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Southern Research’s Verification Expertise Aligns with ISO 14034 Standard

Southern Research’s Verification Expertise Aligns with ISO 14034 Standard

written by sponsoredcontent

For many businesses, the idea of producing or verifying technology with a potential environmental impact may be a relatively new one. But after two decades of work with Environmental Technology Verification (ETV), Southern Research* has extensive experience with examining and testing new products in the field.

Thanks to this work, Southern Research’s Director of Energy & Environment Tim Hansen, P.E., worked with scientists from around the world to develop a protocol for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that established a global framework for the verification and testing of innovative green technology.

The result was the recently issued ISO 14034-2016: Environmental Management – Environmental Technology Verification standard. Only a few months afterwards, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) followed suit in adopting the standard.

Building on its background in the field, Southern Research is positioned to become one of the first accredited independent verification organizations in the United States, if not the world, under the new standard.

DEMONSTRATING VALUE

By outlining a process for evaluating new technologies with potential environmental impact, the group hopes to provide consistent, high-quality data about new technologies to interested parties like purchasers, end-users, , investors, or even regulators. In so doing, they hope to help both developers and potential buyers make decisions on what to buy and how to implement it.

“The overall goal of environmental technology verification is to help technologies that are trying to pass through the commercialization valley of death,” said Hansen. “Technology gets to a certain point where it’s beyond proof of concept, it’s in an early commercial product stage, but is still too high risk for a lot of people to invest in because it hasn’t been demonstrated. ETV provides a standard framework for independently evaluating data from demonstration of these kinds of technologies to help reduce that risk.”

The verification process defined in the standard is straightforward. First, an interested party submits an application to a verification body that includes a claim they wish to verify along with their existing testing methodology and data. This step ensures that the verification body understands the conceptual framework of the technology, as well as what tests need to be done.

Once the application is approved, a verification plan is developed to ensure the verification process is specified and agreed upon and all data and information needs are outlined, including what parameters will be verified. The verification body then verifies the test methods used to obtain the original numbers, and independently verifies the technology performance and impacts based on the test data.

However, before any products are verified, the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) must establish a program to accredit verifying organizations in the U.S. “The accreditation process essentially entails a potential verifier demonstrating their competency in the ISO 14034 standard,” Hansen continued, “that they know and understand the process of environmental technology verification outlined under the standard.” Hansen has remained involved with the process since the standard was approved by ANSI, and continues to work with ANAB to establish best practices for independent verifiers.

ESTABLISHED TRACK RECORD

Despite the newness of a standardized approach to environmental technology verification, the same type of research has been going on for two decades. When the EPA first began testing of innovative technologies under its ETV program in the mid-90s, Southern Research was deeply involved. Later, Southern Research continued doing the work independently. In the meantime, other groups have begun similar ETV and demonstration and evaluation programs, internationally, and domestically. Southern has verified over 50 clean technologies independently, in areas from combined heat and power generation to clean diesel trucks to energy efficiency.

However, the range of these programs, which include some funded by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, the Department of Defense, and even some private corporations, tends to be limited. “I think one of the things that we have seen in those different programs is that a lot of those are very site-specific, single-technology focused, done with different targets in mind, and they may be done with different procedures and approaches,” Hansen said. “They provide great data and information, but for the overall marketplace, a more consistent and unified approach can add value.”

As the process for accrediting independent verification organizations moves forward, Southern Research is poised to be one of the first authorized environmental technology verifiers in the country, potentially as soon as this summer. “The U.S. is moving ahead quickly ” Hansen said. “We may be the first in the world at that point.”
“We’re hoping to educate people about ISO 14034 over the next few months and start to let people know that it’s out there and what it could do, and hopefully get it adopted by several entities throughout the rest of the year,” he said. “If we can get agencies like the Department of Defense or the Department of Energy to implement their demonstration and evaluation programs for innovative technologies with the ISO standard as a requirement, it can provide some uniformity and consistency to all those different programs that do a lot of the same testing.”

About Southern Research: 
Southern Research is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with nearly 500 scientists and engineers working across four divisions: Drug Discovery, Drug Development, Engineering, and Energy & Environment. They work on behalf of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, hospitals, major aerospace firms, utility companies, and other private and government organizations as we solve the world’s hardest problems.

