Tesco Opens World’s First Zero Carbon Supermarket, Pledges $156 M to UK Green Economy
Posted by Kathryn Siranosian February 9th, 2010 
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Last week, Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, opened the world’s first zero carbon supermarket.
The store has no net carbon footprint and exports any extra electricity generated back to the national grid.
Located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, this new supermarket boasts several eco-friendly features, including:
- A combined heat and power plant which runs on bio fuels from renewable sources
- Timber framing derived from sustainable sources rather than steel (which significantly reduced the carbon footprint of construction)
- Interior lighting that dims as the natural daylight increases, and skylights that allow daylight on to the sales floor
- LED lights in the parking lot and gas station (This is the UK’s first LED-lit parking lot.)
- Rainwater collection facilities on the roof which provide water for use in the car wash and to flush store toilets
- Refrigerant gases in the fridges, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that have virtually no environmental impact
- Solar-powered street lights and crossing signals
- Additional energy-efficient equipment, such as low energy bakery ovens
Is Walmart’s Sustainability Consortium A Genuine Effort To Develop Better Products?
Posted by Gina-Marie Cheeseman February 9th, 2010 Comments
Walmart is certainly not a stranger to controversy and criticism, and neither is its attempt to develop sustainability standards for products. Last summer the world’s largest retailer announced plans last summer to develop a Sustainability Index which would serve as a single data source for evaluating a product’s sustainability. The Sustainability Index initiative then launched the Sustainability Consortium, a group representing governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic and business interests to develop standards which can be used to rate the sustainability of products.
The Consortium’s website states that it “develops transparent methodologies, tools and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social and economic imperatives.” .The Consortium’s website also states that it “advocates for a transparent process and system, not individuals or organizations.” However, the Consortium does not support third party-rating systems such as EPEAT. As Treehugger.com put it, the Consortium “decided to take matters into their own hands and push for consumer outreach on electronics themselves.”
Hydrogen is Not The Miracle Fuel of the Future
Posted by Steve Puma February 8th, 2010 Comments
BoingBoing.net is reporting today on a tabletop “hydrogen power station” that produces hydrogen from water using a standard power outlet and costs around $200. While this may sound wonderful on the surface, it merely illustrates how the notion of a “hydrogen economy” is really a myth.
Let’s get one thing perfectly clear: hydrogen is not a energy resource. Hydrogen does not exist naturally in any sufficient quantities to make it a viable energy source, at least on this planet. To get hydrogen in any useful quantities, it must be extracted from natural gas, water or biomass, and all of these result in a net loss of energy. It is more efficient to use these fuels in their original forms.
Hydrogen is more like a battery, an energy storage medium. Unfortunately, (for practical purposes) it is a very impractical battery, with an extremely low energy-to-volume ratio. According to Wikipedia, “The energy density per unit volume of both liquid hydrogen and compressed hydrogen gas at any practicable pressure is significantly less than that of traditional fuel sources, although the energy density per unit fuel mass is higher.”
To be fair, fossil fuels are only energy storage mediums as well, but their energy was accumulated over millions of years, and is readily extracted now in a compact form. Neither hydrogen nor fossil fuels are energy sources, because the energy does not come from them, it came from the sun, the only real energy source we have.
China Now World Leader in Smart Grid Investment
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Just imagine if we were only now building our first electric infrastructure. Of course that would mean that we’d be decades behind our other modern counterparts. But it would also mean that we’d be in a position to build it using the very latest and best technology. That is exactly the position China is in today. And thanks to its thriving export business, it has the means to do it right. This is a good thing, since bringing so many people up to a modern standard will bankrupt the planet unless truly significant innovations are made at every step along the way to ensure the highest possible efficiency.
China is preparing to invest $7.3 billion this coming year in smart grid technology, edging out the $7.2 billion in U.S. investments (Source: Zpryme). In fact, China is now spending more on its smart grid than it is on power generation.
