Mon.Mar 23, 2020

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After the age of contagion, what's the 'new normal'?

GreenBiz

As we begin to ponder our collective future post-coronavirus, the opportunity is ripe to accelerate sustainable outcomes. Will we?

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How Will The Coronavirus Affect Energy Use In America?

Jim Conca

Recessions lower energy use, and this one may be a whopper. U.S. energy use breaks down as Industrial (32%), Transportation(29%), Commercial(18%) and Residential(20%), the first three being heavily affected by this pandemic, losing up to 15 quadrillion BTU, ~$400 billion, in just 3 months.

Energy 230
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Trending Sources

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'Red flag for COP26': Most high-carbon companies shooting 'wide of the mark' for a 2C world

GreenBiz

Investor-led Transitions Pathway Initiative warns four in five firms in carbon-intensive sectors currently fail Paris Agreement test.

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Offshore oil platforms are reimagined as self-sustaining homes

Inhabitat - Innovation

A symbol of pollution becomes a beacon of sustainability.

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Electrofuels Are the Future: The Driving Force to Decarbonizing Heavy Transport

Speaker: Ayesha Choudhury - Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets at Infinium

With the first wave of the energy transition, renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) have begun replacing coal power generation. However, some sectors are lagging behind and struggling to decarbonize more than others, including large-scale transportation like commercial aviation, shipping, and rail transit. Electrofuels (aka eFuels) are the next generation of solutions to help the hardest-to-abate sectors pivot from their reliance on fossil fuels.

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Trend: The bots are coming (to ratings and reporting)

GreenBiz

Corporate reporting on sustainability has grown more than fivefold in the past 10 years. Roughly 20 percent of S&P 500 companies published a sustainability report in 2011. In 2018, that number rose to 86 percent.

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New Santa Monica City Services Building will produce more energy than it uses

Inhabitat - Innovation

The City of Santa Monica will soon welcome a new civic building that will meet the Living Building Challenge.

Energy 249

More Trending

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The 10 best tiny homes in California

Inhabitat - Innovation

We've scoured the beautiful coastal state for some of the best tiny homes in California.

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European Oil Majors Slash Spending in Face of ‘Triple Crises’

GreenTechMedia

Total, Shell and Equinor, three of Europe's largest oil companies, all announced cost-cutting measures in response to the collapse in oil prices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact on their clean-energy investment plans remains muted, however, at least for now. Total is facing three crises simultaneously, CEO Patrick Pouyanné said: the coronavirus, the oil price collapse and climate change.

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UN releases World Water Development Report 2020

Inhabitat - Innovation

New UN report shows climate change is intensifying water-related issues, including access to water, water quality, flooding, droughts and more.

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PG&E Reaches Deal With California Governor to Emerge From Bankruptcy

GreenTechMedia

Pacific Gas & Electric reached a deal with California Gov. Gavin Newsom that could allow it to emerge from bankruptcy by a critical June 30 deadline, in exchange for concessions including a revamped board, forgoing shareholder dividends for three years, and measures that could lead to a state takeover if the utility fails to meet key safety and accountability milestones.

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AR/VR Simulations for Sustainable, Regenerative, Circular Cities

Speaker: Nik Gowing, Brenda Laurel, Sheridan Tatsuno, Archie Kasnet, and Bruce Armstrong Taylor

With 191 country signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement now hard at work in the race to zero carbon by 2050, much of the heavy lifting in ecosystem sustainability falls on the shoulders of the world's densely populated urban centers. This conversation considers how today's AI-enabled simulation media, such as AR/VR, can be effectively applied to accelerate learning, understanding, training, and solutions-modeling to sustainability planning and design.

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LiTDI: An electrolyte additive for extended battery life and fast charging

Charged

Sponsored by Arkema. With the electric vehicle market driving a surge in demand for lithium-ion batteries, research is intensifying to develop new electrolytes that not only ensure battery performance, lifetime, and safety, but also enable high-energy anode materials, such as silicon, and cathode materials, such as NMC 811. High purity electrolyte components are crucial to mitigate both side reactions and premature degradation of the battery.

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How Electricity Use Changes During a Pandemic

GreenTechMedia

We are in the middle of a sudden, jarring economic shift. Storefronts, sports arenas and office buildings are dark in many cities. Homes are becoming the center of our activity ⁠— and for many of us, our work. That is causing sudden shifts in the way we consume energy. We’ve seen it play out in China, France and Italy. So what is happening to the daily shape of electricity load here in the U.S.?

