Jacques Le Van’s Post

As the year comes to a close, we're excited to report that five more states welcomed renewable propane in 2023! LP Gas magazine gives a recap of renewable propane activity on the retail and wholesale levels in recent years: https://ow.ly/ZHLU50QjmrC #renewablepropane #cleanenergy #sustainability #energyforeveryone

What is renewable propane? It's an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks such as natural fats, vegetable oils, and various types of grease and is 4x lower than the carbon intensity of conventional propane. It's the propane industry's way of getting closer and closer to zero carbon. #renewablepropane

✅ Wendy's Goes Green ✅ The Wendy's Company has taken a greener stand by teaming up with a solar company to reduce emissions from its restaurants. Collaborating with Ampion Renewable Energy to supply renewable electricity to local grids, reducing restaurants’ reliance on fossil fuels. The chain, based in Dublin, Ohio and known for its square beef patties, aims to increase the number of locations enrolled as more solar generation capacity becomes available. Signing up for Ampion's renewable energy offering would help generate and provide renewable electricity to local utility grids, ultimately reducing emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, according to both companies. Wendy’s locations that have already signed up for Ampion+ are expected to produce 27.5 million kilowatt hours of community solar power, according to the announcement. The companies stated that this amount is roughly equal to the carbon dioxide emissions produced by the yearly electricity consumption of 2,200 homes. Each kilowatt-hour of solar power produced will be tracked and assigned to a specific restaurant or franchise location through Ampion-issued renewable energy certificates (RECs). "As the need for reducing carbon emissions grows, community solar combined with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) provides a solution for environmental sustainability in the corporate sector that is both achievable and affordable. This enables companies to quantify and disclose their progress in a standardized manner," Nate Owen, CEO and founder of Ampion, said in the release. Wendy's partnership with Ampion is part of its commitment to sustainability goals established last year. These goals aim to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 47%, as well as to decrease scope 3 emissions generated from franchises by 47% by 2030, in comparison to a 2019 baseline. The announcement comes at a time when there is a growing interest in solar power. A recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that solar installations will account for 58% of new electricity generation capacity this year, while battery storage installations will make up 23%. Furthermore, the EIA estimated that solar power will add a record 36.4 gigawatts if installations proceed as scheduled in 2024. #RenewableEnergy #Restaurant #Wendys

The HEINEKEN Company on Wednesday inaugurated a #solarthermal plant with a peak power of 4 MW thermal at its brewery in the Valencian town of Quart de Poblet, eastern #Spain, unveiling a facility that will supply it with renewable thermal energy produced on site. The plant features a solar field with 6,000 square metres (64,583 sq ft) of mirrors and 182 Fresnel collectors, all of which will enable the brewery to meet 10% of its demand for steam. Additionally, the plant has a 1.5 MWh of storage capacity, allowing it to store excess energy produced during weekends, Heineken’s Spanish unit said. Heineken’s partner on this project is Spanish solar thermal specialist CSIN, which built the plant. CSIN will sell the thermal energy to Heineken under a 15-year off-take agreement. The whole solar thermal setup will be fully up and running by the end of 2024, enabling the Quart de Poblet brewery to operate on 42% renewable electrical and thermal energy, Heineken Spain said. The project required an investment of EUR 3 million (USD 3.3m). The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) covered 48% of the costs, channeling its financing through Spanish government agency The Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). Heineken Spain has set the target to produce its beers using 100% renewable energy by 2025. The company aims to achieve a renewable energy mix of 67% by the end of this year, thanks to solar thermal plants in Seville and Quart de Poblet, a photovoltaic plant in El Andevalo, a biomass facility in Jaen, and biogas production across four factories. https://lnkd.in/eHG3w5hR