*This post is supported by Southern Research; images from Southern Research



April 22, 2017 0 comment
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Super-Efficient Cogeneration Solution Reduces Electricity Costs by up to 70%

Super-Efficient Cogeneration Solution Reduces Electricity Costs by up to 70%

written by sponsoredcontent

A Canadian cleantech company, Thermal Energy International Inc., is targeting the attractive cogeneration market with a super-efficient combined heat and power (CHP or cogeneration) solution for industrial and institutional markets. By combining its proprietary FLU-ACE heat recovery technology with existing power generation technologies, the company is able to offer the market a solution that represents a dramatic energy efficiency improvement over typical cogeneration systems widely available.

Thermal Energy International , Inc logo

Industrial sectors have long been the guiltiest of wasting energy. Most fossil fuel-burning plants that produce electricity, as well as many industrial users of such electricity, release large amounts of waste heat into the environment as an unwanted by-product. With cogeneration however, those same plants and manufacturing operations can capture this heat energy and get more use out of it.

Cogeneration is an inherently high-efficiency family of technologies to use fossil or renewable fuels to supply energy locally. Basically, cogeneration is the production of two types of energy at a single plant. Cogeneration systems decrease total fuel consumption and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by generating both electricity and useful heat from the same fuel input. While not really an energy source itself, cogeneration (also known as combined heat and power, or CHP for short), squeezes more usable energy out of each unit of fuel most everywhere it is applied.

Thermal Energy’s FLU-ACE system is a direct contact condensing heat recovery system that recovers the waste heat from the exhausts on boilers, dryers and other industrial heat sources. The recovered energy can be used for example, to pre-heat makeup water, heat Domestic Hot Water (DHW), or be used for heating systems etc. In addition, this also reduces greenhouse gases and helps work towards energy reduction targets.

Flu-Ace 8x10

Typical cogeneration systems can produce combustion efficiencies of as high as 75% (compared to 35% to 45% for a combined-cycle gas turbine plant). By combining a typical cogeneration unit with Thermal Energy’s FLU-ACE technology efficiencies can now be pushed as high as 95%.

“We are in a unique position to capitalize on the increasing popularity of combined heat and power systems by providing enhanced levels of efficiency not provided by typical cogeneration project developers,” – William Crossland, CEO of Thermal Energy.

Key Benefits of a FLU-ACE Augmented Cogeneration Project:

  • Up to 70% reduction in electricity costs;
  • Up to 95% energy utilization efficiency;
  • 15% to 20% natural gas energy savings;
  • Additional 15% to 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to typical CHP systems;
  • In the event of a blackout, the cogeneration unit works as a backup source securing the supply of energy so there is no danger of electricity supply being interrupted;
  • Verifiable emission reduction credits (ERCs)
  • Typical net project payback of two to five years.

Thermal Energy’s solutions are not limited to the traditional cogeneration system where only the electricity and heat is used. The company can also provide a tri-generation solution that produces electricity, usable heat and chilled water. In the hotter periods of the year where the availability of heat sinks are diminished, energy from the CHP can be used to generate chilled water, thus offering additional energy savings. Thermal Energy can also provide a hybrid energy solution where cogeneration or tri-generation is combined, for example with solar power generation. These systems are well-suited for locations where power demand peaks during peak solar production periods (such as power demand from chillers for air conditioning).

Combined Heat & Power system 1

Applications

Manufacturing operations and other industrial process plants, hospitals, universities and other institutions with a year-round need for both electrical power and steam are candidates for cogeneration. In areas where the relative cost of purchased electricity versus a readily available fossil fuel like natural gas is favorable, cogeneration can satisfy much of a facility’s electricity and heating needs at a substantially lower cost than traditional means. In addition, with absorption chilling, cooling loads can also be met with waste heat from on-site power generation (this is known as trigeneration).

Important Considerations

For many industrial and institutional operations, cogeneration is an energy solution that can save money, improve energy reliability and security, while reducing the facility’s carbon footprint. However, there are a few important considerations before going forward with a cogeneration project. Each project has its own unique drivers such as redundancy, maximum kilowatt capability, pollution issues, reliability of steam or kilowatt supply. An assessment by Thermal Energy’s qualified engineering team can help you determine whether cogeneration should play a part in the energy solution for your facility.

