brands that share their values of going green. Frequently Asked Questions What are scope 3 emissions? The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard divides a company's greenhouse gas emissions into three "scopes." Scope 1 emissions are those emitted directly from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions are those caused by the production of bought energy. Scope 3 emissions encompass all indirect emissions (not included in scope 2) that happen in the reporting company's value chain, both in upstream and downstream emissions. What are product life cycle emissions? All emissions related to the production and utilize a single product, from the cradle to the grave, are referred to as the product life cycle emissions and include emissions from raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, storage, sale, usage, and disposal. How can industries reduce global warming? By implementing passive or sustainable energy-based heating and cooling systems, increasing energy efficiency, and solving other important concerns such as methane leaks, the industry can cut its emissions by 7.3 Gt per year. New food production technologies have the capability to cut emissions by 6.7 Gt per year

Read More
Solar+Storage

5 New Solar Power Technologies in 2021

Article | April 5, 2021

In the last forty years, there has been a dynamic increase in the use of solar energy in the United States. As recently as 2018, an additional 10.6 GW of solar power was harnessed, bringing the country's total use up to 64.2 GW. Yet this apparently successful addition still only contributes 1.6% of the total electricity used across the States. However, with many new solar power technologies on the horizon, the increase could soon be much greater.

Read More

Spotlight

Skanergy Srl

Skanergy project, produce and install renwable system, biomass, solar and wind energy. The company project and produce innovative urban grower system, aquaponic system and biological fertilizer production system.

Related News

Solar+Storage,Sustainability

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions enters Mississippi with acquisition of 100-MW Wildflower Solar from Clearway Energy Group

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions | November 23, 2022

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is expanding its solar energy portfolio by acquiring the 100-megawatt (MW) Wildflower Solar project from Clearway Energy Group. The solar project will generate enough energy to power approximately 21,000 homes. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions* is a non-regulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK). The site, which is expected to begin full construction in late 2022 and achieve commercial operation in late 2023, is located in Desoto County, MS. It will be the first Mississippi based renewable energy project for Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Toyota North America has signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement for up to 80 MWs of the solar energy produced by the project. The agreement will financially settle on an as-generated basis tied to the project's real-time energy output. Wildflower Solar, which is located in proximity to Toyota's manufacturing facility in Mississippi, will help the automotive manufacturer replace the high emission electricity used in its operations with zero emissions renewable electricity on the grid. The move represents another major step towards Toyota's goal of achieving carbon neutrality in its operations by 2035. "We're excited to continue to expand our commercial solar portfolio and enter into the Mississippi market, which will build upon the area's clean energy resources, Once complete, Wildflower Solar will further diversify Mississippi's energy infrastructure, while also reducing Toyota's emissions from its North American operations." -Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Our collective future depends on clean mobility, clean air, clean water and biodiversity, said Kevin Butt, director of sustainability for Toyota Motor North America. Renewable energy sources, like solar, are a key to achieving our goal of carbon neutrality and our purchase from Wildflower alone has the potential to reduce Toyota's carbon footprint in North America by as much as 8 percent. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions will own and operate the project, which is expected to employ 300 at peak construction. Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany solar project development, such as increased local spending in the service and construction industries, the Wildflower Solar facility will also have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing significant tax revenues for the Mississippi public schools. As one of the nation's top renewable energy providers, Duke Energy has more than 10,500 MW of solar and wind energy. About Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower emissions and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar, resilient backup power and managed energy services to over 1,000 projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. The brand includes the following subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation that are registered to transact business in various states and may be branded as Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for marketing purposes: Duke Energy One, Inc.; Duke Energy Commercial Enterprises, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables Commercial, LLC; Duke Energy Renewable Services, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Storage, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Solar, LLC.; and REC Solar Commercial Corporation. About Clearway Energy Group Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy. Along with our public affiliate Clearway Energy, Inc., we own and operate more than 8 gigawatts of renewable and conventional energy assets across the country. As we develop a nationwide pipeline of new renewable energy projects for one future, Clearway's 5.7 gigawatts of wind, solar and energy storage assets offset the equivalent of more than 10.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions for our customers today. Clearway Energy Group is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Carlsbad, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; Houston; and Princeton, N.J. For more information, visit clearwayenergygroup.com About Toyota Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we've built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2020.

