What is sustainability reporting?

what is sustainability reportingSustainability reporting is the process of measuring and documenting an organization’s social, economic, environmental, and governance performance. It shows what a company does to reduce its negative impacts on society as well as what it does for positive change. Measuring these four areas can help companies make better decisions about strategic priorities like where to focus their resources or which charities to donate to.

Sustainability reporting is also a way for companies to be more responsible and accountable in what they do, which can help them manage their reputation better too. That’s because sustainability reports show what the company does well (think of it as getting credit for your achievements) as well as what needs improvement (learning from mistakes).

A sustainability report is like a scorecard for what the company does. It’s part of what helps show what kind of world the company wants to live in, or what they want their legacy to be. That means that reporting on these four areas can help companies make better decisions about how they operate and create a more sustainable future. And what’s better than that?

Sustainability reporting is a way that organizations can communicate what they are doing to reduce their environmental and social impact. This includes how much energy, water, waste, and pollution the organization emits as well as what efforts it has taken to address these issues.

This type of report also covers information about the company’s supply chain including its raw materials, labor practices, and what it does to address any human rights violations.

A sustainability report also includes what the company is doing in relation to community investments, how its employees are treated, and what benefits that they receive from the business.

Every organization will have a different type of sustainability report, but it usually breaks down three sections:

  • Introduction
  • Response to Issues
  • Conclusion.

With so many businesses publishing sustainability reports, it can be difficult to understand how they all measure up against one another. Here are some of the key metrics used to measure what an organization is doing about sustainability:

  1.  How much energy, water, and waste does this company produce?
  2.  What percentage of its raw materials have been sourced ethically or recycled?
  3. Is there a diversity problem in leadership positions within the business (i.e. what percentage of the CEO, board members, and management are women)?
  4.  What is this company doing to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions?
  5. Is there a problem with human rights violations in any part of the supply chain?
  6. Does this organization offer benefits or bonuses for employees that don’t include cash (i.e. free company stock, affordable health insurance)?
  7. What is the environmental impact of what this company does?
  8. Does this business have a broader societal goal like hiring more female employees or reducing its carbon emissions?

The following are interesting examples of what companies can do in response to sustainability issues:

  1. Efforts to reduce their energy consumption and incentivize employees to use public transportation by perhaps providing a monthly transit pass and $100 for biking or walking.
  2. Set up an “Environmental Product Disclosure” which is essentially a page that lists what the company’s environmental impact could be if it were not reducing its waste, packaging, energy consumption, and pollution levels.
  3.  Commitment to sustainability by pledging that a company will get 100% of its energy from renewable sources and be carbon neutral perhaps in the next 12 years.

Sustainability reporting also includes what efforts have been taken with regards to reducing emissions, what steps are being taken to reduce environmental and social impacts, what the organization’s policies are with regards to responsible sourcing of materials or their employees. Sustainability reporting is a relatively new practice in business, but it has quickly become an important way for organizations to communicate what they’re doing about sustainability issues.

Below are other aspects of sustainability reporting:

  1. What is sustainability reporting and what are the main areas that this report covers?
  2. How do you know what metrics to use for measuring a company’s sustainability efforts?
  3. What types of things can organizations share in their sustainable reports, such as what they’re doing about issues or what responses have been taken?
  4. What are some of the main things that companies can do to reduce their environmental impact?
  5. Which organizations have you seen doing interesting things in response to sustainability issues and what are they doing?

What does Sustainability Reporting do?

Sustainability reporting is the process of gathering data about what an organization or company is doing to reduce its negative impacts on people, communities, and the environment. Those activities are then reported in a quantifiable way so that stakeholders can see what progress has been made over time.

Companies might report their emissions reductions targets for 2025 or how they are reducing their water usage in comparison to what they were doing four years ago.

Sustainability reporting can be expensive and time-consuming to produce. It involves a lot of data gathering, analysis, and what’s called “triple bottom line accounting.” That means that the impacts on people (social welfare), communities (local economic development), and the environment are all taken into account when measuring progress. Sustainability reports are typically shorter than traditional financial statements and often include what’s called “footprint metrics,” which are measurements of the company or organization’s environmental impacts.

But sustainability reporting can also be a powerful way to communicate what an organization is doing in a clear, quantifiable way — especially if that data will help convince stakeholders about what needs to happen next.

Once sustainability reporting becomes a common practice, it can become an important catalyst for what’s called “collective intelligence.” That means that stakeholders in the company or organization are able to see what they’re doing and what others are doing — and then learn from each other.

It’s also possible to coordinate collective group efforts by using data about what’s happening in the organization, what needs to happen next, and what kind of resources are available.

A sustainability report might also include a summary from what’s called “stakeholder engagement,” which is when leaders in the company or organization come together with stakeholders to talk about what they’re doing — as well as what still needs to be done. This is a way of making sure what the company or organization does reflects what stakeholders want. It also helps create what’s called “shared leadership,” which means that everyone in the group has an equal voice and takes responsibility for what happens next.

What is a sustainable business?

What is a sustainable business?

What is a sustainable business?  Sustainability in business refers to the idea of balancing economic, environmental, and social demands. It’s not enough to focus on just one or two aspects; in order for a company to be sustainable, it needs to consider all three areas. In this blog post, we will discuss what sustainability means for your business and how you can implement sustainable practices into your daily operations in order to grow a successful organization.

Successful sustainable business practices are important to your company’s growth and will allow you to maintain a successful operation over the long term. However, not all of these strategies require massive changes in how your organization operates they can start with small shifts that have an impact on sustainability. If you’re interested in using sustainable business practices but aren’t sure where to begin, it may help to take a look at some examples of what other companies are doing today:

Some large corporations like Google and Patagonia have pledged their commitment by signing The B Team Charter for Sustainable Businesses which outlines principles needed for any type of sustainable business. Companies who sign this charter commit themselves as members of the ‘B’ team when addressing economic development, environmental protection and social justice.

Google pledged to power 100 percent of its data centers with renewable energy by 2020, which will result in a massive reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. In addition, Google is also working on creating an online hub for sustainability reporting that will allow other companies to see where they stand against their competitors when it comes to sustainable practices.

Patagonia was one of the first major retailers to commit themselves as members of the ‘B’ team by signing The B Team Charter for Sustainable Businesses. They have been recognized for their success at implementing sustainable business practices including investing in developing organic cotton production methods that provide safe jobs while conserving water quality and restoring soil health. These types of sustainable business practices have been good for the company’s bottom line

Examples of what small businesses can do to be sustainable

In addition to large corporations pursuing sustainability through renewable energy or investing in organic production methods, there are other ways that you can implement sustainable practices into your organization.  Here are some examples of what small businesses like yours might be able to do:

-When looking at new office space consider how eco-friendly it is by asking questions about recycling programs and whether they offer discounts for employees who bike or carpool.

-Consider implementing a composting program so all food waste from your kitchen goes back outside instead of piling up inside trash cans.

-If you’re running an event ask yourself if you need to be using paper products or plastic cups.

-If your business requires delivery, consider working with a sustainable courier company that offers carbon neutral deliveries.

The more sustainable practices start cropping up in these areas, the easier it will become for businesses of all sizes and types. This blog post provides an overview of what sustainability means for your organization and how you can implement small changes today to make sure that your business is successful over the long term.

In order to grow a successful organization, implementing sustainable strategies into daily operations is important because they allow companies to maintain their success over time. A large corporation like Nike needs to be sustainable in order to live up to its mission statement of “just do it” because the company is always innovating and coming out with new products.

Sustainable business practices are not just about protecting our environment, but they also have a lot to do with saving money or making more profit for your organization. For example, some companies may want their employees working on projects that make them feel passionate; this can lead to increased work quality while decreasing turnover rates.

Other organizations might focus on implementing sustainability practices as part of an overall green initiative within the industry which could potentially bring profits from eco-friendly programs like recycling old materials into something valuable. In addition, sustainable businesses help create an improved sense of community by connecting with others in a mutually beneficial way.

So what exactly is a sustainable business?

What is a sustainable business?Businesses that practice sustainability aims at creating and maintaining a healthy environment, more sustainable and less wasteful production practices, positive social impacts as well as economic development.

– According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), “The concept of sustainability is a way of living that will allow our society to live in balance with nature.” This means using natural resources sustainably while maintaining biodiversity so that future generations can continue to enjoy them.

