Tag Archives: Environment

Yingli Solar Leaving Sunny Legacy for World Cup in Brazil

Posted on by

world cup 2014 stadiums 1024x576 300x168 Yingli Solar Leaving Sunny Legacy for World Cup in Brazil Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) (“Yingli Green Energy” or the “Company”), the largest vertically integrated photovoltaic (“PV”) module manufacturer in the world, known as “Yingli Solar,” today hosted a press conference inRio de Janeiro to announce the Company’s plans to leave a sustainable legacy in Brazil. These plans include becoming the first ever carbon neutral sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, and supplying 400 to 600 kW for a solar legacy project in Brazil that is expected to be among the largest solar energy systems in the country.

Judy Lee, Yingli’s Vice President of Global Marketing; Markus Vlasits, Country Manager of Yingli Green Energy Brazil; Thierry Weil, FIFA Director of Marketing; and Federico Addiechi, Head of FIFA Corporate Social Responsibility addressed the media and explained these initiatives at today’s conference.

Yingli has been working with FIFA in order to leave solar legacies in the host countries of the FIFA World Cup competition since 2010, when the Company became the first renewable energy sponsor and the first Chinese sponsor. The Company provided customized solar solutions to 20 “Football for Hope” centers all over Africa through the “Football for Hope, Energy for Hope” program, focused on improving the social environment for disadvantaged children in Africa even post FIFA World Cup.

This year, Yingli plans to continue its tradition of leaving a sunny legacy by becoming the first carbon neutral sponsor in FIFA World Cup history, and by developing one of the largest solar energy installations in Brazil, a project chosen jointly by FIFA and Yingli as an official CSR project of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

To become carbon neutral, Yingli is offsetting all carbon emissions generated through its onsite sponsorship activations in Brazil for the tournament’s duration.  The Company has invested in carbon emissions reductions certificates generated by two factories operating via biomass in the Caatinga region of Alagoas in Brazil, thereby helping prevent deforestation and protect Brazil’s valuable biodiversity.

“Sustainability is one of the key tenants in our vision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Environmental initiatives such as the one presented by our sponsor Yingli today are contributing to increasing the positive impact of the FIFA World Cup on society and the environment. We are grateful to Yingli and their local partners for helping us leave a lasting legacy in Brazil,” commented Mr. Addiechi from FIFA.

“Our solar legacy project will not only be an important legacy of the FIFA World Cup, but it will also be a boon to the country’s emerging solar energy industry,” commented Mr. Vlasits from Yingli. “We are pleased to deliver a high-quality reference project that we hope will drive demand for similar projects across the country.”

“As the world’s largest solar panel provider and renewable energy partner to FIFA, we are proud to utilize our expertise to leave a positive legacy in the host countries of Africa and Brazil,” noted Ms. Lee from Yingli. “We are excited that our joint project with FIFA will continue to serve the community and the environment here in Brazilwell after the competition finishes.”

 

Adventure And Ecotourism Attracts Travelers To Puerto Vallarta

Posted on by

 

activities 03 300x232 Adventure And Ecotourism Attracts Travelers To Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta, one of Mexico’s leading destinations, launched its newly renovated Website, www.visitpuertovallarta.com. Puerto Vallarta is constantly aiming to provide the latest in infrastructure and services constantly renovates its destination Website as a way to incorporate the latest trends in the digital world and offer its visitors the latest tools to learn about the destination’s diverse tourism opportunities and book travel to Puerto Vallarta.

Visitors to the new site will find that the new www.visitpuertovallarta.com features a complete new layout designed to persuade visitors to travel to Puerto Vallarta. One of the main improvements is regarding the classification by type of trip, which gives the user an advantage by optimizing his search for information and options available, depending on the vacation plan that the user is seeking: vacation, romantic getaway, ecotourism, adventure, business, medical tourism, health and wellness, weddings and honeymoons, or LGBT friendly. The information and accommodation options, activities and places to visit are organized for each type of trip.

