St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. St. Anthony’s is the first hospital in Florida and one of only 86 hospitals in the nation to achieve this recognition. Buildings that receive the EPA’s ENERGY STAR designation reduce greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficient specifications set by the government.

Commercial buildings that earn the EPA’s ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. St. Anthony’s Hospital improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to the building. The EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. St. Anthony’s earned the EPA’s ranking of 87 out of 100 — placing it among the top 25 percent of energy efficient facilities in the country.

Since 2005, the hospital has conserved electricity by 1.5 million kilowatts, decreased natural gas use by 36 percent, and reduced water consumption by 4.7 million gallons. Ongoing maintenance focuses on efficient operation, including monitoring the performance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. By conserving and managing energy strategically, and making cost-effective improvements to the building, the hospital saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual energy costs and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.

New Detroit Edison program will enable customers to cut the cost of installing solar energy

Detroit Edison has introduced a new program that will make installing a solar energy system 50 percent more affordable for homes and businesses. Called SolarCurrents, the pilot program is intended to encourage Detroit Edison customers to purchase and install a solar energy system, and at the same time help the utility meet renewable energy targets contained in comprehensive energy legislation approved last year.

Solar energy systems generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology, which turns the sun’s light energy into electricity. After passing through a component called an inverter, the direct current electricity generated by the solar panels is converted to alternating current – the type of electricity accessed through standard electric outlets.

A solar energy system for a typical 2,000 square foot home or business can cost about $18,000 to install. Under SolarCurrents, customers will receive a one-time payment when their system is installed. They then will receive monthly credits on their electric bill for the next 20 years for providing Detroit Edison with renewable energy credits associated with the system.

Detroit Edison also plans to introduce a second-phase of the SolarCurrents programs in which the company will place large-scale solar energy panels it owns on customer rooftops or property. In return, Detroit Edison will pay long term leasing or rental fees to the property owners. Further details on the next phase of the SolarCurrents program are expected in the coming months.

Boston opens world’s first international green technology trade center

The International Green Technology Trade Center, the world’s first permanent trade show for Green Tech, today announced its launch at the TradeCenter128 green building complex located on Route 128, Boston’s Technology Highway, minutes from the region’s leading research universities.

The IGTTC is a permanent business marketplace designed to generate sales and brand recognition for 250+ cutting-edge green technology companies from around the world. For Green Tech companies seeking to join a beehive of economic activity, the IGTTC leverages economies of scale to attract trade buyers, manufacturers and investors to this dynamic networking environment.

Detroit Edison is the latest power company to ramp up wind-generation as a major part of its production capacity. The utility is soliciting proposals from potential partners interested in jointly developing wind energy projects with the company.

Detroit Edison wants to build Michigan-based wind energy farms capable of producing at least 75 megawatts of power by 2011. The energy produced from those projects would help Detroit Edison achieve Michigan’s new Renewable Portfolio Standard for the state’s electric utilities to provide 10 percent of their retail electric sales from renewable resources by 2015.

To meet the state’s renewable portfolio standard, Detroit Edison said it expects to add about 1,200 megawatts of renewable power. The company plans to contract with third-party producers for at least half of that capacity, and plans to own renewable energy projects to meet the remainder.

DTE Energy expects the majority of its renewable energy to come from wind resources. The company has acquired easements on more than 60,000 acres of land in Huron County in Michigan’s Thumb region for development of large-scale wind farms.

Companies intersted in partnering with Detroit Edison can view the application details at www.poweradvocate.com. The utility wants responses by noon on June 5, 2009.