– Sustainable businesses help create an improved sense of community by connecting with others in a mutually beneficial way.

– Once a sustainable mindset is ingrained in an organization it can start being implemented through strategic decisions such as purchasing eco-friendly products or considering renewable sources of energy production. The benefits from these small changes will eventually expand outside just one department and have far-reaching impacts across multiple areas.

Many organizations are taking the initiative to make their business sustainable by implementing sustainability practices as part of an overall green initiative within the industry which could potentially bring profits from eco-friendly programs like recycling old materials into something valuable.

Overall there are many benefits and reasons why you should implement this type of mindset or sustainable practices into your company’s existing standards. Doing so will give back to the environment and make your organization more profitable, sustainable business is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“Sustainable Business: The Concept Explained”

A sustainable business is one that puts into consideration how things affect the world around us beyond just putting money in their pockets from doing it. Sustainable business seeks to responsibly produce goods for consumption without adversely affecting the economy, environment, or society.

A sustainable business is one that puts into consideration how things affect the world around us beyond just putting money in their pockets from doing it.

The concept of a sustainable business can be difficult to grasp at first glance and there are several different ways that sustainability becomes important for an organization’s success. A company might focus on implementing sustainability practices as part of an overall green initiative within the industry which could potentially bring profits from eco-friendly programs like recycling old materials into something valuable.

Going solar is one of the low-hanging fruits of becoming a sustainable business. You can explore your options or even use a solar calculator just to establish how much you can save in terms of your carbon footprint or savings achieving in lowering your electricity billCheck out this solar calculator for more details.

Stay tuned next week where we’ll talk about some of the ways that you can make sure that your company is operating sustainably!

How to Become a Sustainable Business: A Roadmap

sustainable businessWhat do you want your business to look like in the future? Do you want it to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, or is that just an afterthought for now? This post will guide you on how to set goals for sustainability and follow through with a plan that will get you there!

Are You Ready to Become a Sustainable Business?

This article discusses the importance of setting sustainable business goals. It talks about what those goals should be, where they come from, and how they’re achieved. It also recommends tools and resources on ways to achieve these goals and suggests creating benchmarks so that progress can be measured. For instance, some tools or concepts to consider include the Natural Step or Life Cycle Perspectives discussed in the following blog posts. You can review them along with this guide to give you an overview of how to implement sustainable business practices in your business. Below are the links to these blog posts:

Where Do You Start?

The first step is to determine your sustainability goals. Think about the company you want five or ten years from now and what it will look like in terms of its environmental impact, its financial situation, and how sustainable it is.

It’s also important to think about where the idea for these goals comes from. You may have some ideas already, and if so those should be included in your goals. But consider taking time to consult with employees or customers about what sustainability means for them as well – this will provide you with a more diverse set of opinions that can help you create better-informed plans.

The next step is creating a plan to meet those goals. This might include making some changes to your company’s infrastructure, such as purchasing sustainable products and changing the way you produce or consume energy in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

The third step is implementing the plan by focusing on one area of sustainability at a time, such as reducing waste and increasing recycling – making sure that all those changes are done in a way that doesn’t throw your business off balance.

Monitoring progress and measuring it against benchmarks for success will help you stay on track – like reducing office paper consumption by 50% in six months! Celebrating when you hit milestones keeps people motivated, so try coming up with creative ways to reward yourselves at each accomplishment along the way.

Repeat these steps every time you need to start a new goal or revisit an existing one that’s not going so well, and your company will be moving on a sustainability path.

Setting Goals for Sustainability: A Roadmap

1. Determine your business’s sustainability goals

This is the first step in any sustainable strategy, and it’s important to map out your goals before you begin. To do this, ask yourself these questions:

– What are my business’ values?

– How does sustainability align with those values?

– What environmental problems am I trying to solve by making changes within my business?

– How can I demonstrate that sustainability is a part of my business strategy by telling the story of how it has helped make me successful and profitable.

sustainable business

This will help you determine what your company’s core values are, as well as which environmental problems your sustainable efforts should address in order to be effective. It also shows other businesses why sustainability matters to yours and provides evidence for investors about ROI potential when they evaluate your opportunities. – What operating practices do we want to change or improve with regard to managing our impact on society, people, communities, animals, natural resources?-What operational changes need to happen within the company so that these goals become reality?-Who needs buy-in from whom (e.g., management, employees, customers) to make these changes happen?

-How do we communicate these goals and needs internally and externally (e.g., investors, community members)?

-What resources will be needed in order to execute the aforementioned operational shifts when they are made? – Create a checklist of measurable targets that correspond with your sustainable business strategy so you can track progress over time. This includes both interim objectives as well as long-term sustainability goal metrics such as reduced environmental impact per dollar spent or increased number of people who have access to clean water.-Establish cross-departmental teams responsible for tracking their respective target’s performance against the other team’s indicators every month.”

-“It all starts with setting clear SMART goals; specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. Next comes the work: to achieve them.”

– “The next step is to be sure that those goals are shared with one another; this ensures team accountability for results as well as making it easier for everyone in your organization to understand their role in the larger picture of implementing sustainable practices.”

-What additional resources will you need? How can you create a culture of continuous improvement?

-How do employees get involved in sustainable practices beyond their jobs?

2. Create a plan to meet those goals

This part of the process is where you put all your sustainability goals on paper. It’s a good idea to decide what metrics you will use for tracking progress in meeting those objectives, as well as assign responsibility for that objective. For example: “Decrease water consumption by 20% over next three years while maintaining an excellent customer service rating and be prepared with resources should this decrease not occur.”

Meanwhile, some businesses find it helpful to create measurable targets—for instance, they may set a goal to reduce total energy usage by 15 percent over five years or cut landfill waste disposal volume by half within two years. The key here is being specific about how much change needs to happen each year so there’s no question whether or not a goal is being met.

As you create your plan to meet those goals, it’s important not just to think about the objectives themselves but also how they will be measured or what metrics should be used for tracking progress in meeting them.

3. Implement the plan by focusing on one area of sustainability at a time

It is recommended to implement the plan by focusing on one area of sustainability at a time. One such sustainable practice which can be implemented with ease and minimal risk is reducing waste and increasing recycling.

Establishing a baseline for your company’s waste levels will provide you with an idea as to what areas need improvement in order to increase efficiency (and reduce costs). For example, if you typically generate 100 pounds per day of trash from coffee cups or other disposable items, then it would make sense that targeting this particular issue would yield the most benefits within the shortest amount of time.sustainable business practices

It is also important to set goals for sustainability. Setting and tracking progress towards your goal will provide you with a sense of accomplishment, which in turn motivates you to keep going.

It’s easy enough to find someone who has already achieved success on their own journey towards sustainable practices – look no further than the numerous corporations that have made commitments and are living up to them: Coca-Cola, Walgreens
and many more legacy companies from around the world all lead by example when it comes to setting realistic targets and achieving results.

We recommend dividing your plan into manageable sections or “phases” so as not to get overwhelmed by the scope at once. Once this initial phase has been completed successfully, you can then move on to the next.

4. Monitor your progress and measure it against benchmarks for success (e.g., reduce office paper consumption by 50% in six months)

If you want to be a sustainable business, there are certain goals that you need to track and measure your progress against. For example, say one of your sustainability-related goals is reducing office paper consumption by 50% in six months. You would need to monitor this goal by tracking how much paper you use and comparing it against what your usage was six months ago. You might also want to measure the amount of time that employees spend on tasks that don’t involve using paper, such as emailing attachments instead of printing out a document for someone else to read.

If you’re looking to improve your company’s sustainability strategy or simply learn more about sustainable business practices, check out these resources:

The U.S. Green Building Council provides information on green building certification programs and other related topics at their website;

– Business for Social Responsibility is an organization dedicated solely to helping companies make socially responsible decisions and become leaders in social responsibility; and, lastly…

– The American Sustainable Business Council is the leading voice for sustainability in business.

Next:

– Make sure your goal is clear and specific, with a measurable benchmark date to track progress by;

– Review all of the areas where you can make changes that will lead to greener practices (e.g., transportation costs) or more sustainable products on offer; and, lastly…

– Keep at it! Sustainability takes time but has many benefits for both people and the planet alike. Remember these next few tips when setting goals for sustainability in your company:-Make sure your goal is clear and specific, with a measurable benchmark date to track progress by.

