s.a.g.a.

New York City Announces Request for Proposals to Build New Solar and Wind Power Facilities

2012-03-21T10:36:00.006+01:00

Yesterday, Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway of New York City announced the release of a Request for Proposals to design, construct, install and operate solar and wind power facilities at Fresh Kills on Staten Island. Approximately 75 acres of land are available for lease and have the potential to be developed into large-scale facilities that could generate up to 20 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power roughly 6,000 homes.

The project would more than double the City’s current renewable energy capacity. Fostering the market for renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions are two initiatives of PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s sustainability blueprint for New York City.

In addition to bringing carbon-free electricity to New York City, solar and wind power will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local pollutants. During the hottest summer days, demand for electricity forces the activation of inefficient in-city “peaker” plants, some of which burn heavy fuel oil. The solar and wind facilities at Fresh Kills will reduce the need for peak generation at these facilities, and help to meet the PlaNYC goal of a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The Request for Proposals is available on the New York City Economic Development Corporation website at http://www.nycedc.com/opportunity/fresh-kills-renewable-energy-rfp. Responses are due on a rolling basis to be reviewed at each submission deadline. Submission dates are May 24, 2012, August 15, 2012, November 15, 2012, and a final submission date of February 15, 2013.

Saving Gas While Fighting Crime in Tallahassee

2012-03-21T09:56:00.004+01:00

To help reverse the trend of letting police cars idle (and waste fuel), the City of Tallahassee, Florida’s Fleet Management Division has designed and built its own Less Idle Time (LIT) package and has installed the equipment in 27 police cars. The LIT uses batteries and other features to allow police cruisers to have full electrical capability while the engine is off, including the use of emergency lights and air conditioning.

Additionally, significant fuel and carbon emissions savings are expected over the normal eight-year vehicle life of a police car. Thanks to reduced engine idle time, LIT could increase the vehicle lifespan by 30 percent (or another two years.) Read more.

City of Helsingborg Unveils Car Pool Powered by Solar Energy

2012-03-20T13:25:00.005+01:00

The City of Helsingborg in southern Sweden just unveiled a new car pool powered entirely by solar energy. Helsingborg residents and businesses participating in the program pay a monthly fee of SEK 124 (aproximately $18) which gives them access to the three new vehicles.

The roof of the charging station is covered by solar panels that provide cheap and clean electricity. The range of the vehicles is approximately 175 kilometers (109 miles).

Photo, from left to right: Anders Östlund, CEO Öresundskraft; Peter Danielsson, Mayor of Helsingborg; Ulf Jakobsson, Move About; Per Lundgren, Öresundskraft; and Jakob Lagercrantz, the Swedish Association of Green Motorists. Öresundskraft.

2011 Historic Year for PV Solar in the United States

2012-03-14T10:27:00.003+01:00

2011 was a historic year for solar in the U.S. The U.S. installed 1,855 megawatts of PV in 2011, up 109 percent from the 887 megawatts installed in 2010. The value of all PV installations rose to $8.4 billion, up from $5.0 billion in 2010. Read more.

Photo: energy.gov

San Francisco Company Provides Solar Panels for Low-Income Families, $10 M in Electricity Savings

2012-03-13T11:24:00.005+01:00

SunPower, a manufacturer of solar systems, is collaborating with GRID Alternatives, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization, bringing solar energy solutions to low-income households.

SunPower has worked with GRID Alternatives for the past six years to help hundreds of families in need, providing more than 1,000 employee volunteer hours, philanthropic gifts, equipment donations and sales. This partnership is expected to generate a combined $10 million in electricity savings for these families over the life of the systems.

Photo: us.sunpowercorp.com

NBA’s Phoenix Suns Get 966 Solar Panels

2012-03-12T14:10:00.006+01:00

NBA basketball team the Phoenix Suns just flipped the switch on a new solar system that includes 966 solar panels on the 5th level of the US Airways Center parking garage.

Suns guard Steve Nash and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton helped ‘flip-the-switch’ at a dedication ceremony, signifying the start-up of the 227-kilowatt solar system.

The system utilizes 966 solar panels, covers approximately 17,000 square feet and produces 378,000 kilowatt-hours each year – enough energy to power 20 game days each season for the Suns.

The solar panels are provided by APS. Its total renewable portfolio has grown from less than one megawatt a decade ago to more than 900 megawatts today – including projects online and in development – and includes a diverse mix of solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. That is enough renewable energy to power 225,000 Arizona homes. Read more.

Swedish Skogforsk to Collaborate with Itasca Community College in Minnesota

2012-03-12T10:00:00.001+01:00

The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Skogforsk, will enter into a joint collaboration with Itasca Community College (ICC) in Grand Rapids, Minnesota to develop a research program focused on developing methods, systems and technology within the forest-based bioenergy supply chain in Minnesota.

“We see a great opportunity for cooperation around education, technology and innovation to increase efficiency and quality in the biomass supply chain. The conditions in Minnesota are similar to those in Sweden, and there are good opportunities for fruitful exchange of experiences" said Tomas Johannesson, researcher at Skogforsk. ICC is developing a campus strategy that in a first phase seeks to integrate more components covering biomass to energy measures as well as creating workforce development and training programs in the bioenergy sector.

The collaboration with Skogforsk will help to further develop ICC’s ambitions through the leveraging of established capabilities and knowledge developed by the Institute. In a future phase, ICC also plans to demonstrate the effective use of woody biomass as a fuel source through the enhancement of its already existing wood-fired boiler that serves the campus district heating loop.

The educational collaboration is supported by the bioenergy partnership between The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota (BBAM) and the Swedish Bioenergy Association (SVEBIO).

Photo: state.sc.us

Texas Becoming a Leader in Adopting Clean Energy Technologies

2012-03-09T16:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, "green" news website Treehugger posted an article about the State of Texas becoming a leader in adopting clean energy technologies. The website reports:

"Some might not think of Texas as a hotspot for renewables. But if you look at what cities here are doing, you might have to change your mind,” says Jen Powis, who leads the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal state-wide campaign in the Lone Star State. Take Houston, for example: One-third of municipal buildings in the state’s biggest city run on renewable energy. Texas’s second-biggest city, San Antonio, is building 400 megawatts worth of solar. Less than 100 miles to the north of there, municipal buildings in Austin run on 100 percent clean energy.

What’s happening, says Powis, is bottom-up change that flies in the face of the state’s political climate. “City by city, local leaders are the ones pushing the envelope for clean energy,” Powis says. And as large cities lead the way, other municipalities and universities will follow. With more than 10,300 MW of installed wind energy, Texas leads the nation in wind power, and there are more than 800 MW of wind under construction. Current efforts to overhaul the state's transmission lines should ensure even more. Meanwhile coal power has become increasingly unprofitable here. Read the full article.

house.state.tx.us

Maine Company Ready to Install Tidal Power Unit

2012-03-09T13:01:00.005+01:00

The Boston Globe reports that a Maine-based tidal energy company is ready to install its underwater power system for the first time on the floor of the ocean. Ocean Renewable Power Co. aims to begin installation of its first grid-connected power unit in mid-March at a 60-acre site in Cobscook Bay at the nation’s easternmost tip.

The first unit capable of powering 20 to 25 homes will be hooked up to the grid this summer and four more units will be installed next year at a total cost of $21 million for the project, said Chris Sauer, president and chief executive officer of the Portland-based company.

According to the Boston Globe, the Ocean Renewable turbine generator unit self-starts when the tidal current reaches about 2 knots, and is designed to produce up to 180 kilowatts under ideal circumstances. Read more.

Photo: orpc.co

WWF & Clean Tech Group: "United States and Sweden Top 5 in Clean Tech"

2012-03-07T15:24:00.005+01:00

Cleantech Group and WWF recently publish "Coming Clean: The Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012." The report looks at where entrepreneurial cleantech companies are growing today, reasons as to where they will spring-up over the coming years, and which countries are falling above and below the curve for fostering cleantech innovation.

Thirty-eight countries were evaluated on 15 indicators related to the creation and commercialisation of cleantech start-ups, generating an index measuring each one’s potential, relative to their economic size, to produce entrepreneurial cleantech start-up companies and commercialize clean technology innovations over the next 10 years.

The five top scoring countries were Denmark, Israel, Sweden, Finland and the United States. Read more.

Photo: eere.energy.gov

‘Clean Fleets’ Program Keeps Growing; Reduces Oil Use

2012-03-06T17:30:00.003+01:00

The National Clean Fleets Partnership works to help companies reduce the use of gasoline and diesel by increasing their adoption of alterantive fuels, advanced vehicles and fuel-saving measures.

Yesterday, a number of new partners joined the program to make their car fleets "greener" – Best Buy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Veolia Environmental Services, and Johnson Controls – which brings the total partnership to 18 corporate members, who operate more than a million vehicles nationwide.

Through the partnership, current members receives technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in a variety of forms. One of the biggest challenges for companies wishing to adopt alternative fuels, such as natural gas and propane, is ensuring that there are enough places for their vehicles to refuel. Working with a number of partners, NREL is constructing a “hot-spot” map that will show where fleets operate enough vehicles to warrant building a new fueling station.

This collaboration allows members to pool their resources together in a way that they would be unlikely to without the Partnership. In other cases, Clean Cities is connecting national partners with existing local resources. For example, one company is working with NREL to identify natural gas fueling stations already open in their current markets. By reducing their need to build their own fueling stations, the Partnership helps companies reduce their use of petroleum and lower fuel costs, while supporting local suppliers.

Photo: UPS is one of the Energy Department's National Clean Fleets Partners. The company is reducing petroleum use and emissions through careful route planning, fuel efficiency measures and alternative fuel use. energy.gov

Chevy Volt/Ampera Win European Car of the Year; Ford Focus in Third Place

2012-03-06T13:53:00.005+01:00

This year, out of seven finalists, the European Car of the Year Award was shared by the Chevrolet Volt and its European cousin, the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera. The decision to pick the American-made cars came from a panel of 59 voting auto journalists from 23 different European countries.

The Volt/Ampera along with the other finalists were judged on a number of different factors, ranging from design, to comfort, performance and technology. When the dust settled, the Volt/Ampera had garnered a total of 330 points, followed by Volkswagen’s pint-sized Up! with 281 points and Ford’s 2012 Focus with 256. Read more.

Photo: Opel/Vauxhall Ampera, gm-volt.com

Swedish Companies Team Up to Test Smart Technology for Electric Cars

2012-03-05T14:20:00.004+01:00

Volvo Cars is working with a consortium of companies to develop a solution that improves the ability of drivers to recharge the vehicles by locating charging stations and optimizing charging. The consortium is called ELVIIS (Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure) and consists of Volvo Car Corporation, Ericsson, utility company Göteborg Energi, and the Viktoria Institute. The basic model for the charging process using this technology is:

The driver can choose to charge the battery pack via any ordinary power outlet; the outlet is identified via GPS; the driver pre-sets timing and charging amount on the touch screen or remotely via a smart phone or tablet; using the mobile network, the car communicates with the grid and sets the charging scheme in order to support optimal utilization of the grid and most favorable energy price; any unintended interruption of charging process is directly reported to the driver's mobile phone; the system directs the cost for each charge to the car owner's personal utility bill.

