BYD recently announced the delivery of three more all-electric buses produced in the United States to Baton Rouge’s Capital Area Transit System (CATS).

The zero-emission, smooth-riding K8M 35-foot buses were constructed by BYD at its Coach & Bus Manufacturing facility in Lancaster, California. Each car has a 435kWh LFP battery that can be fully charged in three hours.

The most recent delivery was the final installment of a nine-vehicle purchase by CATS from BYD, the world’s biggest electric-vehicle manufacturer. CATS, which provides transit service across Louisiana’s capital city, has committed to increasing its zero-emission bus fleet to at least 50% of the total number of vehicles it operates.

“We care about reducing emissions and protecting the environment. The more electric vehicles we have, the better it will be for all of us,” said Dwana Williams, CATS Interim Chief Executive Officer.

BYD’s collaboration with the transit agency earned CATS the Louisiana Clean Fuels organization’s “Rising Star” award. According to the US Transportation Department, each American-built, zero-emission BYD bus saves roughly 1,690 tons of CO2 over its 12-year lifespan.

“We’re proud to support CATS’ commitment to providing zero-emission transit in Baton Rouge, with all-electric buses that are made here in the United States and employ technology that is revolutionizing the industry,” said Patrick Duan, BYD’s Senior Vice President of Operations.

The K8M 35-foot buses also are noted for their reliability and smooth, quiet ride. Each has a 32-passenger seating capacity and a 28-passenger standing capacity.

“Our passengers love the new vehicles,” CATS’ Williams said. “They’re amazed at how the buses look, how quiet they are, and how nice the ride is.”

Source: https://en.byd.com/news/baton-rouge-adds-three-more-byd-35-foot-k8m-battery-electric-buses-to-its-fleet/

Energy Toolbase, a leading developer of energy storage software solutions, has launched a behind-the-meter energy storage project with HES Solar, a full-service solar development and installation firm based in San Diego. For a Fortune 100 food and beverage sector client, HES Solar deployed a BYD Chess energy storage system linked with Energy Toolbase’s Acumen EMS™ controls software alongside a SunPower solar PV system.

The 435-kW solar system was installed alongside a 240 kW / 532 kWh energy storage system at a new 125,000-square-foot distribution and warehouse complex in Lakeside, California. The Acumen EMS-powered energy storage system was created to lower the host customer’s utility cost by combining demand charge control and time-of-use energy arbitrage. HES Solar estimates that the combined project will save more than $6 million in utility bills over the course of 25 years. “HES Solar has been a longtime, faithful user of Energy Toolbase’s modeling software,” HES Solar CEO Ross Williams remarked.

 “Our priority is to provide a safe and optimal storage system for our clients. We are excited to utilize both their Acumen EMS™ controls and ETB Monitor products as well.”

Energy Toolbase offers a unified package of project modeling, storage control, and asset monitoring tools to help solar and storage developers deliver projects more efficiently. HES Solar and the host customer will have complete visibility into the solar and storage operations thanks to the ETB Monitor platform, which offers a secure, web-based portal for the customer to view real-time system performance, bill savings, create alerts, schedule dispatch commands, and override events.

Energy Toolbase and BYD

Energy Toolbase was the largest BYD Chess system reseller in North America in 2021. Energy Toolbase has fully integrated its controls software with BYD energy storage hardware, allowing developers to install and commission their combined solution quickly. Energy Toolbase has currently commissioned or contracted its Acumen EMS on over 60 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, totaling over 30 MWh of storage capacity. Following its merger with Pason Power, Energy Toolbase rebranded their energy storage controls product to Acumen EMSTM in October 2020.

“I consider advanced control capabilities to be the core competence of a competitive energy storage software company,” said Michael Liu, the Senior Director of Energy Storage at BYD. “Energy Toolbase and HES Solar have been great partners to work with, and we are optimistic about deploying many more energy storage systems together in the future.”

