Sustainable Development Focus
Facility Executive - Jun 14 Demand for renewable energy by consumers and businesses — along with a long-term commitment to cleaner portfolios from utilities — seems to be fundamentally shifting energy attitudes and decisions, independent of federal stances, according to Deloitte’s annual “Resources 2017 Study – Energy Management: Sustainability & Progress.” According to the study, energy storage could be the biggest potential game changer for renewable energy growth from both consumers and businesses, as technology advances and costs decline. About half (48 percent) of business respondents said that they are working to procure more electricity from renewables. Of the 39 percent who are not working to procure more renewable electricity, 58 percent said combining renewable energy sources with battery storage could motivate them to do more.
Bisnow - Jun 19 Investors, tenants, and cities are pushing developers for more environmentally friendly and energy efficient projects. Developers, such as Prologis, Boston Properties, and Kilroy Realty, have responded with sustainable business practices and environmentally friendly buildings. Prologis’ investors ask a lot of questions about their sustainability programs, and Prologis continues to advance these programs to attract investors and more investment dollars. Boston Properties has had similar interest from its investors and shareholders, according to Boston Properties Vice President of Engineering Danny Murtagh. In 2016, Boston Properties reduced energy intensity by 19.8 percent, water intensity by 21.8 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 31.5 percent below the 2008 base year, far exceeding its 2020 targets. Kilroy Realty reduced energy consumption in its office portfolio by 4.9 percent last year. Energy Star certification was achieved in 49 buildings, or about 69 percent of Kilroy’s office portfolio. It added 1.5M SF of LEED Platinum and Gold certified space in San Francisco, Redwood City, and Hollywood. It also pursued WELL certification on two additional projects.
Greentech Media - Jun 16 Some of the first companies in the U.S. to commit to buying clean energy were internet giants, including Google and Apple, which were worried about the massive energy needs of their data centers in coal country. But today, more and more companies across a number of sectors are opting to buy renewables and are increasingly doing smaller deals. Last week, Goldman Sachs announced its first clean energy procurement deal from a 68-megawatt wind project that will be built in Pennsylvania through a power-purchase agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. When it commences operation in 2019, the wind project will cover all of Goldman Sachs' energy needs (including offices and data centers) in the U.S. Goldman Sachs isn’t the only one. Food giant General Mills announced last week that it’s inked a deal for a virtual PPA for 100 megawatts of clean power from a wind farm that will be built by RES in Texas. A major part of the momentum behind these clean energy procurement deals has been the dropping cost of solar and wind over the past few years.
Politico - Jun 15 Brooklyn-based LO3 Energy is running a pilot program that would permit renewable energy users to sell power directly to their neighbors. New York state allows electricity consumers to use their own solar panels to supply their electricity, but any power produced that the customer doesn’t use feeds back into the larger grid, with consumers being paid for those kilowatt hours. The microgrid system that LO3 devised would essentially cut out the middleman, using a phone app and smart meters to enable neighbors to strike deals for how much electricity they want to buy from one another and at what price. The pilot program was successful enough that the microgrid will go live later this year. The next phase of the project will involve 300 households or small businesses that have signed letters of interest, along with 50 generation sites—all solar except for one small wind turbine.
Proud Green Building - Jun 16 Detroit earlier this month officially launched a “green” building district in the city that aims to significantly curb energy use, water consumption, and transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Officials gathered at NextEnergy to celebrate the Detroit 2030 District, a private-public partnership associated with a larger national collaboration working to boost sustainability at existing buildings by as much as 50 percent in the next 13 years, reports the Detroit News. Some 3 million square feet in the Motor City have been committed to the effort that strives to make Detroit healthier and more livable. It’s the 16th such territory in North America, second in Michigan, and a strategic initiative of the local region under the U.S. Green Building Council, which focuses on cost-efficient and energy-saving structures, coordinators said.
