Welcome,
In this issue, we highlight Georgia industries that are
conserving energy and water, controlling pollution, and reducing
material waste, and we note legislation and research that foster
sustainable practices in manufacturing. Georgia Tech has several
technical assistance and educational programs to help your company
follow suit, and we can connect you with those resources, many of which
come at low or no cost.
Give me a call
or send me an e-mail to discuss ways that you can partner with Georgia
Tech and make your firm a more sustainable and productive
enterprise.
Best regards,
Chris Downing, P.E.
Director, Industry Services
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Quick Links
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Sustainability--Coming to a Community Near You
 Bartow
County's nationally recognized work with successfully implementing an
environmental management system (EMS) is receiving further
attention. The Conference of Southern County Associations (CSCA)
has featured the project on its Web site (http://www.cscaweb.org/EMS/).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has hailed the effort as
the first countywide EMS in the country and a national model.
Bartow's EMS, dating back to 2005 and assisted by Georgia Tech,
involves public- and private-sector partners, and substantial gains
have been accomplished by both. For example, the Anheuser-Busch
plant reduced water use by 22 percent and saved $2 million yearly,
Georgia Power Company dramatically cut nitrous oxide and particulate
matter, and Shaw industries reduced solid waste and greenhouse gas
emissions. For their part, county agencies have found numerous
opportunities for recycling, reducing air emissions, and improving
management of water resources. For more information, contact Georgia Tech's Deann Desai (deann.desai@innovate.gatech.edu), visit the above-mentioned CSCA Web site or see the EPA's Web site. |
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Swap Meet
 The Georgia Industrial Materials Exchange
enables Georgia companies and organizations to post availability of
unwanted materials and solicit materials wanted. Anyone may search this
site without registering. Registration is required, however, to post a
listing. The goal of the site is to develop an industrial ecology for
manufactured materials so that one company's unwanted by-products can
be used by another company in place of "virgin" materials. The
recycling and reuse of unwanted materials will save energy, conserve
extractive resources, minimize disposal costs, and save landfill space.
For other recycling resources, click here.
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Sustainability at Georgia Tech
by Brent Verrill, Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development
The Sustainable Design and Manufacturing group in Georgia
Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering has worked on several research
projects regarding industrial water use. Recent efforts include
improving the parts-cleaning processes in manufacturing operations to
conserve water and minimize hazardous waste, and studying a coating
that mimics the self-cleaning properties of the lotus flower. This
"lotus effect" coating allows dirt particles to be picked up by rolling
water droplets, thus providing continuous passive cleaning by means of
rainfall and water condensation. Ultimately, such coatings will
eliminate the need to clean all sorts of surfaces - from cars to
buildings to windows - saving large quantities of water and labor.
Visit the group's Web site for more information. |
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Bravo for Brasseler
Savannah-based Brasseler USA, a manufacturer of dental and other medical equipment, was recognized last year by the U.S. Department of Energy's Save Energy Now
program for helping to conserve energy and reduce its carbon footprint,
and the company cut costs in doing so. It all began with a
no-cost energy assessment by Georgia Tech's Mike Brown. Click here for more details. |
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Georgia Power Mixes It Up
Georgia
Power Company is diversifying its fuel mix by contracting with a
Georgia renewable energy plant, Yellow Pine Energy Co., LLC, to be
located near Fort Gaines. The 20-year contract will obtain
electricity generated from wood waste. The facility, scheduled to
launch in 2010, will produce 110 megawatts of renewable energy, and
Georgia Power will buy nearly half the plant's capacity. Click here for more details.
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Set the Standard for Safety at Your Company
 Get
a thorough understanding of OSHA, hazardous materials, and
environmental safety in a real-world setting. Learn from top-notch
instructors who make the breadth of Georgia Tech's expertise accessible
to all. Classes are held throughout Georgia.
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Innovation Forums on Sustainability
 Shrinking the Carbon Footprint in Metropolitan Areas
September 3, 2008
Dr. Marilyn Brown, Professor of Energy Policy, GT School of Public Policy
Meet the speaker; brown bag lunch- 12:00 noon
Program: 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Centergy Building @ Technology Square, 75 5th Street, NW, Atlanta
Hodges Conference Room, Third Floor
For more information, call Hazel Taylor @ 404.894.0730, or cprsevents@innovate.gatech.edu
www.stip.gatech.edu/forumFree and open to the public In
May of 2008, a team from Georgia Tech and the Brookings Institution
released a report that provides the most comprehensive set of carbon
footprints for U.S. metropolitan areas available to date, focusing on
residential and transportation carbon emissions.
In addition to describing some of the metro
characteristics and urban policies that explain this variation, the
report recommends a range of new federal policies that would help
metropolitan areas shrink their carbon footprints.
Dr. Marilyn Brown is a Professor of
Energy Policy in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute
of Technology. Her research has focused on the impacts of policies and
programs aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of
sustainable energy technologies. Dr. Brown serves on the board of
directors of the Alliance to Save Energy, is a member of the National
Commission on Energy Policy and the National Academies Board of
Engineering and Environmental Systems. Her latest edited book, Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths, was published in 2007 by Springer. |
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New State Legislation Encourages Industrial Energy Efficiency 
Recently
enacted legislation (H.B. 670) provides tax credits to Georgia
facilities that implement energy-efficient projects. Among the
new law's highlights are:
- Tax rebates of $0.60/sq. ft. for lighting retrofit projects with a maximum of $100,000 per facility
- Tax rebates of up to $100,000 for Energy Star geothermal heat pumps
- Tax rebates of up to $500,000 per installation for pv cells,
other solar thermal electric applications, wind equipment, and biomass
equipment
- Total annual tax credits shall not exceed $2,500,000 per year for 2008 through 201
H.B. 670 went into effect July 1st and tax credits are provided on a first come first serve basis. Click here for more details. |
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Classes for Professionals
Georgia
Tech offers many courses for professionals, including classes that help
manufacturers make better business decisions. Visit our Web site to see our current class offerings in ISO 14001 and Environmental Compliance.
2-Day or 3-Day Intensive Workshops
We are pleased to offer you a dynamic portfolio of executive programs
that will stimulate new ideas, sharpen your decision-making skills, and
provide the groundwork for your continued development and success.
Call 404-385-3500 for more information, or visit www.execinfo.org. | |
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