Why Electric Vehicles Worry California Power Regulators
Posted by Amelia Timbers February 8th, 2010 Comments
Pylons; Photo by Net_Efekt
Though historically high gas prices provide a strong market demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in California, it is the state with an electric grid that is the least able to support these cars. With automakers set to launch at least a dozen EV models by 2012, California’s electricity regulators are scrambling to respond to the expected power needs, with policy to accommodate the emerging, private sector infrastructure required for widespread EV use. Meanwhile, car company CEOs are holding their breath–while also optimistically moving forward despite, regulatory uncertainty.
Four Strategies for Green Job Creation
Posted by Sarah Lozanova February 5th, 2010 Comments
Maximize Regional Strengths
Not unique from any economic development strategy, it is important to examine community assets to boost green job development. Toledo, Ohio, is nicknamed the Glass City because it is known as a major glass manufacturer. Unfortunately, Toledo lost one-third of its manufacturing jobs since 2000, leaving excess manufacturing capacity and a highly skilled workforce. Although it might sound like a stretch, Toledo capitalized off of this by becoming a solar manufacturing hub.
Considering that solar panels (thin-film or otherwise) are a glass product, this regional expertise came in handy and people jumped at the opportunity. The University of Toledo’s Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization has been in existence for 25 years. The Ohio university solar energy research programs received a great boost, with the Ohio Department of Development investing $18.6 million in university solar-energy research combined with $30 million from federal agencies and industrial partners. Toledo is now home to the largest thin-film solar manufacturer facility in the US, First Solar, as well as numerous solar start-up companies–6,000 people are employed in manufacturing and research related to the solar industry in the area. This may not replace all the manufacturing jobs lost in the region, but it is a good start.
Nike Benches Carbon Offsets, Looks to Score with Teleconferencing
Posted by Mary Catherine O'Connor February 4th, 2010 Comments
Late last month, Nike released its fiscal 2007 to 2009 Corporate Responsibility (CR) report, in which it laid out its plans to move away from purchasing carbon offsets as a means of lowering the carbon footprint left by its business travel activities, reports Green Inc.
Instead, the shoe maker is investing in technology that will allow it to replace some travel with virtual meetings. “In FY09 we made a strategic decision to move away from offsets and instead focus on reducing miles flown,” says the report. Aside from reducing the carbon emissions generated through travel, the company also pointed to lowering its travel-related expenses, better employee productivity (thanks to less time spent traveling) and a better “work/life balance” for employees as other reasons for the change.
In FY10, Nike plans on increasing its investment in teleconferencing technology by 15 percent, over its FY09 spending. And in FY11, it wants to have 200 videoconferencing systems in place at Nike offices around the world.
Bikes Go on the Juice: The Electric Bicycle Boom
Posted by Bill DiBenedetto February 3rd, 2010 Comments
Bicycles are great for the environment, for one’s health and for efficient urban travel. Many cities are bicycle-friendly, some more than others. But if you live in one with major hills, such as San Francisco or Seattle, and you happen to be a little older, perhaps, or simply not quite in Tour de France shape, then an electric-bike is the way to go.
Business is booming for several reasons: They are way more affordable than EV cars and spiffy new and lighter designs are multiplying worldwide.
A recent New York Times article notes that David Chiu, president of the San Francisco board of supervisors uses one to get to meetings without having to change clothes upon arrival.
Will Consumers Get Smart with Smart Meters?
Smart metering, a key element of the so-called Smart Grid, has been touted as a great bright hope that will enable residential electric customers to cut their usage, thereby reducing greenhouse gases as well as their monthly bills. By providing immediate feedback to customers as to how much power they are using, what their annual bill is projected to be and how their usage compares to that of their neighbors, it is hoped that the meters will motivate ratepayers to adjust their behavior and their electronics so as to reduce overall load on the system.
“In a sense, this program is a kind of keeping up with the Joneses strategy for energy efficiency,” says Anne Pramaggiore, president and COO of Commonwealth Edison who just completed a pilot program in which 50,000 customers were given monthly online feedback. The program, which the Illinois company plans to expand, led to a 2 percent reduction in energy use.