For More Information

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This post has been sponsored by Thermal Energy International, Inc.



July 6, 2016 0 comment
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Can this Company Eliminate Air Pollution One Molecule at a Time?

Can this Company Eliminate Air Pollution One Molecule at a Time?

written by sponsoredcontent

Air quality is a big concern for large cities, but did you know that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air? Learn how just one small device can remove all those toxins in your environment and create better air for all.

molekuleMolekule has just launched a stylish and functional air purification system that offers a whole new indoor air experience. This well-designed machine is stylish, unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective.

What Makes the Filters Different?

Unique technology in the Molekule ensures that it is extremely quiet compared to conventional air purifiers, and is infinitely more effective, able to completely replace the air in a 600 square foot room (large living room) twice an hour. Its 360° air intake pulls in pollutants from all sides, projecting clean air evenly across the entire room.

And while most air purifiers just capture indoor air pollutants in filters, the Molekule filter actually eliminates the pollutants entirely. This unique process is called PECO (photoelectrochemical Oxidation), and it works to break down pollutants extremely quickly using light on an electrochemical cell.

section6-largeThe PECO process uses similar technology as a photovoltaic cell to generate a chemical reaction that breaks down pollutants and eliminates them entirely from the home, and the resulting output is totally clean: trace amounts of water, carbon dioxide and elements (like Nitrogen), which are all naturally found in air.

Of course, Molekule also captures the big stuff that we can see: visible particles like dust, pet dander, and pollen are all picked up by the filter, as are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), given off by paints, carpet, and furniture, and it also eliminates mold and bacteria from the air while eliminating odors, too.

How to use a Molekule in your Home

You need one device per 600 square feet to ensure that the air is properly mixing in the room and that the device can efficiently purify the air in the room. But because it is so lightweight and portable, you can move it around depending on where you spend a lot of time! Move into the family room for game night, into the dining room for parties, and– perhaps the most important– Molekule recommends using it in your bedroom at night to improve your ‘sleep breathing zone,’ which they say is critical to helping you wake up refreshed and ready to go in the morning.

Learn more about why indoor air quality is so important in your bedroom.

The filters, which can be purchased for $99 per year, which will include all the filters you need and the device will let you know when it’s time to change them out. Sensors inside the monitor the life of the filters and will notify you on the device screen and via your mobile app when filters need to be replaced. They also offer an automated filter service– the app will tell the company when to ship your newest filter. They recommend that the nano-filter be replaced once a year and the pre-filter every three months.

molekule

But what’s the Story behind the Brand?

But what makes a product like this so compelling is the story behind the brand. In 1995, Dr. Yogi Goswami’s son was facing debilitating asthma symptoms. He turned his knowledge of solar energy and nanotechnology to develop a new approach to cleaning the air. The Molekule is the result of two decades of academic research, publications and patents. It was Dr. Goswami’s son Dilip who took the research further and turned it into a way to help millions of people breathe better. Their mission is to use scientific innovation to find a solution to global air pollution– starting in one home at a time but with the goal of eliminating indoor air pollution entirely. A noble goal indeed.

And the name? As the only air purifier that destroys pollutants at a molecular level, the name Molekule (molecule with a ‘k’) seemed to fit.

How to Get a Molekulemolekule

The company is running an awesome pre-sale– you can visit their site and pre-order a unit for $499, almost half off the regular price of $799, with just $15 for shipping.

The company is in full production mode currently, and they do expect to sell out very soon. The first Molekule units are set to ship in early 2017. They currently are shipping to the US only, although with proper outlet adapters, it will work elsewhere.

Stay tuned for product updates:

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molekule

Check out their video:

This post was sponsored by Molekule. Images from Molekule.



June 1, 2016 0 comment
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Green Cleaning Solutions: Maintain a Clean Polished Look without Harming the Environment

Green Cleaning Solutions: Maintain a Clean Polished Look without Harming the Environment

written by sponsoredcontent

Everyone wants to look their best when they walk out the door each day. Whether you’re just taking a trip to the grocery store or heading into work, how you look on the outside is often a reflection of how you feel and who you are. However, many can agree that in order to look as good as we do leaving our homes each day; we utilize a lot of chemicals to get the job done.