5. Celebrate when you hit your milestones!

Goal setting is a powerful tool that can be used to help you achieve success in your sustainable business. Although it might seem like the goals are endless, there are some best practices for goal-setting that will lead to more satisfaction and fulfillment than if you don’t set them at all. Celebrate when you reach milestones on your journey to being a sustainable business!sustainable business

The first step to goal-setting is creating your SMART goals. For a sustainable business, these will be different than for businesses that are not sustainable. When you create an eco-friendly product or do something green in the office, does it replace what was done before? If so, then this would be considered incremental and not revolutionary change (although every little bit helps!). In order to make real progress on sustainability in any company or sector of society, we need radical changes. Radical change requires setting ambitious targets such as using only clean technologies by 2030! in agriculture.

One way of measuring success is by setting and tracking goals. There are three main types of sustainable business goals:

The first type is immediate, such as reducing the number of kilowatt-hours used at a certain time or eliminating all toxic chemicals from your products by 2020;

The second type is intermediate, like recycling 100% of packaging in five years or sourcing 50% renewable energy by 2030; and

The third goal type is transformative – for example, achieving carbon-neutrality by 2050 or transitioning to clean sources entirely within 30 years.

Immediate: Reduce the number of kilowatt-hours used at a certain time or eliminate all toxic chemicals from your products by 2020

Intermediate: Recycle 100% of packaging in five years or source 50% renewable energy by 2030

Transformational: Achieve carbon-neutrality, transition to clean sources entirely within 30 years.

Goal setting is an important step in creating a sustainable business strategy because it helps you chart your course and keep on track–whether that means cutting back on energy usage, reducing the amount of packaging thrown away, or switching to renewable sources for power. And when goals are met, celebrate! It’s one more way to ensure sustainability stays top-of-mind all year round.

The only real obstacle is that some of the necessary changes are expensive and inconvenient to make in the short term–but don’t let those reasons stop you from making them! If recycling costs more than throwing garbage into landfills then recycle as much as possible even if it’s not perfect – whatever prevents climate change should be done first before worrying about “perfection.”

When setting goals for a sustainability think long-term rather than just immediate results because sustainable practices and business models will take time to establish themselves but they’re worth it! Ask your employees what their favorite part of the company culture is or what makes them feel most fulfilled: this provides insight on how best to foster an environment of sustainability.

If you’re struggling to find the right sustainable practices or business models for your company, contact us and we can help with both technical and creative aspects of designing a successful sustainable model that is unique to your situation. For now, you can use these tips as stepping stones on your journey towards sustainability!

6. Repeat steps 2-5 with each new goal you set for yourself or whenever you feel like you’re not making enough headway towards an existing goal

Goal setting for sustainability is a complex and ongoing process, but it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. For your sustainable business, you can follow the above steps and repeat steps 2-5 with each new goal you set for yourself or whenever you feel like you’re not making enough headway towards an existing goal. They’ll help you find new and creative ways to think about your business’s sustainability.

Steps for Setting Sustainability Goals

sustainable business– Gather information on what is sustainable in the area of your industry or market niche (ex: fair trade, organic materials)

– Research other companies that are successfully using successful practices in this area (i.e., Nike with their sustainability campaign; )

– Create an action plan based on these ideas so you can create goals whether they be small steps or more long-term plans. Start with something easy like changing up packaging or incorporating renewable energy sources into the office building first!

The best way to keep track of progress for these goals is to have a set time where you review your progress and update the goal with any new information. For instance, every quarter at the beginning of each month takes a one-hour block out of your day or week to go over what has been accomplished so far in this area as well as brainstorm some ideas for future actions.

Steps for Tracking Sustainability Goals

– Decide on an overall sustainable goal that will be measurable by something concrete like reducing CO emissions by X% in Y amount of time

– Create milestones that can give you benchmarks along the way which are smaller steps towards achieving larger goals (ex: lowering paper usage)

– Pick two things from those milestones to track every week; this could be a qualitative measure like making your office more sustainable or a quantitative one like measuring how many pounds of paper you use in a week

– Review what these two metrics look like at the end of each month and adjust for next month accordingly. If it’s too hard to track them weekly, then change it to monthly instead

– Revisit goals every three to six months and reassess what you’re doing

Going solar is one of the low-hanging fruits of becoming a sustainable business. You can explore your options or even use a solar calculator just to establish how much you can save in terms of your carbon footprint or savings achieving in lowering your electricity bill. Check out this solar calculator for more details.

This is the end of this blog post. Thank you for reading!

Commercial solar

commercial solarWhat is commercial solar? 

This question may seem simple, but it has a complicated answer. Commercial Solar refers to any type of system that converts sunlight into electricity for commercial use. It includes both photovoltaic (PV) systems and concentrating solar power (CSP). The main difference between PV and CSP is the type of technology used to create steam or heat energy from the sun’s rays.

A typical commercial PV system consists of multiple panels on a roof, tilted so they face south at sunrise with an inverter in between them. They are often installed near parking lots because cars block sunlight all day long if they are placed on roofs. A typical CSP installation uses mirrors to concentrate light onto towers where it heats a liquid that then creates steam power.

Commercial Solar can be used to provide electricity, heating, and cooling for commercial spaces such as offices or warehouses. It is also an effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of a building’s energy supply.

In order to take advantage of commercial solar installations, businesses need their own roof space with an unobstructed southern view and a lot of roof space.

Commercial solar installations are more expensive than residential systems, but they pay for themselves in about three years with the savings on electricity bills. Solar panels can last up to 30 years so commercial building owners look at them as an investment that will save money over time. Plus, some states offer rebates for commercial solar installations.

Solar panels are a reliable, clean energy solution that provides electricity to businesses without the use of fossil fuels or other polluting sources such as coal and natural gas. Depending on how much sunlight is available in your area, you’ll want to have at least 15 kilowatts (kW) of solar panels. As a general rule, the more electricity your business uses in an hour, the more kilowatts of power you’ll want to install.

The good thing about commercial solar installations is that they don’t need much maintenance because their lifespan can be anywhere from 20-30 years depending on how well they’re installed. This means that you won’t have to make the expensive decision of replacing your solar panels for at least two decades or more.

Usually, commercial solar installations are not just a one-time purchase because they require maintenance and system updates every so often as technology changes over time. But with proper care, your commercial solar installation can last a lifetime.

Here are some of the benefits of commercial solar:

– Environmentally sustainable energy that doesn’t put any carbon dioxide or other harmful substances into the air we breathe and water we drink.

– Clean, reliable power generation with no fuel costs for at least 20 years – up to 30 years.

– Tax incentives and rebates for commercial solar systems. These can be used to offset the costs of installation, or even help with maintenance costs in some cases

Commercial Solar Systems: The Reality

commercial solar

There are many misconceptions about commercial solar installations that make it difficult for businesses to understand what they’re really getting into when they decide to install commercial solar systems.

The reality of commercial solar is that they’re not just a one-time investment, but an ongoing responsibility for the property owner. They require maintenance and upkeep, as any other installation would need in order to be properly maintained. That’s why it’s important to have someone with experience on your side to ensure that you’re getting the return on investment that’s promised.

This means commercial solar installations require a significant upfront cost to install, as well as regular maintenance costs in order to keep them running at peak efficiency. It also means they’re not going to be generating power during periods of zero sunlight, which is common for businesses that need power even on a cloudy day.

So, what is commercial solar? It’s the key to providing your business with an independent source of electricity that will generate more energy than it needs and provide some savings in utility costs for all places where you have high usage needs like lighting or air conditioning. Commercial solar can be installed on top of your business, besides it, or on its roof.

Here are some examples of commercial solar installations:

– John’s Auto Shop had a 150-kilowatt system installed on the roof. This created more than enough power for his shop and he now pays less per month in electric bills with this added production.

– Big Belly Burger was able to install solar panels on both the roof and sides of the building. This provided an attractive way to get power without taking up much space on this busy commercial property.

– Frosty’s Ice Cream Factory got a system installed in its parking lot where it was most convenient for them, which helped cut down their energy use from air conditioning by almost 40%.

Commercial solar is a great way to get power for your business in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner. Installation options vary from on top of your business next door or you can have panels installed on the roof or sides of the building. This provides plenty of space and attractive-looking installation without costing much more than it would if there were no solar panels on the property. Your commercial building can be a great source of solar energy and there are many smart ways to go about getting power from it that will help your bottom line as well!

