Mercedes-Benz adds 'Green' features to plant

Fuel-efficiency and "greener" vehicles might be the trend in autos, but the technology is showing up in more than just the SUVs at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International.

It also is being installed  in the sprawling auto plant's buildings.

The Vance plant recently installed solar panels on the roof of its Visitor Center and the adjoining Bill Taylor Institute that will be used to heat the building's water.

"We are doing the finishing tie-ins now, and it should be online about the first of the year," said Phil Onstott, assistant manager of Mercedes' facility engineering department.

Onstott said the new water heater employs a hybrid technology that will use solar power to heat water but also have the ability to switch to natural gas when more hot water is needed.

Mercedes does not disclose the costs of such investments, but Onstott said it hopes to save money on its water heating. The solar-natural gas water heating will be monitored closely by computers, and "if it works out, we could put more in the plant," he said.

The project started when Alagasco approached Mercedes to see if it would be interested in trying the new solar-natural gas water heating technology, said Onstott, a 15-year Mercedes employee who describes his department as "the MBUSI engineers who have nothing to do with auto production."

The new water heating system will be similar to conventional water heaters in which cooler water flows into a tank and is heated by natural gas power flame or electricity. With the new system, the water will be warmed by the heat generated from the solar panels. If it is nighttime, too cloudy or more hot water is needed, the natural gas burners will kick in to assure a steady supply of warm water, Onstott said.

In that way, the system is similar to the hybrid sport utility vehicles being made in Vance. The vehicles run on electrically charged batteries but can switch automatically to gasoline or diesel when extra power is needed.

The solar water heating is just one of the "green" technologies being embraced at MBUSI.

Early in 2011, the company also will install solar- and wind-powered collectors on top of two light poles at its Plant 1 entrance. The power generated by the solar and wind collectors will be stored in batteries in the base of the poles and will power the poles' hybrid LED roadway lights.

The poles will not be wired into an electrical grid like most street lights, Onstott said, and will rely on just the sun and wind. One battery charge will be sufficient to power a light for three nights, he said.

The wind turbine will have cylinders to collect wind power and will not have the windmill-like propellers traditionally seen on wind-powered projects. The cylinder collectors, unlike the propellers, will make the project bird-friendly, Onstott said.

The wind power will light the road lights night and day and will operate quietly, he said.

"Both projects are production trials in a way," Onstott said. "They are our way of checking out various energy-efficiency technologies as we consider options that may be useful for the rest of our operations."

In a third "green" project, MBUSI plans to replace the high-intensity discharge lighting in its production plant with high-efficiency flow lighting next year.

That work will start in January and will be done in phases so as not to disrupt production. Onstott said when the new lighting is completely installed, the plant should save about 12,000 megawatts of electricity yearly.

Production workers also will notice the difference with the new lighting being a little brighter, he said.

All the efforts are ways to continue reduction of MBUSI's carbon footprint, he said. This past spring, the company reached a milestone when its internal recycling efforts resulted in zero waste going to landfills, he said.

"Everything from the plant either gets reused or recycled now."    Read full article




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Port adds 5,000 Solar Panels to Cruise Terminal Rooftop

Energy generated from the sun's rays will help power facilities at the Port of Los Angeles, with help from 5,000 solar panels that were recently installed, officials announced Thursday.

The solar panels, spanning 71,500 square feet on the port's cruise terminal rooftop, are capable of generating one megawatt that will be routed to the city's power grid, leading to about $200,000 in annual savings.

The project is expected to reduce about 22,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the system's 25-year lifespan, the equivalent of taking 4,367 cars off the street, port officials said.

"We are thrilled to now be harnessing the power of the plentiful Southern California sun to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and increase economic opportunities for Los Angeles businesses and residents," said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

The project marks the first phase of a $10.8 million solar program that will eventually produce 10 megawatts, set for completion over the next five years.

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners agreed last March to install a total of 1.16 million square feet of solar panels covering the rooftops of port businesses and structures.

The solar panel plan was unveiled in December 2007 by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Attorney General Jerry Brown. The project falls in line with Villaraigosa's "Green LA" plan to reduce global warming by boosting the use of renewable energy.

"Clean energy is essential if we are to meet the future growth and development needs of Los Angeles," Villaraigosa said. "This solar project and others being initiated within our city will not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also add meaningful new jobs to our green sector work force."
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Prudential installs solar panels on its Scottsdale building and charging stations for electric cars

Prudential Financial, Inc. today announced that it has installed solar panels on its office building in Scottsdale, Arizona and added charging stations to be used for electric cars when they become widely available.

