Recharge Wrap-up: New and old Audis get greener, as does US electricity
Thu, Aug 21 2014
Speaking of greening up Audis, Al Swackhammer of Washington converted his 1960 Audi DKW 1000S to run on electric power. Swackhammer first fell in love with the Audi Ur-Quattro, became an enthusiast of Audi and Volkswagen cars, and has owned nothing else ever since. With his DKW, he combined his passion for the classic car with his responsibility to the environment. "I am pleased that I did this project," says the happy owner, "and I enjoy driving it very dearly." Meet the man and his beloved electric Audi DKW in the video below.
Toyota has chosen a sustainable design firm, Corgan, as the lead architect for its new North American headquarters. The new campus will be built in Plano, TX, and will be the workplace of about 4,000 Toyota employees. Corgan, who has already done 47 LEED certified projects, is already designing a temporary office for the site while it finishes the project. Toyota expects to begin working from the site in late 2016 or early 2017. Learn more in the press release below.
In July, all new electrical generating capacity in the US came from renewable sources. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects' newest "Energy Infrastructure Update" report says new electric generation put into service last month came from wind (379 megawatts), solar (21 megawatts) and hydro (5 megawatts). So far this year, 53 percent of new energy generation capacity has come from various renewable sources, and none from coal or nuclear. Currently, renewable energy accounts for 16.3 percent of the US electric generation capacity, providing about 14 percent of actual electricity. Read more in the press release from the Sun Day Campaign below.
Positive life cycle assessment for the new Audi TT
Compact sports car scores high for dynamic performance and efficiency
Emissions reduced by 11 percent compared with predecessor
Customer benefits from the very first mile
Ingolstadt, August 18, 2014 – Dynamic performance and efficiency: The new Audi TT* impressively combines both qualities. Compared with the predecessor model, the compact sports car scores high with an increase in power output of up to 14 percent and a simultaneous decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 11 percent. As the premium vehicle manufacturer states in its new life cycle assessment of the third-generation TT, this means that each car in the series saves around 5.5 tonnes of greenhouse gases over its entire life cycle. This includes not just carbon dioxide, but other substances such as methane, nitrous oxide and halogenated organic emissions.
"Our goal is to reduce significantly the overall emissions of each model compared with its predecessor," states Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG. "However, it's not just a matter of what comes out of the exhaust pipe. At Audi, we look at the entire product and process chain associated with mobility."
A host of technologies have contributed towards the positive life cycle assessment of the Audi TT, including lightweight construction. Thanks to an intelligent combination of materials, Audi engineers have, for the second time in a row, succeeded in reducing the car's unladen weight. The first model change in 2006 saw weight savings of up to 90 kilograms (198.4 lb) achieved. With the 2.0 TFSI engine variant of the new TT now weighing in at just 1,230 kilograms (2,711.7 lb), this means that the car is once again around 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) lighter than its predecessor.
Weight reduction and intelligent lightweight construction measures also have an impact on the vehicle manufacturing process. Here, it has been possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around nine percent, or 800 kilograms (1,763.7 lb) – a result that benefits the customers. The new TT generation offers a better life cycle assessment than its predecessor, right from the very first mile.
Building Greener Pastures: Toyota Taps Sustainable Design Firm Corgan for New North American Headquarters
Plano, Texas, Aug. 19, 2014 – It's official. Dallas-based Corgan will be Toyota's lead architect for its new North American headquarters campus in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
"After a search that included some of the finest architectural firms in the world, we are thrilled to welcome Corgan as designers of our North American headquarters in Plano, Texas," said Doug Beebe, corporate manager of Administrative Services at Toyota. "Corgan is a world-class firm that has designed many beautiful corporate campuses and other projects, both here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and around the world. We are looking forward to seeing the design elements of this campus that Corgan will deliver to provide a collaborative and innovative workspace."
Corgan President and CEO Bob Morris said, "We are inspired by the challenge to create a facility that will bring Toyota team members and associates from across the U.S. together in one building for the first time. It will be an honor for us at Corgan to help welcome Toyota to north Texas by creating a home for them where they will immediately feel comfortable and empowered to do their best work."
The firm is already designing the temporary office space Toyota will occupy in Plano until the permanent campus is built.
Corgan has delivered impressive results working on corporate headquarters for State Farm, Southwest Airlines, Bulova, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Fossil, among others. The international firm has also been recognized for its design leadership of major hospitals, airports, schools, performance venues and a wide range of other project types. In addition, ninety of its projects are LEED registered and 47 are LEED certified.