About Energy Toolbase

Energy Toolbase is an industry-leading software platform that provides a cohesive suite of project estimating, storage control, and asset monitoring products that enable solar and storage developers to deploy projects more efficiently. Energy Toolbase’s SaaS products are used by over 1,000 distributed energy organizations worldwide. To learn more or request a free trial, visit https://www.energytoolbase.com.

Energy Toolbase is backed by its parent company, Pason Systems, a leading global provider of data management systems and controls automation software for the energy industry. With a global footprint and 40-year track record, Pason enjoys one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSI. For more information visit: https://www.pason.com.

About HES Solar

HES Solar, formerly known as Home Energy Systems, is a local, family-owned and operated, full-service solar company established in San Diego in 2001. The innovative company uses the best quality solar equipment by SunPower to create residential and commercial energy systems that are optimized for durability and performance. HES is also an Enphase Encharge certified installer, Tesla Powerwall, and Megapack certified installer, as well as an EV charging station installer. HES is committed to customer satisfaction from Chula Vista to Poway to Murrieta and provides top-tier support as more clients gain energy independence through renewable, money-saving alternatives to utility power. For more information, please visit www.HESSolar.com.

About BYD

The Official Sponsor of Mother Nature™, BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is the world’s leading electric vehicle company with proven innovative technology for cars, buses, trucks, forklifts, and rail systems – like SkyRail. BYD is dedicated to creating a truly zero-emission ecosystem offering technology for solar electricity generation, energy storage to save that electricity, and battery-electric vehicles powered by that clean energy. BYD has 220,000 employees across the globe, including nearly 1,000 in North America. For more information, please visit www.BYD.com.

Source: https://en.byd.com/news/hes-solar-deploys-a-byd-energy-storage-system-with-energy-toolbases-acumen-ems-controls-software-for-fortune-100-client/

In October 2021, an aircraft transporting 10 tons of Nokia Mobile Networks 5G products from China to Europe marked a major breakthrough in Nokia’s sustainability campaign.

Following the conclusion of a partnership with DB Schenker (DBS), one of our main logistics providers, for weekly Lufthansa flights, this was our first airfreight shipment to be transported using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Nokia’s goal is to reduce business emissions by half by 2030, and CO2 emissions from airfreight voyages constitute a significant component to our carbon footprint.

In addition to the CO2-neutral flight, DBS used biofuelled trucks at both ends of the shipment to make it as environmentally beneficial as possible from the Shanghai facility to our hub in Tilburg, Netherlands.

Kim Aaltonen, Nokia’s VP of Logistics & Trade Management, said: “Our initial collaboration with DB Schenker to enable carbon-neutral air transport from Asia to Europe is a key step on our path to reduce transportation carbon emissions.”

Our logistics team employs airfreight as infrequently as possible, but sometimes, especially in the face of global concerns like probable component shortages and urgent consumer demand, it is the only alternative for on-time delivery.

Until recently, most planes were powered by kerosene, a fossil fuel that emits CO2. However, companies such as Neste in Finland are already manufacturing SAF, which has similar qualities but is carbon-neutral.

The International Air Transport Association has examined and approved our environmentally friendly solution (IATA). The amount of CO2 released when it is burned is the same as that extracted from the atmosphere during the plants’ original growth.

Currently, only a small portion of the material that could be recycled into new plastic is recycled. Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden has recently proved how carbon atoms in mixed garbage can replace all fossil raw materials in the manufacturing of new plastic. The recycling process is based on the natural carbon cycle and has the potential to reduce the climate impact of plastic products while also cleaning the air of carbon dioxide.

“There are enough carbon atoms in waste to meet the needs of all global plastic production. Using these atoms, we can decouple new plastic products from the supply of virgin fossil raw materials. If the process is powered by renewable energy, we also get plastic products with more than 95% lower climate impact than those produced today, which effectively means negative emissions for the entire system,” says Henrik Thunman, Professor of Energy Technology at Chalmers University of Technology and one of the authors of the study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

To establish circular cycles, we must make greater use of the resources that are already available in society. Henrik Thunman and his research team aim to focus on a critical resource that is frequently wasted today: the carbon atoms in our waste, which are currently burnt or disposed of in landfills rather than recycled. This is made possible by technologies that target the carbon in plastic, paper, and wood wastes, with or without food residues, to provide a raw material for the creation of polymers with the same range and quality as those currently produced from fossil raw materials.