The activities to be carried out are also put into categories, as a destination that offers a bit of everything, optimizing the travel experience as to whether the user is looking for tours or activities related to Entertainment, Food & Drink, Sports, Shopping or Arts and Culture.

 

Climate Change Inaction Risky Business

Posted on by

New York, June 24 – The American economy could face significant and widespread disruptions from climate change unless U.S. businesses and policymakers take immediate action to reduce climate risk, according to a new report released today. The report, “Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States,” summarizes findings of an independent assessment of the impact of climate change at the county, state, and regional level, and shows that communities, industries, and properties across the U.S. face profound risks from climate change. The findings also show that the most severe risks can still be avoided through early investments in resilience, and through immediate action to reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

HenryCisnerosLibraryHIGHRES 200x300 Climate Change Inaction Risky Business Risky Committee Member Henry Cisneros

The Risky Business report shows that two of the primary impacts of climate change—extreme heat and sea level rise—will disproportionately affect certain regions of the U.S., and pose highly variable risks across the nation. In the U.S. Gulf Coast, Northeast, and Southeast, for example, sea level rise and increased damage from storm surge are likely to lead to an additional $2 to $3.5 billion in property losses each year by 2030, with escalating costs in future decades. In interior states in the Midwest and Southwest, extreme heat will threaten human health, reduce labor productivity and strain electricity grids.

Conversely, in northern latitudes such as North Dakota and Montana, winter temperatures will likely rise, reducing frost events and cold-related deaths, and lengthening the growing season for some crops.

The report is a product of The Risky Business Project, a joint, non-partisan initiative of former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Mayor of New York City from 2002-2013 Michael R. Bloomberg, and Thomas P. Steyer, former Senior Managing Member of Farallon Capital Management. They were joined by members of a high-level “Risk Committee” who helped scope the research and reviewed the research findings.

 

Sun Still Shining On Solar Investments

Posted on by

IMG 0180 225x300 Sun Still Shining On Solar InvestmentsMercom Capital Group, llc, a clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the solar sector during the second quarter of 2013. Solar venture capital : (VC) investments increased to $189 million (M) in 19 deals in Q2 2013 compared to $126M in 26 deals in Q1 2013. Solar downstream : companies received most of the funding with $128M. Total corporate funding in the solar sector including, VC funding :, debt financing and other types of funding raised by public companies through sale of shares totaled $915M.

“With solar technology companies struggling, investments have been going to downstream companies,” commented Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group. “That said, investments into solar technology companies haven’t completely dried up. Small venture rounds are still going to several niche technology companies instead of the larger deals that were typical for thin film:, CSP: and CPV:companies.” The largest VC deals in Q2 2013 included the ~$69M raised by Chinese developer Hefei Golden Sun Energy Technology. Clean Power Finance raised $42M from Edison International, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Google Ventures, Claremont Creek Ventures, Clean Pacific Ventures, Sand Hill Angels, Hennessey Capital, Duke Energy, and others. Solexel raised $14.8M, followed by Tigo Energy which raised $13M from Alon Ventures. Scifiniti raised $10M from Alloy Ventures, Firelake Capital Management, I2BF Global Ventures and Peninsula Ventures.

Solar lease companies raised $1.33 billion (B) in disclosed residential and commercial solar project funds this quarter Solar M&A : activity in Q2 2013 amounted to $1.27B in 18 transactions. Themes emerging out of this quarter’s M&A activity included: consolidation in the inverter market, strategic acquisitions, and acquisitions of distressed assets/companies. The largest disclosed M&A transaction by dollar amount in Q2 2013 was ABB’s acquisition of inverter company, Power-One, for approximately $1B. Announced large-scale project funding in Q2 2013 came in at $2.94B. Solar Star Funding, the wholly owned subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s MidAmerican Energy, completed a $1B bond offering this quarter, the largest solar bond financing deal to date. There were more than 670 MW of disclosed projects that changed hands in Q2 2013. Loans, credit facilities and other types of debt agreements from Chinese banks now stand at about $53B.

