What does corporate renewable energy procurement entail?

The climate problem is the most pressing issue of our time. According to the IPCC, man-made pollutants have heated the earth by around 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century. The effects are still being felt today, from floods to wildfires. However, things could get a lot worse in the future. According to a recent UN analysis that looked at country targets, current commitments put the globe on track for 2.7°C warming by the end of the century.

National governments aren’t the only ones who need to act. Corporations around the world are also recognising their responsibilities. It is becoming increasingly evident that sustainability is a great business – and, in many cases, the only way to do business in the future. Over 900 businesses have committed to reducing their emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement, based on scientific evidence. Cutting pollution from power usage (scope 2 emissions) by procuring renewable energy from sources such as solar and wind is one of the most critical immediate initiatives for many businesses to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

There are three options for businesses to obtain renewable energy.

To match its use, purchase green electricity certificates (– for example, GOs in Europe or even RECs in the US). While this is a straightforward procedure, it does not add to the renewable energy infrastructure (certificates come from established facilities, sometimes even from the unspecified sources).

Sign a CPPA (Corporate Power Purchase Agreement), long-term renewable energy and certificate supply deal with a defined price structure. A CPPA ensures that the energy produced may be linked to a specific solar or wind farm. CPPAs also mitigate the hazards of power price changes. If a company had locked in power rates via a CPPA one year ago, it would have been insulated against the record-high wholesale power prices observed in several nations in recent weeks.

Invest in renewable energy assets and own them. Off-site options include taking an equity stake in a new venture or co-developing a greenfield venture in a different area. It could also be on-site, such as via a private line from nearby solar panels on the factory roof or wind farm.

The purchase of renewable energy has risen considerably in recent years. In the United States, approximately 100 corporate renewable sourcing agreements totalling over 10 gigawatts of capacity were signed in 2020, up from 1.5 gigawatts in 2015. Traditional customers such as tech corporations contracted record volumes, but new industries including pharmaceuticals and retail hit the market. In Europe, CPPAs alone reached 3.5GW in 2020. In Asia, for example, TSMC and Orsted recently signed a contract for 920MW — the biggest CPPA to date – in Taiwan in the year 2020.

Mynaric has been chosen by Northrop Grumman as a “strategic supplier” of space laser communications

Northrop Grumman picked Mynaric, a laser communications equipment maker, as a strategic supplier on November 1. The cooperation with Northrop Grumman, a prominent Pentagon contractor, is noteworthy for Mynaric, a German company that has been making inroads in the US market, notably in the defence and government sectors.

In a statement, Mynaric Chief Executive Officer Bulent Altan said, “The US government is driving the deployment of laser communication capabilities in space.” Northrop Grumman will have “guaranteed and preferred access” to Mynaric services and products, according to the company, which predicts Northrop Grumman will spend $35 million on equipment over the next five years.

In a competitive bidding process, Northrop Grumman chose Mynaric. Mynaric said it filed proposals for a variety of the Northrop Grumman government space programs “with a total value in the mid-double-digit millions.” Northrop Grumman will “kick-start the new collaboration” by acquiring CONDOR Mk3 optical communications terminal for satellites with data rates ranging from 100 megabits per second – 100 gigabits per second, according to Mynaric.

According to the company, Northrop Grumman and Mynaric will collaborate to develop and provide laser communication technologies for US government space missions. “For this market niche, Mynaric will solely manufacture and sell unique products to Northrop Grumman.”

As demand for secure space-centred communications develops, Robert Fleming, vice president of strategic and commercial development at the Northrop Grumman Space Systems, stated laser communication is “becoming a strategic must-possess for a broad range of government operations.”

Mynaric develops laser communications terminals for maritime, air, space, ground and undersea platforms, but the business’s “near-term focus is on the space arena for the demands and missions of the United States government,” according to the company.

Mynaric has been increasing its footprint in the United States over the last year, with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Mynaric already has a foot in the door in the US military industry, since Telesat chose its optical terminals for satellites which will be flown as portion of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Blackjack program.

