January 14, 2012 - The Green Living Guy

Illustrated map of New York State showing solar manufacturing facilities across different regions.

NYSERDA Funds Clean Energy for Innovative Solutions

January 14, 2012 No Comments

Investment Goes to Technologies Now in Development, Including those that Can be Used to Generate Electricity without Fossil Fuels
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is investing $1 million in four New York City and Long Island companies that are developing environmentally-friendly technologies to generate electricity while reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
The projects were part of a $7 million statewide incentive program announced earlier this year that has provided funding awards to 17 companies. Projects included fuel cells, solar panels, wind turbines, carbon-dioxide removal, energy storage, waste-heat-to-electric facilities, biogas and hydropower. In order to qualify for this competitive funding, applicants had to show how the new products made an improvement on existing technology. Funding will also pay for demonstration projects and promoting the results, further increasing the market for these products.

Workers install insulation and inspect smart lighting on energy-efficient buildings with solar panels and wind turbines in the background, highlighting green jobs and sustainable urban design.

Energy Efficiency Investment: A Path to Savings

January 14, 2012 No Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C.///January 12, 2012///America is thinking too small when it comes to energy efficiency, while also making the mistake of “crowding out” economically beneficial investments in energy efficiency by focusing on riskier and more expensive bids to develop new energy sources, according to a major new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Titled “The Long-Term Energy Efficiency Potential: What the Evidence Suggests,” the new ACEEE report outlines three scenarios under which the U.S. could either continue on its current path or cut energy consumption by the year 2050 almost 60 percent, add nearly two million net jobs in 2050, and save energy consumers as much as $400 billion per year (the equivalent of $2600 per household annually).
According to ACEEE, the secret to major economic gains from energy efficiency is a more productive investment pattern of increased investments in energy efficiency, which would allow lower investments in power plants and other supply infrastructure, thereby substantially lowering overall energy expenditures on an economy-wide basis in the residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and electric power sectors.

UPS Corporate Office First in Industry to Earn Both LEED Gold Status and Energy Star Certification

January 14, 2012 No Comments

Atlanta, January 10, 2012
Global Headquarters Meets High Environmental Standards
UPS (NYSE: UPS) has become the first major package delivery and logistics company to earn Gold Status certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) along with an Energy Star certification for its corporate headquarters complex.
The Corporate Office is just the first UPS building to be assessed for certification.”Our plan is to assess all new facilities and some existing facilities to see if they qualify for LEED and Energy Star evaluations,” said Scott Wicker, UPS chief sustainability officer. “At UPS, we manage our assets as effectively as possible and continue to find ways to improve in all aspects of our business.”
The corporate offices of UPS won the LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Energy Star certification was awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for meeting strict energy performance standards.