Photo: media.volvocars.com

Ambassadors Brzezinski and Hafström Discussed SAGA on Atlanta Business Radio

2012-03-02T10:19:00.007+01:00

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski, and Sweden’s Ambassador to the United States, Jonas Hafström, were interviewed on radio show Inside the Winners' Circle on Atlanta Business Radio about SAGA's role in creating jobs and boosting economic growth. The ambassadors also discussed the overall state of the U.S.-Swedish partnership.

Click here to listen to the full podcast (approximately 20 minutes).

Photo: state.gov

Smart Window Producer Reducing Heating and Cooling Costs

2012-03-01T16:09:00.009+01:00

Soladigm announced recently that it would build a plant in Olive Branch, Mississippi, near Memphis, to produce dynamic glass for windows, which it said could potentially reduce a building’s energy consumption by 25 percent by saving on heating and cooling costs. The plant is projected to begin production in early 2012 with about 100 employees; the company expects to increase capacity and have more than 300 employees within five years.

The glass can change its tint from clear to dark on demand which provides control over the amount of light and heat that enters a building, and it doesn’t obstruct the view.

Photo: soladigm.com

SAGA Newsletter for Jan/Feb Is Out Now

2012-02-29T13:46:00.003+01:00

Every two months some of the most compelling Swedish-American clean tech stories are compiled into a newsletter and sent out to our SAGA network including businesses, universities, researchers, students and government officials.

To read the latest newsletter, click here.

Work Starts on Hawaii's Largest Wind Farm

2012-02-29T10:07:00.004+01:00

Hawaii News Now reports that a groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday last week on Oahu's North Shore where the state's largest wind farm is expected to open before the end of the year. Kawailoa Wind is being built by First Wind, the same company that operates the wind farm in Kahuku. Kawailoa Wind will produce 69 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 14,000 homes on Oahu.

"About five-percent of Oahu's annual load will be supplied from this wind farm, so, it doesn't sound like a lot, but you do enough of them and eventually it will make a difference," said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. Read more.

Photo: wiki

Students from Dalarna, Stockholm, Västerbotten and Västergötland Selected for REACT U.S.

2012-02-28T13:22:00.004+01:00

Five Swedish graduate students have been selected for Research on Environmental Action and Clean Tech in U.S. Cities (REACT U.S.). REACT U.S. is an initiative under the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA) which is a partnership between the United States and Sweden on alternative energy and environment.

REACT U.S. is an opportunity for five Swedish graduate students to conduct two weeks of research on urban sustainability in five different U.S. cities. U.S. Embassy Stockholm, in collaboration with Sustainable Sweden, will fund the students’ air fare and accommodation.

Each student will be sent to a specific city. The cities particpating in the program are: Boulder, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Sustainable Sweden, the administrator of REACT U.S., has selected the following five students:

- Linda Armyr, KTH, from Dalarna
- Ida-Maria Classon, KTH, from Västergötland
- Linda Elonsson, KTH, from Stockholm
- Sebastian Röstberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), from Västerbotten
- Carl Österlin, Stockholms Universitet, from Stockholm

Congratulations!

U.S. Ambassador to Sweden: "Collaborating on a Cleaner Climate"

2012-02-24T13:10:00.005+01:00

In his latest blog post, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski, is zeroing in on last weeks climate agreement on short-lived climate pollutants and the two-year anniversary of the Swedish American Green Alliance. You can read the Ambassador's blog here.

by U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski

Last week, as yet another testimony to the close collaboration between the United States and Sweden on environmental sustainability, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sweden’s Environment Minister Lena Ek met in Washington, D.C. – together with government representatives from Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana and Mexico – to announce a new agreement that will reduce emissions from soot, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Together these pollutants account for approximately one-third of global warming, seriously impairing public health and damaging world food productivity.

This new agreement will be critical in the fight against climate change. But we need to do more – by taking responsibility locally.

The United States Embassy in Sweden works closely with the Government of Sweden, students, universities, NGOs, cities, businesses to foster partnerships and to exchange best practices on clean energy under an initiative dubbed the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA). Last week marked a special occasion for SAGA as we celebrated its two year anniversary.

This spring I am particularly looking forward to a new program that we recently launched under SAGA named REACT U.S. Through REACT U.S. we will be sending Swedish university students to five different U.S. cities to study their sustainable solutions. I am also excited about greeting a new delegation of U.S. mayors and city representatives that will be arriving in Sweden in mid-April to exchange sustainable success stories with Swedish counterparts.

That means that as Earth Day arrives (April 22nd) we will have plenty to celebrate.

Read Ambassador Brzezinski's blog here.

Photo: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Environment Minister Lena Ek and other members of the The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Initiative (State Department photo)

American Swedish Institute to Unveil New Energy-Efficient Building in Minneapolis

2012-02-22T10:38:00.007+01:00

The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is today announcing that June 30 will be the official grand opening for Minneapolis's newest landmark, the Carl and Leslie Nelson Cultural Center. The opening of the ASI's addition positions the museum as a significant cultural center for the region, a place to experience Nordic arts, music and culture.

The building is designed to achieve the United States Green Building Council's LEED Gold rating, the center features a sloping green roof and a geothermal well field for heating and cooling.

The American Swedish Institute, founded in 1929, is an arts and culture organization and historic home located near downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ASI serves as a gathering place for people to share stories and experiences around universal themes of tradition, migration, craft and the arts, all informed by enduring ties to Sweden.

HGA Architects and Engineers, Minneapolis, designed the Nelson Cultural Center and surrounding landscaping. The Tegra Group, Minneapolis, provided project management expertise; and Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Minneapolis, built the facility. Read more.

Photo: asimn.org

Cincinnati Exploring 100% Renewable Energy Plan

2012-02-21T14:50:00.004+01:00

The Cincinnati Business Carrier reports that Cincinnati, Ohio is working on a new power aggregation deal right now that could lead to the entire city being powered from 100 percent renewable energy sources. According to the article, the deal could be finalized within the coming months and be in place for consumers by summer 2012.

"Such a move would make Cincinnati the largest city in the United States to have its energy supply come from 100 percent renewable sources, and it might be accomplished without any significant cost difference for ratepayers," the Business Carrier article says. Read more.

Photo: cincinnati-oh.gov

Swedish American Green Alliance - Celebrating Two Years of Sustainable Success

2012-02-21T10:26:00.002+01:00

February 18 marked the two year anniversary of the launch of the Swedish-American Green Alliance (SAGA). Through SAGA, Sweden and the United States have joined forces, bringing together students, universities, businesses, NGOs and cities in the fields of clean technology, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability to develop the solutions critical to combating climate change.

“Sweden and the United States share common challenges for the future within the areas of energy, climate and sustainability. The two year history of the SAGA partnership shows that we both have unique experiences to help us in this work. The ambition of the Swedish government is to further increase the development and exchange of green technologies, and I see a great potential for this in our future cooperation” says Swedish Minister of IT- and Energy, Anna-Karin Hatt.

“As a person with a great personal interest in nature and environmental sustainability, I am excited about how comprehensive the SAGA partnership is. In 2012, I look forward to continuing to foster new “green” partnerships between the United States and Sweden,” says U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski.

United States and Sweden Launch New Climate Initiative

2012-02-17T10:36:00.006+01:00

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Swedish Environment Minister Lena Ek, and representatives from Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico and the UN Environment Programme yesterday announced the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. This is a new global initiative to seize the opportunity of realizing concrete benefits on climate, health, food and energy resulting from reducing short-lived climate pollutants. The coalition will focus efforts on reducing black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and methane.

“We are very happy to be a part of this Coalition. This way, it is possible to respond to the urgent challenge to slow down near term climate change and achieve considerable improvements in air quality. From the Swedish perspective, we especially see the need to reduce SLCF emissions in the Arctic region since SLCP increase ice melting in the sensitive Arctic environment.” – Swedish Minister of Environment Lena Ek.

“This Coalition—the first international effort of its kind—will conduct a targeted, practical, and highly energetic global campaign to spread solutions to short-lived pollution worldwide. It will mobilize resources; assemble political support; help countries develop and implement national action plan; raise public awareness; and reach out to other countries, companies, NGOs and foundations. Now, we have every hope that we will see results soon—both on the ground and in the atmosphere.” – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham.

116 Schools in 22 States Participating to Reduce Electricity Consumption

2012-02-15T15:00:00.000+01:00

Students in more than 116 schools across the U.S. are competing to reduce their electricity consumption by participating in the 2012 national Green Cup Challenge (GCC) during peak winter energy usage, January 18 to February 15.

In 2011, simple actions allowed 121 GCC participating schools to reduce their electricity consumption by an average of 4.5 percent from the baseline. Collectively that was a total reduction of 1,036,816 kilowatt hours and $124,418 saved from their electric bills; and because behavioral changes typically endure, the actual savings continue into the future, long after the GCC is over.

The schools also collectively prevented 1,576,178 pounds of climate warming carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere by power plants. That’s the equivalent of taking 140 passenger vehicles off the road for one year, or the amount of carbon that would be sequestered annually by 152 acres of pine forest.

Sweden's Clean Tech Sector 5th Largest in the EU

2012-02-15T10:18:00.004+01:00

According to a new report released by the European Commission, the clean technology sector in the European Union currently provides 1.14 million jobs. Sweden has the fifth largest clean tech sector in Europe, totaling over 54,000 jobs, trailing only Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

Germany—361,360 jobs
France—174,735 jobs
Italy—108,150 jobs
Spain—98,300 jobs
Sweden—54,780 jobs

Photo: house.gov

Hertz First to Try Wireless Electric Vehicle Recharging

2012-02-10T16:00:00.000+01:00

Hertz is implementing the first wireless charging system for electric vehicles (EVs) in the car rental industry. The company is using the first EV charging system on the market, provided by Plugless Power, to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of hands-free technology.

Utilizing inductive power transfer, which has been used in electrical transformers for more than 100 years, Plugless Power streamlines the charging of electric vehicles by eliminating the cord and the plug. Read more.

Photo: pluglesspower.com

Native American Tribe Onondaga and Swedish Plantagon Build World’s First Greenhouse for Urban Agriculture

2012-02-10T13:34:00.002+01:00

Plantagon is owned by Swedish consulting company SWECORP and Native American Tribe Onondaga Nation. The first Plantagon Greenhouse is about to break ground in Linköping, Sweden. The greenhouse will increase the municipality’s capability to grow vegetables and grains locally and will utilize excess heating and CO2 from industries. The plant’s spherical shape makes it ideal for an urban setting.