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New Jersey installed most solar capacity in a single year in 2019

Solar Power World

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) announced that 2019 was a record-breaking year for New Jersey’s solar energy program, with the most solar capacity installed in a single year. The most recent report from New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program shows that 447 MWDC of solar capacity commenced commercial operations in the state between… The post New Jersey installed most solar capacity in a single year in 2019 appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Coronavirus fallout: Calls grow for airlines to face strict climate targets in any rescue deal

Business Green

Think tanks Common Wealth and IPPR issue joint report calling for any airline bailout to include strict climate targets. As the government mulls potential support packages for embattled UK airlines in the face of the escalating coronavirus crisis, growing calls have come for any bailout or public ownership stakes to be contingent on clearer climate targets for the aviation sector.

Aviation 101
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How Digital Transformation will Bend the Curve of the Linear Economy Toward the Circular

Speaker: Bruce Armstrong Taylor, Co-Founder & Managing Director of SmartNations Foundation, Jimmy Jia, Venture Partner at Pi Labs, Fabienne Durand, Senior Advisor to the SmartNations Foundation, & Roger Strukhoff, Executive Director of the Tau Institute

The Climate 4.0 Economy. Climate change is here. We see it in many ways already. Weather catastrophes: Texas freezing over, the wildfires of California, the increasingly unpredictable violence and frequency of hurricanes, the rapid melting and disappearance of polar ice caps. Much more evidence all around us. What can we do in our corporate organizations, in our homes and communities, to change the current course?

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SEIA urges all solar industry workers to complete COVID-19 impact survey

Solar Power World

On a webinar about the implications of coronavirus on the U.S. solar+ value chain on Friday, March 20, SEIA urged all solar industry workers to fill out a survey to help the group understand priorities in the coming months. More than one person from a company is encouraged to complete the survey, and multiple submissions… The post SEIA urges all solar industry workers to complete COVID-19 impact survey appeared first on Solar Power World.

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New York State pledges $24 million in VW settlement funds for electric transit buses

Charged

New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have announced that over $24 million is available to replace diesel-powered transit buses with new all-electric buses. As part of the state’s $128-million allocation from the federal Volkswagen Settlement, NYSERDA will invest $18.4 million to fund electric buses through the Truck Voucher Incentive Program, and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will manage $

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Contractors Corner: Paradise Energy Solutions

Solar Power World

Four brothers started Paradise Energy Solutions 10 years ago to help farmers reduce energy costs in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The company has since grown into six additional states and expanded into the residential and commercial markets. Paradise Energy views its mission as building trusting relationships within its communities. In this episode of the Contractors Corner… The post Contractors Corner: Paradise Energy Solutions appeared first on Solar Power World.

Energy 100
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Ohio introduces bill to reduce EV tax

Charged

Ohio is one of several US states that impose taxes on EVs that are far higher than the amount paid in gas taxes by a typical driver of a legacy vehicle. A recently introduced bill aims to change that. Ohio’s current EV tax, which was enacted in 2019, imposes an annual fee of $200 on electric drivers. The new bill ( HB546 ) would reduce the fee to $100 for EVs and $50 for PHEVs.

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Suntuity Solar will offer subsidized payments for solar + storage customers affected by coronavirus

Solar Power World

Residential solar installer Suntuity Solar has launched a new initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that offers services and support to organizations affected in the local communities across New Jersey, Maryland and Florida. The Suntuity Pledge offers fleet, logistics and call center services to support community organizations that need it most, whether it be… The post Suntuity Solar will offer subsidized payments for solar + storage customers affected by coronavirus appeared fir

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More Than 550 Solar Companies Tell Congress to Protect America's 250,000 Solar Workers

altenergymag

Following is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, on the letter:

Energy 91
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Remote marketing tips for solar installers during a time of crisis

Solar Power World

By Charlie Seltzer I want to preface this article that there are no positives with COVID-19 and our first priorities should be the health and safety of our family and communities. However, during this crisis and coming out of it there’s a great opportunity for solar contractors and the industry to improve important areas that… The post Remote marketing tips for solar installers during a time of crisis appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Beth Bafford: Making my money work for my kids and their future

Impact Alpha

It has been nearly four years since I wrote about my process to align my investment portfolio with my values. Back then, in May of 2016, sustainable investing was gaining ground but was a relatively niche topic among believers (see the eye-popping chart below). The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals had been drafted. The post Beth Bafford: Making my money work for my kids and their future appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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More than 550 solar companies sign letter to Congress on COVID-19 policy proposals

