Tag Archives: renewable energy

McDonald’s Works to Mainstream Sustainability

by tgilbrea69
Posted on December 28, 2011 by tgilbrea69

Shares 2011 Progress Led by Menu & Food Sourcing Advancements

OAK BROOK, IL, Dec 21, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — McDonald’s Corporation today released its 2011 Sustainability Scorecard and reinforced its commitment to mainstreaming sustainability for customers through the company’s actions and collaboration with suppliers, experts and the food industry as a whole.

The 2011 Scorecard highlights the company’s progress in five priority areas, including significant advancements related to menu evolution and sustainable sourcing. For example:

– By the end of March 2012, fruit will automatically be included in
every Happy Meal served in U.S. and Latin America restaurants.
Additional changes, including a new smaller size of French Fries only
available in Happy Meals, will result in reductions in calories and
fat for the most popular Happy Meals; Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Marketing, Green Supply Chain, Health, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Sustainable Farming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Google, KRR end 2011 with new investment in solar power (EcoSeed.org)

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 26, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

EcoSeed.org – Google Inc. is ending the year with another clean energy investment together with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. by investing in four solar farms to provide enough electricity for about 13,000 homes in California.

Google’s $94 million is the internet giant’s first in grid-connected photovoltaic solar power investment. This latest investment brings Google’s total clean power investments to more than $915 million, which has been primarily in wind power, solar roofs, and a solar thermal power plant.

The deal is also the first clean energy investment in the Unites States byKKR. The company invested in the solar farms through SunTap Energy RE LLC, its newly formed solar investment unit.

The exact amount provided by KKR was not disclosed but it was drawn from a $95-million pool managed by SunTap, according to the statement. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, Carbon Management, Climate Change, CSR, Data Centers, Emissions Trading, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green IT, Green Marketing, Solar, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 Sustainability Books of 2011

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 19, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer


  1. Green Project Management
  2. Cradle to Cradle
  3. Green to Gold
  4. Confessions of a Radical Industrialist
  5. Necessary Revolution
  6. Hot, Flat, and Crowded
  7. When the Rivers Run Dry
  8. Mid-Course Correction
  9. The Sustainability Revolution
  10. Energy Systems Engineering

 

The results are in!  These are the Top 10 Books on Sustainability for 2011 as voted by you.  Thanks to everyone who participated. Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

First Solar Forecasts 2011 Net Sales of at Least $2.8 Billion

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 15, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

December 14, 2011

First Solar Updates 2011 Financial Guidance and Announces 2012 Financial Guidance

TEMPE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) today updated the Company’s 2011 financial guidance and announced 2012 guidance.

First Solar now forecasts 2011 net sales in the range of $2.8 to $2.9 billion, down from the Company’s prior guidance range for net sales of $3.0 to $3.3 billion. The Company expects diluted earnings per share (EPS) for 2011 to be in the range of $5.75 to $6.00, with consolidated operating income of$575 to $600 million. The primary reason for the revised 2011 guidance is continued delays of certain projects in First Solar’s systems business due to weather and other factors.

Not included in the revised guidance are expected charges related to a series of initiatives to accelerate operating cost reductions and improve overall operating efficiency, the majority of which the Company expects to incur in the current quarter. These charges include up to $0.75 per fully diluted share of impairment and associated charges primarily related to certain equipment, and a severance charge of up to $0.10 per fully diluted share related to a workforce reduction of approximately 100 associates, less than 1.5 percent of First Solar’s workforce. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Solar, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Greenest University Building ever – The Student Services Building at the University of Texas at Dallas

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 13, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

Recent Awards Bring Total to 5 Won by LEED Platinum Student Services Facility

Dec. 13, 2011 – Press Release – Source: University of Texas Dallas News Center

The Student Services Building, the University’s “one-stop shop” for help on enrollment matters, financial aid, career services and more, has won a new sustainability award.

The building, which opened last fall, has now won five awards for its eco-friendly design.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), in conjunction with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), honored the structure’s design with its 2011 Innovation in Green Building award.

The inaugural award recognizes a college or university that is revisiting the way it develops its physical campus and examines how the school is using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as a tool for campus greening. Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Alternative Energy, Business, Furnishings, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Home Improvement & Decor, Information Systems, Janitorial, Kitchen, Food & Catering, Landscaping, Lighting, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Technology, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Green Building to grow by 23% to $245.4 billion by 2016

by tgilbrea69
Posted on December 6, 2011 by tgilbrea69

In the five years to 2016, revenue in the Green & Sustainable Building Construction Industry is forecast to increase at an average annual rate of 23% to $245.4 billion, including a rise of 18.3% in 2012.

An upturn in total building construction activity will drive this growth, as the sector recovers from the aftermath of the Great Recession and the real estate market collapse. Additionally, firms will likely benefit from growing environmental concerns, consumer sentiment toward energy-efficient products and sustainable materials and demand for energy cost-savings renovations. This trend will likely be supported by ongoing government incentive programs, designed to promote sustainable building practices. For this reason, industry research firm IBISWorld has added a report on the Green & Sustainable Building Construction industry to its growing Commercial & Institutional Buildings report collection. Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Furnishings, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Green Marketing, Green Supply Chain, Heating & Cooling, Home Improvement & Decor, Janitorial, Kitchen, Food & Catering, Landscaping, Lighting, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Global Biofuels Market Value to Double to $185 Billion by 2021

by tgilbrea69
Posted on December 4, 2011 by tgilbrea69

Motivated by growing concerns related to energy security, climate change, and economic stagnation, at least 38 national governments throughout the world have enacted blending mandates or targets to accelerate the expansion of biofuels production and consumption in the transportation sector. Biofuels hold significant potential to displace a portion of the demand for fossil fuels, especially in the transportation sector. According to a new report from Pike Research, the increased production and consumption of biofuels will more than double the industry’s market value in the next decade. The cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that the global market for biofuels will increase from $82.7 billion in 2011 to $185.3 billion by 2021.

“The widespread scale-up of biofuels could radically alter the industrial and geopolitical landscapes,” says senior analyst Mackinnon Lawrence, “by meeting an expanding portion of consumer demand in ground, aviation, and maritime fuel markets. But with conventional biofuels constrained by social and environmental concerns, and price parity and access to financing a persistent obstacle to advanced biofuels scale-up, a number of difficult challenges must be overcome if the industry is to keep pace with emerging mandates.” Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Carbon Management, Energy, Energy Management, Environment, Green Business, Pollution, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hassle-free permitting aim of $12 million U.S. rooftop challenge (EcoSeed)

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on December 2, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

This is an excerpt of a post on EcoSeed.org – By Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez - The United States Department of Energy awarded $12 million in funding to the winners of the Rooftop Solar Challenge which promotes solar energy deployment by making it more accessible and affordable and is part of the SunShot Initiative.

The challenge, which consisted of 22 regional teams, sought to best each other in terms of streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering and connection processes; and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems.

“Through this competition, the Energy department is helping to unleash America’s solar potential by investing in projects that will make it faster, easier, and cheaper to finance and deploy solar power in communities across the country,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Home Energy, Home Improvement & Decor, Renovations & Construction, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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