The company constructed a new manufacturing plant near Munich, Germany, this summer to focus on laser communication technology for the aerospace industry. Mynaric is a publicly-traded corporation in Germany, and it filed a registration statement with Securities and Exchange Commission for a prospective initial public offering in the United States. Hans Koenigsmann, a former SpaceX executive, was recently appointed to Mynaric’s supervisory board, which is the company’s comparable of the board of directors.

The National Reconnaissance Office has announced a new commercial satellite imagery acquisition

On November 3, the National Reconnaissance Office issued a request for bids (rfb) from commercial satellite imagery suppliers in the United States. Under a new initiative dubbed Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL), the agency is looking for domestic satellite imagery producers. Bids must be submitted by December 3 to be considered, and contracts are going to be awarded in early 2022.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a US intelligence organization that designs, builds, and manages the country’s spy satellites, as well as being the government’s major buyer of commercial images. Contracts issued under the EOCL are going to replace the present single-vendor arrangement, which dates back to 2010, with Maxar Technologies. For access to Maxar’s high-resolution imagery satellites as well as image repository, the NRO spends around $300 million each year. Maxar has had his contract extended till August 2022.

On a conference call with media, Pete Muend, head of the NRO’s Commercial Systems Program, stated the NRO collects around 50,000 commercial satellite photos every week on average. He said he couldn’t give a budget for EOCL program, but that the US government’s demand for satellite imagery is growing, and that future deals will reflect that desire.

According to him, the last request for proposals (RFP) represents the culmination of over two years of the market research, including study contracts issued to Maxar, BlackSky, and Planet in 2019. The NRO gained access to the companies’ business strategies, finances, and planned satellite constellation capacity as a result of these contracts. The EOCL contractors that are chosen will be asked to sign “end-user license agreements” so that imagery can be shared among government agencies without extra licensing payments.

Companies that are operated, owned, and controlled in the United States are eligible to apply for the EOCL RFP. The agency stated, “This decision is centered on the United States’ national space strategy and the goal to foster more stability as well as investment in the United States market.”

“While a rising number of U.S. firms are at the forefront of commercial remote sensing, they are not alone,” Muend added. “We want to make sure that our industrial base in the United States is competitive now and in the future.” During a 3rd quarter earnings call, Maxar Chief Executive Officer Daniel Jablonsky informed analysts that he anticipates the NRO to award deals in the very first quarter of 2022, just hours after the EOCL request was released. “We’re quite confident in what we’re seeing for financing levels for EOCL,” Jablonsky added. They continue to see increased commercial use to suit the country’s needs.”

“I spent so much time on Capitol Hill, and I think the EOCL initiative, what it delivers, and the fact that it’s a fair value for US taxpayers,” he stated. “We continue to be very conscious of the world around us, particularly new firms and what’s going on,” Jablonsky said, adding that Maxar has more sophisticated imagery capabilities than its competitors. “We’re not going to stand still.”

Constellation Energy and The GIANT Company have announced a renewable energy supply deal

With Constellation, a significant competitive energy as well as energy solutions supplier, GIANT has signed a long-term renewable power supply deal to power its Pennsylvania activities, comprising fuel stations, select stores, and a perishable distribution facility. According to US EPA estimates, the agreement will assist The GIANT Company to avoid upwards of 100,000 metric tons of the Scope 2 carbon emissions linked with its energy use each year, the equivalent of taking approximately 24,000 automobiles off the road.

Constellation has agreed to two long-term PPA (power purchase agreements) to obtain a net of 80 MW (megawatts) of renewable energy, backed by The GIANT Company’s promise. The solar projects, that will be built by Pine Gate Renewables, have been scheduled to go live between June 2022 to January 2024.

These projects’ Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are not featured in this deal and will be sold separately. The power purchase agreement, which is long-term, will provide the GIANT Company with about 155 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per year, which will be complemented by Green-e® Energy Certified RECs produced from renewable sources across the United States.