Top Ten Eco Cities

Posted on by

With Earth Day just around the corner, Redfin, a technology-powered real estate broker, today announced a ranking of the country’s top 10 cities with the greenest homes. The Redfin analysis looked at each city’s overall carbon dioxide emissions, as well as the number of homes currently for sale that have “green” features or eco-friendly ratings. Examples include solar panels, low-flow faucets, dual pane windows, ENERGY STAR® appliances, LEED certified homes, and new construction by green builders. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is the most widely used green building program worldwide.

  1. San Francisco, CA – In addition to having the lowest carbon dioxide emission rate per capita, San Francisco has a large number of homes for sale with eco-friendly features. One incentive for locals to go green may be Pacific Gas & Electric’s rebates, which offer up to $4,000 for home energy upgrades including insulation and air duct sealing.
  2. Washington D.C. – According to the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington D.C. has the most (LEED)-certified space, which likely contributes to the city’s low carbon dioxide emission rates. In addition, the district offers a number of rebates and tax credits for residential energy efficiency, which may help explain the high number of homes for sale with eco-friendly features.
  3. Sacramento, CA – Sacramento has the second-lowest carbon dioxide emissions in the country, and new developments have focused on energy-efficient homes, such as the Northwest Land Park, which will build 800 new homes that use net-zero electricity.
  4. Boston, MA – Boston Mayor Thomas Menino launched an initiative to be “Green by 2015,” which includes powering homes using a combination of waste products and solar panels. The city also supports the Energy Positive “E+” Green Building Demonstration Program, which aims to bring green homes to Boston’s neighborhoods.
  5. Portland, OR – Portland General Electric offers residents the choice to pay a little more for renewable energy options, including wind-sourced power. In addition, Portland residents who want to make their home more green can attend Fix-It Fairs, which offer resources and information to help attendees reduce water and energy usage, among other green initiatives.
  6. Philadelphia, PA – Even though Philadelphia’s carbon dioxide emissions were higher than other cities, it ranked second for homes with eco-friendly features. In 2009 the city passed two laws that advance green building practices. The first requires that new city government buildings meet LEED Silver Certification, and the second requires all new construction to have “cool roofs” that meet or exceed Energy Star standards.
  7. Phoenix, AZ – As part of the “Green Phoenix” initiative, Phoenix offers a one-time grant to homeowners for making improvements that reduce energy consumption. The city has also received funding to retrofit low-income residential homes with cost effective energy saving measures. 
  8. Los Angeles, CA – Homeowners looking to reduce costs associated with air conditioning in L.A.’s warm climate can take advantage of the L.A. County’s Energy Loans Program, which offers loans of up to $50,000 dollars with financing as low as 4.99% when homeowners undertake home energy improvements. In addition, Energy Upgrade California offers rebates of up to $4,000 to homeowners who make their home more energy efficient. To see some stylish green homes on the market in L.A., check out this Redfin Collection.
  9. Seattle, WA – Seattle residents are known for being eco-conscious, as evidenced by the recent ban on plastic bags, so it’s not surprising they’d want their homes to be green too. Although the city is known for its rain, Seattle receives more sunlight than Germany, the world’s leading solar market, and Washington State offers financial incentives for those who generate their own electricity using solar electric systems.
  10. Austin, TX – Austin Energy is the nation’s top seller of renewable energy, and the company offers homeowners low-interest loans of up to $20,000 dollars for energy efficient upgrades. In addition, the company offers rebates for numerous upgrades, including extra attic insulation, high-efficiency clothes washers, rainwater collection barrels, and low-flow toilets.

“The residents of these cities are reducing their environmental footprint and saving money at the same time,” said Julie Jacobson , a LEED Green Associate certified Redfin Agent. “By making your home green, you can reduce monthly utility bills, make your home’s indoor air quality healthier, reduce your environmental footprint and even help increase the value of your home without any sacrifice in design or comfort. It is truly a win-win.”