Urban Green Energy and GE Announce First Sanya Skypump Installation

Press release:

14 August 2012

Urban Green Energy and GE Announce First Sanya Skypump Installation

 

World’s First Integrated Wind-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station Installed in Barcelona

BARCELONA, SPAIN — August 14, 2012 — Urban Green Energy (UGE) and GE (NYSE: GE) have unveiled the world’s first integrated wind-powered electric vehicle charging station. The innovative Sanya Skypump pairs UGE’s cutting-edge vertical wind turbines with GE’s electric vehicle (EV) charging technology to offer completely clean energy to power electric vehicles.

Installed by UGE Iberia, the Spanish branch of New York-based Urban Green Energy, the first wind-powered EV charging station is located at Cespa’s global headquarters near Barcelona. Cespa is the environmental services subsidiary of Ferrovial Servicios, the world’s largest private transportation infrastructure investor.

More Sanya Skypumps will be installed later this year in the U.S. and Australia at shopping malls, universities and other locations.

The integrated system incorporates both the energy production capacity of UGE’s 4K wind turbine and the EV charging capability of the GE Durastation in a single unit, with all required electrical systems located within the tower.

Designed for commercial and government customers, the Sanya Skypump combines environmental benefits with a strong statement to customers and the public.

“Since launching the Sanya Skypump, we have received inquiries from companies around the world that are looking to embrace sustainability,” said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of UGE. “The Sanya Skypump is one of those rare products that enable institutions to demonstrate their commitment to the environment while providing a really useful service as well.”

The Sanya Skypump delivers power through a GE DuraStation EV charger, which enables faster charging using higher voltages.

Charles Elazar, marketing director of GE Energy Management’s Industrial Solutions business in Europe, says, “GE is launching a family of electric vehicle charging systems in Europe offering domestic and commercial users a range of easy-to-use, flexible systems to help make electric vehicles a practical, everyday reality."

GE is a keen supporter of electric vehicles and has announced plans to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for use as company cars and to lease to corporate customers through its Fleet Services business.

About Urban Green Energy

With installations in over 65 countries, including installations for several government agencies and Fortune 100 companies, UGE is changing the face of distributed renewable energy. UGE puts users in control of their energy source by designing and manufacturing more versatile wind turbines and hybrid wind/solar systems for use in applications ranging from residential to commercial, from suburban US homeowners to off-grid telecoms towers in rural Africa. Visit www.urbangreenenergy.com today to learn how together we can create a greener tomorrow.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE’s Industrial Solutions business on Twitter @GEindustrial and@GE_WattStation.

GE’s Jenbacher Cogeneration Technology Set to Power Urban District Energy Project in Melbourne

26 March 2012

GE’s Jenbacher Cogeneration Technology Set to Power Urban District Energy Project in Melbourne

 

• 2-Megawatt (MW) Jenbacher Unit to Help Cogent Energy Supply Power, Heat and Cooling for Dandenong Commercial District
• Cogeneration Plant Could be Expanded Up to 6 MW to Meet Melbourne’s Growing Energy Needs

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—March 26, 2012—One of GE’s (NYSE: GE) natural gas-fired Jenbacher gas engines will be powering a cogeneration plant that will provide reliable electricity and thermal energy for a major urban revitalization initiative in Dandenong, Victoria. Built by Cogent Energy, the plant will play a pivotal role in the VicUrban-lead Revitalising Central Dandenong (RCD) initiative that is rejuvenating the south-east region of Melbourne.

The collaboration marks GE’s first urban district energy project in Australia.Clarke Energy Australia, GE’s authorized distributor for Jenbacher gas engines in Australia, will supply project owner Cogent Energy with a 2-MW,J612 Jenbacher cogeneration unit for Phase 1 of the new power facility, which could be expanded to 6 MW.

GE’s ecomagination-qualified Jenbacher system was shipped to the Dandenong site in January, with commercial operation set to begin this year. The gas engine is expected to save the equivalent of about 9,900 tons of carbon emissions a year, which equals the removal of more than 5,500 cars from the road.

The cogeneration plant is set to dramatically reduce the emissions and energy use of the Dandedong Commercial District by reducing its reliance on energy from the grid. The plant also will have the capacity to produce surplus hot water, which Cogent Energy will then sell back to local commercial buildings to provide cooling via building owner-supplied absorption chillers.