– Frosty’s Ice Cream Factory got a system installed in its parking lot where it was most convenient for them, which helped cut down their monthly electric bill by over $400.

– Systems can be installed on the roof, the sides of buildings, or separate structures that don’t interfere with your commercial business such as a parking lot.

– In addition to being an environmentally friendly installation for you and your customers it is also cost-effective in terms of energy savings which will help keep your heating and cooling costs down.

– You will also be eligible for a variety of tax credits and rebates from the government that can help offset some of your initial investment cost in commercial solar power installation.

In conclusion, solar power is a great way for businesses to reduce their energy bills and save money.

If you’re interested in going solar, the EnergySage Solar Marketplace has information on how much it would cost your business as well as what type of savings you can expect from switching over to renewable electricity sources.

There are also calculators that will estimate how much it would cost for your business if you were able to go completely off-grid with solar power or wind turbines—pretty cool stuff! Plus, the site walks through everything from getting quotes on different panel types and brands to understanding whether leasing or buying is a better option. Check out this link below so we can help make sure your company goes green today! Are you ready? Get started today by using EnergySage’s solar calculator. 

Solar generation informed using machine learning.

solar generation

For those of you who have been following the development of solar power production, there is a new trend in forecasting– machine learning. Machine learning has become popular for all kinds of purposes; from predicting movie box-office success to identifying spam emails. So what can it do for a solar forecast? The answer may surprise you: actually predict how much solar power will be produced.

You can’t predict with certainty what the weather will be, but you can make an educated guess. It’s the same for solar forecasting: you can’t predict the future, but you can make an educated guess.

There are many drivers of the price of renewables; from weather to grid storage prices. In order to predict how much solar production can rise or drop in the next few months, one would need good data on all of these drivers, and a lot of data. The problem is that solar power systems cannot be predicted with the same accuracy as electricity or gas prices- there are simply too many factors in play.

The good news is that machine learning has been able to predict other types of renewable energy production when combined with meteorological variables like wind speed over time and solar radiation data. This algorithm uses a time series forecasting model to predict solar energy production and it has been so successful in predicting wind power and now scientists are testing whether they can use machine learning for the solar forecast as well.

One of the most interesting aspects about this prediction system is how accurate it can be with an error rate of just ±0.02% which is impressive considering the inaccuracy of other solar models that can have an error rate as high as ±50%.

The bad news is that the solar energy production predictions are not as accurate in other parts of the world. Scientists have found that this accuracy only applies to places with high solar irradiation, which makes up about 20% of all land on Earth. The algorithm can also be affected by cloudy days and it does not account for factors like the amount of forest cover.

This type of forecasting is an exciting development for solar energy investors who are looking to get the most out of their investments with more accuracy and less risk. The forecasts help them plan when they should install panels or large-scale solar power plants in order to maximize their profits from renewable energy sources like wind, water, and solar power.

The forecasting algorithms can be used in conjunction with other data points like temperature, humidity, and cloud cover to predict the most likely time for increased solar generation potential. For example, if there are forecasts of a high level of solar radiation combined with low amounts of cloud cover in a particular region on one day but not on another day, the solar energy investors would know that it is more likely for panels to produce a high level of power on the first day.

Machine Learning Predictions: Machine learning, also called deep learning in some contexts, has been used successfully by many organizations including Google and Facebook to make predictions about outcomes like language translation or user preferences. In this case, machine learning can be used to predict the most likely time for a high level of solar power generation.

Benefits: With this type of forecasting, investors have more certainty around when they will receive revenue and could make better decisions about how much energy to buy in advance or whether or not it is worth waiting until later that day. Additionally, grid operators may have more information about when demand could be at a peak and might be able to better decide on how much power is needed from other sources.

What is solar forecasting?

Solar forecasting can be used to forecast solar power production. Solar forecasting is a computer-based system that calculates the amount of sunlight received by an area and based on this information it forecasts or estimates how much electricity will be generated in that location over a specified period (e.g., hour, day). Solar generation refers to the conversion of light into electricity.

Forecasting solar power production is not a new concept, but in the past, it has been done by humans based on what they could see and feel during their work shifts. The human-based system had its limitations which included that it was subject to personal judgment, or limited information because of time constraints for observation periods. Forecasters of solar power production relied on data from a variety of sources, including weather reports and measurements taken at various locations across the grid.

With an increase in renewable energy generation technologies like solar panels, there’s been a need for more advanced forecasting systems that can handle the variability inherent with these types of generators.

There are two main types of solar forecasting systems, one that relies on the data generated by solar panels themselves and another which uses satellite imagery to predict generation.

The first type of forecasting system is called direct imaging. This is a technique whereby solar panel outputs are captured directly in order to forecast power output or production based on factors like shading from clouds or nearby buildings. The second type is indirect solar forecasting. This is a technique that relies on satellite images, with the assumption being made that if there’s more sunlight reaching panels then generation will be higher.

Ultimately, both types of forecasting are useful but it’s important to note their inherent limitations in terms of accuracy and type of information available – direct imaging systems work best for predicting power output, while indirect forecasting systems are more suited to predicting solar production.

A solar panel can generate electricity when sunlight shines on it. Direct imaging systems rely on the current and voltage from a single solar panel to forecast how much power is being generated by that particular module, while indirect forecasting relies on satellite images with assumptions made about shading or reflection of light based on the angle between a nearby building or clouds in order to estimate the solar PV generation for an entire field of panels.

Hence, both types of forecasting are useful but it’s important to note their inherent limitations in terms of accuracy and type of information available – direct imaging systems work best for predicting power output, while indirect forecasting systems are more suited to predicting production.

Two types of solar forecasting

  1. Direct imaging

Direct imaging solar forecasting is an approach that uses solar features, like sunspots and flares, to produce forecasts. The technique was developed in order to provide a way for generating accurate predictions of solar power production by utilizing data from satellites. This type of forecasting is also used as a tool for predicting volcanic eruptions since they have been linked to changes in the number of sunspots.

In direct imaging solar forecasting, images are taken from satellites in space to view features on Earth’s surface at different times and distances with respect to one another. In this way, it is possible to predict when a given eruption will occur as well as how much ash might be produced by an erupting volcano.

Direct imaging solar forecasts are generated through images taken from satellites in space to view features on Earth’s surface at different times and distances with respect to one another.

The use of direct imaging solar forecasting is an effective way for generating accurate predictions of solar power production since it utilizes data collected by the sun-watching satellite, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which gathers information about eruptions on the sun, solar winds and other space weather events.

It’s possible that machine learning algorithms can be applied to this data to predict future solar activity based on how it correlates to past activity.

solar forecastingMachine learning algorithms, which can be trained to recognize patterns in data and then use these patterns to make predictions about future events or situations that have not yet occurred, are used for a limitless number of purposes including predicting traffic conditions on the way home from work, recognizing credit card fraud earlier than humans can do so by looking at transactions, and more.

A solar forecast generated by a machine learning algorithm could make it possible to plan for the future of renewable energy, such as predicting how much power will be produced from solar panels over time or when the electric grid might need extra support during periods of high demand.

Machine learning is a technique for improving the performance of certain tasks by “learning” from examples, without being explicitly programmed where to look for patterns in data or which rules to follow. The machine can then make predictions about future events based on these observations. Machine learning has been around since at least the 1950s but it has only recently been used in solar forecasting.

Machine learning has two properties that make it especially well-suited for predicting the future: data availability and computational power. Machine learning works by automatically finding correlations in large datasets, without any human input on potential relationships between variables or what patterns might exist. It can also run computations to test all possible scenarios for various inputs, which is necessary when solar forecasting because there are so many variables.

The first machine learning algorithms applied to solar power generation prediction were those that used similar weather data from the same geographical location. These models use a regression model, in which all previous instances of past and current weather conditions can be plotted as points on a map. Linear regression model can be applied to the points on a map, and it will find linear relationships between data.

For example, if you were looking at solar power generation from previous years in New York City, you might see that there is a linear relationship between temperature levels (high) and solar output over time (higher). This means that if it is a hot day, there is likely more solar power being generated.