But others are skeptical that simply providing more information will result in customers making different choices and reducing their demand for electrons. Ted Schultz, vice president of marketing and energy efficiency for Duke Energy, told the Chicago Tribune that the so-called “smart grid” approach has been lauded as a way to give consumers more freedom and control over their energy use, but in Ohio, where the devices are being tested incrementally, customers aren’t looking to micro-manage their energy consumption. They want to see their bill, but that’s about it.
Clean Energy Gets the Celebrity Treatment
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield February 1st, 2010 Comments
Clean energy has been a highly charged issue in legislation, but with Obama’s recent pledge to reduce CO2 emissions 28 percent by 2020, The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund has stepped up with a celebrity campaign to educate consumers about the issue and urge them to email their Senators to pass the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act.
Clean-Tech Investor Summit: Industry Luminaries Share Their Vision for Success
Posted by 3p Guest Author January 28th, 2010 Comments
By Lee Barken
With southern California in the midst of thunderstorms and flash-flooding, attendees at the 6th Annual Clean-tech Investor Summit listened intently – among occasionally flickering lights – to conference chairman Ira Ehrenpreis remind the audience that “we choose Palm Springs as the conference location for the past 6 years because of the wonderful weather here.” Despite the cancellation of 3 speakers due to weather related travel problems, the January 19-21 summit convened over 400 industry professionals to reflect on 2009, opine on 2010 and network with piers.
Networking, as it turns out, was a major attraction for attendees. As one Private Equity managing partner said to me: “I’m here to meet up with colleagues and see old friends.” Another popular theme, as shared by one clean tech company exec I met: “We’re here to look for funding.”
Flipping through the conference attendee list (provided to all participants) reveals an eclectic mix with concentrations in two communities: Capital Providers (Venture Capital, Private Equity) and Entrepreneurs. The other notable presence: attorneys. Lots of attorneys. Now, imagine adding cocktails, a few hors d’oeuvres and then swirling them all together in one big room. It’s party time.
Solar-Powered Plane One Step Closer to Around-the-World Flight
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway January 27th, 2010 Comments
What began as a dream years ago is now becoming reality for two very talented Swiss pilots. Dr. Bertrand Piccard, a 51-year-old psychiatrist and aeronaut, along with former fighter pilot and project CEO Andre Borschberg, are getting ready to fly around the world in a solar-powered aircraft. Imagine flying from here-to-there without the need for fuel.
In December, test pilot Markus Scherdel took their prototype solar aircraft, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA , on a successful first test flight near Zurich. After the flight was completed, the craft was dismantled and moved to another location for further testing.
Is the DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Incentive Stifling Innovation?
Posted by Gina-Marie Cheeseman January 27th, 2010 Comments
The Department of Energy (DOE) program, the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing incentive (ATVMI) is meant to stimulate the development of cleaner vehicles (EVs). The Security Act of 2007’s Section 136 created an incentive program of grants and loans to support developing advanced technology vehicles and the parts needed for them. A total of $25 was appropriated for the ATVMI.
However, the ATVMI may actually be stifling innovation. As a December post on Wired.com points out, the ATVMI has a “downside.” The DOE approved loans to Nissan, Ford, Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive totaling $8 billion. Start up companies are conspicuously absent from the list. In the words of the Wired article, “…this massive government intervention in private capital markets may have the unintended consequence of stifling innovation by reducing the flow of private capital into ventures that are not anointed by the DOE.”
Amory Lovins: Efficiency Burns Brightest
Posted by 3p Guest Author January 25th, 2010 Comments
By Charles Shereda
How would you prefer to die? (choose one)
1) Climate Change
2) Oil Wars
3) Nuclear Holocaust
Amory Lovins posed this question to introduce his talk entitled, ‘Reinventing Fire: The Business-Led Transition from Oil and Coal to Efficiency and Renewables’ in the second day of the Clean Tech Investor Summit in a rain-drenched Palm Springs. Lovins, the Chairman and Chief Scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, was alluding to what he sees as a fallacy in typical conversations about addressing climate change. By casting it as a no-win situation, said Lovins, we ignore the tremendous economic opportunity available–a chance to reduce costs, spur job growth, and create competitive advantage.
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