“One of several ways The GIANT Company is trying to mend the world for the families we assist today and in the coming years is by supporting renewable energy programs like solar,” said Nicholas Bertram, president of The GIANT Company. “This project will help us achieve our overall sustainability targets by lowering the Scope 2 carbon emissions. It underscores our dedication to being a viable grocer and a responsible custodian of the communities we support, all while providing jobs and economic value to Pennsylvania.”

To make the purchase easier, The GIANT Company is going to utilize a clean energy alternative from Constellation which allowed the creation of large-scale offsite renewable power projects and increases businesses’ access to them by removing the barriers that come with conventional offsite PPAs.

“We salute The GIANT Company for their true commitment to sustainability in supporting the establishment of innovative renewable energy assets,” stated Mark Huston, who works as the president of Constellation’s National Retail Business. “We’re delighted to assist The GIANT Company in meeting its carbon reduction targets while also having a good environmental impact.”

The GIANT Company’s Carlisle, Pa. corporate headquarters finished a two-phase solar venture in June 2020, which included a rooftop solar array that will generate 625kw and a seven-acre pollinator-amiable solar farm, sufficient to supply renewable energy for the whole campus. GIANT Company was the very first grocery retailer and the first participant from Pennsylvania in National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s InSPIRE initiative, in which scientists test and track the effectiveness of pollinator-friendly ground cover for the future solar energy ventures. Amerex Energy Services, representing The GIANT Company, collaborated with Constellation to create and execute this renewable product structure.

With Proterra and Apparent, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation will install EV charging and solar microgrid to power 100+ electric buses

The California Energy Commission has awarded the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) a $6 million grant to establish one of the biggest EV fleet charging facilities in the United States, which is going to be powered by a solar as well as storage microgrid.

Mayor Eric Garcetti stated, “Los Angeles is on track to reach a zero-emission future, and our investments in the clean transportation systems are powering that progress.” “The more electric cars we put on the road today, the fewer our emissions will be in the future, ensuring a healthier, more sustainable future.”

LADOT’s adoption of electric buses will be aided by the solar and storage microgrid, which will be linked with 104 EV chargers as the agency converts to a 100% electric fleet by 2028. The EV-charging microgrid will be installed by Proterra and Apparent at LADOT’s Washington Bus Yard, where it will control EV charging and total energy use for over 100 electric buses. The project will cut greenhouse gas emissions, lower LADOT’s electricity costs, and offer emergency backup power that will allow the agency to continue operating in the event of a power outage by supplying clean solar energy produced and storage capacity.

“Meeting our sustainability and climate goals necessitates continued investment and swift action,” said Seleta Reynolds, LADOT General Manager. “As we get closer to our objective of a completely electric fleet, this award provides a critical support facility.”

At the Washington Bus Yard, LADOT will install 1.5 megawatts of both rooftop and bus solar canopies, as well as a 4.5MWh Apparent energy storage system, to help propel five Proterra 1.5-megawatt fleet chargers featuring 104 remote EV charging stations. The microgrid will leverage Apparent’s intelligent grid operating system (igOS™) platform to combine Proterra Energy’s charging infrastructure with energy generation, allowing the microgrid to manage how as well as when the electric buses are charged using solar energy, storage, or the utility. The initiative is one of the biggest fleet charging stations in the United States, with seven and a half megawatts of Electric Vehicle charging power.

“To assist power the transformation to electric fleets, fleet operators and transit agencies require durable, reliable charging systems. This groundbreaking project exemplifies how renewable energy may be used to power business electric car fleets and promote a sustainable, clean transportation future. “We’re excited to expand the benefits of our technology to assist Los Angeles in its transition to zero-emission, the electric transit buses,” said Proterra President Gareth Joyce.