Read More

Strategy and Best Practices

IUCN and Huawei Both Push for a Greater Use of Technology to Protect the Environment

IUCN | June 07, 2022

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Huawei, and conservation project partners joined forces to urge for a greater global push to develop and implement innovative technologies to better safeguard the environment. The two partners held an online summit called "Tech for a Better Planet" to show how technology may dramatically improve nature conservation outcomes, as well as to introduce new digital technologies that are poised to become critical enablers of environmental protection. The process of responding to environmental concerns has raised awareness of the importance of technology in nature protection. "We believe that digital technology is a key enabler of environmental protection, All sectors of society should work together within an open and collaborative market environment to apply technological innovations to industries and transform new technologies into solutions and services that can help build a green planet." -Tao Jingwen, Director of the Board and Director of the Corporate Sustainable Development Committee for Huawei. Huawei supports the worldwide zero-carbon journey by promoting green development in industries through ICT breakthroughs. To speed the development of renewable energy, the company has merged power electronics and digital technology on the energy supply side. In terms of energy consumption, Huawei will continue to develop energy-saving technologies to improve the energy efficiency of ICT infrastructure, saving energy and lowering emissions in the process. Huawei has also created long-term partnerships to improve nature conservation outcomes by developing technology solutions that can better comprehend nature and lead to more effective biodiversity protection measures in a variety of environments. IUCN and Huawei started the global Tech4Nature project in 2020, and have since launched pilot programs in Switzerland, Spain, China, Mexico, and Mauritius based on the IUCN Green List Standard. IUCN, Huawei, and the Ecomode Society deployed the first underwater system in the Western Indian Ocean to monitor coral reef ecosystems in real time off the coast of Mauritius. The project's goal is to rebuild seriously threatened coral reef ecosystems by growing live coral in nurseries, transplanting it, and tracking growth, water conditions, and dangers such as algae. Underwater cameras with unique lenses, sensors, a 4G network to transport data, and AI to analyse the results are all part of the solution. Nearly 10,000 coral fragments have been transplanted to deteriorated reefs to date, with a total of 25,000 expected by the end of 2022.

Read More

Solar+Storage

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) Announces Utility Scale Deal with AquaSan to Provide Up to 233 MW in New Solar Capacity to Five U.S. States

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure | March 03, 2022

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) announced it has taken a step towards providing more affordable, reliable, and clean access to energy for Americans. The North American solar energy investment and development subsidiary of the Libra Group announced that it has acquired a scalable portfolio of solar developments from AquaSan Network-subsidiary CMDAJ Holdings LLC (CMDAJ). This acquisition positions GSI to provide up to 233 megawatt (MW) in affordable, utility scale solar energy to new markets, including Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Initially, GSI will develop 40 MW of early-stage utility scale solar developments in Minnesota, with the option to build an additional 193 MW in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, doubling its current footprint to 10 U.S. states. Following this transaction, Libra Group subsidiaries, including GSI, will be close to reaching the one-gigawatt development mark, proving 950 MW in solar, wind and waste-to-energy with over 220 projects owned, currently under development, or previously developed in six countries. These developments will provide power to a combination of regulated utilities, investor-owned utilities and U.S. businesses allowing them to purchase solar energy to meet clean energy goals and lock in reduced electricity costs. The portfolio will increase access to reliable, clean energy and promote local job creation and the provision of clean, reliable and renewable water. We were proud to partner with CMDAJ, a team of experienced renewable energy and water project developers in Denver Colorado, to complete this deal which will increase access to reliable, clean energy and promote local job creation. The company and this transaction represent a key part of the Libra Group's commitment to renewable energy in the Americas and around the world." Camilo Patrignani, Libra Group EVP of Energy The U.S. renewable energy market is a multibillion-dollar sector. A global focus on clean power, where many U.S. developers lead the field, has given rise to new solutions with improved technology offering greater efficiencies year upon year. The assets from this deal will be co-owned and co-developed by the GSI and CMDAJ partnership. Once the projects are ready to build, GSI plans to construct and operate the power plants. "This is a very exciting announcement that will cement GSI's growth plans hand in hand with CMDAJ, and continue to support and advance the nation's transition to a reliable, clean energy future," said Mazen Turk, GSI CEO. "Since the start of operations in 2010, GSI has developed and built over 32 renewable energy assets and this acquisition furthers our exposure to the utility scale energy segment." "CMDAJ's team has developed over 2 gigawatts of thermal, solar, biomass and wind projects over the last 20 years and this partnership will enable us to expand our development portfolio and vertically integrate our efforts in renewable energy and water" said Carmine Iadarola, CEO of CMDAJ and AquaSan Network, Inc. About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure and Libra Group Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of the Libra Group, a privately-owned international business group spanning 35 countries across six continents and active in renewable energy, aviation, hospitality, real estate and shipping as well as selected diversified investments. GSI is focused investment, development, and operation of both distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy projects in North America. As of January 2022, the company developed approximately 200 MW in 32 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI. Recent partners include DTE Energy, Delmarva Power, and Duke Energy. Its sister company, Greenwood Energy Latinoamérica, is currently developing or managing close to 100 MW of on-site solar energy systems for public and private sector organizations wishing to offset their energy costs in Latin America, including the first utility-scale project in Panama. The Libra Group also owns Convergen Latvia, operating three biogas plants in Latvia and EuroEnergy, which operates solar and wind farms across Europe. About CMDAJ and AquaSan AquaSan was formed in 1983 by its current CEO Carmine Iadarola to provide administrative and technical services for the water infrastructure business. Over time, Aquasan got involved in the development of renewable energy projects as well and since then had developed 1,100 MWs of natural gas power, 1,000 MWs of wind, and 500 MWs of solar. AquaSan is a family owned business that employs 5 people and has rendered services to companies like Nextera, GCL, Xcel, Dominion, Pine Gate, Candela, Google, Kiewit and others.