So how can one reduce the amount of chemicals used to do things like clean their clothes, jewelry, and/shoes without harming the environment (or themselves as chemicals can sometimes lead to adverse reactions to the skin)? Check out these green cleaning solutions listed below:

Cleaning Your Clothes
Everyone enjoys the smell of freshly cleaned clothes; however, there are several clothing detergents that are comprised of harmful chemicals to the environment and to the skin. Did you know that there are some laundry detergents that are petroleum based, while some dryer sheets are made from tallow (animal fat)? If you want to get the same fresh scent and clean results without the harmful ingredients, there are more and more eco-friendly detergent products on the market that you can invest in. For those that are really looking to go green, making your own detergent is pretty simple as well.

For those who are really looking to turn their home into a green zone, investing in washers and dryers that are Energy Star rated is another way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money as well. There are also eco-friendly washing machines. These washers are able to use a lot less water than traditional washers and also conserve energy consumption making it a dual method of saving. When it’s time to dry your clothes, allowing them to air dry is ultimately the best way to reduce energy consumption.

Cleaning Your Jewelry
Who doesn’t own a piece of jewelry that they love to put on? Whether it’s a watch, a diamond wedding ring, or a pair of earrings, most of us love to have a piece of gold or silver on when we are headed out of the house. However, over time, the jewelry’s appearance can begin to fade. The diamond clarity now appears dull, the metal begins to tarnish, or a buildup of debris begins to congregate in the nooks and crannies of the intricate pieces of jewelry. Rather than using harsh chemicals on your jewelry or paying an arm and a leg to have a jeweler clean it, you could always do it yourself.

There are plenty of easy and eco-friendly methods that allow you to have flawless looking jewelry without the harshness of certain products. Some of those methods might include: creating your own soaps, toothpaste and baking soda for jewels, boiling your jewelry in water, or investing in eco-friendly jewelry cleaning products.

Shining/Cleaning Shoes
For a complete polished look, you need to have footwear that looks decent. Walking out of the house with a nice outfit, accenting jewelry and dirty shoes will get you a few stares. So to finish off your look while still doing your part to help the environment (and yourself), you’ll need a green shoe cleaning/shining regimen. Shoe polish can sometimes contain chemicals that can be absorbed into your skin which is never a good thing.

To clean your shoes, using plant based soaps or homemade soaps is often your best option to remove all of the debris. Once the shoes have been cleaned and dried, then you’ll need to shine them up for a polished finish. Instead of purchasing shoe polish, all you need is a little olive oil and a gentle rag or sponge.

So there you have it folks! These are all great alternatives to cleaning your clothes, jewelry, and shoes without damaging the environment or your health. Now you can step out of your home knowing that you look good, smell good, and feel good while still doing your part to help the environment.

###

About the Author: Eva Haarberg is an environmental writer based in Europe



June 12, 2015 0 comment
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Keeping Pace with Renewable Energy (& its information)

Keeping Pace with Renewable Energy (& its information)

written by sponsoredcontent

Never has the rate of information about renewable energy been churned out so fast, by so many online sources. On one hand this is great given the industry’s fight to gain traction against Big Oil, Big Gas and climate change denying counterparts. But the pace and variety of data being released has made it increasingly difficult (and time-consuming) for the general public, policy-makers and investors alike to compile the most credible, up-to-date information and statistics.

Enter REsource. Launched earlier this week, the online search platform was designed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to address misperceptions that renewable energy is  less accessible, less detailed and less accurate than the information on conventional energy.

REsource essentially enables users to tap into IRENA’s extensive knowledge base and library of international resources to find country-specific data, create customized charts and graphs (how cool is that), and compare countries on metrics like renewable energy use and deployment.

Reputable, readily available access (yup, it’s free for all) to such a depth and variety of information is critical to help silence the misleading information that has created a falsely uncertain environment for investors, and fuelled dangerous misperceptions in public opinion in recent years.

REsource also provides intelligent information on renewable energy market statistics, potentials, policies, finance, costs, benefits, innovations, education and trending topics (think of it as a Google-esk search engine exclusive to renewables).