Yesterday, representatives from the City of Linköping, Plantagon and Tekniska Verken gathered for a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. Once the drafting stage is complete, construction of the greenhouse will take an estimated 12-16 months. The Plantagon greenhouse, developed together with Sweco, is designed for vertical agriculture of vegetables in urban areas.

In 2010, the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm hosted a delegation of Onondaga Chiefs and the CEO of Plantagon, Hans Hassle, to support this partnership. Read more.

US Army Awards $61 Million Worth of Energy Saving Contracts

2012-02-09T15:24:00.004+01:00

The US Army has awarded three Energy Savings Performance Contracts with a total value of $61 million, including one that will result in the largest renewable energy project executed to date by the Army. These three projects will save the Army 267 billion British thermal units, or BTUs, annually and will provide the Army with 8.2-megawatts of renewable power capacity. Read more.

At Fort Carson in Colorado, the Army partnered with a local energy provider to build a photovoltaic solar array on top of a closed landfill. The White Sands Missile Range project in New Mexico, awarded last December, will provide the Army with 4.44-megawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity saving 10 million kilowatt hours of electricity and $930,000 annually. When finished, the White Sands project will be the largest renewable energy project in the Army, more than double the size of the two-megawatt array at Fort Carson (photo).

Photo: army.mil

Gothenburg Orders 25 Hybrid Buses from Volvo

2012-02-07T15:00:00.000+01:00

Volvo has now sold a total of 100 buses powered by hybrid technology in the Nordic countries. The latest order to be received by Volvo Buses is for 25 hybrid buses for Gothenburg Spårvägar, which operates public transport services on behalf of Vasttrafik. According to Volvo Buses, the hybrids deliver up to 37 percent lower fuel consumption. Later this year the buses will enter the streets of Gothenburg, the hometown of Volvo. Read more.

Photo: volvobuses.com

Tidal Turbines in New York City River to Create Enough Energy to Power 9,500 Homes

2012-02-07T13:09:00.006+01:00

30 underwater turbines are being installed in the strait that connects the Long Island Sound with the Atlantic Ocean in the New York City Harbor. The project, led by Verdant Power is the first ever commercially licensed tidal energy project in the United States.

The turbines are scheduled to be fully installed by 2015 and will use the flow of the river and tides to generate 1,050 kilowatts of electricity - enough to power 9,500 New York homes. The turbines will also collect important data about environmental impacts on fish and river sediment and provide jobs to a team of technicians who will maintain and monitor the equipment. Read more.

Photo: Kris Unger/Verdant Power, energy.gov

Hempstead, NY Unveils Hydrogen Fueling Station Powered by the Wind

2012-02-06T16:00:00.000+01:00

A couple of days ago, the Town of Hempstead in New York unveiled a state-of-the-art wind turbine that will provide electricity to an adjacent hydrogen gas station, which is being used to power the town’s fuel cell cars. This closed loop energy system is completely “green” in producing fuel for vehicles that emit no pollutants.

The wind turbine is capable of generating up to 180 megawatts of power per year. The annual energy cost savings associated with the turbine is estimated at approximately $40,000. Excess electricity generated by the turbine will be turned back to the local grid, resulting in reductions in net electrical costs from the utility. Read more.

Photo: Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilwoman Angie Cullin unveiling the new wind turbine that will be powering the local hydrogen gas station. townofhempstead.org

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to Lead Cooperation on Sustainable Forestry

2012-02-06T10:29:00.006+01:00

The Department of Forest Resource Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has received EU funding of 3.3 million euro for the project The Baltic Landscape to identify innovative approaches towards sustainable forested landscapes. The project will run until the end of June 2014.

The Baltic Sea Region Program will commence on February 7 with a 4-day kick-off meeting in Kristianstad. Partners from Belarus, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway as well as from the International Model Forest Network will participate. In total 10 sites will be included in the project. Read more.

Photo: ca.gov

Virginia Tech Launches Energy Savings Program Worth $5.3 Million

2012-02-03T13:00:00.000+01:00

Pepco Energy will be implementing a $5.3 million energy savings performance contract project for Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. The initiative encompasses new energy conservation measures for five buildings on the university campus which comprise academic, athletic and student dining areas. Phase One of the project will include lighting retrofits, water conservation measures, variable frequency drives, kitchen ventilation upgrades, cooling tower retrofits, building envelope sealing, and steam system repairs.

The new and improved energy infrastructure should reduce energy consumption by more than 10 percent in the respective buildings and lower carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4,200 metric tons. Over the 11-year performance period, Virginia Tech expects to save more than $8.4 million. Read more.

Luleå University of Technology Heads New Biomass Center

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

Luleå University of Technology has assumed leadership of the newly founded Swedish Centre for Biomass Gasification (SFC), a research initaitive meant to boost the production of "green" transport fuels from biomass. Last week the first conference of the SFC took place with a large number of researchers and industry representatives participating. Read more on Luleå University of Technology's website.

California Passes New Auto Emission Rules

2012-02-02T16:00:00.000+01:00

Time Magazine reports that California air regulators have passed sweeping auto emission standards. The new standards include a mandate to have 1.4 million electric and hybrid vehicles on state roads by 2025.

According to the article "the California Air Resources Board unanimously approved the new rules that require that one in seven of the new cars sold in the state in 2025 be an electric or other zero-emission vehicle. The plan also mandates a 75 percent reduction in smog-forming pollutants by 2025, and a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from today's standards." Read more.

U.S. Biodiesel Production Reaches 4.2 Billion Liters - Shatters Record

2012-02-02T10:00:00.001+01:00

The U.S. biodiesel industry reached a key milestone by producing more than 1 billion gallons of fuel in 2011, according to year-end numbers released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday. The total volume of nearly 1.1 billion gallons (approximately 4.2 billion liters) is by far a record for the industry and easily exceeded the 800 million gallon target required under the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The previous record for biodiesel production was about 690 million gallons in 2008. Read more.

Photo: epa.gov

Pennsylvania Invests $13.8 Million in Clean Energy

2012-02-01T16:00:00.000+01:00

The State of Pennsylvania is expanding its commitment to advance clean, alternative and renewable energy sources by investing in six projects in six counties that can power more than 44,000 Pennsylvania homes.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) yesterday approved six projects for nearly $13.8 million funding through the state's Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, and Alternative and Clean Energy Programs. The projects will have an installed capacity of more than 141 megawatts and the generation of more than 423,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. Read more.

Photo: eere.energy.gov

New York Times Article Highlights Advantages of Reducing Emissions

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000+01:00

In 2009, ten Northeastern states in the United States launched the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initaitive (RGGI), a so-called cap and trade system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Recently the New York Times featured an article showing the clear advantages of such a system. The paper reports:

Criticism of cap-and-trade programs often centers on the costs they impose on electric power companies and their consumers. But New York and other Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states that are trying out such a system have found that those costs can be offset by energy efficiency measures paid for by the cap-and-trade program itself.

A study by the Boston consulting firm Analysis Group that was commissioned by four nonprofit foundations last year noted that states participating in the program had received $912 million over three years by charging electricity providers for their carbon dioxide emissions. Many of the states invested most of those funds in programs to retrofit homes and buildings to make them more energy-efficient, lowering consumption of electricity. So while the program led to a slight rise in electricity rates – less than 1 percent — consumers in those states ended up seeing lower bills over all as their demand declined.

Read the full article.

New Lights in Washington, D.C. to Cut Energy Use by 65 Percent

2012-01-31T16:00:00.000+01:00

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu yesterday hosted a lighting ceremony to celebrate the installation of energy-efficient LED lights on the Mall, an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C.

The LED lights, donated by Osram Sylvania and installed pro bono by Pepco, the electric utility that serves Washington, D.C., will reduce lighting energy use for the streetlamps by up to 65 percent. LEDs provide brighter lighting and last longer, so much so that the Park Service expects to not have to replace the bulbs for up to 25 years.

Photo: osram-os.com

US Energy Department Awards $19 Million to Volvo for More Fuel-Efficient Trucks

2012-01-31T13:10:00.006+01:00

In partnership with the U.S. Energy Department, the Volvo Group is helping to lead the industry to advance innovative clean energy vehicle technologies and energy-efficient manufacturing. Through the Department’s SuperTruck program, the Volvo Group was awarded $19 million – which the company is matching dollar for dollar – to improve the efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles like the Mack and Volvo Trucks.

Volvo Group has also embraced manufacturing efficiency as part of the DOE’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Program, pledging to reduce the energy intensity of its manufacturing plants with assistance and guidance from the Energy Department. These steps to become more energy-efficient will reduce operating costs at the facility, improving the competitiveness of the company’s products and manufacturing plants. Read more.

Photo: volvogroup.com

Swedish-Swiss ABB Acquires U.S. Company Thomas & Betts for $3.9 Billion

2012-01-30T12:43:00.004+01:00

Swedish-Swiss ABB, one of the world’s largest maker of power-distribution equipment, has agreed to buy Thomas & Betts for $3.9 billion to expand its North American distribution network and boost sales of low-voltage gear.

According to ABB: “The complementary combination of Thomas & Betts’ electrical components and ABB’s low-voltage protection, control and measurement products would create a broader portfolio that can be distributed through Thomas & Betts’ network of more than 6,000 distributor locations and wholesalers in North America." Read more.

Photo: abb.com

U.S. and Swedish Companies on Global 100 List of Sustainable Companies

2012-01-26T11:30:00.007+01:00

The Global 100 List of Sustainable Companies is presented annually at the World Economic Forum. It is based on a selection of 4 000 developed and emerging market companies, which are measured against key performance indicators such as revenues in relation to consumption of energy and water.

U.S. companies on this year’s list include Life Technologies, Intel, Agilent, Johnson Controls, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Baxter International and Prologis. Swedish companies on the list are Atlas Copco, TeliaSonera, Scania and H&M. The full list is available here.

California Company eMeter and Vattenfall Collaborate on Smart Meters

2012-01-25T10:43:00.008+01:00

eMeter - headquartered in San Mateo, California - is collaborating with Swedish-based Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest generators of electricity and Europe's largest producer of heat. The California company offers smart meter solutions.

eMeter provides the software to handle tasks like reporting outages, turning meters on and off, and the customer billing process - along with all the data storage that entails. Read more.

Photo: energy.gov

Swedish Cities Contemplating Highway for Bicycles

2012-01-23T12:59:00.003+01:00

A four lane bicycle superhighway between Malmö and Lund in Southern Sweden may soon become reality. The 10.5 mile (16.8 km) highway would be constructed next to the train tracks connecting the cities.

The link would be free from intersections while offering wind protection and also featuring bicycle service stations. The projected cost is $7 million.