Toyota recently purchased the land for the new headquarters site and expects to begin occupying the campus in late 2016 or early 2017. Last month, Toyota selected Dallas-based KDC Real Estate Development & Investments, one of America's leading commercial real estate development and investment firms, as lead developer for the project.
Once completed, the headquarters will be home to about 4,000 Toyota employees.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Corgan
Corgan is a leading architecture and interior design firm with deep technical expertise and a reputation for great service. From its founding in 1938, Corgan has grown into one of the largest U.S.-based design firms focused on architecture. Recognized three consecutive years as the Best Large Architecture Firm to Work by ZweigWhite, Corgan employs more than 400 professionals in its offices in Dallas, Houston, New York, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Beijing and Dubai. As its design opportunities have expanded from local to international, Corgan has developed special expertise in corporate, aviation, healthcare, education and mission critical facility design, as well as digital visualization services through Corgan MediaLab.
For more information visit Corgan's website at www.corgan.com.
RENEWABLE ENERGY PROVIDES 100% OF ALL NEW U.S. ELECTRICAL GENERATING CAPACITY IN JULY
Washington DC – According to the latest "Energy Infrastructure Update" report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects, all new U.S. electrical generating capacity put into service in July came from renewable energy sources: 379 megawatts (MW) of wind, 21 MW of solar, and 5 MW of hydropower.
For the first seven months of 2014, renewables have accounted for more than half (53.8%) of the 4,758 MW of new U.S. electrical capacity that has come on line with solar (25.8%) and wind (25.1%) each accounting for more than a quarter of the total. In addition, biomass provided 1.8%, geothermal 0.7%, and hydropower 0.4%.
As for the balance, natural gas accounted for 45.9% while a small fraction (0.3%) came from oil and "other" combined. There has been no new electrical generating capacity from either coal or nuclear thus far in 2014.
Renewable energy sources now account for 16.3% of total installed operating generating capacity in the U.S.: water - 8.57%, wind - 5.26%, biomass - 1.37%, solar - 0.75%, and geothermal steam - 0.33%. *
"This is not the first time in recent years that all new electrical generating capacity for a given month has come from renewable energy sources," noted Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. "And it is likely to become an ever more frequent occurrence in the months and years ahead."
# # # # # # # #
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its most recent 5-page "Energy Infrastructure Update," with data through July 31, 2014, on August 19, 2014. See the tables titled "New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion)" and "Total Installed Operating Generating Capacity" at http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2014/jul-infrastructure.pdf .
* Note that generating capacity is not the same as actual generation. Generation per MW of capacity for renewables is often lower than that for fossil fuels and nuclear power. Actual net electrical generation from renewable energy sources in the United States now totals about 14% of total U.S. electrical production according to the most recent data (i.e., as of May 2014) provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (see: http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly).
=======================
The SUN DAY Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded in 1992 to aggressively promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels.
Compact sports car scores high for dynamic performance and efficiency
Emissions reduced by 11 percent compared with predecessor
Customer benefits from the very first mile
Ingolstadt, August 18, 2014 – Dynamic performance and efficiency: The new Audi TT* impressively combines both qualities. Compared with the predecessor model, the compact sports car scores high with an increase in power output of up to 14 percent and a simultaneous decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 11 percent. As the premium vehicle manufacturer states in its new life cycle assessment of the third-generation TT, this means that each car in the series saves around 5.5 tonnes of greenhouse gases over its entire life cycle. This includes not just carbon dioxide, but other substances such as methane, nitrous oxide and halogenated organic emissions.
"Our goal is to reduce significantly the overall emissions of each model compared with its predecessor," states Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG. "However, it's not just a matter of what comes out of the exhaust pipe. At Audi, we look at the entire product and process chain associated with mobility."
A host of technologies have contributed towards the positive life cycle assessment of the Audi TT, including lightweight construction. Thanks to an intelligent combination of materials, Audi engineers have, for the second time in a row, succeeded in reducing the car's unladen weight. The first model change in 2006 saw weight savings of up to 90 kilograms (198.4 lb) achieved. With the 2.0 TFSI engine variant of the new TT now weighing in at just 1,230 kilograms (2,711.7 lb), this means that the car is once again around 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) lighter than its predecessor.
Weight reduction and intelligent lightweight construction measures also have an impact on the vehicle manufacturing process. Here, it has been possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around nine percent, or 800 kilograms (1,763.7 lb) – a result that benefits the customers. The new TT generation offers a better life cycle assessment than its predecessor, right from the very first mile.