Via PV Mag: " Molson Coors brews beer with solar power: The 300 MW solar installation, developed by Invenergy, is the largest in the state and generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 90,000 homes. Badger Hollow Solar Park in southwest Wisconsin will be providing renewable energy to power Molson Coors’ operations in the state. The 300 MW solar installation, developed by Invenergy, is the largest in the state and generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 90,000 homes. The Badger Hollow solar installation is co-located with hog farming operations. The project provides tax revenue from the shared leasing of the facility on farmland. The project was developed in two 150 MW stages, stage 1 came online in December 2021 and stage 2 came online in January 2024. The solar park built on 1,100 acres features a total of 830,000 bifacial solar modules on trackers. Wisconsin Public Service owns 100 MW of Stage 1, with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) owning 50 MW of that project. We Energies, a local utility, and MGE jointly own the second phase. “The completion of Badger Hollow is another step in our ongoing transition to greater use of cost-effective, carbon-free, renewable energy to serve all MGE electric customers,” said Jeff Keebler, MGE chairman, president and CEO. “By 2030, we expect every MGE electric customer will have 80% fewer carbon emissions from their electricity use simply by being an MGE customer as we work toward our goal of net-zero carbon electricity.” Molson Coors is taking part in We Energies’ Energy for Tomorrow subscription program that allows companies, local governments and other users buy a share of the energy produced the facility. The program offers renewable energy certificates for energy from the facility. The company purchases electricity for its Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin under an agreement with Xcel Energy. " #EnergyStrorage #BatteryStorage #Energy

Exciting news for the renewable energy sector as Costco announces the deployment of off-grid solar structures for its electric vehicle (EV) fleet. This strategic move not only aligns with Costco's commitment to sustainability but also serves as a significant milestone in the transition towards clean energy and transportation. The integration of off-grid solar structures will not only reduce the environmental impact of Costco's EV fleet but also contribute to the company's long-term cost savings and energy independence. As a recruiter within the clean energy industry, I am continuously impressed by the innovative steps taken by companies like Costco to embrace sustainable solutions. The implementation of off-grid solar structures for the EV fleet not only showcases Costco's dedication to environmental stewardship but also sets an inspiring example for other companies to follow. This demonstrates that the move towards clean energy is not only feasible but also economically beneficial in the long run. This article serves as a testament to the growing momentum of renewable energy adoption within the corporate sector. With innovative initiatives like off-grid solar structures for EV fleets, companies like Costco are leading the way in shaping a more sustainable future. This development further reinforces the importance of embracing renewable energy solutions and the potential for a greener and more energy-efficient world. #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #ElectricVehicles

AB InBev and South Pole partner to accelerate supply chain decarbonisation across Europe through launch of a #RenewableEnergy group buying initiative The new initiative is designed to accelerate the deployment of #renewables and to directly reduce AB InBev's Scope 3 GHG emissions through a powerful value-chain engagement program. AB InBev suppliers and customers will be able to directly engage in Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) across Europe, benefiting from potential cost-savings, hedging against price volatility and securing the necessary renewable #electricity volumes for their operations, ultimately lowering their Scope 2 GHG emissions. Beyond leveraging existing projects, the program will also have the potential to add new renewable electricity generation to national grids across Europe. Jason Warner, Zone President for Europe at AB InBev, said: “At AB InBev, we are committed to not only driving decarbonisation throughout our own operations, but designing solutions that can deliver meaningful impact across our entire value chain. Collaborating with partners who share our vision is key and represents a core tenet of our Eclipse decarbonisation program and our global brand purpose – To a Future With More Cheers. We know from our own experience that the transition to 100% renewable electricity is a challenging and resource-intensive process. Our partnership with South Pole represents a critical step in our commitment to reducing Scope 3 emissions and will hopefully open the door for many of our customers and suppliers to begin or advance their renewable energy ambitions." Patrick Horka, Global Director, Renewable Energy Solutions, South Pole, said: “South Pole is excited to launch this initiative with AB InBev, which is designed to help the members of the group buying program to take part in the clean energy transition and further their green ambitions without requiring them to develop and operate their own renewable energy projects. We are looking forward to the challenging but exciting journey to source European PPAs and thereby join AB InBev in their leadership in driving value-chain decarbonisation." Since 2022, all AB InBev beers brewed in Western Europe – including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois – are brewed with 100% renewable electricity, from a mix of on-site, near-site solar and wind installations and through Guarantees of Origin (GoOs). This achievement is supported by a 10-year VPPA deal with BayWa r.e and Verbund, which saw the opening of the 161-hectare Solar Park in Pinos Puente (Spain) in September 2022. The park generates 250 GWh of emission-free electricity per year. https://lnkd.in/dq45iCvD