Photo: gov.state.md.us

Carbon Capture Technology at Texas Clean Coal Plant to Cut CO2 Emissions by 90 Percent

2012-01-20T14:24:00.004+01:00

The U.S. Energy Department has announced that an energy company in San Antonio, Texas will purchase approximately 200 megawatts of power annually from the Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP) when the facility is complete in 2015. This is the first purchase in the United States of low-carbon power from a coal power plant that uses carbon capture technology.

When operational, the 400-MW facility will be the cleanest coal-fueled power plant in the world. Using a state-of-the-art process known as integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from this plant will be less than 10 percent of a conventional coal plant with similar energy output, and less than 25 percent of a high-efficiency natural gas-powered power plant. It will also be capable of capturing 90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) it produces, as well as 99 percent of sulfur dioxide, 90 percent of nitrogen oxide, and 99 percent of mercury. Read more.

Photo: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated coal gasification in large-scale field experiments at the Rocky Mountain Test Facility near Hanna, Wyoming. Coal gasification and sequestration of the carbon dioxide produced are among the technologies being used in the Texas Clean Energy Project.

Investments in Clean Energy Rose in the U.S. and in Europe in 2011

2012-01-17T09:58:00.004+01:00

Bloomberg New Energy Finance recently released a study showing that global investments in clean energy reached $260 billion in 2011, 5 percent higher than in 2010 and almost five times the $53.6-billion in 2004. Solar energy investments rose 36 percent to $136.6 billion.

Clean energy spending rose by a third in the United States reaching $55.9 billion, which represents more than a fifth of the world's total spending. According to the Bloomberg report, China invested $47.4 billion and Europe $100.2 billion. The European numbers are mainly driven by solar installations in Germany and Italy, and offshore wind financing in the North Sea.

Read more here.

REACT U.S. Deadline Extended by 2 Weeks

2012-01-17T01:01:00.000+01:00

After listening to feedback from university students we are extending the deadline to apply for REACT U.S. by 2 weeks. The new deadline is Monday, January 30.

REACT U.S. is part of the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA) which is a partnership between the United States and Sweden on alternative energy and environment. REACT U.S. is an opportunity for five Swedish graduate (Masters-level) students to conduct two weeks of research on urban sustainability in five different U.S. cities. U.S. Embassy Stockholm, in collaboration with Sustainable Sweden, will fund the students’ air fare, accommodation and also provide per diem.

Content of the program: We offer, under the auspices of SAGA, five grants for Swedish graduate students in above-mentioned fields of study to conduct field research on the urban sustainability practices of five selected U.S. cities - Boulder (Colorado), Madison (Wisconsin), Minneapolis (Minnesota), Portland (Oregon), and Portsmouth (New Hampshire).

Case study period: 2 weeks in April 2012

Coordinators: Sustainable Sweden Association, U.S. Embassy Stockholm

Eligibility: The candidates must be graduate students currently enrolled in a Swedish Masters program focused on environment, alternative energy, urban sustainability and/or clean tech - The research in the United States should serve as a foundation for the students’ Masters theses (D-uppsats).

Application Procedure: Applicants need to complete the application form (download it here) and submit an updated CV. In a second stage Sustainable Sweden Association may ask selected candidates for further information and will put them in contact with the designated US cities. Please send your application to saga@state.gov.

Application Deadline: January 30, 2012

Final Decision: February 15, 2012

University of Gothenburg Launches Tool that Calculates Solar Generation Potential

2012-01-13T13:43:00.008+01:00

It is becoming more and more common to install solar panels on roofs in order to obtain green electricity, but not all roofs are equally suitable. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg have launched a tool that uses the actual conditions to determine the maximum possible magnitude of solar incidence - in a whole town, a neighbourhood, or a particular roof. The scientists have surveyed the City of Gothenburg in a pilot project.

"The roofs structures of a town may be more or less suitable for the installation of solar panels, depending on such factors as how much a particular roof is shadowed by surrounding buildings and vegetation, the gradient of the roof, and the angle of incidence of sunlight. It is now possible for the first time to determine how much solar energy a particular roof will receive during the year", says Fredrik Lindberg of the Department of Earth Sciences at Gothenburg University.

The scientists at the University of Gothenburg have worked together with consultants to develop a system that can calculate the potential of actual roofs to produce energy from solar panels. The system is called "SEES" – Solar Energy from Existing Structures – and will be freely available to both companies and municipalities. Read more.

Photo: Energy.gov

U.S. and Sweden Encourage Energy Efficient Electronics through the Clean Energy Ministerial

2012-01-12T15:51:00.005+01:00

The Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative today announced the first SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competition, a global competition that aims to encourage the production and sale of more energy efficient electronics and appliances. SEAD is an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), a high-level global forum launched by the U.S. Department of Energy, Sweden and 20 other governments in July 2010 to advance clean energy technology.

The SEAD Global Efficiency Medal is awarded to products that demonstrate the greatest energy efficiency, with the first competition focusing on flat-panel televisions. Television manufacturers from across the globe will compete against one another in a competition based on the energy efficiency of their products.

President Obama: No Trade-Off Between Environmental Protection and Economic Growth

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, President Barack Obama visited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In his remarks he said:

“I do not buy the notion that we have to make a choice between having clean air and clean water and growing this economy in a robust way,” he said.

Watch President Obama's full speech, or read the remarks, on the White House website.

City of San Jose New Years Resolution - No More Plastic Bags

2012-01-11T10:33:00.004+01:00

In San José, California customers are shopping greener than ever. All grocery and retail stores in San José can no longer provide single-use carryout bags at checkout, the ordinance went into effect on January 1, 2012. Consumers will have the option to bring or purchase their own reusable bags or purchase recycled content paper bags at checkout.

In addition, as San Jose residents adjust to the new plastic bags ban, officials from adjacent cities will meet later this month to talk about getting a similar law passed in as many municipalities as possible including San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Foster City and Millbrae.

Huge Solar Power Plant Unveiled in Texas; Powers 5000 Homes

2012-01-10T16:47:00.007+01:00

One of the largest photovoltaic solar parks in the United States has been unveiled in Webberville, Texas. Located 15 miles east of Austin it comprises more than 127,000 units of 270-watt solar photovoltaic modules. It is expected to produce more than 61 million kilowatt-hours of energy in its first year of operation alone. It will power an estimated 5,000 homes while overwriting 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Photo: illinois.edu

Renewable Energy on the Rise in the United States, Surpasses Nuclear

2012-01-09T15:49:00.006+01:00

Renewable energy had a good year in the United States in 2011. According to the latest report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy grew rapidly and surpassed nuclear power in total amount of energy generated. In the first nine months of the year, renewables accounted for 12 percent of domestic energy production, pulling ahead of nuclear power, which contributed less than 11 percent.

Photo: umd.edu

Swedish Fulbright Scholar Hedvig Paradis: The Future of Fuel Cells - a Californian Perspective

2012-01-05T12:13:00.001+01:00

by Ms. Hedvig Paradis, PhD Student in Heat Transfer at Lund University and Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley

Since the energy and environmental challenges of today and tomorrow are interconnected and affect us globally, it is of utmost importance that researchers in energy sciences get a firm grasp of different solutions to these challenges in different parts of the world.

California recently adopted environmentally friendly actions to decrease hazardous pollution and greenhouse gases by implementing fuel cell systems in communities around the state and organizing a partnership between involved parties. Fuel cell science and technology fall at the interface between energy studies and environmental studies. Fuel cells are of great importance since they can be used to ease the transition from conventional to a more environmentally friendly power generation and hence have an immediate and positive impact on our planet. Not only do fuel cells emit lower levels of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but they are also more efficient than conventional power systems.

California is an admirable example of what joint efforts with specific goals can achieve. Some of the goals set up by the State of California will result in more fuel cell powered passenger vehicles and buses on the roads than any other region in the world. Early market vehicles will be available by 2014-2015 in major metro areas in Northern and Southern California. By 2017, about 41,000 customers in Southern California and 9,000 in Northern California could be driving fuel cell powered vehicles. By 2018, automakers expect that they will have delivered 50,000 fuel cell vehicles to customers in California. Another goal that has been achieved is the successful implementation of California’s fuel cell bus demonstration programs in transit buses in the San Francisco Bay Area.

One part of these joint efforts is specialized research environments which make it possible to further improve the commercialization prospect of fuel cells. At University of California, Irvine, the National Fuel Cell Center has made impressive progress on all aspects of fuel cell systems. At UC Irvine much work has been invested in connecting the fuel cell research to the nearby community by developing fueling infrastructure, hydrogen pumping stations and power grid networks. The fuel cells have been implemented in cars and buses which provide the research groups with information for future improvement of the systems and infrastructure. This also validates the theoretical work carried out in their labs.

The National Fuel Center is one of the United States' largest research centers in this field but there are more centers spread out across the country. One of these is located on the other side of the North American continent at University of Connecticut's Center of Clean Energy Engineering. It has conducted detailed research on all scales for several types of fuel cells with large modern testing rigs and equipment. A striking difference between the research structure in the U.S. and in Sweden is the lack of large scale concentration and investment in quality research environments in energy and environmental studies in Sweden. Large-scale research centers offer opportunities to test real-case scenarios and apply this technology in the communies.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership aims to build up the fuel cell demand in California to meet the state's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The partnership is a unique cooperation between auto manufacturers, energy companies, fuel cell technology companies and government agencies.

University of North Dakota Turns Coffee Waste Into Energy

2012-01-04T15:42:00.005+01:00

The University of North Dakota announced today it is leading a project to develop an efficient renewable technology for coffee-processing plants. The university is working with Vermont company Wynntryst to develop a gasification power system to utilize the waste from a coffee-processing plant to produce energy.

The waste stream includes coffee residues, plastic packaging, paper, cloth or burlap, and plastic cups. Read more.

Photo: Starbucks.com

Swedish-Swiss ABB Wins USD11 M Order From Facebook To Power Renewable Datacenter in Luleå

2011-12-22T12:25:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, Facebook announced it will build its new data center in the Swedish town of Luleå. Now it has been decided that Swedish-Swiss ABB will be powering the new center. ABB won the order worth about $11 million from Facebook. ABB will build two high- and medium-voltage air- and gas-insulated switchgear substations that will supply power to a datacenter being built in Luleå, a coastal town in northern Sweden. The data center will be the largest of its kind in Europe.

The construction of Facebook's datacenter will be carried out in three phases. The facility will consist of three server buildings with a total area of 84,000 square meters, equivalent to 11 full-sized soccer fields. The first building is scheduled to become operational in December 2012, and will have a substantial need for electrical energy to power and cool its servers. Located near the Arctic Circle, Luleå’s cold climate is well suited for the natural cooling of server buildings. This, along with a stable supply of clean energy from renewable sources as well as reliable communications and electricity networks, paved the way for the choice of Luleå as a location for its new center, making it a European node for Facebook’s data traffic. Read more.