“Helping central Dandenong transform itself into a vibrant, 21^st century retail and services district will require a reliable, cleaner, cost-effective supply of energy to meet the growing needs of the area’s business and residential communities,” said Blair Healy, manager of Cogent Energy. “GE’s Jenbacher technology offers the optimal energy efficiency we required to make this project successful.”

“Australia represents an important growth region for GE as more customers embrace various distributed power applications—including industrial cogeneration—to bring the sources of energy production closer to end-users,” said Rafael Santana, CEO and president—Gas Engines for GE Energy.

GE is helping customers worldwide to generate reliable on-site electricity and heat at or near the point of use through its comprehensive suite of distributed power solutions ranging in size from 119 kilowatts to 100 MW. The fuel flexibility of GE’s Jenbacher gas engines and its other distributed energy technologies also promotes greater regional energy and economic security by enabling countries to use more of their own energy resources to meet their domestic needs.

The Dandenong project builds on GE’s commitment to supporting Australia’s energy goals. The company’s involvement in Australia dates back to 1902 when GE installed one of the electric motors in Sydney to open the Pyrmont Bridge over Darling Harbour.

More recently, in September 2011, GE announced it would supply an integrated solution of on-site power and water filtration equipment to a consortium that is building a water treatment plant on behalf of Australian coal seam gas company QGC. The project, located at QGC’s Kenya site near Chinchilla in Queensland, integrates GE’s Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines for the first time. The units will generate on-site power for GE’s advanced membrane and thermal water treatment technologies that will desalinate water produced during the extraction of coal seam gas.

GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are designed to run soley on a variety of gases, which results in high levels of generator efficiency, reliability and environmental performance.

Many of GE’s Jenbacher products are ecomagination-qualified, providing customers with products that improve their operating performance and reduce environmental impact. Ecomagination is GE’s business strategy to help meet customers’ demand for products that improve their bottom line and reduce their impact on the environment. Ecomagination reflects GE’s commitment to invest in a future that creates innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

IBM Names Worldwide Recipients of 2012 Smarter Cities Grants

IBM Names Worldwide Recipients of 2012 Smarter Cities Challenge Grants to Improve Urban Life

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ARMONK, N.Y. - 15 Mar 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today selected 33 cities worldwide to receive IBM Smarter Cities Challenge (#smartercities) grants during 2012.

Launched in 2011, this three-year, 100-city US$50 million program, IBM's single-largest philanthropic initiative, funds in-person engagements staffed by teams of top IBM experts, who study and then make detailed recommendations addressing locally important urban issues.

(Go here to read about the experience of one mayor whose city earned an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant in 2011.) 

For year-two of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge, cities around the world once again competed vigorously to benefit from IBM's human talent and technology. The winning cities proposed intriguing projects and areas of focus for IBM experts. They included initiatives for: 

·        Economic and Workforce Development -- attracting a diverse variety of jobs and industries

·        Transportation -- integrating bus, rail, bicycle, car and pedestrian modes of transportation

·        Sustainability -- measuring vehicle miles traveled more precisely to help lower pollution levels

·        Health -- using inhaler and air quality data to identify and reduce asthma outbreaks

·        Education -- applying data analytics to identify the most effective investments for improving an entire school system

·        Urban Planning- - revitalizing and redeveloping older neighborhoods  

Following are the cities that earned IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grants in 2012:  

Accra, Ghana

Ahmedabad, India

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Birmingham, UK

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Cheongju, Korea

Chonburi, Thailand

Curitiba, Brazil

Da Nang, Vietnam

Dortmund, Germany

Durham, North Carolina, USA

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Geraldton, Australia

Houston, Texas, USA

Ishinomaki, Japan

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Jurong Lake District, Singapore

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Malaga, Spain

Medellin, Colombia

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Nanjing, China

Nairobi, Kenya

Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Pune, India

Rabat, Morocco

Rosario, Argentina

Siracusa, Italy

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Tshwane, South Africa

Toluca, Mexico

While the proposed projects were diverse, a common denominator was the willingness to exchange ideas and data freely between and among citizens, elected officials, non-profits, businesses, and city agencies so cities could make more informed and collaborative decisions.

To that end, IBM will provide special assistance to each winning city on the use of City Forward (http://www.cityforward.org), a free online site IBM created with public policy experts. Citizens, elected officials and urban planners can use the site to explore trends and statistics in a visual and accessible way, which can be adapted for the examination of any number of urban issues -- leading to better decision making. 