"Solar panels are important elements of the comprehensive approach Prudential has taken to reduce our carbon emissions by more than one third over the last ten years," said Michael Perrette, vice president and head of Corporate Facilities at Prudential at a ceremony today at the company's Scottsdale office facility. "Over the next decade, they will help us save millions of dollars in energy costs and help us further reduce our overall carbon footprint." He said the company also has installed solar panels in two of its New Jersey buildings and plans to install more in other building in the future.

The solar panel installation project in Scottsdale also included constructing a covered employee parking facility and the addition of several car charging stations. "We hope these charging stations encourage the use of electric cars. In the coming years, we anticipate adding charging stations in other Prudential facilities as demand grows," Perrette said.

To help make the panels more affordable, Prudential received an incentive through Arizona Public Service's Renewable Energy Incentive Program. "By adding solar panels and an electric charging station, Prudential is demonstrating its leadership in helping to create a sustainable energy future for Arizona. said Eran Mahrer, Director of Renewable Energy for APS. "The company is joining thousands of other APS customers in helping drive the adoption of solar energy in the state."

Perrette said the solar panels in Scottsdale involved installing 4,508 panels that generate approximately 30 percent of the building's power use, with a peak output of 885 kilowatt hours. That equates to more than 225 cars off the road, more than 2,445 barrels of oil not consumed each year and a reduction of about 1,051 metric tons of carbon emissions.

Through its ongoing Commitment to the Environment, Prudential is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and to help ensure environmental sustainability both in the U.S. and abroad. The company has recycling and Green IT and printing programs, and has investments in wind power and socially responsible investment funds. It also is a member of various environmentally-focused organizations and is committed to the disclosure of its domestic environmental footprint (Scopes 1 and 2) through the Carbon Disclosure Project. In 2007, Prudential made a commitment to achieve a 10 percent reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions within five years.

Initiatives implemented by various Prudential business units and corporate centers have helped lower carbon emissions by about 18,000 tons a year, the equivalent of removing 3,300 cars from the road for one year. These include a migration to Energy Star computers; physical changes to data centers to reduce the number of servers used and energy consumption; two-sided printing; elimination of paper faxing in many areas and reduced paper use; reuse, recycling, sale, or donation of PDAs, cell phones, and PCs; purchasing equipment from 'green'-conscious manufacturers; a 'green print' procurement program designed to reduce the amount of paper used to print and copy documents; supporting alternative work arrangements; and participating in the TransitChek(R) Transit Reimbursement Incentive Program where available to encourage employees to use mass transit. Earlier this year, . Read Full Story



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IKEA Claims Largest Retail Rooftop Solar Installation in Canada

IKEA Canada claims its new solar initiative will make it the first retailer to exclusively own, install and operate what will be the largest rooftop solar panel network in Ontario under the feed-in tariff (FIT) program. The retailer will invest $4.6 million to install rooftop solar panels at three of its Ontario stores in Etobicoke, North York and Vaughan. They are expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.

IKEA Canada says it will currently own what is believed to be the largest rooftop solar installation by a retailer in Canada.

In total, the three stores will install 3,790 solar panels, which will generate a total of about 960,000 kWh per year of renewable energy that will be fed back into the grid.

IKEA Canada will use SANYO HIT Power solar panels and has selected AMP Solar for the installations at all three locations. The retailer has received contracts from the Ontario Power Authority and qualifies for the FIT program under Ontario’s Green Energy Act.

These Ontario installations will help IKEA meet its global commitment of 150 solar installations over the next three years. IKEA customers will have access to real-time energy production information, and will be able to quantify carbon emission reductions via in-store kiosks.

In the U.S., IKEA plans to install a solar energy system that will generate about one million kWh of electricity at its retail store in Tempe, Arizona. Scheduled to start in May, the 46,000-sq.-ft. installation will consist of two 300-kWh systems, each built with approximately 1,300 panels (for a total 2,600).

This is IKEA’s third solar project in the U.S. One system is operational in Pittsburgh, Pa., and the other installation is underway in Brooklyn, N.Y.    Courtesy of Environmental Leader


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NY Jets Install Largest NFL Solar Power System

The New York Jets has completed the installation of a 690-kW solar power system at the team’s headquarters and training center in Florham Park, New Jersey. The team says this is the largest photovoltaic (PV) installation at a NFL team headquarters, using more than 3,000 Yingli Solar panels.


The solar power system will generate more than 750,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity for the building each year, and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 540 metric tons each annually.