Photo: City of Luleå, lulea.se

Google Investing $95 M in Solar Power for 13,000 Homes

2011-12-21T13:50:00.003+01:00

Google is investing $94 million to develop four solar photovoltaic (PV) farms serving Sacramento, the state capital of California. Construction on three of the projects will be complete early next year, and the fourth will come on line later in the year. The projects are expected to provide electricity to power more than 13,000 average U.S. homes.

This brings Google's portfolio of clean energy investments to more than $915 million. The company has already committed to providing funding this year to help more than 10,000 homeowners install solar PV panels on their rooftops. Read more.

SolarReserve to Produce Electricity For Up to 112,500 Homes in California

2011-12-20T12:26:00.007+01:00

The US Department of the Interior has approved SolarReserve to start laying out eight miles of transmission line to connect its 150-megawatt solar farm to California's power grid, Ecoseed reports. According to the same article, Rice Solar, a subsidiary of SolarReserve, is currently building the Rice Solar Energy Project in Riverside County, Southern California to produce enough electricity for up to 112,500 homes.

"The project is designed to be a solar thermal plant, which uses mirrors called heliostats to redirect the sun's heat onto a central receiver – filled with a salt compound heated to a molten, liquid state – on top of a tower. The system is designed to work even at night. When electricity is needed, the hot salt is sent to a heat exchanger to produce steam, driving a conventional steam turbine. The cooler molten salt is stored and is later reheated, forming part of a continuous closed loop."

Read the full article.

Photo: Concentrated Solar Power Plant. America.gov

Coca-Cola to Develop 100% Plant-based Bottles

2011-12-19T12:41:00.003+01:00

Coca-Cola today announced multi-million dollar partnership agreements with three leading biotechnology companies to accelerate the development of the first commercial solutions for next-generation PlantBottle packaging made 100% from plant-based materials.

This effort to commercialize a plastic bottle made entirely from plants builds on the Company’s ground-breaking introduction and roll-out of its first generation PlantBottle package which was the first ever recyclable PET beverage bottle made partially from plants. Since introduced in 2009, the Company has already distributed more than 10 billion PlantBottle packages in 20 countries worldwide. Read more.

Photo: Wiki

Swedish-Swiss ABB Invests in Concentrating Photovoltaic Solar Power Company from California

2011-12-16T13:19:00.005+01:00

Swedish-Swiss power and automation technology group, ABB, announced today that it has agreed to invest approximately $20 million as part of a $35 million financial round, for a substantial minority stake in California-based GreenVolts, a provider of turnkey concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems.

According to GreenVolts, its CPV system is more efficient than traditional photovoltaic and thin-film modules. By optimizing and integrating components such as proprietary optics and tracking technology into a complete system, GreenVolts delivers energy yields that can be 30 to 40 percent higher than traditional panel-based systems. Read more.

Photo: greenvolts.com

Washington State Becomes Largest Public Consumer of Biodiesel

2011-12-16T13:08:00.003+01:00

Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the state transportation department, is the largest ferry service in the United States and third largest in the world. Twenty-two ferries transport 11 million passengers from the mainland and larger islands across the Puget Sound each year at a cost of 18 million gallons (68 million liters) of diesel fuel.

In 2009, Washington’s transportation department concluded a five-year pilot program that determined biodiesel fuel blends -- soy-based biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel -- to be a viable fuel source for normal operations in any weather condition. Today, thanks to a $165,000 Recovery Act loan through the State Energy Program, the ferries run on a blended biodiesel fuel that will prevent over 65 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the environment each year. Read more.

Photo: Washington State Ferries, wsdot.wa.gov

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: "I Was Honored to be in Stockholm"

2011-12-14T10:14:00.010+01:00

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who is a co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1997), was in Stockholm over the past several days representing the United States as two scientists with ties to the Department of Energy were awarded Nobel Prizes. Secretary Chu made the following statement:

“I was honored to be in Stockholm to celebrate with two pioneering researchers supported by the Energy Department labs who won 2011 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry. Winning the Nobel Prize in 1997 was an unbelievable personal honor, and it has been a thrill to join these two outstanding scientists at the Nobel Prize ceremonies."

"Saul Perlmutter, who won the Prize in Physics is a member of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for his entire career and Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley. He led a team that co-discovered that the expanding universe is speeding up, contrary to all known laws of physics. Dan Shechtman, professor of materials science at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, DOE’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, won the Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ‘quasicrystals’, has redefined how we think of ordered condensed matter."

“Their important work underscores the impact of basic science research and I congratulate them for this well-deserved recognition. To compete in the 21st global economy, it is critical to invest in innovations that pave the way for future industries and solutions to our nation’s most important challenges. Saturday, I spoke at the Nobel Museum about how science, discovery and innovation has changed the world for the better, and how it must help us solve the energy and climate challenges in the coming decades."

Photos: 1. Secretary Chu being interviewed by Swedish Radio; 2. The Secretary signing a chair for the Nobel Museum after giving a lecture on how science and innovation have changed the world; 3. Nobel luncheon at the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski.

US Environmental Protection Agency Show 1.8 Billion Pounds of Eliminated GHG

2011-12-13T10:28:00.005+01:00

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual enforcement and compliance results. EPA’s enforcement and compliance program enforces environmental laws that protect our nation’s air, land and water by taking action to cut illegal pollution and protect people’s health and communities. In fiscal year Fiscal Year 2011, EPA enforcement actions led to more than 1.8 billion pounds in pollution reduced, an estimated $19 billion in required pollution controls and approximately $168 million in civil penalties.

“Our annual results reflect the fact that a strong and effective enforcement program is good for responsible businesses, public health and communities across the country,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “As we continue our focus on the most serious pollution problems, we expect to see better environmental performance and greater public health benefits.” Read more.

Photo: srh.noaa.gov

US Secretary of Energy and 1997 Nobel Laureate Steven Chu Visited Stockholm

2011-12-12T13:57:00.007+01:00

14 years ago Dr. Steven Chu visited Stockholm to accept the Nobel Prize for Physics. Last week Dr. Chu was back in Stockholm, this time serving as the Secretary of Energy, to join the Nobel festivities but also to meet with students, business-leaders and government officials.

On December 9, he met with the Swedish Minister for Information Technology and Energy Anna-Karin Hatt and a group of distinguished business, academic and scientific leaders for a "Key Thinkers Roundtable" discussion of clean energy issues. The event was organized as part of the Swedish American Green Alliance by U.S. Embassy Stockholm in cooperation with Studieförbundet Näringsliv och Samhälle (SNS).

Secretary Chu and Minister Hatt committed to continuing to develop the already strong U.S.-Sweden partnership on clean energy and sustainability through the Swedish American Green Alliance, the Clean Energy Ministerial, and other cooperative initiatives. The purpose of the event was to bring the ministers together with some of Sweden’s best minds to exchange ideas about best practices in developing clean energy technologies and policies, and to explore how the United States and Sweden can most effectively work together to build a sustainable future.

After the meeting, Secretary Chu said:

"Promoting clean, renewable energy solutions is one of the most important challenges the world faces. It takes decades to turn the ship but it is something we must do, and must begin now. We need nothing short of a second industrial revolution that can help create jobs and promote competitiveness. We can increase prosperity without increasing pollution."

Minister Hatt said:

"The Swedish American Green Alliance will play a very important role. I am convinced this will continue to contribute to the ability of both of our countries to meet the energy challenge."

Secretary Chu also participated in a lunch hosted by U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski in honor of this year's U.S. Nobel Laureates. At this occasion he made sure to check out the cool styling of the first Chevy Volt in Sweden and the innovative ZERO electric motorcycles (photos). The Volt will be available in Sweden in February while the California-made ZERO is already on the market.

Photos: 1: Secretary Chu checking out the first Chevy Volt in Sweden. 2: Secretary Chu and U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski posing with ZERO electric motorcycles.

Success of SAGA Prompts SwedishAmericanGreenAlliance.org

2011-12-07T10:24:00.003+01:00

Upon the inception of the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA) in February 2010, sagastory.blogspot.com was launched as a pilot project to report on energy, environment and clean tech news in and between the United States and Sweden. Due to the success and expansion of the SAGA initiative, we are launching a new SAGA website, SwedishAmericanGreenAlliance.org, to serve as a stronger internet platform for SAGA which keeps building momentum and encompassing an ever-growing number of partnerships and actors.

Although the URL has changed and the design is new we will keep reporting on the very latest news and compile the most compelling stories from the website in a monthly newsletter that we send out to our network. And as always, you can have your story included by submitting your story to saga@state.gov. Also make sure to check out the Swedish Trade Council’s SAGA website. Happy reading.

Cornell Teams Up with Swedish University on Biofuels and Renewable Energy

2011-12-06T13:46:00.003+01:00

The Cornell Chronicle reports that two delegations of Cornell University faculty members traveled to Swedish universities this fall to plant seeds for future collaborations. One group of nine Cornell faculty members from five departments participated in a Nov. 10-12 symposium at Stockholm University and laid the groundwork to collaborate with Swedish scientists on a broad range of topics related to insect science. Another group from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) strengthened their ties to faculty members at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden.

At SLU, a delegation led by CALS Associate Dean Helene Dillard discussed with its Swedish counterparts expanding student exchange and faculty collaborations between the two schools. A delegation from SLU came to Ithaca in October to learn about Cornell research in biofuels and renewable energy. SLU is a three-campus university that is considered a leader in the "green sector," with courses in agriculture, forestry, food science, veterinary studies, landscape architecture, environment and energy science. Read more.

Photo: cornell.edu

Swedish Students Are Invited to Apply for REACT U.S.

2011-12-02T14:28:00.007+01:00

Swedish Masters students enrolled in programs with a focus on environment, alternative energy, urban sustainability and/or clean tech are invited to apply for REACT U.S.

This initiative is part of the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA) which is a partnership between the United States and Sweden on alternative energy and environment. REACT U.S. is an opportunity for five Swedish graduate (Masters - level) students to conduct two weeks of research on urban sustainability in five different U.S. cities. U.S. Embassy Stockholm, in collaboration with Sustainable Sweden, will fund the students’ air fare, accommodation and also provide per diem.

Content of the program: We offer, under the auspices of SAGA, five grants for Swedish graduate students in above-mentioned fields of study to conduct field research on the urban sustainability practices of five selected U.S. cities - Boulder (Colorado), Madison (Wisconsin), Minneapolis (Minnesota), Portland (Oregon), and Portsmouth (New Hampshire).

Case study period: 2 weeks in April 2012

Coordinators: Sustainable Sweden Association, U.S. Embassy Stockholm

Eligibility: The candidates must be graduate students currently enrolled in a Swedish Masters program focused on environment, alternative energy, urban sustainability and/or clean tech - The research in the United States should serve as a foundation for the students’ Masters thesis (D-uppsats).