The City of Los Angeles set a target for LADOT in 2019 to have a 100 percent electrified bus fleet by the year 2028. Proterra received its 25th ZX5 battery-electric transit bus earlier this year, assisting the agency’s move to a wholly electric fleet. LADOT now has 29 electric buses in its fleet, with another 30 planned to be in service by Summer 2022.

India’s renewable energy ambitions are revealed with a major solar push

Coal generates 70% of India’s electricity, but Narendra Modi, who is the Prime Minister of India has promised that by the year 2030, India will have produced more energy from solar as well as other renewables than it does currently. “First, India’s non-fossil energy capacity will be increased to 500 gigawatts. Second, by 2030, renewable energy will account for half of our energy requirements,” Modi stated at COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

Officials believe the arid region of Rajasthan, where the Bhadla Park covers an area nearly the  San Marino’s size, has 325 bright days each year, enabling it ideal for solar power revolution. Authorities have taken advantage of the sparsely populated area, stating that local residents have been displaced to a minimum. Robots remove dust and grit from an anticipated 10 million solar panels today, while a couple of hundred humans keep an eye on them.

The need for a greener future is driving this effort. India, with 1.3 billion people and on track to overtake China as world’s most populous nation, has a growing and insatiable desire for energy while also being at the forefront of climate change. As per International Energy Agency (IEA), it will need to build a power infrastructure the size of Europe’s in the next 20 years to meet the demand for its growing population, but it will also need to address harmful quality of air in its major cities.

“India is one of the world’s most susceptible countries to climate change, which is why it is making such a major push on renewables to decarbonize the power sector while simultaneously reducing air pollution,” stated Arunabha Ghosh, who is a climate policy expert with the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water. However, analysts say the UK, which is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, is still a long way from achieving its green goals, with coal projected to remain a major source of energy in the coming years.

Although India’s green energy sector has grown fivefold in just over ten years to reach 100 this year, it now requires to grow at the same rate to accomplish its 2030 objectives. Bhadla Solar Park, one of the world’s largest, is cited by proponents as an instance of how technology, innovation, and private and public funding can propel rapid change.

“There are huge tracts of terrain where there isn’t a single blade of grass.” You can no longer see the ground. All you see are solar panels. Subodh Agarwal, who works as Rajasthan’s additional chief secretary in charge of energy, said, “It’s such a significant turnaround.” Authorities are enticing renewable energy companies to locate in the “desert state” region. Demand, according to Agarwal, has “increased” since 2019.

“Rajasthan will be different this time.” “The next ten years is going to be the solar state,” he said. According to forecasts from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), coal-propelled power for the purpose of electricity generation could reach a peak by 2024 if the current trend continues.

Solar power currently accounts for 4% of total electricity generation. Based on present policy, the IEA predicted that coal and solar will converge at around 30% apiece by 2040, before Modi’s announcement.

Schneider Electric will assist these ten pharmaceutical companies in sourcing more renewable energy

Schneider Electric, an energy management business, is partnering with Carnstone, corporate responsibility and sustainability consultancy, to expand renewable energy access to ten major pharmaceutical companies. Their initiative, known as the Energize program, will assist enterprises in addressing their operational Scope 2 greenhouse emissions by procuring green power, which will lower the participants’ Scope 3 emissions.

Energize will educate businesses on the renewable energy market, specifically how to obtain clean energy. In practice, this entails providing businesses with the instruments necessary to enter into PPP (power purchase agreements). PPAs bring together an energy developer and a buyer of energy. The developer constructs a power plant on the buyer’s property, retains ownership, and sells the generated electricity to the buyer at agreed-upon rates for a set period – usually between 10 to 25 years. The buyer can choose to prolong the contract, have the contractor remove the system, or even offer to acquire the power plant entirely at the end of the period.

AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sanofi, MSD, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Biogen, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Takeda are among the companies that have signed up for Energize. The initiative was created to address common market hurdles such as a lack of awareness about renewable energy operations, load size, credit constraints, and the need for advice throughout a lengthy contracting procedure.