Read More

Solar+Storage,Sustainability

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions enters Mississippi with acquisition of 100-MW Wildflower Solar from Clearway Energy Group

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions | November 23, 2022

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is expanding its solar energy portfolio by acquiring the 100-megawatt (MW) Wildflower Solar project from Clearway Energy Group. The solar project will generate enough energy to power approximately 21,000 homes. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions* is a non-regulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK). The site, which is expected to begin full construction in late 2022 and achieve commercial operation in late 2023, is located in Desoto County, MS. It will be the first Mississippi based renewable energy project for Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Toyota North America has signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement for up to 80 MWs of the solar energy produced by the project. The agreement will financially settle on an as-generated basis tied to the project's real-time energy output. Wildflower Solar, which is located in proximity to Toyota's manufacturing facility in Mississippi, will help the automotive manufacturer replace the high emission electricity used in its operations with zero emissions renewable electricity on the grid. The move represents another major step towards Toyota's goal of achieving carbon neutrality in its operations by 2035. "We're excited to continue to expand our commercial solar portfolio and enter into the Mississippi market, which will build upon the area's clean energy resources, Once complete, Wildflower Solar will further diversify Mississippi's energy infrastructure, while also reducing Toyota's emissions from its North American operations." -Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Our collective future depends on clean mobility, clean air, clean water and biodiversity, said Kevin Butt, director of sustainability for Toyota Motor North America. Renewable energy sources, like solar, are a key to achieving our goal of carbon neutrality and our purchase from Wildflower alone has the potential to reduce Toyota's carbon footprint in North America by as much as 8 percent. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions will own and operate the project, which is expected to employ 300 at peak construction. Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany solar project development, such as increased local spending in the service and construction industries, the Wildflower Solar facility will also have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing significant tax revenues for the Mississippi public schools. As one of the nation's top renewable energy providers, Duke Energy has more than 10,500 MW of solar and wind energy. About Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower emissions and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar, resilient backup power and managed energy services to over 1,000 projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. The brand includes the following subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation that are registered to transact business in various states and may be branded as Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for marketing purposes: Duke Energy One, Inc.; Duke Energy Commercial Enterprises, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables Commercial, LLC; Duke Energy Renewable Services, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Storage, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Solar, LLC.; and REC Solar Commercial Corporation. About Clearway Energy Group Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy. Along with our public affiliate Clearway Energy, Inc., we own and operate more than 8 gigawatts of renewable and conventional energy assets across the country. As we develop a nationwide pipeline of new renewable energy projects for one future, Clearway's 5.7 gigawatts of wind, solar and energy storage assets offset the equivalent of more than 10.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions for our customers today. Clearway Energy Group is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Carlsbad, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; Houston; and Princeton, N.J. For more information, visit clearwayenergygroup.com About Toyota Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we've built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2020.

Read More

Strategy and Best Practices

IUCN and Huawei Both Push for a Greater Use of Technology to Protect the Environment

IUCN | June 07, 2022

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Huawei, and conservation project partners joined forces to urge for a greater global push to develop and implement innovative technologies to better safeguard the environment. The two partners held an online summit called "Tech for a Better Planet" to show how technology may dramatically improve nature conservation outcomes, as well as to introduce new digital technologies that are poised to become critical enablers of environmental protection. The process of responding to environmental concerns has raised awareness of the importance of technology in nature protection. "We believe that digital technology is a key enabler of environmental protection, All sectors of society should work together within an open and collaborative market environment to apply technological innovations to industries and transform new technologies into solutions and services that can help build a green planet." -Tao Jingwen, Director of the Board and Director of the Corporate Sustainable Development Committee for Huawei. Huawei supports the worldwide zero-carbon journey by promoting green development in industries through ICT breakthroughs. To speed the development of renewable energy, the company has merged power electronics and digital technology on the energy supply side. In terms of energy consumption, Huawei will continue to develop energy-saving technologies to improve the energy efficiency of ICT infrastructure, saving energy and lowering emissions in the process. Huawei has also created long-term partnerships to improve nature conservation outcomes by developing technology solutions that can better comprehend nature and lead to more effective biodiversity protection measures in a variety of environments. IUCN and Huawei started the global Tech4Nature project in 2020, and have since launched pilot programs in Switzerland, Spain, China, Mexico, and Mauritius based on the IUCN Green List Standard. IUCN, Huawei, and the Ecomode Society deployed the first underwater system in the Western Indian Ocean to monitor coral reef ecosystems in real time off the coast of Mauritius. The project's goal is to rebuild seriously threatened coral reef ecosystems by growing live coral in nurseries, transplanting it, and tracking growth, water conditions, and dangers such as algae. Underwater cameras with unique lenses, sensors, a 4G network to transport data, and AI to analyse the results are all part of the solution. Nearly 10,000 coral fragments have been transplanted to deteriorated reefs to date, with a total of 25,000 expected by the end of 2022.

