Engaging occupiers in environmental goals

Posted on February 22, 2012 by msaxton1

It’s a surprising fact that occupant behavior is the main caveat preventing buildings from meeting their environmental performance goals. Even with state-of-the art building automation systems (BAS), eco-savvy design teams and efficiency at the forefront of designers’ minds, the largest counter to actually achieving these stated goals is the occupants’ behavior.

Through expert interviews with masterminds from companies like Lucid Design Group and YR&G Sustainability, our guest columnist Ashley Halligan presents five ways to boost occupant compliance and, therefore, the likelihood of meeting environmental performance goals.

1. Measure energy usage with new technologies.
2. Take a holistic approach.
3. Engage occupants before they move in with an eco-charrette.
4. Provoke competition among tenants.
5. Establish a sense of transparency.

Ashley Halligan is a market analyst at an Austin-based software advisory firm, providing CAFM (computer-aided facility management) software comparisons. Read in detail about each strategy and gather expert insight by reading the original Occupant Behavior article here.

Cleantech Trends 2012

Posted on February 15, 2012 by msaxton1

Our partner agency Antenna is the largest clean technology public relations firm in the States. Drawn from input provided by client-partners, Antenna has identified the top 10 cleantech trends for 2012. These are the headlines:

1. Energy efficiency goes retro

2. Cellulosic biomass comes online

3. Recycling finds its true potential

4. The EV market picks up speed, while Tesla, Fisker get some competition

5. Smart meters reach critical mass

6. Offshore wind takes root in the Northeast

7. Dropping balance-of-system costs nudge solar closer to grid parity

8. Distributed solar continues to thrive

9. Grant-to-tax credit shift means more third-party ownership of solar systems

10. Gas-to-liquids technologies go mainstream

Go behind the headlines and read the analysis by clicking here.

Cornwall makes a splash

Posted on February 14, 2012 by msaxton1

The UK’s first Marine Energy Park is to be created in the south west. Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council have teamed up to commission the work to develop the South West Marine Energy Park, which will give the region a leading role in the development of marine renewable energy.

The South West Marine Energy Park will support job creation by fostering a partnership between local and national government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, technology developers, academia and the industry. It is also hoped that the Park will create a critical mass for attracting investment and accelerating the commercial development of the industry.

Over the past seven years more than £100 million has been invested in the marine energy industry in the south west, creating world-leading research and demonstration facilities. This investment has supported the development of the largest consented area for marine technologies in the world at Cornwall’s Wave Hub, the Fab–Test nursery site at Falmouth, globally–leading research facilities at Plymouth and Exeter universities and the National Composites Centre at Bristol.

At the launch, Energy Minister Greg Barker said: “Marine power has huge potential in the UK not just in contributing to a greener electricity supply and cutting emissions, but in supporting thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15bn to the economy to 2050.”

“The South West Marine Energy Park builds on the region’s unique mix of renewable energy resource and home-grown academic, technical and industrial expertise. The Government will be working closely with the South West MEP Partnership to maximise opportunities and support the Park’s future development’.

InvestinCornwall – Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s inward investment service – played an instrumental role. Since its launch in 2004, it has helped over 150 innovative and dynamic businesses move to Cornwall.

Smiles all round for Low Carbon Vehicles

Posted on February 9, 2012 by msaxton1

The commercialisation of fuel cell vehicles took a significant step forward this week through a joint venture between Suzuki Motor Corporation and British company, Intelligent Energy.

The two have cemented an alliance that first started in 2006 by creating a joint venture company called SMILE FC System Corporation to develop and manufacture air-cooled fuel cell systems for a range of industry sectors. The joint venture also includes a non-exclusive license agreement that gives Suzuki access to Intelligent Energy’s class-leading fuel cell technology for its next generation of environmentally friendly fuel cell vehicles. Under the terms of the contract, both companies will take a 50 percent stake in the joint venture.

The agreement arguably represents good value for both parties. It provides Suzuki with cost-effective access to Intelligent Energy’s advanced fuel cell technology through partnering and licensing, thereby avoiding the higher costs associated with in-house development. Intelligent Energy will benefit from Suzuki’s production expertise and the emerging Japanese supply chain to jointly develop the next generation of automotive standard air-cooled fuel cell systems.

The two have a solid track record in working together, which augers well. This includes the development of the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell, which received Whole Vehicle Type Approval from the European Union, allowing the scooter to be sold across all EU member states. The cell runs on electricity produced by an air-cooled polymer-electrolyte fuel cell located under the passenger seat and a hydrogen tank located along the bottom of the scooter’s frame. The fuel cell generates electricity, which charges a lithium-ion battery, while producing water as its sole emission. Suzuki claims a range of 217.5 miles at a constant speed of 18.6 mph from the cell with a fully charged battery and a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank. The cell is expected to enter full production by 2015.

The two companies also collaborated to produce the Suzuki Crosscage concept which was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

Intelligent Energy technology has been also been used to power a London taxi and the world’s first manned fuel cell aircraft.