Schneider and Carnstone will first target energy load suppliers in Europe and North America, to expand globally as interest as well as renewable energy market opportunities coincide. “Limiting global warming to acceptable levels would depend on converting the entire world to renewable energy,” said Glynn Roberts, who works as the Senior Partner at Carnstone. Companies will not be able to achieve this on their own. Glynn Roberts, a Senior Partner at Carnstone, said, “We believe in the power of collaboration and are thrilled to be gathering the pharmaceutical sector together to push the uptake of renewable energy in its supply chains.”

Schneider Electric SE (Societas Europaea) is a global corporation based in France that specializes in energy and automation digital solutions for increased efficiency and sustainability. It combines energy technology, real-time automation, software, and services to target homes, infrastructure, buildings, data centers, and industries. The corporation employs over 135,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Schneider Electric is now a Fortune Global 500 firm that is listed on Euronext Exchange and is incorporated in Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.

A post-Covid EV sector boom is expected

Startups in the electric vehicle (EV) market predict the industry to grow quickly following the epidemic, with more charging stations and EV-sharing service systems to cater to new urban lifestyles. As the world becomes increasingly aware of the need to combat global warming caused by greenhouse gases, particularly those emitted by the transportation industry, the age of battery-powered automobiles, which release no carbon dioxide or other pollutants, is rapidly approaching.

According to Soranun Choochut, chief executive officer and co-founder of Etran (Thailand) Co, a Bangkok-centered electric motorcycle developer, the global automotive sector will be a key component of significant changes toward more sustainable and ecologically friendly development over the next three years, a key component of the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset.” The improvements have also been fueled by the Covid-19 epidemic, which has made so many people more conscious of the need for healthcare, according to him.

Countries transitioned to a digital era more than ten years ago, and now they are moving toward a period of greener energy and more ecologically friendly products, including electric vehicles, he said. Mr Soranun informed the Asean Sustainable Energy Forum, that was recently joined by EV startups, that “EVs may still be seen as novel alternative cars in the Thai market,” but that “we want oil-powered vehicle drivers to start thinking about EV potential and become comfortable with the technology.”

The age of electric vehicles will ultimately arrive, since the Thai government is committed to promoting the vehicles, and many power and automobile corporations have begun to pursue EV ventures. The National EV Policy Committee said earlier this year that by 2030, electric vehicles will account for 50% of all vehicles manufactured in Thailand, as part of an ambitious strategy to establish Thailand as a major EV production powerhouse. Companies have also declared advances in constructing battery manufacturing facilities and a variety of electric vehicles, ranging from boats and buses to three-wheeled tuk-tuks.

According to Krit Vichaiwatanapanich, co-founder and CEO of Haupcar Company, the operator of the digital EV-sharing service platform, car-sharing services are likely to rise significantly, creating an opportunity for Electric Vehicle business developers.

Many city workers will benefit from the service since they do not want to cope with the financial responsibilities of automobile purchases or the battle to obtain parking spaces, which are few in many places, even newly constructed condominiums. Mr Krit believes that electric vehicles would be a popular alternative in the car-sharing industry as the automotive industry produces more of them in response to global campaigns to combat climate change driven by global warming. His company has created an app to help those who want to utilize autos. They can book their favorite automobile models and select regions to receive as well as return cars with only a few clicks.

Sierra Space and Blue Origin have announced plans for a commercial space station

On October 25, a group of organizations and companies headed by Sierra Space and Blue Origin revealed plans to collaborate on the creation of the commercial space station.

The industry consortium announced its intention to establish Orbital Reef, which is a modular space station which would be capable of hosting payloads and crews in the latter part of the 2020s, enabling for a shift from International Space Station (ISS) before its anticipated retirement at the close of the decade, during a presentation at 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here.

Blue Origin will construct large-diameter core modules and also the utility systems as part of the cooperation and offer launch services utilizing its New Glenn rocket, which is currently in development. Sierra Space will donate an inflatable module named LIFE as well as its Dream Chaser freight spaceplane, with a crewed model also planned, as a “major partner” in the initiative.