Application Procedure: Applicants need to complete the application form (download it here) and submit an updated CV. In a second stage Sustainable Sweden Association may ask selected candidates for further information and will put them in contact with the designated US cities. Please send your application to saga@state.gov.

Application Deadline: January 16, 2012

Final Decision: February 15, 2012

General Electric and Göteborg Energi Installing First Offshore Wind Turbine in Gothenburg Harbor

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

General Electric and Göteborg Energi have started installing the first 4.1-113 Offshore Turbine in the Gothenburg harbor, the two companies announced at the European Wind Energy Association’s EWEA Offshore 2011 in Amsterdam. The new turbine will produce enough electricity to supply 3000 Swedish homes per year and reduces 15,000 tons of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the emissions of 7,500 cars per year.

This project marks the first commercial application of GE’s 4.1-113 technology, which was introduced in March of this year at EWEA’s 2011 conference in Brussels. The four megawatt-class wind turbine is designed to bring a new level of reliability to the offshore wind industry.

"We are very proud to help Sweden in promoting green energy with the installation of our first 4.1-113 wind turbine in the harbour of Gothenburg,” said Vincent Schellings, Offshore Product Leader for GE Energy. "The successful project is due to great teamwork with Göteborg Energi and Chalmers University as key partner. The 4.1-113 offshore turbine features one of the industry’s most mature offshore direct-drive designs, and builds on our onshore experience with over 17,000 units operating globally.” Read more.

Photo: delaware.gov

U.S. Scientists Looking for Answers to Climate Change at Sweden's Abisko Scientific Research Station, Part 4/5 - Kaitlyn Steele, University of NH

2011-12-01T13:00:00.000+01:00

In a five week series we are featuring the research being conducted by some of the American scientists at the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS), located approximately 60 miles northwest of Kiruna in northern Sweden. In and around the station, scientists study the impact of climate change on the subarctic environment. The studies we feature here take place on the nearby Stordalen Mire which is underlain by thawing permafrost and its associated lakes. Students are being trained and new technologies are constantly being explored (e.g. acoustics, lasers, molecular biology, etc) in order to develop the science that we can use to quantitatively assess the impacts of our changing climate.

Name: Kaitlyn Steele
University of New Hampshire
Major: Environmental Science

"The world is getting smaller as technology makes it increasingly easier to travel and communicate across borders and oceans. Advancements in technology have also made it possible to examine earth processes in new ways in an effort to understand their controls. As we are faced with complex issues that affect the entire population, such as global climate change, it becomes necessary to form international collaborations in order to share knowledge and resources. This trace gas study in northern and arctic Sweden demonstrates how implementing new techniques and exploring shared ideas can improve our understanding regarding the impact climate change is having on subarctic and boreal ecosystems.

Molecular hydrogen is an important trace gas to study in soils because it is produced by the decomposition of organic matter and is often consumed when oxidized compounds are reduced, such as when carbon dioxide is reduced to methane. The thawing of northern wetland permafrost results in an increase in the pool of soil carbon that is made available for decomposition processes and methane production. Some subarctic mire sites are also getting wetter as the climate warms. This could give rise to potential feedbacks through increased emissions of trace gases to the atmosphere including hydrogen and methane. This study focused on measurements of hydrogen and methane emission from peatland and forest soils."

The Street Features Swedish Green Entrepreneur Making It in the US

2011-12-01T09:56:00.005+01:00

Online news site, the Street, recently featured an article about Boston-Power and its Swedish founder, Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud.

"We're using far too many natural resources to make batteries now," says Lampe-Onnerud, the 44-year-old founder of Massachusetts green-battery maker Boston-Power. "I know batteries can be made to be long-lasting, and I think we as consumers need to demand that."

Launched out of Lampe-Onnerud's suburban Boston garage in 2005, Boston-Power makes cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries for laptop computers, electric cars and hybrid vehicles. Saab and other automakers are testing the firm's power packs for electric cars, while China's GSR Ventures -- which recently bought a multimillion-dollar Boston-Power stake -- plans to develop next-generation green-vehicle batteries at a new Beijing lab. In the computer sector, Hewlett-Packard and other manufacturers offer Boston-Power's high-end Sonata batteries in some laptops.

Read the full article.

Photo: Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Boston-Power.com

Retailers in the U.S. Provide Booming Business for ULMA AB

2011-11-30T14:36:00.007+01:00

In brand new facilities in Svenljunga, ULMA AB produces environmentally-friendly pellets incinerators and relating components. From total production, about 80 percent of their throughput is exported, and the United States is a major market. Through Ecoex, part of Business Region Gothenburg, and the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, ULMA AB came in contact with a business lawyer who proved essential to close the deal with the U.S. retailer.

"Through a license agreement they now produce the incinerator in Minnesota, while we manufacture the pellet fuel burner that is installed in the incinerator. This year we have delivered 210 pellet fuel burners. We have a 5 year plan and will continue to grow every year. The reseller is well-renowned in the U.S., but also in Canada, and hence we see big opportunities to grow through their contact network”, says ULMA Founder Martin Karlsson. Read more.

Photo: oregon.gov

Miljöaktuellt Taking a Closer Look at Sweden’s Procurement of EVs – Chevy Volt and Vantage to be Available in January, March

2011-11-28T15:23:00.003+01:00

Swedish Miljöaktuellt has interviewed Eva Sunnerstedt who is responsible for the procurement of electric vehicles for the City of Stockholm and a number of Swedish municipalities. In total, six selected automakers are to provide over 5000 EVs. Two US car models have been selected – Chevy Volt and Vantage.

“So far, only Citroen and Mitsubishi can deliver their cars. But in January the models from Chevrolet and Renault will be available followed by Vantage in March. We do not yet know when the Saab car will be ready,” says Eva Sunnerstedt

Both Mitsubishi and Chevrolet have expressed that the procurement has been an important factor in their early launch of electric vehicles in Sweden.

“You can say that we have attracted the automotive industry. The cars selected for procurement will also be available on the Swedish market so that other companies and individuals can purchase them,” says Eva Sunnerstedt. Read full article (in Swedish).

Photo: gm.com

US's New Ambassador to Sweden to "Build on the Close Cooperation with Sweden on Environmental Sustainability"

2011-11-25T13:03:00.005+01:00

On Thursday November 24, the new US Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski, presented his credentials to His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. In his swearing in statement before leaving the United States, the Ambassador emphasized that he will continue the close partnership between the United States and Sweden on alternative energy and environmental sustainability.

He said:

"The United States and Sweden share an important partnership and commitment to green energy. I will strive to build on the close cooperation our Embassy has forged with Sweden on alternative energy and environmental sustainability.

This year Sweden took over the rotating Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Since the US is a Member of that Council, I can't wait to work with Sweden to advance our common goals of protecting the environment and conserving the Arctic's biological resources while promoting economic cooperation."

To read Ambassador Brzezinski's full statement, please click here.

Photo: Ambassador Mark Brzezinski

U.S. Scientists Looking for Answers to Climate Change at Sweden's Abisko Scientific Research Station, Part 3/5 - Patrick Crill, Stockholm University

2011-11-24T08:00:00.002+01:00

In a five week series we are featuring the research being conducted by some of the American scientists at the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS), located approximately 60 miles northwest of Kiruna in northern Sweden. In and around the station, scientists study the impact of climate change on the subarctic environment. The studies we feature here take place on the nearby Stordalen Mire which is underlain by thawing permafrost and its associated lakes. Students are being trained and new technologies are constantly being explored (e.g. acoustics, lasers, molecular biology, etc) in order to develop the science that we can use to quantitatively assess the impacts of our changing climate.

Name: Dr. Patrick Crill
Professor at the Department of Geological Sciences
Institution: Stockholm University

"As the climate warms, carbon that is stored as organic matter in soils and peats is potentially more likely to be returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases act as greenhouse gases by absorbing energy. They therefore act as positive feedbacks to our warming world by increasing the capacity of the atmosphere to absorb energy and further increase temperatures.

New estimates indicate that there is an enormous amount of carbon trapped in frozen soils and peats in the arctic, more than twice the total of carbon now in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the arctic is warming faster than any other region which means that the organic matter now frozen in permafrost can be broken down and returned to the atmosphere as CO2 and CH4. Stordalen Mire in northern Sweden is an ecosystem that is underlain by permafrost which is now in the process of thawing. It is an ideal laboratory to study the effects of thaw transitions at the ecosystem level. We are developing multi-year, high frequency databases of direct measurements of fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from the different stages of the permafrost thaw transitions using automated chambers.

These data, along with other measurements by colleagues from the Universities of Arizona and New Hampshire, McGill University Canada, Australia and many different Universities in Sweden, will help us move towards a quantitative understanding of the impacts and implications of climate warming in the arctic."

Town Known for First Thanksgiving Grateful for Energy Savings

2011-11-23T14:36:00.005+01:00

On Thursday, November 24, the United States is celebrating Thanksgiving. The town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, is synonymous with this holiday. One year after the 1620 landing of the famous Mayflower, the town was the site for the very first harvest celebration between the Pilgrim settlers from England and the local members of the Wampanoag tribe. As “America’s Hometown,” Plymouth has embarked on a path to energy efficiency to reduce energy waste in the coming years, while also exploring opportunities to expand use of renewable energy sources.

A 2009 energy audit identified the largest uses of municipal energy, as well as where the biggest savings could be realized. To help implement energy efficiency upgrades, the town received $514,000 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. One of the most obvious projects on the town’s list was to improve the energy efficiency of Memorial Hall, a 1,300 seat civic arena built in 1921 and used for concerts, plays, town assemblies, proms, graduations, and basketball games.

The town used over $60,000 in EECBG funds as well as more $23,000 in additional funding from local utility NStar to complete a number of energy efficiency upgrades, including a new chiller for the air conditioning system, occupancy sensors to turn on the air conditioning in targeted sections of the building and a wide range of heat pump and boiler upgrades. Read more.

Read more: delaware.gov

Service Starts Today for North America's First All-Electric Carsharing Network by car2go

2011-11-22T13:30:00.004+01:00

car2go and the City of San Diego today officially launched North America's first all-electric carsharing network, making emissions-free driving a widely available for all of San Diego. The car2go carsharing network provides San Diego drivers with flexibility and convenience in urban mobility. Starting today, and for the first time in the history of North America, an entire city will have on-demand access to a large network of electric drive cars.

Unlike traditional carsharing programs, car2go meets the daily needs of members by providing a free-floating network of vehicles that is truly available on-demand for point-to-point trips. Members can use car2go with or without a reservation, for as long as they would like, without having to commit to a return time or location. Read more.