McCain Foods has set an example to businesses looking to improve energy efficiency, and make the switch to renewables, at its Timaru site. As a result of making changes to how it uses energy, McCain Foods has successfully decreased the large site’s carbon emissions by 93% (equivalent to approximately 39,000 tonnes) per year. The remaining 7% is from electricity, which has the potential to be 100% renewable in the future. The food processing company has also been able to capitalise on the brand value of its cleaner processing and is now planning to implement similar projects across six other sites globally. Read the full case study and discover how you can take similar steps for your business too by following the link: https://lnkd.in/gaV3g_UE

After a complaint made to the Advertising Standards Authority, Budweiser has had to clarify that its beer is, in fact, not brewed using "100% renewable" energy - as it so boldly claims on its website. This case is, undoubtedly, just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to corporations falsifying #cleanenergy claims. In reality, when a corporate buys power from the wholesale market via its supplier, there is no way of knowing which electricity generator created those electrons. The UK electricity market used to be known as the Pool, and that provides a useful analogy: as generators supply electrons into the pool, they are mixed, like water, with those of all other generators. As suppliers source power to meet their customers’ demand, they extract electrons from that common pool. This means that the consumer has no idea whether the electrons it has bought and consumed were produced by a #nuclear power plant, an #offshorewind farm, a gas-fired generator or (although increasingly unlikely) a power plant burning coal. What does this mean for a corporate buyer and the environmental attributes of the power that’s been bought? In terms of measuring the #carbonfootprint of its purchased electricity (Scope 2) emissions are determined by the overall generation mix on the grid at any given time. So, if the grid’s generation is 60% from #fossilfuels and 40% from renewables, then the electricity consumed by all end users on that grid would have an average carbon footprint reflecting that 60/40 fossil/renewable split. There is another market that captures the green attributes of power generated in the UK and which allows for those attributes to be traded – generally referred to as Energy Attribute Certificates or EACs. Every qualifying #renewable electricity generator in the UK receives on a monthly basis one Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) from Ofgem for each megawatt hour (MWh) of power it generates. Because these #REGOs are transferable, suppliers can combine fossil fuel-generated power with REGOs to classify it as green. This provides evidence to the consumer of that power that they own the environmental attributes of one MWh of green power that was supplied, at some point during a specific month, to the grid; however, they are not actually consuming that green power, but are instead consuming power drawn from the pool, with its associated grid-average emissions. There is a further challenge for companies who want to demonstrate that they are, genuinely, consuming 100% carbon-free electricity. Because REGOs are not time-stamped to match the half-hourly generation periods in the physical power markets, consumers cannot rely upon them to show that they were consuming #greenpower at a specific point in time. As the ASA clamps down of #greenwashing, it's critical corporations have a clear position on buying and using clean energy. AND that position aligns with the message they are sharing with stakeholders. 

Rolling out one of the largest single site, #RooftopSolar systems in Australia takes a lot of effort, and we’re proud to be partnering with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) on this enormous project. A task this large can’t be completed without some help, so for this project at CCEP’s Northmead bottling plant in Sydney’s west, we recruited the help of a heli-lift. Once complete, this #solar installation will generate more than 5.5GWh of renewable energy each year – that’s the equivalent of powering more than 1,000 Australian homes. CCEP has an ambitious target to reach #NetZero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The project is a great example of how we’re supporting Australian businesses to #JoinTheChange as they transition to a lower carbon future. #RenewableEnergy