Emerson is a “diversified global manufacturing and technology company.” Emerson offers a large variety of services and products in the consumer, commercial and industrial markets via network power, industrial automation, process management, tools and storage, and climate technologies. Because of what Emerson does, it does a lot for the clean technology industry.
1 ) Emerson Process Management offers the best kind of wireless technology possible that allows businesses to monitor their safety equipment, including eyewash stations, so action can be taken much sooner if an incident were to occur. The products and services Emerson Process Management offers also assists in minimizing hazard, clean-up and expense of environmental releases through the process of providing quick notification and accurate logging of all environmental excursions, including monitor safety showers, environmental compliance, and accurately measure all emissions.
2 ) Emerson Network Power has designed capabilities that are able to deliver reliable power, connectivity, precision cooling, and embedded solutions. Their innovative solutions allow businesses to check and monitor all their IT centers. However, other products allow businesses to check things such as their overall energy consumption. These tools assist businesses in determining how much energy they are using so they can look for ways to decrease energy consumption.
3 ) Emerson Industrial Automation is concerned with sustainability and looks to help drive sustainability in the market. For example, for over 20 years S SB Wind Systems has been one of the top providers of pitch-control systems, software and services for wind turbines, and switch and control cabinets. These products offer the industry advanced safety features, greatest dependability, and highest energy output. JAURE, in another example, supplies the couplings used to transmit rotational force from wind turbine blades to generating equipment. To convert natural sources of energy into viable electricity, Control Techniques supplies grid tie inverters utilized in a majority of large-scale photovoltaic power plants around the world.
4 ) Emerson Solutions Assists Customers Convert Biomass to Low-Cost Energy. It is helping a number of municipalities and companies convert their waste and biomass into efficient and reliable renewable energy along with much lower carbon emissions. “Biomass-to-energy conversion is the fastest-growing segment of the energy business,” said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “Faced with high energy costs and environmental goals, our customers recognize they can retrofit decades-old plants to convert their own waste streams into environmentally friendly and low-cost sources of power, which is a plus to both the environment and their bottom line.”
5 ) Emerson Global Data Center Receives Dramatic Energy Efficiency Gains. Emerson’s Global Data Center at its headquarters has posted very good remarkable energy efficiency and availability metrics since opening in 2009. Emerson closed a number of large data centers and posted it all to their campus. It has assisted Emerson in reducing power consumption by over 50 percent. As well, the center boasts a 7,800 square-foot rooftop solar array that produced an average of 14,250 kilowatt hours every month. “The stellar operation of our new data center in its first year is a testament to the supreme planning that went into its design and the innovative, can-do spirit of the team that manages its operation,” said Kathy McElligott, vice president and chief information officer, Emerson. “Although there have been times when the utility power went out or some other type of power issue occurred, the data center and the Emerson technologies within it responded exactly as designed. The Liebert uninterruptible power supply systems, ASCO power transfer switches, and other Emerson Network Power technologies performed flawlessly, enabling the center to be always on.”
6 ) Solar Power. Emerson is looking to capture and convert the sun’s energy in a more efficient manner. For example, Emerson Industrial Automation designs as well as manufactures tracking systems to ensure solar arrays are completely positioned to get maximum exposure of the sun. Emerson also designs a number of “ready to run” solar e-houses, which are pre-built steel or concrete shelters used for switchgear, transformers, inverters and other equipment that needs to be transported as well as installed at any solar site. As well, Emerson Process Management is one of the main providers of process control systems utilized by utility-scale solar providers.
7 ) Wind Power. Emerson is known for providing the technologies necessary for commercial wind turbine manufacturers since the 1980s. Emerson Industrial Automation is a major international leader in the development of intelligent controls and pitch drives for the wind turbine industry. Emerson Network Power is known for developing wind turbine converters that are specially designed for the wind farm industry in China and its power grid.
8 ) Emerson Process Management Signs Global Agreement with SHEC Energy. This new agreement brings solar thermal power plants online. The advanced automation services provided by Emerson were chosen by SHEC Energy to increase overall efficiency and reliability of new renewable energy projects throughout the globe as well as assist the company in reducing the cost of power generated from the projects to become competitive. The president of Emerson Process Management, Steve Sonnenbert, said that the partnership between SHEC Energy and Emerson will allow the company to expand in a much more sustainable manner throughout the solar generation industry.
9 ) Emerson Electric Goes for Smart Data Centers. Emerson Electric is looking to introduce a new technology in 2011 called Trellis. Trellis enables companies to reduce their energy bills and infrastructure spending as well as better allocate the staff that manages everything. Trellis looks to make hardware smarter, like allowing company managers to be alerted before data loss or broken connections, providing the ability for data centers to spend less money on energy and components.
10 ) Emerson Supplies Automation Technology for Biomass Boiler in Poland. In August 2011, Emerson Process Management supplied the automation technology for a biomass boiler that is currently under construction in Polaniec Power Station in Poland. The 190 megawatt biomass-fired circulating fluidized-bed will provide effective carbon dioxide emissions reduction.
Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com
