Diesel-Electric Hybrid Truck

In April, the Wm. Duggan Co. Inc., Walpole, Mass., an agent for Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, Ind., took delivery of what they believe is the first diesel-electric hybrid large truck in the industry. William Duggan, owner of the company, accepted the keys of the 2010 Kenworth T370 vehicle that was purchased through the Atlas Terminal Co.

Duggan said that he became acutely aware of the results of lax environmental laws after a trip to South America. The air quality was noticeable lower while he was there. Upon his return, he began replacing company trucks with more efficient models. This is the latest step in that journey.

This new vehicle is expected to achieve a 30-percent increase in fuel economy. It is equipped with a PACCAR diesel engine and an Eaton diesel-electric power system. At speeds exceeding 30 mph, it operates as a standard diesel truck.

Deep Wells Add to Atlanta Water System

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) will soon be able to water its green space and turn its fountains back on after a water ban that went into effect October 2007. Water restrictions are still in place, but the 200-acre campus will no longer be as much of a strain on the local water supply, according to a release by the authority.

The GWCCA, which includes the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park, has bored two 660-foot deep wells. One is located at the northeast corner of the Park and the other is underneath International Plaza, which is in front of the GWCC's Building B entrance. Water from the wells will be used for watering lawns and plants as well as operating ornamental water features.

Since the City of Atlanta's Level Four water ban was implemented, the facilities have had to invest more than $100,000 in repairing, resealing and recaulking water features that have dried out and cracked and have lost $500,000 worth of plant life on the campus, the release noted.

The authority said its testing confirmed a replacement production of 12.5 gallons of water per minute at the Park project once construction is completed. Consequently, the investment will be recouped in just seven years. The larger project at the convention center was estimated to cost $292,000, but can produce 54 gallons per minute, meaning that it will only take three years to recover the investment.

Reducing Pollution by One Coal Plant

This chart compares the economic cost of electricity produced by the renewable technologies most commonly deployed onsite to the average retail price paid by commercial users in 2008. The comparison shows that several renewable applications compare favorably, including solar hot water, large wind, and geothermal heat pump. Solar PV is especially attractive in states that offer policy support.

A group of major corporate energy buyers announced on April 28 that they have reached their collective goal of purchasing 1,000 megawatts of new, cost-competitive power generated from renewable-energy sources, enough power to displace a large coal-fired power plant. The group reached its ambitious 10-year goal in nine years.

Founded in 2000 by the World Resources Institute, the Green Power Market Development Group was designed to help some of the largest energy consumers in the U.S. purchase and support clean, renewable energy. It consists of 15 companies: Alcoa Inc., Dow Chemical, DuPont, FedEx, General Motors, Georgia-Pacific, Google, IBM, Interface Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Michelin NA, Natureworks LLC, Pitney Bowes Inc., Staples and Starbucks.

The institute also worked with Apple, BT Americas, HP, Intel, J.P. Morgan, Toyota Motor Sales, Wal-mart, Wells Fargo and Whole Foods to complete renewable energy projects that contributed to meeting the goal.

WRI recently released a report detailing the lessons learned from the companies' efforts. The report, Harnessing Nature's Power: Deploying and Financing On-Site Renewable Power, offers strategies and approaches that can be valuable to firms looking at potential investments, contracts, and facility operations regarding use of renewable energy. It provides guidance on financing or purchasing renewable technologies for use at corporate facilities and advice on where to go for further information.

Empire State Building Cuts Energy Use by 38 Percent

A unique team of private companies and non-profit organizations devised an energy retrofit for New York City's famous Empire State Building that will reduce its energy use by 38 percent, including a 33-percent reduction in cooling load and a 3.5-megawatt reduction in peak electrical demand, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The retrofit project, a small part of a $500 million upgrade for the New York City landmark, will reduce energy loads by upgrading windows and lighting, and by adding radiative barriers behind the radiators. To deliver the remaining energy more efficiently, the retrofit will upgrade some of the chillers for the building while removing others, and it will install new variable-speed air handling units. To better control that energy delivery, the retrofit will add demand-control ventilation and tenant energy management systems, while also upgrading energy controls and meters for the building as a whole. Efforts to be completed by the end of 2010 will yield half the energy savings, while the remainder will be achieved by 2013. PE