Wednesday, 01 September 2010 15:43
 Image: www.freefoto.com U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the first-ever uniform technical standards for the manufacture of high-speed intercity passenger rail cars, a development that will enhance the ability of U.S. manufacturers to compete in what is set to become a burgeoning industry. "As part of the Obama Administration's focus on maximizing manufacturing opportunities, these first-ever uniform standards will provide an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers in the U.S. - from rails to wheel bearings, to final assembly - to build a strong, stable manufacturing base," said Secretary LaHood. A uniform standard creates a level playing field and economies of scale based on a common set of designs and technical requirements allowing U.S. based manufacturers to more effectively compete. Fostering healthy economic competition will drive down costs for rail owners and operators and the traveling public. Further, maintenance and repair costs will be lower because of lower parts acquisition costs. And, training can be streamlined with just one type of equipment, allowing faster turnaround for repairs.
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Wednesday, 01 September 2010 15:37
 Image: www.freefoto.com At an event today at Battelle headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that two million smart grid meters have been installed across the country, helping to reduce energy costs for families and businesses. As a result of funding from the Recovery Act, smart grid technology is speeding the modernization of the nation's electrical grid, helping to reduce the amount of time needed to respond to energy disruptions and enable consumers to monitor their energy consumption and costs. So far, more than 180,000 smart meters have been installed in Ohio. "As a result of an unprecedented investment from the Recovery Act, smart meters are being installed in Ohio and across the country to create a more reliable, modern electrical grid and give consumers the ability to monitor and control their energy use," said Secretary Chu. "Smart Grid technologies will give consumers choice and promote energy savings, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy resources."
United States
energy savings
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Friday, 27 August 2010 19:36
 Image: www.freefoto.com A seminal moment in Denmark's ambitions to become a trailblazer in the brave new world of EV (electric vehicle) mass transport came over two years ago, in March 2008 to be precise, when Shai Agassi's high profile Renault/Nissan backed Better Place EV scheme announced that Denmark would be its European launch country. A similarly high profile CEO in the shape of ex-Microsoft senior executive and Dane-by-birth Jens Moberg took over the reins of the Danish operation, and there was talk of half a million EVs gliding along Denmark's roads by 2020. Better Place's announcement had an electrifying effect. In the months that followed, a whole convoy of auto manufacturers from around the world announced plans to move in for a slice of the action in Denmark's pioneering EV market. And with Copenhagen playing host to the massive and much-hyped UN Climate Change Conference COP15 at the end of 2009, Denmark offered the perfect shop window for all these jostling players to showcase their clean green mass-transport solutions in the halogen glare of global publicity.
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Friday, 27 August 2010 19:33
 Image: www.freefoto.com The City of Aarhus, EV network and services supplier Better Place and energy company NRGi have teamed up to promote the use of EVs and to establish charging stands and battery shift stations in Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city. The news is reported in a press release from NRGi. The Mayor of the City of Aarhus, Nicolai Wammen, says: "We are delighted with the new EV collaboration because it supports the city's ambitious objectives in the climate area. The agreement also involves the opportunity to replace significant parts of the city's own municipal fleet of cars with EVs." The parties will map potential locations for charging stands and battery shift stations, taking into consideration environmental requirements in the city. They will also collaborate on a pilot project concerning the use of EVs in the fleet of municipal vehicles.
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Friday, 27 August 2010 19:28
 Image: www.freefoto.com As more New England communities seek cost savings in a tight economy, many are looking to expand energy efficiency in schools and other municipal buildings, saving money and helping the environment. 36 schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are taking concrete steps to reduce their energy costs and help the environment. EPA's New England Community Energy Challenge helps communities to reduce their energy use from municipal buildings by at least ten percent. Communities in New England who have signed on to this challenge and have recently earned Energy Star labels for their schools as a result of their energy efficiency efforts include Danbury and Ridgefield, Conn.; Boxford and Chelmsford, Mass.; Manchester and Rochester, N.H.; and Cranston, R.I. Twelve schools in Cranston, eleven schools in ten buildings in Rochester, eight in Ridgefield, three in Chelmsford, two in Danbury and one each in Boxford and Manchester have earned the Energy Star label, an energy efficiency standard that certifies that they are in the top 25 percent of schools across the United States.
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