TMCnet GreenTech Week in Review

- Alert), Apple plans on using coal-free electricity in all three of its data centers, with the Maiden facility coal-free by the end of 2012. “While we’ll produce 60 percent of the power used by our Maiden data center onsite, we’ll meet the remaining 40 percent of our energy needs by directly purchasing clean, renewable energy generated by local and regional sources,” Apple stated. The company will partner with Raleigh-based NC GreenPower — an independent, nonprofit organization created by the North Carolina Utilities Commission — to increase local renewable energy production throughout North Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Energy is doing its best to help save the planet by unveiling all-new standards for both clothes washers and dishwashers. Released on May 16, the new requirements will enable consumers to keep around $10 billion worth of cash that will no longer have to be forked over to pay energy and water bills. Officially going into effect in 2012 for dishwashers and in 2014 for clothes washers, the new front-loading washing machine models will reduce energy used by 15 percent and water by approximately 35 percent. In addition, top-loaders will need one-third less energy and 19 percent less water to perform successfully. A couple of months ago, a new report revealed that if appliance standards were put in place within commercial and residential sectors, it could ultimately enable consumers to save $1 trillion by 2035.

Delta Products Corporation, a Delta Group company headquartered in Taipei and in Fremont, California, has been awarded a $1.9-million grant by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the development and demonstration of a residential electric vehicle charging system, with smart grid communication capabilities. Delta will collaborate with its partners, The Detroit Edison Company, Mercedes Benz R&D North America, and kVA, to develop a working demonstration system. The goals of the three-year initiative are twofold: To have utilities reduce infrastructure costs and manage load during peak hours, and benefit consumers by giving them the opportunity to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates for residential plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging. All of this at a substantially lower cost than currently is available on the U.S. market: Delta touts a system price that is 50 percent lower than the cost of competing technologies. The DOE grant is part of $7 million in research and development funding that will help improve the development and design of electric vehicle charging equipment.

Finally, HCL Technologies (News - Alert), Ltd., and HCL America, Inc., are doing their part to help with unemployment. The companies are collaborating on a “Glocal” Center of Excellence known as the Michigan Technology Development Center (MTDC).  The initiative will create 300 technology positions for the area during the first phase of the center development. The companies plan to use MTDC as a training facility for advanced IT process and tools. Local colleges and universities will have access to the MTDC to explore technology advancement and to obtain new skills—giving students the first-hand IT experience they need to obtain a related job. Governor Rick Snyder (News - Alert) is pleased with HCL’s expansion and thinks many companies should follow suit. The new center will be located in Jackson, Michigan, at the Commonwealth Commerce Center.

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