Similar to nature
Current plastic recycling processes can only replace about 15-20% of the fossil raw material required to supply society’s need for plastic. The researchers’ improved approaches are based on thermochemical technology and entail heating the trash to 600-800 degrees Celsius. The waste is subsequently converted into a gas, which, when combined with hydrogen, can replace the building blocks of plastics. Using this recycling technology could decouple the supply of new fossil raw materials from the supply of new plastic products.

The study’s researchers are working on a thermochemical recycling approach that creates a gas that can subsequently be used as a raw material in the same plants where plastic products are currently created from fossil oil or gas. At the Chalmers Power Central, various forms of waste, such as old plastic items and paper cups with or without food residues, are fed into the reactors.

“The key to more extensive recycling is to look at residual waste in a whole new way: as a raw material full of useful carbon atoms. The waste then acquires value, and you can create economic structures to collect and use the material as a raw material worldwide,” says Henrik Thunman.

The process’s premise is based on the natural carbon cycle. When plants wither, they are broken down into carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide, using the sun as an energy source and photosynthesis, makes new plants.

“However, our technology differs from the way it works in nature because we don’t have to take the detour via the atmosphere to circulate the carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. All the carbon atoms we need for our plastic production can be found in our waste, and can be recycled using heat and electricity,” says Henrik Thunman.

The researchers’ calculations show that the energy to power such processes can be taken from renewable sources such as solar, wind or hydro power or by burning biomass, and they will be more energy-efficient than the systems in use today. It is also possible to extract excess heat from recycling processes, which in a circular system would compensate for the heat production currently derived from waste incineration, while eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions associated with energy recovery.

Can replace fossil raw materials
The research has been carried out as part of the FUTNERC* project. The researchers have proven that the process can work in collaboration with plastics manufacturer Borealis in Stenungsund, Sweden, where they have verified the results and shown that the raw material can be used to make plastic, replacing the fossil raw materials used today.

“Our goal is to create a circular economy for plastics. Our plastic products are key to the transformation to a sustainable society, so it’s important for us to support research like this. We already have projects that create circularity for our plastic products, but more solutions are needed. Therefore, we are pleased with these excellent results, which can help bring us a step closer to our goal,” says Anders Fröberg, CEO of Borealis AB.

The study Co-recycling of natural and synthetic carbon materials for a sustainable circular economy was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production and was written by Isabel Cañete Vela,Teresa Berdugo Vilches, Göran Berndes, Filip Johnsson and Henrik Thunman.

The researchers are active at Chalmers University of Technology.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/957388

In its efforts to increase sustainability, the BMW Group is utilizing innovative technology and taking advantage of new choices to preserve resources and minimize emissions from painting bodywork.

The BMW Group is the world’s first automaker to employ matte paints generated from biomass instead of crude oil in its European operations. Furthermore, BMW Group plants in Leipzig and Rosslyn (South Africa) use sustainably manufactured corrosion protection. The paints are made from renewable raw materials such as bio-waste or waste from sewage treatment plants. Between now and 2030, the CO2 savings assessed in a TÜV-certified process amount to more than 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO₂ emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovations in our supplier network,” says Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction.”

Organic waste replaces fossil fuels.

Starting in the early phases of paint manufacture, BASF’s revolutionary production process allows it to substitute petroleum-based precursors such as naphtha with renewable raw ingredients derived from organic waste. This not only minimizes the consumption of fossil resources, but it also avoids the CO2 emissions associated with crude oil production, transportation, and processing.