The second type of machine learning algorithm used for predicting solar generation use neural networks which are algorithms that can learn by example and do not need to be programmed with rules or given examples (by looking at past data) to predict future incidents. Neural networks usually have three layers: an input layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer.

The input layers take in data (in this case solar power production) from the past to find patterns that are linear relationships between temperature levels (high) and solar output over time (higher). The neural network then predicts what is likely to happen when it takes in new data.

In the case of solar forecasting, weather will still be a factor in determining what type and how much power is generated from generation stations (factors like clouds can block solar energy). However, neural networks are able to account for other external factors that affect solar production which could include humidity levels or wind speeds. The forecasted data is then used by grid operators to determine the power supply needed for different times in the day.

The neural network is able to take into account weather and other factors that affect solar production, which allows it to generate forecasts with more accuracy than a traditional forecast method (such as extrapolating from past data). Solar forecasting can be used as an early warning system for grid operators to take measures to ensure power supply.

2.Indirect solar forecasting using weather forecasts

The indirect solar forecasting method is used by many meteorologists to predict the sunniest day of the year, which can then be factored into more accurate predictions. For example, in London, it has been found that a forecast for an 80% probability of high pressure on a given Monday makes 78% confidence in the sunshine on that day

Indirect solar forecasting is based on empirical observations of the climate, and it relies heavily on weather forecasts which are then extrapolated to give a prediction for solar power production. The main weakness of this method is the assumption that sunny days will continue in the future as they have done historically; however, recent research shows that solar power production has been increasing by about 0.75% every decade for the past 40 years.

solar generation

The indirect solar forecasting method is used by many meteorologists to predict the sunniest day of the year, which can then be factored into more accurate predictions. For example, in London, it has been found that a forecast for an August day is likely to be good if the August 13th forecast was sunny, but not so accurate for other days.

The main problem with this method is that it only provides one prediction per year and does not account for variation in solar power production from year to year due to factors such as extreme weather events or changes in atmospheric conditions. This is where machine learning can prove useful.

In order to predict solar power production, AI models could be trained on historical data of solar energy generation as well as other factors such as temperature and wind speed. A supervised neural network would then be used to analyze these inputs in a given year and make predictions about the future based on how it has previously correlated with solar power production.

In the future, AI could be used to make accurate predictions about solar power generation so that utilities can take appropriate measures such as storing extra energy or increasing consumption based on whether there is an expected surplus in supply or not.

This would also help customers who have access to a variety of providers for their electricity in order to be able to use the best provider for their needs.

Neural networks could also help predict solar production based on historic data and other factors such as temperature and wind speed so that utilities can take appropriate measures such as storing extra energy or increasing consumption based on whether there is an expected surplus in supply or not. This would also help customers who have access to a variety of providers for their electricity in order to be able to use the best provider for their needs.

Forecasting solar generation

Solar forecasting is used to predict the amount of solar power generation in a given period. Forecasting allows for the optimization and coordination of electricity production, transmission networks, and consumption patterns.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have found that machine learning can forecast solar power generation with errors of less than 30%. To do this they created an artificial neural network and trained it to predict solar power generation. The network was trained on the data from 2000-2015 and had a mean error of only 29% in predicting future solar production for 2016, with even less errors during periods when there are more measurements.

The utility of this forecasting system, if it can be reliably applied to data going forward, is that it could help grid operators plan for periods when solar power generation exceeded demand. Forecasting solar production in advance will also allow renewable generators to adjust their output up or down depending on available space and the time of day.

The team hopes that their system can be used as a forecasting tool for solar power generation in the future.

Machine learning and solar forecasting.

– Solar forecasting is the prediction of solar power production in a given time and location as input for decisions that depend on it.

solar generationMachine learning can be used to predict solar power production, but there are challenges such as data availability with unforeseeable events like weather changes or sunspots.

– The following factors can be used to predict solar power production:

o Solar irradiance and insolation

o Wind speed, humidity, and precipitation

o Temperature (day/night)

The best time period for predicting solar generation in a specific location is from about one day to two weeks. For longer ranges, other inputs are needed.

– Solar forecasting is an important part of solar energy planning and it can help to predict system performance, route power, and avoid blackouts or brownouts.

– Machine Learning algorithms are good at predicting data with a linear relationship between input and output such as the production volume from mining machinery but not for solar power generation which depends on solar irradiance.

Machine Learning can be used to predict solar power production when the relationship between input and output is linear, such as predicting energy use from weather data or other related factors.

– When the relationship between input and output is not linear, machine learning algorithms cannot make predictions accurate enough for decision-making purposes with statistical significance.

There are many solar forecasting algorithms, some of which use machine learning.

Machine Learning is good at predicting data with a linear relationship between input and output such as the production volume from mining machinery but not for solar power generation which depends on solar irradiance. Machine Learning can be used to predict solar power production when the relationship between input (solar irradiance) and output (solar power production) is linear.

Solar PPA: The solar PV power purchase agreement contract allows the homeowner or business to produce their own electricity from a renewable energy source like solar, wind, biomass, or geothermal at a fixed rate for 20 years.

The installation typically costs between $0.50 and $0.75 per watt, which is usually financed with a 20-year loan at an interest rate of less than half the cost of utility power.

Solar Power: Solar power or solar energy refers to the conversion of sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic cells or mirrors that capture and focus light onto a small area.

The government has been investing in solar power to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar Forecasting: Machine learning can be used to predict solar production by analyzing historical data and predicting future trends based on current conditions, such as photovoltaic cell efficiency or weather patterns.

Many people think machine-learning algorithms are better for forecasting solar power than using humans because they don’t require energy and are more accurate.

Machine Learning: Machine learning is a field of computer science that uses statistical techniques to give computers the ability to “learn” without being explicitly programmed.

It has many practical applications ranging from automated speech recognition, natural language processing, image classification, pathfinding, and machine translation.

Machine Learning uses past data to make predictions about the future.

This is often accomplished by using a “machine learning algorithm” that automatically learns from experience; for example, a spam filter gets better at filtering out spam emails as more of them are received through email software on your computer or phone device. Machine and Deep Learning are often used interchangeably.

Machine learning is a collection of algorithms that have the capability to make predictions on new data sets, which was not included in their previous experience. The machines can then classify these observations into one or more categories and use it for predicting future outcomes without being explicitly programmed how to do so.

Machine learning processes and a and a deep learning processes are often used interchangeably.solar generation

Deep Learning is a type of machine learning, which can be applied in any field that relies on data. It’s the most popular form of AI and has been widely adopted by both private companies as well as government agencies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Machine learning includes statistical methods for pattern classification and regression, as well as neural networks and support vector machines.

The power of machine learning is the capability to make predictions on new data sets, which was not included in their previous experience. The machines can then classify these observations into one or more categories and use them for predicting future outcomes without being explicitly programmed how to do so.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, solar forecasting is “a statistical technique for predicting future behavior based on past events.” Solar power production models are an example of a method used in solar forecasting. It’s important because it enables producers and consumers of electricity to plan better for fluctuations in supply that occur due to things like weather or time of day.

The machine learning process breaks down into four steps: preprocessing, training, validation, and testing. The first step is to remove any data that could have biased the results of the experiment or algorithm in some way from the dataset being considered for analysis. This includes things like outliers (data points not near others) or undesirable data (noisy data).

The next step is to train the algorithm on sets of labeled and unlabeled training data, with labels assigning different values or categories. The goal for this process is to teach the machine how to learn from patterns in order to recognize new ones when they occur. This can be done through a variety of methods such as supervised learning (training on labeled and unlabeled data) or unsupervised learning (learning from just the raw dataset).

In step three, validation is used to measure how well a machine can recognize new patterns. This could be labelled as “testing” in some contexts. The goal of this process is to test whether the algorithm can recognize patterns in the same way that humans do.

solar generation

In step four, the final stage is to deploy a machine learning model into production. This means exposing it to data from an operational environment and measuring how well it performs as compared with existing models or approaches. The goal of this process is for the deployed model to improve performance against the goals set for it.

In this process, the machine continues to learn from operational data and improve its performance over time as new patterns are recognized or old ones become obsolete.

The solar forecasting can be done by using supervised learning (training on labelled and unlabeled data) or unsupervised learning (learning from just the raw and

The machine learning algorithms that I have described in this post are just a few examples from the field of solar forecasting. There are many other techniques and methods for predicting solar power production, such as neural networks or deep learning, which is still in the development phase but have shown great promise so far.

