Green Technology

Leaders in the use of renewable energy are Whole Foods, Intel, and Kohl's, according to a new index that benchmarks corporate performance in energy procurement.  …

…   “The index also includes how corporations procure renewable energy, such as through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), green pricing, carbon offsets, and direct investments. The renewable energy technology breakdown covers geothermal, solar, wind, hydro, waste energy, and a national blend of different technologies. 

Corporations can evaluate their performance on renewable energy procurement compared with their competitors. They can also see how industry leaders in sustainability use renewable energy to make their operations and value chains climate friendly.”   …

Via Bloomberg New Energy Finance: Clean Energy Index.

Whole Foods renewable energy program funds wind farm construction.

Renewable energy purchase placed Intel at the top of EPA's latest Green Power Partners Top 25 list, and also at the No. 1 spot on EPA's Fortune 500 Green Power Partners list in 2008.

Kohl’s is ranked No. 2 on EPA's list of top retail purchasers of renewable energy.

Posted by Green Tech at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The EPA has statistics on who uses the most renewable energy. For the nation as a whole the biggest users are found in the Top 50 ... first by kWh is Intel with 51% of its total electric use and second by kWh is Kohl's department store at 100 % of its total electric use!!

" ... Green Power Partnership works [to] ... reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use "

" ... top 50 largest purchases amount to more than 12.3 billion kilowatt-hours annually, ... more than 70 percent of the green power commitments made by all EPA Green Power Partners."

Via: EPA LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Intel's first GOLD LEED certified site is scheduled to open in June 2010 in Haifa, Israel.  The site is called is a design center called IDC-9 and is " ... first facility in Israel ... with a (LEED) certification. ... Intel’s first  ... has a Gold certification pending for its Octollio campus in Chandler, Ariz."

" ...natural lighting, ... available to about 75 percent of the “populated” areas of the building ... individually controlled lighting for a higher degree of energy efficiency"

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Intel's new design center in Haifa, Israel is LEED Gold certified.  It opened in June.

Some of the highlights ...

"...received LEED Gold certification ... for ... Intel Design Center – IDC 9 – ... in Haifa, Israel ..."

" ... Intel's first certified green facility, IDC 9 is the first building in Israel to receive LEED Gold-level recognition."

" ... was built on land previously occupied by a parking lot to not damage any natural resources. ... "

" ...  rooftop garden to enhance thermal insulation and prevent the building from retaining excessive heat ... A method for capturing and recycling condensate water from the air conditioning system for irrigation. ..."

Via:  Intel  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Intel's new solar installations are planned to be completed over the next 7 months. Each project would currently rank as one of the 10 largest solar installations in its respective region if activated today. For example, the panels planned for Intel's Chandler and Ocotillo campuses in Arizona would each currently be the fifth largest in SRP service territory or the second largest when combined, according to the utility company. All of the solar panels will be installed on the roofs of Intel's facilities, with the major exception of the largest installation, an approximately 1-megawatt solar field in Folsom, Calif. The Folsom installation will span nearly six acres of land on campus, which would make it one of the largest non-utility ground-mounts in California at the time of this release. All of the installations will use the power generated at their respective site, making them an efficient source of electricity with savings on grid delivery losses. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Intel Home Dashboard Concept enables users to manage energy use, reduce costs, pay their bill and earn rewards. Family members can access the energy manager at any time for an at-a-glance view of utility rates, usage and billing. Users can set monthly energy targets and learn how to reach them, discover where energy is used and take control. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not long ago data centers were concerned with maximum density and processing power.  But as electricity cost have risen and supply becoming a gating factor - the data center is changing .. 

" ... companies have become increasingly concerned over the state of the environment.... new generation of servers: machines that deliver more performance per watt and, perhaps to a lesser degree, are built in a more environmentally responsible manner. Hardware makers are stepping up to meet the challenge, "

" ... HP, ... a new line of ProLiant G6 servers that, claims the company, deliver twice the performance of the previous generation of ProLiant servers -- while using half the energy. ...  replacing servers purchased prior to 2006 with new HP ProLiant G6 servers, customers can slash their energy bills in half."

" ...HP is certainly not the only vendor touting the green credentials of its server hardware. ...  AMD and Intel are working furiously to make CPUs that are high on performance and low on energy consumption."

Via: Infoworld.com  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Computer and computer component manufacturers who support the initiative are committed to building energy-efficient products that meet or surpass the EPA’s Energy Star guidelines. Businesses must also commit to requiring high efficiency systems for the majority of their corporate desktop PCs and volume server purchases, and to deploy and use power management tools on desktop PCs. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Lead is used in a variety of micro-electronic packages and the bumps that attach an Intel chip to the packages. Packages wrap around the chip and ultimately connect it to the motherboard. Different types of packages are used for processors targeted at specific market segments, including mobile, desktop and server. Package designs include pin grid array, ball grid array and land grid array, and all are 100 percent lead-free in Intel's 45nm Hi-k technology generation. In 2008, the company will also transition its 65nm chipset products to 100 percent lead-free technology. Intel's 45nm processors not only are lead-free, they also make use of the company's Hi-k silicon technology for reduced transistor leakage, enabling more energy-efficient, high-performance processors. " ...

Via Intel: Intel Eliminates Use Of Lead From Future Microprocessors

Posted by Green Tech at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Microprocessors today are built around silicon - silicon dioxide.

"Intel announces it will begin make microchips with a new material — the element hafnium. Industry analyst Nathan Brookwood says the microchip industry has been looking for a a replacement for silicon dioxide for at least a decade, perpetually worried that it had almost hit the point where chips just couldn't get any smaller."

IBM is also working on new materials for its microprocessors; though details have not been announced.

These new technologies will allow for smaller. faster, more energy efficient microprocessors which will use less power over the product live cycle. 

Listen to NPR Story ....   Link 

Posted by Green Dude at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)