Demand response (DR) programs, which aim to achieve stability on the grid by ensuring that demand does not exceed supply of electric power, have been offered to many electric customers in the United States for decades. In the last ten years, utilities and grid operators have adopted new technologies and practices to move demand resources to the next evolutionary phase, offering more advanced types of DR schemes. According to a new tracker report from Navigant Research, at least 1,342 DR programs are now underway worldwide – 95 percent of them in North America. Continue reading
KYOTO, Japan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As part of its traditional environmental protection and sustainability activities, Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) plants Green Curtains every spring at its sites in Japan and select Kyocera Group companies in other parts of the world. Through the hot summer, curtains of foliage are grown on trellises in front of office windows and walls at company sites. This not only provides shade but also shields the buildings from heat radiation — decreasing inside room temperatures by approximately 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit*, which contributes to a reduction of energy consumption from air conditioner usage. Continue reading