The corrosion protection and matte paints used at BMW Group plants in Leipzig and Rosslyn are chemically comparable to prior paints and have all of the same properties as regularly made body coatings. BASF uses an externally validated mass balancing approach because bio-based and conventional coatings are manufactured on the same line.

The amount of paint acquired by the BMW Group is calculated to be exactly equal to the amount of bio-naphtha and bio-methane needed for 100% petroleum-free manufacture. The environmentally friendly manufacturing process cuts CO2 emissions from paint production by more than 40%. The two BMW Group facilities in Leipzig and Rosslyn produce approximately 250,000 automobiles per year on average.

Source: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/south-africa/article/detail/T0388953EN/bmw-group-uses-sustainable-paints-made-from-bio-waste

With the new electrified lineup, the moment has come to discuss how to power your Volvo.
Earlier this year, Volvo automobiles began testing wireless charging technology in the city of Gothenburg. They didn’t stop there; they also released the XC60 T8 Recharge.

What’s the big deal with hybrids, you ask? We all know that the Volvo brand is all about environmental consciousness, and these vehicles are designed to reduce pollution on the globe. Luxury that is concerned. Volvo Recharge elevates your driving experience with technology, design, and sustainable materials. You can drive a Recharge pure electric or plug-in hybrid car without emitting any tailpipe emissions.

How to charge your automobile is an important aspect of owning an electric vehicle.There are two types of electrified powertrains, both of which are intended to meet a wide range of driving requirements. You have two choices: pure electric or plug-in hybrid. Pure electric is the most powerful option, with less noise and no tailpipe emissions. The plug-in hybrid uses less gasoline and is more purposeful.

Where can I make a charge? The availability of charging stations has a huge impact on the daily experience of owning an electric vehicle. Because hybrids are still relatively new, many are reliant on public charging.
A plug-in hybrid may be a wonderful alternative if you rely on short-term public charging, such as at your gym or a mall. A mild hybrid, which retains braking energy but does not require charging, could also be an ideal fit.

The frequency with which you must charge your vehicle is determined by how frequently you use it and the vehicle’s range. Charging times are also affected by the charging format and vehicle type. Outdoor temperature, current battery temperature, charging equipment, battery state, and car condition all influence charging times.

Source: https://cmhvolvocars.co.za/how-to-charge-your-volvo-by-cmh-volvo-cars-umhlanga/

The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) announces the launch of their new Green Star – Existing Building Performance (EBP) Custom Industrial pilot rating tool.

Sponsored by Growthpoint Properties, the pilot tool is now available for all industrial properties to use.

The South African industrial property sector has grown year on year since the 2020 shutdown (source: StatsSA). This is due, in part, to the rapid rise of ecommerce (driven by the pandemic), which has resulted in increasing demand for logistics and warehousing space. However, as we ‘build better’ after the epidemic, industrial buildings may play an important role in South Africa’s net zero journey as well.

Industrial buildings account for a significant proportion of South Africa’s current building stock. Green industrial buildings with better management and performance have the ability to minimize energy and water consumption, as well as waste-to-landfill output. Furthermore, warehousing and distribution center buildings frequently have the capacity, due to their roof-space-to-energy-use ratio for solar panels, to create more energy than the building requires, allowing them to be energy exporters.

“Industrial buildings, such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, and logistics facilities, play a key role in the smooth running of national and regional economies. It’s vital that these assets are future-proofed for the impacts of a changing climate and the rising costs of energy, water, waste, and emissions, as well as delivering a range of other benefits for their tenants,” explains Errol Taylor, head of Asset Management: Industrial at Growthpoint.

A new custom tool in response to a noteworthy market trend

To positively respond to this market trend and to support the variations of the industrial property market, the GBCSA board directed that the Green Star – EBP rating tool be specifically customized for existing industrial buildings soon.

The GBCSA’s existing Green Star – EBP methodology is intended to reward buildings that are managed sustainably well, can demonstrate good operational performance over a certain time period, and contribute to higher quality spaces for tenants. “When the initial EBP tool was developed, it attempted to take as many building typologies as possible into consideration, but there were limitations, and in practice, it has mostly been applied to the commercial office portion of the market,” explains Georgina Smit, GBCSA’s head of Technical.