"The cities that have been selected are all different, but they have one clear similarity: the strong personal commitment by the city's leadership to put in place the changes needed to help the city make smarter decisions," said Stanley S. Litow, IBM vice president of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, and President of IBM's Foundation. "These cities demonstrated a desire to set an example for other municipalities, an eagerness to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, and a strong commitment to consider implementing recommendations the city felt would be the most feasible and beneficial to their residents." 

Recommendations made by IBM to 24 year-one Smarter Cities Challenge grant recipients in 2011, and to seven pilot cities in 2010, are already making a real impact. For instance, as a direct result of IBM's work, the following cities have made public policy changes or launched important new initiatives that address longstanding issues. These include: 

·        Glasgow, Scotland (UK) is now subsidizing the heating bills of some of its seniors with the proceeds of clean-energy projects

·        Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (USA) has signed agreements with all its municipalities to develop a consolidated capital budget planning process

·        St. Louis, Missouri (USA) now more systematically coordinates efforts among agencies that touch public safety

·        Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) fine-tuned a lifetime-learning initiative that promotes ongoing workforce development for better jobs

·        Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) now analyzes traffic data more rigorously to improve road safety

·        Chicago, Illinois (USA) will partner with corporations to open five technology schools this autumn that blend high school and community college and which provide marketable skills  

For a more in-depth discussion about the successful formulas employed by cities that want to become smarter, please click here.  

The need to use new approaches to address civic challenges has never been greater. In 2008, according to the United Nations, more than half the world's population began living in cities for the first time. These population centers are more economically powerful, politically influential, and technologically advanced than at any time in history. But they also struggle with budgetary and operational challenges.  

IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge is an outgrowth of IBM's Corporate Service Corps grants program, in which IBM deploys teams of top employees to areas in the developing world to work on projects that intersect business, technology, and society. Since the launch of Corporate Service Corps in 2008, nearly 1,400 IBM employees based in 50 countries have been dispatched on more than 140 team assignments in 24 countries. 

The Smarter Cities Challenge is sponsored by IBM's Corporate Citizenship program and IBM’s International Foundation. IBM has been a leader in corporate social responsibility and citizenship for more than 100 years.  

To learn more about IBM's corporate citizenship initiatives, visit: http://www.citizenibm.com andhttp://www.youtube.com/user/citizenIBM.  Follow us on Twitter @citizenIBM  

To find out more about IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grants, please visit IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge Web site, or watch an overview of our work on YouTube.

Walking's Urban Potential

Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Denver Pedestrians Promote Walking’s Urban Potential 

By KIRK JOHNSON DENVER — Quite a few of the frighteningly fit live around here. On a balmy Saturday, or for that matter a frigid winter weekday before dawn, an army of them emerges to run and bike. And in their intimidating long strides and whirring spokes, they underscore why Colorado is the least obese state in the nation.

But walking to get somewhere? Different story.

People like Gosia Kung and Dr. Andrew M. Freeman are trying to change that. In very different ways and for different reasons — she is an architect, he a cardiologist — they are trying to reincorporate physical activity into the sinews of a place that, despite its fantastic body mass index, lost touch like most American cities with the idea of walking as transportation.

Last year, Ms. Kung co-founded a nonprofit group called Walk Denver, which is trying to get the city certified as a “Walk Friendly Community.” It is also an advocate for a previously voiceless group, the ordinary walker — whispering into the ears of city planners, or nagging if need be, and preaching to the public.

It is the physical space of a city, Ms. Kung said on a recent walk through downtown, that creates a pedestrian’s view of the world. Ample sidewalks are crucial, she said, but they provide only the means of access to an environment that must then reward walkers through attractions like shopping and entertainment that cater specifically to foot traffic.

More walkers, whether strolling or striding, in turn reinforce an old idea that Ms. Kung said many cities have forgotten: better public health and improved economic life go together.

“I’ve always been interested in urban design — how we interact with built environments and how it affects us,” said Ms. Kung, who grew up in Krakow, Poland, and never got over the example of its dense and tangled medieval walking streets. Her experience in America, in turn, was immediately intertwined with the downside of the car culture.

“When I moved from Poland to the U.S. in 1997, I got my driver’s license and I gained 20 pounds,” she said.