Highlights from the world of business and the environment: BP to Build New Cogeneration Facilities ... Innovest Snags DOE Contract on Corporate Energy Ratings ... NEC Japan Unit Achieves 'Zero Emissions' ... Students to Shine in Solar Decathalon

BP to Build New Cogeneration Facilities

HOUSTON, Oct. 23, 2000 – British Petroleum announced last week that it plans to build new facilities to produce both heat and power at two of its refineries in the Houston area. Such combined heat and power, or "cogeneration," plants operate efficiently because they make use of the excess heat from electricity production. BP's two new facilities will produce 805 megawatts of electricity and 3.5 million pounds per hour of steam. By replacing older, less efficient power units, the new facilities aim to reduce smog-causing nitrous oxides and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 727,000 tons per year. BP also is working with the city of Houston to provide ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel for testing this fall.


Innovest Snags DOE Contract on Corporate Energy Ratings

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2000 – The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Innovest Strategic Value Advisors a $115,000 contract to analyze correlations between stock market performance and corporate performance in energy efficiency and renewable energy use. The contract is intended to build financial community awareness of such links, and is part of a larger DOE effort to improve national energy efficiency. According to Innovest Managing Director Frank Dixon, a growing number of financial institutions are incorporating nontraditional management quality indicators, such as environmental performance, into their investment decisions. Innovest's ratings will be gathered and analyzed for large companies in the electric utility, chemical and real estate sectors.


NEC Japan Unit Achieves 'Zero Emissions'

TOKYO, Oct. 26, 2000 – The semiconductor and electronic components arm of NEC Corporation announced that NEC Electron Devices has achieved "zero-emission" status in Japan at development and production sites within the company and at its affiliates, according to a report published in Pollution Online. NEC Electron Devices claims it is the first semiconductor manufacturer to achieve such status in Japan. NEC said it achieved the zero-emission standing (defined as the reuse of more than 99% of waste materials) in March 2000 at 10 corporate sites in Japan -- including its head office, six plants, and three research and development laboratories. The company said it will achieve zero-emission status at its 38 sites in Japan by March 2003.


Students to Shine in Solar Decathalon

WASHNGTON, Oct. 27, 2000 – College and university student teams from across the United States in 2002 will gather in Washington, D.C., to build a community of energy-efficient, completely solar-powered homes. The competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, is designed to see which team can capture, convert, store, and use the most solar energy. Each team will build a 500-square-foot house and will be judged over the course of a week for their entry's performance in 10 decathlon "events": design, building-performance modeling, space conditioning, domestic hot water, refrigeration, appliances, lighting, transportation, home business, and communications. Visit the Solar Decathalon Web site for the contest schedule, a full description of each event, a downloadable Request for Proposal, and contest rules and regulations. Potential sponsors also can learn how to participate.