The modification process was implemented to guarantee that GBCSA can provide market-standardised rules for energy and water benchmarking of industrial buildings, which do not currently exist in the South African property market. Furthermore, to better serve the market, intricacies surrounding industrial building ownership required to be slightly reassessed within the tool. For example, many single-tenancy leases are triple net leases, which place the tenant in charge of many operational decisions rather than the landlord. “A custom tool is not a new tool; rather, it focuses on customizing an existing tool for a new typology to better suit the functionality and user profile of that typology,” Smit explains.

Source:https://gbcsa.org.za/green-star-ebp-custom-industrial-pilot-rating-tool-set-to-be-a-catalyst-for-greening-industrial-properties-in-south-africa/

Climate change is likely the most significant challenge that have confronted human political, social, and financial institutions. The risks are enormous, with serious vulnerabilities and dangers, economic matters being called into question, science being attacked, governmental issues being severe and muddled, psychology perplexing, effects annihilating, and relationships with non-environmental and environmental issues occurring in multiple directions. Appropriate public health and policy must be implemented to address current and future pollution and climate change challenges.

The dilemma is whether our solutions should focus on reducing the rate and scale of climate change by reducing carbon emissions from economic activity and adapting to its inescapable consequences. We examine climate change, the danger and hazard posed by GHG emissions and their climatic impacts, worldwide initiatives, meetings, and approaches to mitigating climate change effects, policies such as economic, regulatory, forest/land use, and technical approaches in this review. We believe that preventative initiatives, which include both mitigation and adaptation measures, are viable solutions.

However, environmental problem avoidance is a critical concern for long-term sustainability. The best way to deal with an environmental problem is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. As a result, green technology provides a response to climate change while also taking the lead in preventing environmental concerns, resulting in a more sustainable world.

The world’s first 120-ton electric mining dump truck with AC drive and CATL batteries successfully rolled off the assembly line at Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (XEMC) on June 23 and is slated to enter mine trials in July. As a shining example of the intelligent electrification era, this product will be used for transportation in open-pit mines, boosting the mining industry’s progress towards low-carbon, energy-efficient products and environmental protection.

Excellent performance is enabled by innovative technology.

The trucks are outfitted with CATL’s large-capacity, ultra-safe lithium iron phosphate traction batteries, which, thanks to high-voltage, fast-charging technology, can fulfill the requirement for high-power charging. 

The batteries with unique cell-to-pack (CTP) technology have a high energy density and can work continuously for eight hours after being fully charged. The smart BMS can monitor the battery’s health status 24 hours a day, seven days a week and properly estimate the charging state.

The intelligent temperature management system ensures that the battery can operate efficiently between -30°C and 60°C, allowing electric mining dump trucks to operate in all weather situations.

Dependable and safe

CATL’s traction batteries are safe and reliable thanks to carefully selected raw materials and intelligent design, as well as multi-level protection, an autonomous manufacturing process, and extensive testing and verification.

Electric mining dump trucks are typically used in difficult situations with a lot of dirt and dust. As a result, the batteries must meet stringent specifications in order to remain dustproof and work well. CATL’s traction batteries have received the industry’s highest IP68 classification, indicating that they are protected against erosion and dust in a mining environment, allowing them to operate in a reliable way under complex conditions.

Green energy is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

In comparison to 100-ton fuel trucks, the 120-ton electric mining dump truck has achieved zero emissions, lowering carbon emissions by 1,500 tons per vehicle per year. Thus, the energy cost is lowered by 50%, and the entire maintenance cost is decreased by 20%.

Furthermore, the truck produces little noise and is easy to operate. In the future, CATL will collaborate with other partners to encourage a broader use of traction batteries in commercial vehicles, ushering in the era of intelligent electrification.

Source: https://www.catl.com/en/news/658.html