Read More

Solar+Storage

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) Announces Utility Scale Deal with AquaSan to Provide Up to 233 MW in New Solar Capacity to Five U.S. States

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure | March 03, 2022

Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) announced it has taken a step towards providing more affordable, reliable, and clean access to energy for Americans. The North American solar energy investment and development subsidiary of the Libra Group announced that it has acquired a scalable portfolio of solar developments from AquaSan Network-subsidiary CMDAJ Holdings LLC (CMDAJ). This acquisition positions GSI to provide up to 233 megawatt (MW) in affordable, utility scale solar energy to new markets, including Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Initially, GSI will develop 40 MW of early-stage utility scale solar developments in Minnesota, with the option to build an additional 193 MW in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, doubling its current footprint to 10 U.S. states. Following this transaction, Libra Group subsidiaries, including GSI, will be close to reaching the one-gigawatt development mark, proving 950 MW in solar, wind and waste-to-energy with over 220 projects owned, currently under development, or previously developed in six countries. These developments will provide power to a combination of regulated utilities, investor-owned utilities and U.S. businesses allowing them to purchase solar energy to meet clean energy goals and lock in reduced electricity costs. The portfolio will increase access to reliable, clean energy and promote local job creation and the provision of clean, reliable and renewable water. We were proud to partner with CMDAJ, a team of experienced renewable energy and water project developers in Denver Colorado, to complete this deal which will increase access to reliable, clean energy and promote local job creation. The company and this transaction represent a key part of the Libra Group's commitment to renewable energy in the Americas and around the world." Camilo Patrignani, Libra Group EVP of Energy The U.S. renewable energy market is a multibillion-dollar sector. A global focus on clean power, where many U.S. developers lead the field, has given rise to new solutions with improved technology offering greater efficiencies year upon year. The assets from this deal will be co-owned and co-developed by the GSI and CMDAJ partnership. Once the projects are ready to build, GSI plans to construct and operate the power plants. "This is a very exciting announcement that will cement GSI's growth plans hand in hand with CMDAJ, and continue to support and advance the nation's transition to a reliable, clean energy future," said Mazen Turk, GSI CEO. "Since the start of operations in 2010, GSI has developed and built over 32 renewable energy assets and this acquisition furthers our exposure to the utility scale energy segment." "CMDAJ's team has developed over 2 gigawatts of thermal, solar, biomass and wind projects over the last 20 years and this partnership will enable us to expand our development portfolio and vertically integrate our efforts in renewable energy and water" said Carmine Iadarola, CEO of CMDAJ and AquaSan Network, Inc. About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure and Libra Group Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of the Libra Group, a privately-owned international business group spanning 35 countries across six continents and active in renewable energy, aviation, hospitality, real estate and shipping as well as selected diversified investments. GSI is focused investment, development, and operation of both distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy projects in North America. As of January 2022, the company developed approximately 200 MW in 32 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI. Recent partners include DTE Energy, Delmarva Power, and Duke Energy. Its sister company, Greenwood Energy Latinoamérica, is currently developing or managing close to 100 MW of on-site solar energy systems for public and private sector organizations wishing to offset their energy costs in Latin America, including the first utility-scale project in Panama. The Libra Group also owns Convergen Latvia, operating three biogas plants in Latvia and EuroEnergy, which operates solar and wind farms across Europe. About CMDAJ and AquaSan AquaSan was formed in 1983 by its current CEO Carmine Iadarola to provide administrative and technical services for the water infrastructure business. Over time, Aquasan got involved in the development of renewable energy projects as well and since then had developed 1,100 MWs of natural gas power, 1,000 MWs of wind, and 500 MWs of solar. AquaSan is a family owned business that employs 5 people and has rendered services to companies like Nextera, GCL, Xcel, Dominion, Pine Gate, Candela, Google, Kiewit and others.

Read More

Events