Building Greener Pastures: Toyota Taps Sustainable Design Firm Corgan for New North American Headquarters
Plano, Texas, Aug. 19, 2014 – It's official. Dallas-based Corgan will be Toyota's lead architect for its new North American headquarters campus in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
"After a search that included some of the finest architectural firms in the world, we are thrilled to welcome Corgan as designers of our North American headquarters in Plano, Texas," said Doug Beebe, corporate manager of Administrative Services at Toyota. "Corgan is a world-class firm that has designed many beautiful corporate campuses and other projects, both here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and around the world. We are looking forward to seeing the design elements of this campus that Corgan will deliver to provide a collaborative and innovative workspace."
Corgan President and CEO Bob Morris said, "We are inspired by the challenge to create a facility that will bring Toyota team members and associates from across the U.S. together in one building for the first time. It will be an honor for us at Corgan to help welcome Toyota to north Texas by creating a home for them where they will immediately feel comfortable and empowered to do their best work."
The firm is already designing the temporary office space Toyota will occupy in Plano until the permanent campus is built.
Corgan has delivered impressive results working on corporate headquarters for State Farm, Southwest Airlines, Bulova, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Fossil, among others. The international firm has also been recognized for its design leadership of major hospitals, airports, schools, performance venues and a wide range of other project types. In addition, ninety of its projects are LEED registered and 47 are LEED certified.
Toyota recently purchased the land for the new headquarters site and expects to begin occupying the campus in late 2016 or early 2017. Last month, Toyota selected Dallas-based KDC Real Estate Development & Investments, one of America's leading commercial real estate development and investment firms, as lead developer for the project.
Once completed, the headquarters will be home to about 4,000 Toyota employees.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Corgan
Corgan is a leading architecture and interior design firm with deep technical expertise and a reputation for great service. From its founding in 1938, Corgan has grown into one of the largest U.S.-based design firms focused on architecture. Recognized three consecutive years as the Best Large Architecture Firm to Work by ZweigWhite, Corgan employs more than 400 professionals in its offices in Dallas, Houston, New York, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Beijing and Dubai. As its design opportunities have expanded from local to international, Corgan has developed special expertise in corporate, aviation, healthcare, education and mission critical facility design, as well as digital visualization services through Corgan MediaLab.
For more information visit Corgan's website at www.corgan.com.
RENEWABLE ENERGY PROVIDES 100% OF ALL NEW U.S. ELECTRICAL GENERATING CAPACITY IN JULY
Washington DC – According to the latest "Energy Infrastructure Update" report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects, all new U.S. electrical generating capacity put into service in July came from renewable energy sources: 379 megawatts (MW) of wind, 21 MW of solar, and 5 MW of hydropower.
For the first seven months of 2014, renewables have accounted for more than half (53.8%) of the 4,758 MW of new U.S. electrical capacity that has come on line with solar (25.8%) and wind (25.1%) each accounting for more than a quarter of the total. In addition, biomass provided 1.8%, geothermal 0.7%, and hydropower 0.4%.
As for the balance, natural gas accounted for 45.9% while a small fraction (0.3%) came from oil and "other" combined. There has been no new electrical generating capacity from either coal or nuclear thus far in 2014.
Renewable energy sources now account for 16.3% of total installed operating generating capacity in the U.S.: water - 8.57%, wind - 5.26%, biomass - 1.37%, solar - 0.75%, and geothermal steam - 0.33%. *
"This is not the first time in recent years that all new electrical generating capacity for a given month has come from renewable energy sources," noted Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. "And it is likely to become an ever more frequent occurrence in the months and years ahead."
# # # # # # # #
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its most recent 5-page "Energy Infrastructure Update," with data through July 31, 2014, on August 19, 2014. See the tables titled "New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion)" and "Total Installed Operating Generating Capacity" at http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2014/jul-infrastructure.pdf .
* Note that generating capacity is not the same as actual generation. Generation per MW of capacity for renewables is often lower than that for fossil fuels and nuclear power. Actual net electrical generation from renewable energy sources in the United States now totals about 14% of total U.S. electrical production according to the most recent data (i.e., as of May 2014) provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (see: http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly).
=======================
The SUN DAY Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded in 1992 to aggressively promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels.
Featured Gallery 2015 Audi TT
Related Gallery Audi TT MkIII starts production in Gyor
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See also: Thieves still love older Hondas and pickups most, says NICB [w/video], Japanese spark plug giant NGK pleads guilty to price fixing, to pay $52M fine, 2014 Audi R8 V8.