GreenBuzz :: September 20, 2010
October 04, 2010
THIS ISSUE'S SPONSOR
Taking Care of Business
By Joel Makower
The world of sustainable business has moved increasingly past eco-efficiency and other means of "greening up" company operations, and into the decidedly more lucrative realm of innovation. Companies across a range of sectors are seeing unlimited potential in the world of "smart" -- smart buildings, vehicles, appliances, cities, companies and -- dare I say? -- government. This will be a major theme in our upcoming GreenBiz Innovation Forum: how companies are aligning sustainability and innovation to create new business value.
Consider, for example, the following list: 3M, Agilent, Audi, Autodesk, BASF, Best Buy, Bosch, BP, Caterpillar, Dupont, Eaton, Firestone, GE, Google, IBM, Intel, Johnson Controls, Kyocera, Mitsubishi, National Semiconductor, PPG, Praxair, Sanyo, Sharp, Texas Instruments, United Technologies, Waste Management, and Xerox.
What do all these big companies have in common? All are in the solar energy business -- an incomplete list, I'm sure. That is, they all manufacture or sell solar cells, panels, systems, components, or related equipment, or generate solar energy for distribution to the electricity grid. It's remarkable to consider the diversity of these companies. As I've written for years, just about every large company these days wants to be in the energy business.
Which brings us to Schneider Electric, a 170-year-old manufacturer that is another in a long list of old-line companies seeing opportunities in the smart energy world, as GreenBiz.com managing editor Matthew Wheeland reports following a recent visit to the company's U.S. headquarters in Chicago. The company is reinventing itself around the smart energy future, creating products, services, and operating platforms for optimizing energy performance in buildings and businesses. Just last week, as Leslie Guevarra reports, Schneider teamed up with IBM to provide new smarter buildings solutions that combine robust data collection and powerful analytics.
It's another in a growing list of partnerships aimed at seizing a chunk of what is expected to be a $700 billion smart-grid market over the next quarter-century. Companies like IBM and Schneider are recognizing that success will require new and more complex partnerships; the market opportunities are simply too large to go it alone.
Duke Energy is another company, albeit a more traditional energy company, that recognizes the opportunity. As Duke CEO Jim Rogers tells GreenBiz contributor Heather King in this month's edition of "View From the C-Suite": "In the future, our mission is to optimize the use of kilowatt-hours, rather than to simply supply power. We will optimize usage on the grid, within homes, between homes, between neighborhoods, and between residential and industrial customers."
Duke and Schneider represent the leading edge of a growing revolution: a mash-up of sectors, companies, technologies, and business models that are transforming how the world operates, along the way improving efficiency, reducing environmental impacts, and creating a wave of innovation that is giving new life to old companies.
A New Life for Plastics: Speaking of creating new from old, this week's webcast will focus on next-gen biobased plastics, and the opportunities and challenges they bring to the world of composting, recycling and waste disposal. I'll be hosting the event, on Tuesday, Oct. 5. Register here to attend.
Featured News View from the C-Suite: Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers
By Heather King
Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers talks about Duke’s collaboration with Fred Krupp of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), his advice for Energy Secretary Steve Chu, and a future where the appliance is 'the customer.' ... Read More
Sponsored Content
A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials
Why must a polymer that has the potential to last thousands of years in the environment be used in single-use packaging applications? This free, one-hour webcast will shine a light on how global biotechnology and chemical firms are driving innovation to help find a solution to plastics in the waste stream. Join Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in conversation with Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc., a leading bioplastics company; Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR; and William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment. October 5, 2010, 8:30 AM PDT / 11:30 AM EDT. Register here.
GreenBiz Radio Bringing Green Design to the Mainstream
By Joel Makower
Architect, designer and author William McDonough has long been known for his work in sustainability. Joel Makower sits down with McDonough to talk about green product design, Cradle to Cradle thinking, and the role that Walmart may play in leading the charge.... Listen
Sponsored Content
6 Methods for Gaining LEED Compliance, while saving time & money
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Columns and Blogs
Paul Leavoy
Does CSR Reporting Help the Planet, or Just Help Reporting?
> Read more...Steve Goldstein
5 Ways to Grow Revenue with Green Innovation
> Read more...Marc Gunther
P&G: A Bold Green Vision, But . . .
> Read more...Anne Finucane
What Banks Can Do to Foster a Low-Carbon Future
> Read more...
FEATURED RESOURCES
Mine the Gap: Connecting Water Risks and Disclosure in the Mining Sector
This paper outlines potential water-related risks facing the mining industry and highlights important gaps in water-related disclosure.
Design for Reuse Primer
The 15 diverse projects in the Design for Reuse Primer demonstrate new models of “building green.” Material reuse is always integral to a sustainable vision of how to tread lightly on the earth, be economically pragmatic, and nurture a community.
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FEATURED EVENT
A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials
Date: Tue, 5 Oct
Location: Webcast
Join Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in conversation with Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc., a leading bioplastics company; Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR; and William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment.
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A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies. *Update 2014: Just do it everywhere - Dan*
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
GreenBuzz :: Schneider Electric's Evolution, Jim Rogers' Vision of Duke's Future and More ...
On 10/4/2010 7:26 AM, GreenBuzz Editor wrote:
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