On Orbital Reef, several different firms and organizations will take part. Boeing will supply a science module and the CST-100 Starliner crew vehicle and oversee station operations, engineering as well as maintenance. Redwire Space will handle microgravity research and manufacture and payload activities and deployable structures. A university partnership led by Arizona State University will handle research and outreach, while Genesis Engineering Solutions is going to offer a “Single Person Spacecraft” pod it is building.

“We call this team’s structure open vertical integration,” said Brent Sherwood, Blue Origin’s senior vice president in charge of the advanced development initiatives. “At least one, and in some circumstances numerous, members of this team can deliver any component of the end-to-end operation for the commercial LEO destination.” On the other hand, other companies might join the project by supplying their modules to be incorporated into the station using industry standards, he said.

“We’re joining a team where we can both provide value and turn this into a successful business,” stated John Mulholland, who works as the Boeing vice president as well as ISS program manager. “It definitely puts us in a position to be successful in the long run.”

Mike Gold, who works as the executive vice president in charge of the civil space and external relations at Redwire, said the group of firms came together “organically.” Redwire has separately worked with Boeing, Blue Origin, and Sierra Space. “It was fantastic to take the next step and integrate these existing partnerships, all in support of the Orbital Reef concept.”

A video shown during the occasion showed a station with the long core module and multiple modules on opposite sides and a succession of solar arrays. It has both the Dream Chaser and the Starliner spaceship docked to it.

India’s difficult road to electric car dreams

In September, India sold more electric cars than in any prior month. Since April, when the fiscal year began, sales have been increasing and are now approaching the prior year’s total. It’s a ray of optimism for an industry beset by a global shortage of semiconductor chips, which has coincided with a period of sluggish development.

But it’s simply a glimpse of hope. As per the Delhi-centered think tank Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), electric vehicle sales accounted for only 1.66 percent of India’s 20 million automobile sales this fiscal year. Some electric vehicle companies, particularly those that create two-wheelers, are investing heavily, while demand for cars and commercial automobiles like lorries remains lukewarm. With a $3.5 billion (£2.5 billion) initiative to stimulate manufacturing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is attempting to reverse that.

As pressure mounts on India, the globe’s third carbon emitter, to establish more aggressive climate objectives ahead of the COP26 conference in November, electric cars will also reduce emissions. Electric vehicles are also gaining popularity as global oil prices rise, pushing India’s fuel import bill to a whopping $24.7 billion. “It’s a mix of climate change and economics,” Gagan Sidhu, director of CEEW’s Centre for Energy Finance, explained.

On the other hand, is India prepared for what may be the greatest shake-up in the automotive industry since its inception more than a century earlier? “The only thing left is for us to create electric vehicles,” stated Varun Dubey, who is the chief marketing officer (CMO) of Ola Electric, which is a unit of eponymous ride-hailing applications.

The company recently announced opening a new $320 million scooter factory in India, with aspirations to produce 10 million electric 2-wheelers per year or around 15% of global production. “Nobody is discussing whether or not we should switch to cleaner air. How will we get there? Is the question, ” Mr. Dubey stated.

The Indian government is unquestionably eager to get there. In 2017, India’s Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, stated that by the end of 2030, he wanted exclusively electric cars on Indian roads – an unrealistic goal that he has since altered. By 2030, the goal is for 30 percent of personal automobiles, 70 percent of commercial automobiles, 40 percent of buses, and 80 percent of two- and three-wheelers to be electric.

The good news is that 2- and 3-wheelers are already on their way to achieving that goal; according to CEEW, electric alternatives account for nearly 50% of sales in both segments this fiscal year. In addition, Hero Electric, India’s largest maker of battery-propelled scooters, has stated that gasoline-powered two-wheelers will be phased out by 2027. “The entire world revolves around two-wheelers. We won’t be able to switch to electric vehicles unless we also switch to two-wheelers, “Mr. Dubey explained.