“The continued growth of the renewable energy industry has outpaced the information available to monitor and analyse the sector,” said Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA. “REsource now provides a strategic window into these trends and developments.”

In development for the past year, IRENA hopes that providing a centralized port of renewable energy information to policy-makers, private sector professionals, analysts, researchers, journalists and the general public will help  improve decision-making, increase awareness and investor confidence, and accelerate the overall deployment of renewable energy technologies worldwide.

“Having accurate renewable energy information in the future depends on today’s ability to predict growth paths and implement the right monitoring instruments to capture this growth,” said Amin. “IRENA is meeting this need through REsource, which will allow us to accurately capture the renewable energy market of today and of tomorrow.”

Follow on Twitter/Facebook: REsourceIRENA

To access REsource visit: www.irena.org/REsource



January 22, 2015 0 comment
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The Next Gen App for Curbing Your Transportation Emissions

The Next Gen App for Curbing Your Transportation Emissions

written by sponsoredcontent

Save time, travel costs and carbon? Yup, there’s an app for that: TripGo*. It’s already being used in over 50 major metropolitan cities around the globe to streamline commuting times, travel itineraries and intelligently lower travel emissions.

Created by the Australian-based company SkedGo, the underlying sustainability focus of the TripGo app is designed to reinforce the need for smarter, cleaner and resource friendly transportation methods, i.e., smart cars, electric vehicles, improved mass transit infrastructure, bicycle commuting, ride shares, etc.

Because according to the latest findings in, A Global High Shift Scenario, the report released last month by the Institute for Transportation and the University of California, “Transportation, driven by rapid-growth in car use, has been the fastest growing source of CO2 in the world.”

So whether you’re trying to shave minutes off of your daily commute, or taking a vacation in an unfamiliar city, TripGo automatically plans trips to, from and between events in your calendar, and smartly proposes the least carbon-intensive connections using your personal transport preferences.

TripGo supports the following modes of transportation:

  • Public transport: buses, ferries, subways, trains, trams
  • Taxi
  • Shuttle services
  • Car
  • Motorbike
  • Bicycle
  • Walking

Additional TripGo features include:

  • Real-time public transport information.
  • Door-to-door options for easy comparison on price, time and environmental impact – including public transport, taxi and bike share.
  • Trip planners according to your transport preferences.
  • Get reminders for your upcoming planned trips
  • Public transport pricing.
  • Tolls and car park information.
  • Taxi fares.
  • Search for points of interest and businesses.
  • Save trips to calendar.
  • Open from Apple Maps.
  • Launch turn by turn navigation.
  • Universal for iPhone and iPad.

To date, over 500k have downloaded TripGo. To learn more, download the app, or see if TripGo is available in your city: http://skedgo.com/tripgo

###

*This article is brought to you by our sponsor — TripGo



October 8, 2014 0 comment
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Infographic: Interactive Guide To UK Renewable Heat Incentive

Infographic: Interactive Guide To UK Renewable Heat Incentive

written by sponsoredcontent

The UK’s Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is now available and will be administered by the energy regulator Ofgem. The RHI will support and reward households who move away from fossil fuels for heating their homes. Use this helpful guide on how to apply and what the benefits will be.

http://www.solartech.org.uk/embed.phpThis content is brought to you by our sponsor: Solar Tech Ltd



July 23, 2014 1 comment
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Infographic: The Miracle of Clean Water

Infographic: The Miracle of Clean Water

written by sponsoredcontent

As society developed throughout the 20th century, public drinking water has come a long way. However, there are still many risks associated with drinking water from the tap. As public water systems cater to larger populations with each passing year, is drinking city water worth the risk?

The Miracle of Clean Water Infographic
Presented by Pelican Water



June 22, 2014 2 comments
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Sponsored: The SEI Solar PV Training Challenge

Sponsored: The SEI Solar PV Training Challenge

written by sponsoredcontent

Are you up for the SEI Solar PV Training Challenge? Watch the video to see if you have what it takes to undertake the most rigorous and fun hands-on solar training in the industry!

Failure is not an option – Learn more at: http://www.solarenergy.org/workshop-schedule



May 14, 2014 0 comment
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