Syncarpha Capital, the system owner, selected SunDurance Energy for the turnkey design and construction of the project, and partnered with Evolution Energies as the project developer. Work began at the Training Center in late June, and the project was generating power approximately eight weeks later.

All of the power generated by the system will be sold to The New York Jets under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). By using a PPA, the team expects to save tens of thousands of dollars each year in electricity expenses with no capital outlay.

Nautilus Solar Energy will provide ongoing asset management services.

The Atlantic Health Training Center solar installation also marks another major solar installation for the state of New Jersey, which is currently only second to California in solar energy, according to the team.

Some of the most recent installations include those at Johnson & Johnson and Dow Jones.

According to a survey conducted by ProGreenSports, 80 percent of North American professional sports teams plan to increase their environmental sustainability programs, based on a survey of more than 50 pro teams.  Source: environmental leader


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Solar Panel Site Dedicated in Hopes of Creating New Jobs

More than one megawatt worth of solar panels spread across a hillside in East Knox County was touted as a demonstration of the potential of the power of the sun, both as clean-energy source and economic engine, during an event Thursday dedicating the installation.

Set on a five-acre lot on Andrew Johnson Highway, the 4,608 solar panels can produce nearly 1.2 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 125 homes. The system was built by the Natural Energy Group in partnership with Efficient Energy of Tennessee, and more than 150 representatives from industry, education, government and research institutions attended the event.

“A couple of years ago, there probably weren’t a lot of people who would have envisioned this built here,” said Chad Duty, solar technologies manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, one of a number of local officials who spoke at the dedication.

Tennessee has seen unprecedented growth in the solar business with the introduction of state and federal incentives for solar power generation and an expansion of TVA’s buy-back program for the power generated by solar and other renewable technologies. Tennessee also has attracted a couple of large solar manufacturers to the state, adding to existing companies that include Sharp Electronics, which built the panels for the local megawatt array at its plant in Memphis.

“Not only is this project healthy for the environment … together we are helping create new, clean jobs for the state of Tennessee and for the nation,” Michael Lasky, director of reseller channel sales for Sharp’s solar energy solutions group, told the crowd.

Tennessee is among several states quickly adopting solar, said Lasky, and Sharp’s Memphis plant recently increased its employment by 50 percent to accommodate the new demand.

“Back in February of this year is when you saw this uptick and it’s never looked back,” he said in an interview following the event, during which the company unveiled its 2 millionth panel manufactured in Tennessee.

Natural Energy Group, a startup investment firm focused on the solar market, backed construction of the system in an effort to attract customers willing to invest in similar-sized systems. Natural Energy Group will offer those customers financing for the projects, and several are in the works, said Robbie Thomas, president of Efficient Energy of Tennessee and an owner of Natural Energy Group.

But the site will be a resource for local research and educational organizations as well, he said. A building on the property is outfitted with classroom space for school tours, and Thomas said the company is working with Cleveland State Community College and Pellissippi State Community College to use the site as part of solar installer training programs.

Researchers at TVA and ORNL also will use the installation as a measure of the potential for solar technology in this region of the country, Duty said, adding that it will help the state lure more solar business.

“It gives us important data to talk to companies about coming to Tennessee,” he said. “The Southeast is really going to be one of the next hot spots for solar.”

Speakers were quick to point out Tennessee’s first megawatt solar project is somewhat diminutive compared with solar deployment in other states such as California and New Jersey. One of Sharp’s recent customers is building an 18-megawatt solar system in Ontario, Canada, with plans to expand to 40 megawatts of generation.

“This is kind of an interesting peek into the future,” said Rudy Shankar, TVA vice president for technology innovation. “This is the proverbial ‘one small step.’ ”

Mintha Roach, president and CEO of KUB, related a story to the crowd about a conversation she had on a recent vacation to California with someone who immediately recognized Tennessee’s solar accomplishments and said he’d read about the project.

She said the man, upon learning the size of the system, assured her, “ ‘It’s a start, but you’re going to get there.’ ” 
From Knoxvillebiz


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Green Schools Growing in California

Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest school district in the nation, and now they are working toward becoming the greenest.

A year long effort to bring gardens to their mostly concrete and asphalt schools has taken the education of LAUSD students to a new level. By providing hands on experience with gardening, the students -- 77% of whom live in poverty -- are being led by example toward a more sustainable and economically practical future.

In addition to the gardens, LAUSD is installing solar panels at 90 of their campuses which will save the district $5 million in energy costs every year.  Via HuffingtonPost










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