Energy Archives - Page 6 of 8

Your Green Office: Energy-Saving Tips for Small Businesses

By Megan Totka (Read the full article at SmallBizTrends.com) Unless you enjoy working by candlelight on a manual typewriter, the power bill is a necessary evil for your small business. It’s also one of the last areas business owners consider when it comes to reducing expenses—but it should be at the top of the list. There are plenty of ways you can save big on your energy costs, while helping the environment at the same time. From small changes in your habits to investments that pay for themselves, here are some great energy-saving tips for your business. Your Green Office Let There Be Light (Sometimes) It’s easy to overlook the lights in your business. You turn them on when it’s dark, or simply out of habit at the beginning of the day and (hopefully) turn them off when you leave. But if you make a conscious effort to control excessive light use, you can save quite a bit on your energy bill. Here’s how. Inexpensive and Free: Turn off lights in any room that isn…

San Onofre Nuclear Plant to Shut Permanently, Edison Says

By PAT BRENNAN / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER The two reactors at the San Onofre nuclear plant will be shut down permanently, Southern California Edison announced early Friday. The power giant cited regulatory uncertainty surrounding the proposed restart of one of the reactors, as well as costs, in its decision to retire the units at what is formally known as the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. “SONGS has served this region for over 40 years,” Ted Craver, chairman and CEO of Edison International, said in the statement released by Edison. “But we have concluded that the continuing uncertainty about when or if SONGS might return to service was not good for our customers, our investors, or the need to plan for our region’s long-term electricity needs.” Both reactor units have been offline since January 2012, after a small leak of radioactive gas prompted shutdown of one unit; the other was already offline for routine maintenance. Unexpected wear was found in the me…

One Stop Solar Shop – Grocery Market Chain Goes Solar

Stop & Shop announced yesterday that it has completed the installation of solar panels on eight of its stores in Mass., Conn. and N.J. The solar panels will reduce the amount of energy consumed by these stores by more than seven percent. The completion of this project marks an extension of the company's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2015 using 2008 as a baseline. The photovoltaic (PV) solar power generating systems were developed by Alteris Renewables, Inc., the largest design-build renewable energy company in the Northeast. The amount of electricity that will be generated by all eight stores annually is estimated to be 1,759,572 kWh, offsetting 1,264 metric tons of CO2. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the total electricity use of 153 homes over the course of a year. The solar project is among a series of green solutions Stop & Shop is rolling out across its 375 stores in the Northeast. (more…)

Chevy Volt Team Announces: Order Yours Today

By Tony DiSalle Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director Starting today, you can take part in history by placing your order for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This moment is the culmination of several years of around-the-clock, steadfast work and I know I speak for the entire Volt team when I say we couldn’t be more excited! For those of you looking to be among the first to own a Volt, simply locate and contact a participating Chevrolet dealer in Volt launch markets at GetMyVolt.com. Once your order is placed, a Volt customer advisor will contact you to answer questions and keep you updated on the progress of your order. We’ve also pulled together a team of Volt advisors who, beginning today, will be available at 1-888-VOLT4YOU (1-888-865-8496) to answer general questions. The Volt will initially be available to customers in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan Connecticut and New Jersey, but will be available nationwide in about 12-18 months from start of produ…

Crude Awakening: Viral Video Uses Bad Word for Good Cause, Drops F-Bomb on Gulf Oil Spill

A controversial viral video featuring an F-word-filled tirade against the Gulf oil spill from the mouths of 4-year-olds to grandmothers is raising both eyebrows and funds this week as it gains momentum in a bold campaign to raise money for Gulf wildlife rescue and environmental charities. The no-holds-barred video features a cross section of people wearing a black T-shirt that reads “UNF--K THE GULF” and unleashing on BP, the federal government and the whole mess in a way that millions of people wish our leaders would. Sick of yelling at the TV in frustration over the Gulf spill, environmental activists Luke Montgomery and Nate Guidas produced the video as a way to channel their “f--king righteous anger with all that is going on and not going on in the Gulf into something positive.” They put out a casting call on Craigslist for people upset over the oil spill, cast the best in the video, and created the website www.UnF--kTheGulf.com. “It’s both therapeutic and funny to…

Sustainability Pays: IBM Saves Money by Conserving Energy

From Environmental Leader IBM CR Report: Energy Conservation Cuts Energy Costs by $26.8M IBM’s energy conservation program saved the company $26.8 million and prevented more than 142,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2009, according to the company’s 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report. IBM’s report provides an overview of four key areas: energy conservation and climate protection, process stewardship, product stewardship and supply chain management. Here are the highlights. In 2009, IBM’s energy conservation initiatives delivered savings equal to 5.4 percent of its total energy use, which exceeded the corporate goal of 3.5 percent. These projects saved more than 246,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity and more than 410,000 million BTUs of fuel oil, cutting nearly $27 million in energy costs. IBM has saved 5.1 billion kWh of electricity, which also prevented 3.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions between 1990 and 2009. As part of its effort, IBM is le…