Photo: car2go, by Alex Stanhope

Swedish and American Universities Share Thoughts on Turning Research into Reality

2011-11-21T15:28:00.007+01:00

On Friday, November 18 The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) hosted a panel discussion on commercializing university innovations. The session was organized under the auspices of the Swedish American Green Alliance (SAGA) in a former nuclear reactor hall 22 meters (approximately 70 feet) below ground. Swedish and American universities in the vanguard of commercialization exchanged best practices but also discussed hurdles and how to overcome these. The panel consisted of Dr. Eric Giertz and Ms. Lisa Ericsson (KTH) and Dr. Charles Hofer (Kennesaw State University) and Dr. Steven Nichols (University of Texas at Austin).

Sweden and the United States are approaching the issue of commercialization somewhat differently, particularly in regards to patent ownership. As a result of national legislation, in Sweden, the researcher often owns her or his patents (so-called “professor privilege”) while in the United States the intellectual property rights are assigned not to the scientist but to the university. Regardless of this fact the panelists agreed that the common denominators outweigh the differences.

- I am very pleased with the discussion and I was surprised how small the difference is between Swedish and U.S. universities in the commercialization of university technologies, says Professor Steven P. Nichols of University of Texas at Austin (UT).

Swedish and American universities also convened on Thursday, November 17 at the Residence of the U.S. Embassy. The following universities participated in the reception that was hosted by the US Chargé d’Affaires: Luleå University of Technology, Uppsala University, Chalmers University of Technology, the Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Kennesaw State University, University of Illinois in Pennsylvania, University of Washington of St Louis and University of Texas in Austin.

Photo: Lisa Ericsson (KTH), Charles Hofer (Kennesaw State University), Chris Dunnett (US Embassy Stockholm), Steven Nichols (University of Texas at Austin) and Eric Giertz (KTH)

U.S. Scientists Looking for Answers to Climate Change at Sweden's Abisko Scientific Research Station, Part 2/5 - Jacqueline Amante, University of NH

2011-11-17T09:33:00.004+01:00

In a five week series we are featuring the research being conducted by some of the American scientists at the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS), located approximately 60 miles northwest of Kiruna in northern Sweden. In and around the station, scientists study the impact of climate change on the subarctic environment. The studies we feature here take place on the nearby Stordalen Mire which is underlain by thawing permafrost and its associated lakes. Students are being trained and new technologies are constantly being explored (e.g. acoustics, lasers, molecular biology, etc) in order to develop the science that we can use to quantitatively assess the impacts of our changing climate.

Name: Jacqueline Amante
Institution: University of New Hampshire
Major: Environmental Science

"I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in Abisko, Sweden at the Abisko Scientific Research Station to conduct research in the Stordalen Mire which is located about 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. I was awarded a scholarship given by the International Research Opportunities Program (IROP) housed in the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research. The IROP Program was developed to encourage undergraduate students to conduct research abroad and thus create friendly ties with their host countries. The IROP Program promotes international relations and diplomacy.

My research project was conducted in collaboration with my advisor, Dr. Ruth Varner (UNH) and Prof. Patrick Crill (Stockholm University). Our goal was to use a newly developed acoustic technique to measure methane emissions from the peatland and lake environments. Methane is a greenhouse gas; twenty-three times more potent than carbon dioxide (IPCC, 2007). The warming climate has created an environment that has enhanced methane production and release from sediments (both peatland and lake); this release will in turn cause more warming. It is important to understand this cycle for a better understanding of the impact of our changing climate."

US State Department Introduces New Climate Blog

2011-11-15T13:01:00.006+01:00

The US State Department has introduced a new blog about the environment, The Global Conversations: Climate Blog. It is a resource hub for youth, activists, environmentalists and concerned citizens. Here you can voice the climate change issues that most concern you, and how you and your community are being affected. This blog is an educational resource, but will also connect you to experts ranging from scientists to political leaders to authors to students. It is a forum where you can turn for answers to your questions, links to more material related a particular topic/theme the topic, and insights from people around the world at the forefront of climate change efforts.

Each month, the site features a different theme related to climate change, everything from water to youth and sustainability to health to trees. For major world environment events such as the upcoming COP17 in Durban, South Africa (November 28-December 9), the blog will have several people “live blogging” and it will be linking to exciting live events broadcasted from Durban. Click here to visit The Global Conversations: Climate Blog.

EPA Names Light Bulb Finder as Best Overall App

2011-11-14T13:43:00.003+01:00

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the Light Bulb Finder mobile app as the “Winner, Best Overall App” in the Apps for the Environment Challenge. Developed by Eco Hatchery, the Light Bulb Finder app enables users to easily switch from conventional incandescent to energy-efficient lighting at home. It is available as a free download on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android mobile devices.

Based on simple user inputs, the Light Bulb Finder app recommends energy-saving light bulbs with the right light quality, fit and style. It displays financial payback information and uses EPA’s eGRID data to calculate environmental impact when users replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient equivalents. Users can buy bulbs through the app or at local stores. Read more.

U.S. Scientists Looking for Answers to Climate Change at Sweden's Abisko Scientific Research Station, Part 1/5

2011-11-10T08:00:00.003+01:00

The next four Thursdays we will be featuring the research being conducted by some of the American scientists at the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ANS), located approximately 60 miles northwest of Kiruna in northern Sweden.

In and around the station, scientists study the impact of climate change on the subarctic environment. The studies we feature here take place on the nearby Stordalen Mire which is underlain by thawing permafrost and its associated lakes. Students are being trained and new technologies are constantly being explored (e.g. acoustics, lasers, molecular biology, etc) in order to develop the science that we can use to quantitatively assess the impacts of our changing climate.

The history of the Abisko Scientific Research Station dates back to 1903 when the first field station was established in the area. From December 1, 2010, Abisko Scientific Research Station is formally an institution under the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. From 1935 to 2010 the station belonged to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

In this first video, ANS Station Manager and Associate Professor, Christer Jonasson, introduces the facility and explains some of the work being conducted at site.

Click here to view the clip on YouTube

NPR: Biofuels Start To Take Off In The Airline Industry

2011-11-09T13:53:00.004+01:00

National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States recently posted the following article on its website:

'This week, two U.S. airlines will be flying passengers on flights powered by biofuels for the first time. On Monday a Continental flight from Houston to Chicago used a biofuel blend made in part from algae, and Wednesday Alaska Airlines is set to fly passengers using a fuel made in part from cooking oil. If all goes well, more airlines may start to use alternative jet fuels. But the shift is not without its challenges. Alaska Air Group has focused on fuel efficiency in recent years to keep costs down and help the environment. Alaska Air Director of Government Relations Megan Lawrence lists innovations like fog-busting satellite technology used to land in hard-to-reach locations and make flight paths more efficient.

"So the next kind of big thing on the horizon, because efficiency can only get us so far in terms of reducing our carbon footprint, is the biofuels arena," Lawrence says.'

Click here to read the full article on the NPR website.

Stockholm Vice Mayor for Urban Environment Blogging About His Recent Trip to the US

2011-11-08T13:47:00.001+01:00

Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure visit the great green US cities of Seattle and Portland. During this study visit I made few remarks that I want to share with you.

First of all, it is always a true pleasure to be representing Stockholm and Sweden abroad. Besides from being famous for ABBA, IKEA and Volvo, more and more often I realize that Stockholm has received world recognition for our Eco District Hammarby Seafront. This city development project emphasizes Stockholm’s general approach to cut emissions and combine it with cutting edge solutions that provide quality of life for our citizens. Environmental concern is not an obstacle for economic growth. We consider it as prerequisite.

Stockholm has a long reputation for environmental achievements and one of the strongest recognitions of our work came last year when Stockholm was appointed first European Green Capital by the European Commission. Apart from the great honor, the prize gave us a mission; to tell our story and exchange ideas with other cities. We are thrilled to highlight our efforts but also open to present the lessons we learnt from mistakes and failures. These parameters are key elements in speeding up the process for the greening of cities.

While in Seattle and Portland, me and my delegation were offered a wide range of study tours and meetings where we got the opportunity to get inspired by all the efforts these cities are doing for sustainability. It struck me that although we act in very different contexts, the major challenges we face are similar. I particularly found it interesting to learn more about these cities’ high ambitions for collecting food waste, their efforts to stimulate biking and how far they have reached in the introduction of electric cars. Our cities have also in common that we are very determined to leave the fossil fuel era behind in the coming decades. Stockholm has decided to become fossil fuel free by 2050.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our hosts for their great hospitality and all the inspiration they so generously shared with us. I would also like to explain my gratitude to the City of Seattle for the appointment “Distinguished Citizen”.

My final remark is that the transformation of cities into sustainability does not necessarily imply rocket science, it’s about enabling attractive smart solutions for a modern urban lifestyle. I truly believe that is in reach for every city that clearly put their minds to it and is open for inspiration from other cities. There can never be too many best practices. In our strive in Stockholm to accomplish our vision to become a World Class City by 2030, we are definitely better off with a little help from our friends.

------------------

Mr. Per Ankersjö
Vice Mayor for Urban Environment
City of Stockholm

Photo: Mr Richard Conlin, Council President, City of Seattle handling over the Distinguished Citizen Medal to Mr Ankersjö.

Swedish Skanska Starts New Green Office Project in Houston, USA – Invests $86 M

2011-11-07T10:43:00.002+01:00

Skanska is to develop and construct an office project in Houston, TX. The investment in total amounts to $86 M, about SEK 550 M. The office building at 3009 Post Oak Boulevard will be located in the Uptown/Galleria submarket of Houston. The building will consist of 28,000 square meters in twenty stories, out of which twelve stories will be office space atop of an eight story parking garage. 3009 Post Oak Boulevard has been pre-certified in accordance with the international environmental system LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) at the highest level, Platinum.

The building will include features for maximizing energy efficiency, light control systems and rainwater storage. Construction will start immediately and be implemented by Skanska USA Building. The work is scheduled for completion by the third quarter 2013. Read more.

The Sustainable Cities Institute Announces Move to the National League of Cities

2011-11-03T20:45:00.000+01:00

The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Home Depot Foundation (THDF) are pleased to announce plans to move the Sustainable Cities Institute to NLC’s Center for Research and Innovation. Developed by THDF, the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) provides a one-stop shop for cities and sustainability professionals to find vetted best practices from across the country to help them identify and implement local sustainable practices and policies as well as communicate with other cities about sustainability related issues and topics.

SCI will be coupled with NLC’s current Sustainability Program within the Center for Research and Innovation. The Sustainability Program seeks to catalyze action at the local level by providing resources, research, and recognition for and about locally-led sustainability efforts. NLC takes a comprehensive approach to sustainability which includes environmental stewardships, economic prosperity, and social responsibility.

Read the Full Press Release

Recycled Plastic Bottles Find New Use in Carpeting of Next Ford Escape

2011-11-03T11:12:00.002+01:00

They’re found nearly everywhere – on desks and in break rooms at work, on kitchen tables and counters at home, rolling under seats in cars, on the sidelines of athletic fields and heaped in trash cans and recycling bins. They’re plastic beverage bottles, and seemingly not of much use when they’re empty.