Below are some examples of the solar forecasting models and their performance:

– Naïve Bayes with data from 2012 to 2016 gave an accuracy of 60%. It is based on both location and time. The model provided predictions for a given day as well as a forecast for the next six days, depending on when it was run. A limitation of this model is that it assumes data from the past will be representative for the future.

– Decision Tree with a dataset spanning three years achieved an accuracy of 74%. The predictions were more accurate earlier in the day or when there was sun present, which indicates how important solar radiation levels are to predicting power production. However, decision trees require a lot of computing power, which makes them difficult to implement into a live forecasting system.

– Random Forest with data from 2012 to 2016 achieved an accuracy of 68%. This model is based on the number and location of solar panels as well as geographical features like hills that can block sunlight. Like decision trees, random forests need powerful computers to run.

– Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data can be used to predict solar power production but its accuracy is reduced because it does not account for the time of day or sun position, which are crucial factors in predicting electricity generation.

System Perspective – Design for Eco-Products

sustainable designMost people don’t realize that sustainable design is a lot more than just designing an eco-friendly product. It involves understanding all the steps that go into your product and how they affect the environment, from packaging to production to disposal. What’s even more important is analyzing these impacts using a system perspective. To help you with this, we’re going to dive deep into what system perspectives are, how they work, and why it’s so important for the sustainable design of products. So let’s get started!

Introduction

System perspective tools such as an environmental life-cycle analysis (LCA) or a Life Cycle Management tool (LCM) as well as The 5 Level Framework (5LF) can guide product development by shedding light on the life-cycle of any given product and illuminating ways to reduce resources consumed and lower costs all along the value chain. It does this by using an ecological footprint perspective–that is, looking at everything from cradle to grave in order to measure environmental impact during every phase. From a system’s perspective, it’s easy enough to identify what steps use up water or produce air pollution more quickly than others; as such these are good places for improvement!

The Components of a System Perspective

Life Cycle Management (LCM) is a business approach that ensures sustainable value chain management to target, organize, analyze and manage product-related information and activities towards continuous improvement along the product life cycle. LCM differs from an environmental LCA in how it measures performance; LCM focuses on improving environmentally conscious aspects of production while also considering economic factors such as cost efficiency throughout the process.

Unlike many other tools for sustainability assessment like ESG or GRI reporting standards which can only provide broad overviews of company operations across various industries/sectors at any given time period, an Environmental Life Cycle Assessment by contrasting forces companies to collect specific data about their products’ environmental impacts during each stage so they are able to accurately identify what needs improvements before making decisions.

In a world where sustainability is becoming more and more important, it’s crucial to know the different types of tools that can be used in order to create sustainable products. One such tool is LCM – Life Cycle Management which provides an umbrella for other assessment tools like environmental LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and offers a framework under which product-LCA are able to inform the design process of new sustainable products.

In addition, the organization called the Natural Step developed a five(5) level framework that can help companies create a picture of what it means to be sustainable not just for their product sustainability, but also in their operations, processes using a holistic approach. Using a holistic approach, and working with a clear vision of the end-point, companies can lay out the steps necessary to get there as the Natural Step founder, Karl-Henrik Robert calls it “backcasting from principles”.

The 5 Level Framework (5LF) is a comprehensive model for planning and decision making in complex systems based on whole system thinking. It comprises five levels: 1.) System, 2.) Success, 3,) Strategic Planing/Decision Making Strategies, 4) Actions to be Taken; and 5., Tools that can help accomplish the goals of each level. The framework helps one analyze any type or scale of complex system by providing tools to plan strategically towards success while respecting principles determined by how the working of the individual components influence its overall performance over time.

Who Uses Systems Perspectives?

sustainable design

The use of system perspectives can help policymakers and designers understand how to make their sustainable projects more impactful. Policymakers could use this perspective for example, when deciding where or what to build in order to have the most impact on improving sustainability.

Similar to the human body, a factory is well-designed when every part of it works together seamlessly for optimum efficiency. In order to do this correctly, you have to consider energy consumption as just one component in an interconnected system. Factors such as water usage and waste production rates also play into how much money your design will cost over time while still being environmentally friendly thanks to its incorporation of systems thinking which should be considered by anyone interested in creating sustainable solutions that are not only effective but profitable too!

Why is it Important for Sustainable Product Design?

First, what are system perspectives and how do they work? A system’s perspective analyzes the environmental impact of your product from start to finish – meaning your production process plus any other steps that lead up to or follow after its disposal. To illustrate this point, let’s consider an eco shampoo bottle as an example: by using system perspective tools such as life cycle analysis (LCA), you can determine which parts of the design might need tweaking in order to make them more sustainable. 

For instance, consider this real-world example: A shampoo bottle. It is designed with the end in mind, and you can look at it from three different perspectives to see how each impacts its sustainability. From a design perspective, use eco-friendly materials that are recyclable or biodegradable for less waste during the production of the product itself; If looking at disposal after usage, make sure your bottles will be recycled properly so they don’t find their way into our landfills – especially now when there’s not as much landfill space available because everyone has been using recycling bins! As an added bonus? Using sustainable practices like those outlined above also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better energy efficiency on every level throughout the process by reducing resource consumption needs and the use of chemicals.

Typical System Perspective Example

Design Perspective: Designing an eco product with materials that are non-toxic, biodegradable or that can be recycled easily

Post perspective: Disposal after usage, make sure your bottles will be recycled properly so they don’t find their way into our landfills – especially now when there’s not as much landfill space available because everyone has been using recycling bins! As an added bonus? Using sustainable practices like those outlined above also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better energy efficiency on every level throughout the process by reducing resource consumption needs and the use of chemicals.

Governing perspective: Analyzing the environmental impact of your product comes in handy using a system’s perspective.

For the above example, System perspective tools such as the environmental LCA can help your business capture these data and create metrics for measurement –and as a result, you can be able to track some basic environmental outcomes – the resources it uses and what it emits or wastes, etc

Benefits of sustainability in business: 5 examples of sustainable companies

go green

What are the benefits of sustainability? As the world becomes more conscious about sustainability and the environment, many businesses are going green. In this blog post, we will look at five (5) different inspirational examples of businesses that have gone green. These include both large and small companies. They illustrate a variety of ways in which you can reduce your company’s ecological footprint by using sustainable practices.

1. Coca-Cola sustainability initiatives – the recycling program

    The Coca-Cola Company has started a recycling program in which they commit to making “100 percent of the packaging for all its drinks recyclable or compostable by 2025”. Coca-Cola is making changes to its packaging in order to help the environment. With Coca-Cola’s new World Without Waste initiative, they plan on achieving three goals: 1) Designing recyclable products 2) Collect and recycle a bottle or can already sold by 2030 3) Partner with other companies who are looking at sustainability issues like climate change as well. By 2025, 100% of all coca cola’s packaging will be recyclable globally while 50% of it being made up from recycled material! It might not seem that far away now but this company has been around for over 130 years so you know they’re good when it comes to thinking long term! Already Coca-Cola is enjoying the benefits of sustainability by reducing waste and by recycling more packaging materials.

    2. IKEA’s Circular model of production

    The Swedish furniture company IKEA has set the goal to become climate-positive by 2030. This means that their business will be more sustainable, as they are shifting towards a circular model of production. One way for them to make this happen is prolonging the lifespan of materials and products in order to create less ecological footprint because it would lower both new material production as well future waste from these items when disposed of at the end of the life cycle.

    In addition to the circular model of production, IKEA is committed to renewable energy and removing CO2 from the atmosphere through forestation. For example, in FY20 they announced a EUR 200 million investment for production speed up as well an ambition of reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions by one gigatonne per year with forestry projects alone.

    3. YesStraws – Biodegradable Straws

    YesStraws is an organization that has developed biodegradable straws in order to reduce pollution. The company was started as a result of bans on plastic straw use and the oceans being covered with waste, which can be attributed primarily to them. YesStraws aims at reducing these numbers by developing more environmentally friendly alternatives such as their own product: Bioplastics made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane, they are 100% compostable so you don’t have to worry about it taking over our landfills!

