Southwest Debuts 'Green Plane'
The new 'green plane' will save Southwest Airlines about $10 million a year in fuel costs, while reducing emissions.
Southwest airlines is kicking off a more robust onboard recycling program. The plane, which is a modified Boeing 737-700, features reduced weight, as well as environmentally friendly features including the carpet, seat covers and life vest pouches, according to a press release.All combined, the new features amount to a weight savings of near five pounds per seat, or 472 pounds per plane. The reduced weight equates to 9,000 fewer gallons of jet fuel per plane, per year, according to China View.
The new plane features InterfaceFLOR carpet, which is installed in sections. Incorporating sectional carpet means that replacing the aisle carpeting, which currently is one piece of carpet, can be done only in sections that need replacing. The carpet sections are to be returned to Interface for recycling after use.The plane also features two types of leather replacement seat covers that offer reduced weight and less environmental impact than traditional leather. The seats feature lighter weight foam fill from Garnier PURtec. The plane's life vest pouch, meanwhile, weighs a pound less and creates more room under the seat.
Starting Nov. 1, Southwest Airlines is starting a co-mingled recycling program, which means more recyclable materials can be diverted from landfills. The new recycling program is the result of 18 months testing.
Source: Contract Magazine
UPS Lets Customers Offset CO2 of Shipments
UPS is offering eco-minded customers the option of paying a price to offset the emissions associated with shipment of their packages.
The UPS Carbon Neutral program costs just a nickel per package for regular ground services and 20 cents per package for Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air and 3 Day Select services, according to a press release. In addition to the cost of the offsets, the price includes the cost of calculation and administrative costs associated with the service.
UPS will purchase offsets based on the carbon associated with customer shipments, however UPS chose a flat fee to encourage consumer trial of the service. The company also says it will match the offset purchases up to an amount of $1 million for 2009-10. The calculation to measure the CO2 impact of the customers' shipments is based on a variety of current and historical operational data, including distance and transport mode, according to the release. UPS's calculator is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the carbon offset process is certified by The Carbon Neutral Company.
At first, the program will be available only to UPS customers who use the company's internet portal and have an assigned customer shipping number. Sometime in 2010 UPS plans to roll out the program to all customers.
Source: Environmental Leader
It's all about Control
The better we understand the occupancy patterns and work habits of users, the more effectively we can design a space that accommodates their needs and preferences most efficiently. We're all aware that a large percentage of a typical office is unoccupied because of the increasingly transient nature of most jobs.
Having the ability to control and regulate an environment according to needs, preferences and occupancy patterns is an enormous benefit for optimizing the space's overall energy and resource use. Energy management systems provide real-time data on energy consumption within a space, allowing personnel to measure, monitor and track savings as it is occurring.
And knowledge is power (to use less energy). Metering brings owners and occupants a level of energy-use awareness that often increases the organization's overall conservation ethic and commitment to waste reduction. Giving occupants access to this feedback loop at the workspace level can impact up to 20 percent to 30 percent of energy savings, according to recent studies.
Having the ability to measure energy use can also lead to some healthy competition to reduce energy consumption among departments, floors or buildings.
Source: Interiors and Sources 2009
Brewery Flips Switch on Methane-to-Energy Plant
A heat and power project that takes methane gas created at a brewery and converts it into clean energy to run a nearby hospital has entered production.
Methane from the brewery process is captured to run a biogas Jenbacher engine, which fees electricity into the grid, which is credited to the hospital by Xcel Energy. As for the brewery, heat from the co-gen engine can be used in the brewing process.
The project should create about 3 million kilowatt hours of energy a year, or enough electricity to heat nearly 300 homes, according to an article at WKBT.com.
Source: Environmental Leader
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