Ford is using 25 20-ounce plastic bottles to make the carpeting in every all-new Ford Escape utility vehicle it builds. It’s the first time Ford has used this type of carpeting in an SUV.

“It’s a good use of recycled product and keeps it out of landfills,” said Laura Sinclair, a materials engineer for Ford. Read more.

Photo: Ford Escort, wiki

BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota to Collaborate with Svebio in SAGA Partnership; "a Catalyst for Growth"

2011-11-02T09:59:00.005+01:00

Svebio (The Swedish Bioenergy Association) has teamed up with The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota (BBAM) in the U.S. to jointly contribute to the increased use of bioenergy in the state.

“With Svebio’s 30-year experience of growth in Swedish bioenergy and with 300 member companies, we want to help create good examples of solutions in an economically and environmentally optimal solution that best leverages Minnesota's bioenergy resources and creates growth and jobs in the sector” says Svebio’s CEO Gustav Melin in a comment.

“The Partnership shall also be regarded as part of Svebio’s increasing activity to promote trade and exports. Bioenergy is an important part of the rising Swedish environmental technology exports”

“The co-operation further strengthens the ties between Minnesota and Sweden” said Dale Wahlstrom, CEO of The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota.
“We see this as a catalyst for growth that will help increase demand for bioenergy applications while highlighting the efforts of many small and medium-sized companies both here and in Sweden.”

One goal is to provide assistance to a broad base of stakeholders through Svebio’s network and BBAM’s life science community in the State of Minnesota, U.S. regarding the optimal use of bioenergy. The partnership also aims to build the position for bioenergy and enhance visibility as well as aligning interests towards biomass-based energies. The project goal is to establish a series of biomass to energy installations in Minnesota. The project is made possible by the Swedish Energy Agency, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and the Blandin Foundation. The project is part of the Swedish American Green Alliance, SAGA.

Photo: Dale Wahlstrom, CEO of The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota. stockholm.usembassy.gov

Xylem’s Stockholm Office Announces Agreement with GE on Water and Wastewater

2011-11-01T15:29:00.002+01:00

U.S. company Xylem, a water technology company, and GE today announced that they have entered into an agreement for Xylem to become GE’s distribution partner into the public utilities market for its advanced membrane filtration products. The announcement came from Xylem's Water Solutions Office in Stockholm.

Under the terms of the agreement, Xylem will distribute GE’s range of ZeeWeed technologies in Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The companies are expected to expand the relationship further in Europe and in countries in Asia and Latin America at a future date. Read more.

KTH Hosts I2P Global in Stockholm; US Embassy Stockholm and KTH Invite You to SAGA Session on Commercialization

2011-10-31T16:36:00.011+01:00

The 9th Annual Idea to Product (I2P) Global Competition will be held at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm on November 17-19. I2P Global is a competition in commercialization of university innovation aiming to fill the gap between university research and business plan competitions. This is the first time the competition is being organized outside of Texas. I2P consists of championship rounds in three separate streams: ICT, Energy and Life Science.

On November 18, the US Embassy in Stockholm will host a SAGA Session - in collaboration with KTH - that will bring together innovative minds from Swedish and American universities to exchange experiences on bringing ideas to the market place. The event takes place at Reaktorhallen at KTH from 3 to 5 pm. To express an interest to attend, please email sagastory@gmail.com. The number of seats is very limited and admission is not guaranteed until receiving an email of confirmation from the organizers.

Facebook to Harness Hydropower in Sweden

2011-10-28T14:01:00.003+02:00

Edie Energy reports that social media giant Facebook has announced it is to build a new data centre in Sweden, a location it picked because of the climate and its access to hydro-electric power.

The media outlet writes: "Lulea, a town on the edge of the Arctic Circle, was chosen because the cold climate will help keep servers at optimum temperature without the use of powered cooling systems. The firm also plans to use renewable energy to run the centre.

Scheduled for completion in 2014, the centre, comprising three 28,000sq m buildings the first of which will be operational within 12 months, will be deliberately situated close to a source of hydro-electric power. A source, says Facebook, which will provide all 120MW of energy the facility will need per annum, meaning it will operate using 100% renewable energy."

Read more on Edie Energy's website.

Photo: noaa.gov

Swedish Sorubin a Finalist for the Green Mentorship Award

2011-10-27T14:27:00.003+02:00

Sorubin, a company in the water treatment business, has reached the final in the race for the Green Mentorship Award. The prize was introduced to highlight efforts by entrepreneurs to tackle climate change.

Sorubin is a Swedish clean tech company that has developed energy efficient aerators for water treatment. Sorubin’s aerators are energy efficient, quiet and easy to both install and retrofit.

Photo: noaa.gov

Swedish Atlas Copco Tools Installs Solar Panels at U.S. HQ

2011-10-27T13:58:00.005+02:00

CBS Detroit reports that Swedish industrial equipment company Atlas Copco is investing in solar panel technology at its North American Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The outlet says "Nine solar panels were installed to supply power to the building, generating a combined 8.8 megawatt-hours a year. The panels yield power on cloudy days as well as sunny. The company’s 42nd parallel geographic location receives up to 14 hours of usable sunlight during the summer and 10 hours during the winter. This results in a substantial reduction in carbon emissions and concurrent cost savings."

Read more on CBS's website.

Photo: America.gov

Swedish Wire: Hot Swedish Cleantech Hopes

2011-10-26T14:50:00.006+02:00

Swedish Wire recently featured an article on two Swedish clean tech companies being recognized internationally.

"Swedish cleantech is making its presence felt in the international market, with two companies ranking among the top 100 private cleantech companies in the world.Two companies listed at the 2011 Global Cleantech 100, produced by the Cleantech Group in collaboration with the Guardian, were Stockholm-based Chemrec and Climate Well. Climate Well said in a statement that the Global Cleantech 100 list is unique in the sector because it highlights the promise of private clean technology companies from all around the world, focusing on those companies which are most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next 5-10 years."

Read more on Swedish Wire.

Algenol Biofuels Builds Algae Refinery in Florida

2011-10-25T16:24:00.006+02:00

Algenol Biofuels has announced that it has broken ground on the construction of a pilot-scale integrated bio-refinery. This production facility will produce ethanol directly from carbon dioxide, sunlight and salt water using blue-green algae. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Lee County, Florida, the facility will contain 3,000 of Algenol's photobioreactors. The plant will have a target capacity of approximately 100,000 gallons of ethanol per year. Read more.

Photo: emsl.pnl.gov

Students from Sweden in Rockford to Build Swedish Home

2011-10-24T17:18:00.005+02:00

WREX reports that "about a dozen students from Sweden came to Rockford, Illinois to build a house completely in the Swedish-style and standards. It is a project that has been years in the making. Since 2009, students from Rockford's sister city of Lidkoping, Sweden have been coming to the area's traditionally Swedish neighborhood to build American style homes. But the newest project will end with a house that looks and feels Swedish with the country's high energy efficient standards." Read more.

U.S. Professor to be Awarded Environmental Law Prize in Stockholm Tonight

2011-10-19T15:14:00.002+02:00

The Elizabeth Haub Prize for environmental law was established in 1973 in honor of Mrs. Elizabeth Haub, a devoted supporter of environmental protection. Since then, an international jury consisting of six prominent environmental lawyers has annually awarded the Prize to some of the world’s most leading environmental law specialists.

Tonight, U.S. Professor Daniel Magraw will be awarded the prize “in recognition of his outstanding doctrinal and practical accomplishments in the field of international environmental law over the past thirty years. In reaching its decision, the Jury was especially impressed by the bold, innovative and versatile approach Professor Magraw has at all times brought to the study, articulation and resolution of complex environmental issues not just as a law Professor at various US universities and as Chief Executive of CIEL but also whilst a senior civil servant at the US Environmental Protection Agency.”

Photo: juridicum.su.se

IKEA Portland Plugs-in Two Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

2011-10-18T13:00:00.001+02:00

IKEA today officially plugged-in two Blink Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at its Portland, Oregon store as part of its partnership with ECOtality. This initiative is the first such project for IKEA in the United States.

Installation also is planned at eight other IKEA stores in the Western U.S. To charge an EV at IKEA Portland, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, swipe their Blink InCard, plug the charger into the EV, and then shop and eat in the IKEA store while the vehicle is charging. Read more.

Photo: Blink/ECOtality Charging Station. ecotality.com

Researchers from Sweden and the US Team Up to Find Recipe for Globally Sustainable Agriculture

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000+02:00

University of California recently featured the following article on its website:

Can we feed the 9 billion-plus people anticipated to live on this planet in 2050 without destroying Earth's life support systems? A team of researchers from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Germany concluded that it can be done by creating a recipe for globally sustainable agriculture. University of California Santa Barbara researcher Christian Balzer, a graduate student in the university's Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, contributed to the report, which is published in today's (Oct. 12) online issue of the journal Nature.

"Global food security and environmental sustainability are not at odds — they can and must go hand-in-hand," said Balzer.

Combining new data gathered from satellite imagery and crop records around the world with new computer models of global agricultural systems and their environmental impacts, the team developed a plan for doubling the world's food production while reducing environmental impacts of agriculture.

"For the first time, we have shown that it is possible to both feed a hungry world and protect a threatened planet," said lead author Jonathan Foley, head of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment. "It will take serious work. But we can do it." Read the full article at the University of California's website.

Boeing and Virgin Atlantic Test Swedish Green Fuel

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000+02:00

Virgin Atlantic has announced the development of a world-first low carbon aviation fuel with just half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative. The partnership with Swedish Biofuels and Boeing will see waste gases from industrial steel production being captured, fermented and chemically converted using Swedish Biofuels technology for use as a jet fuel. The fuel production process recycles waste gases that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline to use this fuel and will work with Boeing and Swedish Biofuels towards achieving the technical approval required for using new fuel types in commercial aircraft. A 'demo' flight with the new fuel is planned in 12-18 months.

Photo: boeing.com

Swedish Atlas Copco and Sandia National Laboratories Awarded $3.4 M by the U.S. Department of Energy

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000+02:00

Atlas Copco and Sandia National Laboratories have been awarded $3.4 million (around SEK 20 million) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a joint research project. The aim is to develop technology that would increase the speed of drilling deep geothermal wells and reduce the cost of investment in this renewable energy source.

Geothermal energy has potential as an environmentally friendly source of energy in many parts of the world, but developments are constrained by the high costs related to drilling deep wells in hard rock and high temperatures.

During the three-year project Atlas Copco Secoroc will design, develop, and test equipment. Sandia National Laboratories will provide computer models to evaluate hammer performance, materials and components. Sandia will also develop a high temperature test cell to evaluate hammer prototypes. The grant is one of 32 research and design projects for geothermal power production funded through an initiative by the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. These projects are designed to meet the challenge to generate 80 percent of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. Read more.

Photo: sandia.gov