    YesStraws are an environmentally-friendly alternative to disposable plastic straws. They’re made from plant materials, and they can be composted after use or just tossed in the household trash once you’ve finished drinking any liquids that were inside of them! YesStraws have a long list of benefits that make them worth considering when purchasing your next drink at a coffee shop: YesStraws don’t create waste like single-use plastics do; they won’t end up being caught as ocean debris either because it’s biodegradable material meant for our landfills instead. You’ll also save money by buying these reusable items over time – so what more could we ask for? Check out YesStraws products on Amazon.com

    4. Nike’s sneakers – producing sneakers with recyclable materials

    What is the environmental impact of your pair of sneakers? With over 23 billion pairs produced every year, 300 million thrown out, and an average lifespan to decompose being 30-40 years it’s alarming just what this industry throws into our landfills each year with plastic, rubber & petroleum as major ingredients when designing a new pair all together contributing to carbon dioxide emissions!

    As a consequence, Nike and other sneaker companies have been redesigning their shoe products to be more sustainable. In the past five years alone, Nike has used recycled polyester for six(6) straight years as well as transformed over 6.4 billion plastic water bottles into shoes or clothing. By 2020, Nike was able to go even further by using recycled rubbers on midsoles and outsoles in all of its sneakers from Nike SBs to converse.

    go greenIn addition, Nike has created a line of products called Nike Space Hippie that are made from recycled materials. The company also creates shoes like the new Cosmic Unity basketball shoe, which is produced with at least 20% recyclable content and offers comfort for players on their feet all day long as they make game-winning moves.

    5. Green Toys – Made with 100% recycled materials

    This company has combined the best of two worlds, environmental and economic. They use recycled materials to make their toys for children while also saving energy by diverting material from landfills. Beyond these great benefits, they are 100% US-made which further reduces greenhouse gas emissions due to being able to produce closer than other companies around the world can do without having such a large impact on our environment. Their toys are made with 100% recycled plastic while all toy producers around the world are producing plastic with at least 20% recycled content. That is, this company’s products are packaged with recycled and recyclable materials and printed with minimum color using soy inks. Check out Green Toys products on Amazon.com.

    Five (5) go green benefits for a sustainable business

    go green

    Go green concept is a step by step approach and can be implemented by taking a systems approach. Your business just needs to start somewhere and with time, you will have a strategy to assist you to move forward with your going green strategies.

    In that regard, businesses are increasingly going green in an effort to be eco-friendly and save money. Whether you’re a service company or a product-oriented company, going green will depend on various factors including your waste generated from the work system put in place.

    For instance, if you’re a marketing agency that works with clients all over the world then your core business is services and it would make sense for you to go paperless as much as possible. On the other hand, if you’re an industrial firm that produces goods like plastics then it’s likely more important for you to reduce energy costs, which means making changes such as recycling water or installing solar panels on your roof.

    The best thing about going green in the workplace is that it can be done as a gradual process. You don’t have to go all or nothing, you just need to start somewhere and take small steps towards sustainable practices for your company such as recycling paper, switching out light bulbs with LEDs, etc.

    The following four(5) benefits of going green should help convince you to go green for your company.

    1. Reduce waste and save the environment

    One way to reduce your company’s environmental footprint and save the planet is by going green. If you have implemented a variety of different processes, design techniques, or energy technologies in your business then you can generate quite a few benefits for both employees and our environment. Reduce your waste to improve the environment. One of many ways you can do this is by reducing or eliminating paper and energy usage, which will make a huge difference in sustainability.For instance, reducing and minimizing waste is a great way to be more sustainable. You can make an impact by reducing the use of paper for printing or using recycled products, as well as decreasing your carbon footprint with energy conservation tips like turning off lights when you leave rooms!.

    2. Go green cost-saving opportunities

    Going green is not just good for the environment, it can also be a great financial decision. By adopting strategies such as switching to electric vehicles and going solar you will save significant money that would otherwise go towards energy bills or gas expenses. Driving an electric car saves money in two significant ways. The first is the cost of fuel, which a study from the University of Michigan found costs less than half as much for EVs than gas-powered cars. The second reason they save money is through electricity rates that are more stable and predictable over time vs for gasoline prices.

    3. Go green is great for customer service

    When you go green, customers will like your business more! Customers are drawn to companies that care about the environment. And while it’s not easy going green, it only takes a little effort on behalf of one person who cares enough for their community and our planet as well. The benefits from being eco-conscious extend beyond just good customer service–it also helps protect the earth we all share together!–and make sure people can enjoy this beautiful world with us for many years into the future!

    4. Great for your company’s reputation

    The green concept is a trend that companies are following to ensure their reputation and sustainability. Studies show people would rather buy from environmentally conscious, sustainable products than the ones who don’t care or aren’t aware of these issues. Greener business practices are increasingly becoming the norm. In a recent international survey, 80% of people said they would respect companies and brands that adopt greener policies. For instance, with all the environmental problems such as climate change, we see that most consumers will be drawn more towards companies with cleantech instead of those who continue making harmful decisions about our planet’s well-being without any thought for consequences in future generations

    5. Increased productivity 

    With more and more people choosing to work from home, the go-green concept has taken on new meaning. Now with so many offices being converted into virtual workplaces, it is important for architects and employers alike to consider how their building will impact employees’ cognitive function while at work. One recent study out of Harvard University shows that a greener environment can have profound effects on the mental health outcomes in individuals exposed over an extended period of time – including increased levels of cognition by up to 61%. This makes sense considering we spend about 90% of our day inside buildings which are now responsible for providing us not just shelter but also shaping our moods; both positively or negatively depending upon if they’re designed using sustainable materials like recycled steel and bamboo floors as well as natural daylight. Green buildings not only affect the productivity of people at workplaces, but they also have a significant effect on their cognitive function.

    In addition, another study showed that Genzyme Center – a LEED Platinum building in Cambridge, MA – used 42% less energy and 34% less water than standard buildings of comparable size. In addition to this, the employees were 15% more productive because they didn’t have toxins like formaldehyde around them all day from typical materials found in regular construction.

    earth-day-2020

    Earth Day 2020 is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.

    Earth Day 2020Earth Day 2020 is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day although unfortunately, the world is facing global sustainability issues such as COVID 19, climate change, and other issues.
    Achieving sustainability is a work in progress and calls for a constant evolution of technologies, ideas, and concepts to develop solutions that are practical and effective. Sustainability solutions will be resilient and focused on overcoming technical and policy barriers that prevent the uptake of sustainability in different sectors of society.

    As of today, the world is experiencing some of the pressing global challenges that we probably have not experienced in our lifetimes. Clearly, technology will not or does not provide all the answers that we need today, however, it will help to speed up or assist in moving us towards a sustainable path. Technological solutions are just one part of the big picture as other solutions include policy, regulations, sustainable business as well as innovative financing options that are effective to promote sustainability from a systems’ perspective.

    Technology can be broadly defined as the entities, both material and conceptual created by the application of mental and physical effort to achieve some value. Technological change, on the other hand, can refer to several yet compatible concepts involving an improvement in technology or technological progress. According to Rogers (2003), the idea of technological change underpins a social process involving adopters and others who are profoundly affected by its cultural setting, political institutions, and marketing strategies.

    Sustainability calls for new concepts and ideas to reverse, for instance, the effects of climate change. Solar photovoltaics (PV) is just one of many of the new technologies to help in sustainability efforts. IRENA notes that renewables such as solar PV and energy efficiency offer a safe, reliable, and affordable way to achieve massive decarbonization in line with keeping the rise in global temperatures “well below 2°C”. IRENA’s analysis shows the combination of renewables, energy efficiency and increased electrification could achieve 90% of the reductions needed in energy-related emissions.

    wind power
    Renewables are also becoming cost-effective and with time we have seen for example solar power at grid parity. Grid parity is the point when the cost of alternative energy becomes equal to or less than electricity from conventional energy forms like fossil fuels. As such, renewable energy subsidies are now been phased out, and, in the USA for instance, the investment tax credit (ITC) to support consumers in switching to solar was reduced at the beginning of this year from 30% to 26%.

    Now, the solar investment tax credit is available to homeowners in some form through 2021. In 2020 & 2021 owners of new residential and commercial solar can deduct 26% or 22% of the cost of the system from their taxes respectively. The ITC will then be reduced to 10% available for only owners of new commercial solar energy systems while there will be no federal credit for residential solar energy systems’.

