21st Century Regenerative Technology

1. Thanks to Our Earth2Tech Sponsors!
2. IBM Service to Cut Emissions, One Department at a Time
3. Hopping on the Hybrid and Electric Bandwagon

Thanks to Our Earth2Tech Sponsors!

2009-02-14 01:00

Katie Fehrenbacher - Misc

We’d like to say thanks to this month’s Earth2Tech sponsors:

Download The Green IT Guide and Toolkit for Sustainable Businesses

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IBM Service to Cut Emissions, One Department at a Time

2009-02-13 23:00

Josie Garthwaite - Energy

Not to be outdone by Google and Microsoft — both of which vaulted into the high-tech power management mix this week — IBM unveiled a new service today for cutting businesses’ emissions and energy use. Where the Googlers and ‘Softies are concentrating on home electricity use, however, Big Blue is keeping its focus on the prize of corporate carbon footprints — this time by giving companies insight into the emissions and energy use department by department, as well as for the business as a whole.

One of few veterans in this fast-growing field, IBM said in today’s release that this latest offering, called Strategic Carbon Management, has the potential to reduce a company or individual department’s emissions by half. For datacenters, the emissions savings could be as much as 90 percent, according to IBM — a huge boon for companies looking at the likelihood of international climate regulations tightening up by year’s end.

Virtually every major company will need a corporate energy and carbon strategy very soon. IBM spotted that opportunity years ago and developed software to gather, manage and store data about emissions and energy use. This new service basically shows firms how much they need those tools — by assessing financial costs and benefits, government incentives and carbon trades, for example.

But IBM has a grander scheme. The idea is to roll clients over to smart metering and energy monitoring tools for ongoing management — the new breed of networking tools we’ll be delving into at our upcoming Green:Net conference. IBM said it sees Strategic Carbon Management as a complement to its six-month-old Green Sigma consulting practice, which uses networked sensors and data analysis software to help businesses conserve water and energy. With this new tool, might we see departmental battles for the crown of maximum efficiency? We’re pulling for the underdog: IT.

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Hear Microsoft, IBM, Dell and Cisco execs at GigaOM’s Green:Net.

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Hopping on the Hybrid and Electric Bandwagon

2009-02-13 20:38

David Ehrlich - Automotive

Automakers around the world may be feeling the pain of the global credit crunch, but some big car companies and their suppliers are expressing confidence in the future of hybrid and electric vehicles. French auto parts maker Valeo said today it’s teaming up with fellow French tire maker Michelin to work on systems for hybrid and electric cars, and Germany’s Volkswagen yesterday signed a deal with Tokyo-based Toshiba to work on electric vehicle development.

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Valeo and Michelin plan to work together on drivetrains, engine and battery cooling management, climate control, lighting, energy management, and tires. Volkswagen and Toshiba will look at electric drive units and power electronics for Volkswagen’s planned line of electric vehicles, as well as high-energy density battery systems.

The two new power couples aren’t the only ones pushing ahead with next-generation cars. Nissan Motor, which said earlier this week that it will lay off 20,000 people, or 8.5 percent of its global workforce, by March 2010, still plans an electric vehicle rollout over the next few years. And Toyota Motor, which said it will chop executive pay in North America by up to 30 percent and offer buyouts to 18,000 workers, has a new Prius, as well as a plug-in version, set to come out later this year.

But while the big-name companies are able to keep their electric and hybrid heads above water, some startups are struggling. Tesla Motors is still waiting for up to $350 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy — cash that could be critical to the production of Tesla’s new Model S sedan — and Norway’s Think had to shut down operations in December before it received a helping hand from an investor last month.