Solar Power World

More than 550 U.S. solar companies have signed a letter emphasizing the severe challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and outlining policy proposals that could save jobs and support American families. These companies represent some of the largest manufacturers, owners, developers, installers and operators of solar projects nationwide. “Our #1 priority… The post More than 550 solar companies sign letter to Congress on COVID-19 policy proposals appeared first

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China’s COVID-19 Lockdown Crushed Every Form Of Energy Generation Except Solar

Forbes Green Tech

As China shuttered industries during its coronavirus lockdown in January and February, every form of energy production dropped but one.

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What’s the easiest way to speed up installation of solar systems?

Solar Power World

Continuing education is important in all industries, especially solar. As technologies evolve, new installation techniques arise to make solar systems safer and more efficient. The best place to learn these new skills is often at tradeshows and conferences, when more industry peers are together to exchange tips and tricks. On account of coronavirus halting gatherings… The post What’s the easiest way to speed up installation of solar systems?

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Study: Electric cars and heat pumps lead to much lower CO2 emissions in most of the world

Business Green

Study by universities of Exeter, Cambridge, and Nijmegen assessed lifecycle impact of electric cars and heat pumps on CO2 compared to fossil fuel equivalents. Electric cars and household heat pumps still generate lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil fuel equivalents in most parts of the world, even if they are powered using "substantial amounts" of electricity generated from fossil fuels, new research released today shows.

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Sunnova asks Congress to include solar in spending bill

Solar Power World

Sunnova released the following statement urging the U.S. Senate to also include support for the solar industry in the current spending package, not just the oil and gas industry. Speaking on the company’s behalf, Sunnova’s CEO William J. (John) Berger, made the following statement: “The solar industry is an integral component of the U.S. energy… The post Sunnova asks Congress to include solar in spending bill appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Coronavirus: world's response has slashed CO2 emissions - here's how to keep them down

Business Green

How do you respond to a crisis? It's obvious that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been dramatically different to anything provoked by repeated scientific warnings about climate change. The many organisations that declared climate emergencies throughout 2019 and 2020 have so far enacted nothing like the scale and speed of action to limit the spread of coronavirus.

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Details Matter in PJM’s Plan to Comply with FERC’s Capacity Market Order [GTM Squared]

GreenTechMedia

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Toyota unveils heavy-duty fuel cell truck plans

Business Green

Auto giant teams up with Hino Motors subsidiary to jointly develop zero emission truck. The race may be on to accelerate the roll out of battery powered electric trucks, with challengers such as Tesla and Arrival battling with established brands such as Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, but work is also underway to ensure fuel cell trucks are not left in the slipstream of the emerging electric truck market.

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The Brief: Resilience and disruption, COVID-crash resources, Texas solar, Calvert Impact’s Beth Bafford walks the talk

Impact Alpha

Greetings, Agents of Impacts! R&D. It seems we will all have to learn how to hold two thoughts at once: resilience in the face of the enormous and disorienting challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic; and resolve to make this unprecedented disruption matter – that is, as an opportunity for fundamental system change. ImpactAlpha is canvassing Agents of Impact for their thoughts on both.

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Caught out? UK supermarkets accused of 'turning blind eye' to unsustainable fish feed

Business Green

Investigation indicates UK shoppers may be indirectly and unknowingly consuming wild fish in their farmed fish products. The UK's leading supermarkets are being accused of "turning a blind eye" to environmentally destructive fishing practices linked to the farmed seafood they sell, after a study found consumers may be unknowingly and indirectly eating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wild fish.

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AEE’s Kreamer Calls on Congress to Switch Clean Energy Tax Credits to Direct Pay

altenergymag

It’s a no-cost way to keep liquidity in system, keep clean energy projects on track and employees working in the face of COVID-19 disruption, energy finance expert says – and it should be made permanent

Energy 60
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Data reveals Environment Agency has beefed up business investigations

Business Green

Top law firm highlights how overall number of investigations into businesses suspected of environmental infractions has increased 12 per cent since 2018. The number of investigations into businesses launched by the Environment Agency increased by 12 per cent from 5,518 in 2018 to 6,164 in 2019, according to a new analysis from City law firm RPC. The analysis, released this week, shows that the watchdog's planned crackdown on businesses breaching water, waste management, and agricultural rules ha

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