    Furthermore, IRENA’s analysis of renewable energy shows that the cost of electricity from renewable energy technologies has fallen steadily and even dramatically in recent years, and since 2000, especially for solar and wind generation and are now seen as viable commercial options. Also, power generation from renewable sources and technologies has become competitive with fossil-based or nuclear power.

    biogas technology

    Food waste is another issue that has become a huge sustainability issue over the last decade. In particular, food waste is a major source of methane (CH4) which is one of the most potent gases that is causing climate change. If food waste were a country, it would come in third after the United States and China in terms of impact on global warming. Hence, reducing food waste around the world would help curb emissions of planet-warming gases, lessening some of the impacts of climate change such as more extreme weather and rising seas.

    With these sustainability challenges, it is clear that Earth Day 2020 presents us with an opportunity to contribute to efforts of fighting sustainability issues facing planet Earth and there so many solutions as we have captured above. Here at reneenergy.com, we want to thank you for your continued support and for subscribing to our blog posts. Thank you again. Please subscribe below if you haven’t to keep you posted about our blog posts.



    lithium ion solar battery

    Where to dispose of batteries

    where to dispose batteriesThe battery technology just like solar PV technology continues to advance and today there are various types of batteries being used to help power equipment or store energy for electricity. As the solar PV sector continues to grow whether with on-grid or off-grid solar applications; the battery technology will help to accelerate the increased adoption of solar PV in domestic, commercial and utility sectors and other renewable energy technologies that are intermittent in nature like the wind energy.
    Similarly, with the rapid development of electric cars in various countries, it means that we will see the demand for battery technology continue to grow exponentially. Solar PV and electric vehicles(EV) will definitely demand increased usage of the battery technology among other sectors that require batteries such as agricultural, commercial or even the household sector where batteries are used for TV remotes, flashlights, children’s toys and small electronics like cellphones.

    However, even with these technological developments; how and where to dispose of batteries after their useful life is completed is one aspect of sustainability that will need to be tackled from a system thinking perspective. At the development stage of these batteries, it calls for implementing sustainable design to make it easy to recycle most of the components of the battery technology in question. For instance, researchers at the IBM research unveiled recently a new battery technology that will eliminate the need for heavy metals in battery production hence improving sustainable design.

    As such, before looking into proper ways of disposing batteries, it is good to know what batteries are, the different types of batteries, and what they are made up of, making them something that requires proper disposal. Well, batteries are a collection of one or a group of cells that undergo various chemical reactions to create a continuous flow of electrons in a circuit.

    Battery cells are generally classified into three components that is the anode, also known as the negative electrode, cathode, also known as the positive electrode, and finally, the electrolytes. For sustainability, the battery chemical composition will matter as it will guide how a battery will be disposed of after its useful life. For instance, in the USA, when it comes to lead-acid batteries, 99% of these batteries are collected and recycled.

    However, according to the World Economic Forum, recycling lithium-ion batteries is a bit challenging due to the diversity of cell types and the broad range of materials such as an alloy of cobalt, nickel, and copper that may require manual sorting and handling or even smelting (pyrometallurgy) to recover individual metals or battery raw materials such as cobalt carbonate.

    Types of batteries

    There are many types of batteries classified according to their chemical composition, formation factor, size, and the purpose they serve. They include:

    1. Primary batteries: These are a kind of batteries that cannot be recharged once fully used. These batteries are made up of electrochemical cells that their electrochemical reactions can also not be reversed. This kind of battery is usually used in devices that require no charging. Primary batteries are made up in a way that they provide high specific energy, and whenever used, the devices consume little power to ensure the battery has a long life span. The most common kind of primary batteries is alkaline batteries. They have higher specific energy levels, are environmentally friendly, and are cheaper to purchase.
    2. Secondary batteries are the direct opposite of primary batteries. Secondary batteries can be recharged, and their electrochemical cells and electrochemical reactions can be reversed when all the energy has been fully used up. The secondary batteries are commonly known as the rechargeable batteries. Secondary batteries can be classified into different groups depending on their chemistry or chemical composition.
      1. Lithium-ion: they are also known as Li-ion batteries. They are used in smart devices such as mobile phones and other battery home appliances. It has Lithium electrodes on it.
      2. Nickel Cadmium: Also known as Ni-Cd batteries. They are made up of nickel oxide hydroxide chemical and the metallic cadmium as the electrodes.
      3. Nickel-Metal hydride. This kind of batteries has the same chemical reaction to Ni-Cd batteries, which is nickel oxide hydroxide. Although, a negative electrode uses hydrogen-absorbing alloy, but not cadmium like the Ni-Cd batteries.solar battery
      4. Lead-acid batteries: Lead-acid batteries are cheaper efficient power batteries that are used in heavy-duty applications. They are usually used in instances where they are non-portable because of their weight. Lead-acid batteries are used in an application that includes vehicle batteries for ignition and lighting and also as solar-panel energy stores. Lead-acid batteries are made up of acid that is used to ensure proper current flow in the circuit. Lead-acid batteries are the oldest form of secondary batteries and are relatively cheap compared to the other secondary batteries.

    where to dispose batteries

    Where to dispose of batteries

    Batteries are disposed of depending on the type which determines their chemical composition.

    a) Household batteries: Household batteries can be classified into two groups, either rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries. Disposing of the household batteries is not as complicated as disposing of the vehicle and industrial batteries.

    According to battery solutions, alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9V, etc.) can be recycled using a specialized “room temperature,” mechanical separation process to recycle alkaline batteries.

    The alkaline battery components are separated into three end products, that is, a zinc and manganese concentrate, steel, and paper, plastic and brass fractions. All of these products are put back into the market place for reuse in new products to offset the cost of the recycling process.

    However, when it comes to rechargeable batteries, for example, lithium batteries are recyclable. They can, therefore, be disposed of at the battery recycling centers, electronic retailers who recycle batteries, or a waste collection site for hazardous materials. Therefore, ensuring you dispose of batteries properly.

    b) Industrial batteries.

    Industrial batteries can also be referred to as forklift or traction batteries. Industrial batteries can normally be drained to about 20% of the maximum charging capacity before a recharge.

    Industrial batteries are manufactured with lead plates making them not disposable in the trash. Lead is considered to be a hazardous waste that is highly toxic to the environment. So when it comes to the industrial batteries, an estimated 60 to 80 percent of the used battery is normally reclaimed. More than 95 percent of the industrial lead-acid batteries are recycled.

    The outer plastic shell is recycled to make some new plastic items, whereas the metal plates undergo purification to manufacture new batteries. In most states, there is a law that accepts the return of the industrial batteries to the retailer for disposal purposes. In case one cannot trace the retailer, they can contact the government officials for the information on the directions to follow to ensure proper disposal of the industrial batteries, industrial batteries maybe containing sulphuric acid that is harmful.

    Safety precaution is normally advised when transporting the batteries for disposal. One should also avoid exposing the batteries to open flames or incidental devices like the cigarette lighters just for precaution measures.

    c) Vehicle batteries: Car batteries are made out of lead-acid which is hazardous. It is, therefore, essential to dispose of it carefully just to avoid harmful side effects that can be life-threatening to human beings. There are many ways to dispose of vehicle batteries.
    where to dispose batteries

    • Returning the battery to a retailer. When purchasing the battery, there is normally a core charge fee certain retailers usually add in the receipts. This charge means that the battery is essential to the retailer. It can either be recycled or be rebuilt. Meaning that you can return the battery to the retailers, and they refund back your money with the same amount you paid as a core charge fee.
    • Taking the car battery to a recycling depot: You can check on the closest designated recycling depots near you on the internet and dispose of your car battery there for disposals.
    • Taking the car battery to an auto parts store: You can make your take battery to an auto parts store as you go buy another one.
    • Selling the car battery to scrap metal depot: One can decide to sell their batteries off to the scrap metal depot near them at a fee.
    • Taking the car batteries to battery recycling centers where they can recycle them and make something good out of them.

    Each state has its own recycling program while resources such as Earth911 have a comprehensive online platform for helping online users decide on how to dispose of old batteries. Earth911 provides a recycling locator for all types of batteries where you just enter your zip code and it pulls the details for your specific battery and how or where to recycle them.

    Call2Recycle is another online resource that offers a network of over 34,000 local recycling centers and drop-off locations for rechargeable batteries such as local municipalities and local retailers like Best Buy.

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