WWF, Ecofys & Intel Point To A Clean Energy Future

All but five percent of the world’s energy needs could be met from renewable sources by 2050, a report by conservation group WWF and energy consultancy Ecofys showed early this month. Leading the way is Intel Corporation, the top purchaser of renewable energy in the US, according to a new ranking by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The California-based chipmaker – which has built nine solar plants in the U.S. and Israel – now gets about 88% of its electricity from renewable sources. Pictured is Intel Israel’s green data centre.

By Nina Chestney for Reuters (2 February 2011):

All but five percent of the world’s energy needs could be met from renewable sources by 2050, a report by conservation group WWF and energy consultancy Ecofys showed early this month.

In 2050, total energy demand could be 15 percent lower than in 2005 due to ambitious energy saving measures even though population, industrial output, freight and travel will increase, the report said.

Currently, more than 80 percent of global energy comes from fossil fuels but the report said nuclear power, fossil fuels and biomass could be almost entirely phased out by 2050.

To achieve this, building heating needs to be cut by at least 60 percent through energy efficiency, the use of solar power and geothermal heat.

Electricity grids need to be upgraded, smart grids installed and electric transport introduced on a large scale globally.

“Renewable energy and better grid interconnection with Europe has the potential to meet all of our energy needs in a very sustainable way,” said Nick Molho, head of energy policy at WWF-UK.

Financial incentives for renewable energy generation, such as feed-in tariffs, would play an important role.

Consumption of meat should be halved per person by 2050 in industrialized countries and increased by a quarter elsewhere, the report said.

The population should also cycle, walk, use more public transport and replace air travel with trains.

By 2050, 4 trillion euros ($5,588 billion) will be saved annually through energy efficiency and reduced fuel costs in a business-as-usual scenario, the report said.

However, capital expenditure will need to increase first to install renewable energy generating capacity, modernize electricity grids and improve energy efficiency.

This will grow over the next 25 years to about 3.5 trillion euros a year from 1 trillion euros. The investments would start to pay off in around 2040 when the savings start to outweigh the costs, the report said.

Europe will need to spend 2.9 trillion euros or 25 percent of the bloc’s annual gross domestic product over the next 10 years to satisfy demand for low-carbon technologies, a separate report by Accenture and Barclays Capital said this week.

Download the full report from www.ecofys.com

Source: www.reuters.com

Pictured: Intel Israel recently dedicated the country’s most environmentally friendly office building in Haifa. Dubbed IDC9, the 11-story, $110 million data center facility now has a double distinction—it is Israel’s first LEED-certified green building and it has been awarded Gold, the second-highest rating in the LEED certification system.

By Yale Environment 360 (2 February 2011):

Intel Corporation remains the top purchaser of renewable energy in the U.S., nearly doubling the amount of green energy credits it will buy in 2011 to more than 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours – the equivalent of powering 218,000 American homes – according to a new ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

With that increase, the California-based chipmaker – which has also built nine solar plants at its facilities in the U.S. and Israel – now gets about 88 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The retail chain, Kohl’s, which ranked second on the EPA’s list of the top 50 green energy buyers, now gets 100 percent of its electricity from green sources, purchasing more than 1.4 million kilowatt-hours annually.

The EPA works with more than 1,300 businesses and organizations through its Green Power Partnership to encourage the voluntary purchase of green energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the EPA, those partners are using about 19.2 billion kilowatt-hours of green energy each year. Intel’s purchase of renewable energy credits is the largest green power purchase to date in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership.

View the full list: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top50.htm

Source: www.reuters.com

By The Hillsboro Argus (4 February 2011):

Intel may be blue, but they are definitely striving to go green.

Evidence of that is the growth of Intel’s commitment to solar power. Two 400 kW solar installations in Hillsboro, one at the Jones Farm campus and the other at the Ronler Acres campus, have just been energized. Each system consists of raised solar support structures.

The new solar installations supplement an $800,000 100 kW solar project on the roof of a Jones Farm Campus building that was energized in December 2008.

They also supplement six other just completed solar installations. Building on its existing portfolio of renewable energy site installations, Intel reported in January 2010 that new contracts were in place to incorporate approximately 2.8 megawatts worth of new solar power projects at eight U.S. locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon.

The solar panels used in Oregon were manufactured by Evergreen Solar Inc. and installed by Solar City Inc. They were made at Evergreen’s flagship production facility in Devens, Mass. The installation consists of high quality String Ribbon solar panels offering exceptional performance, cost effective installation and industry-leading environmental credentials.

“We’re very excited about this project,” said Marty Sedler, Intel’s Director for Global Utilities and Infrastructure. “The solar installations are a big step for Intel and supplement efforts at other Intel sites around the world.”

Intel’s new solar installations reflect just the latest in Intel’s energy portfolio, which includes wind, solar, geo-thermal, small hydro-electric and biomass sources.

Intel Oregon, with 15,000 employees, is Intel’s largest site in the world and an anchor tenant of Oregon’s economy.

Source: www.oregonlive.com

And here’s a report on Intel’s work in China:

Environmental Innovation. Energy-Efficient Performance.

“Consistent environmental commitment is a part of everything we do. The environment informs and drives our business from our Eco-smart product design to our environmental partnerships.
Intel complies with all environmental standards stipulated by Chinese law and regulations, and regularly solicits opinions from communities, local supervision institutions, suppliers, and users, to improve the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) program.

Energy efficiency, outstanding performance, and innovative materials are all essential to Intel’s Eco-smart product designs. As part of our rigorous design process we evaluate material input and improve energy efficiency and performance.

In China, Intel delivers excellent energy-efficient performance and energy saving experience to consumers through technological innovations. Intel Core™ 2 Duo Processor enables home and business computers to save 1.6 billion kwh per year, which is equivalent to the power consumed by 400,000 ordinary Chinese families in one year.

At Intel, our commitment to continuous improvement is integrated into our programs, which are designed to drive more sustainable operations in our facilities. We encourage our employees to not only participate in but also create new Eco-focused programs.

In 2006, Intel’s assembly and testing facility in Pudong, Shanghai recovered more than 66.5% of the solid waste, reduced power consumption by 5 million kwhh, and enhanced the industrial water recycling rate by 15% per year over year through technique improvements. Meanwhile, Intel’s assembly and testing facility in Chengdu, constructed later, also recovered 46% of the solid waste.

Source: www.intel.com