Corporate Environmental Responsibility – Another Step to Save the Earth

Companies green washing themselves has become the latest trend in the corporate world.  New buildings of Toyota and Bank of America,  Gold-certified  by the US Green Building Council, and Nike aiming to be carbon neutral are some of the few examples of this green washing. Known as the Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER), it is a branch of the popular concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. Instead of aiming to build a better society and doing their part for the society in large, companies mainly concentrates on minimizing the damage to the environment and protecting it.

Components of CER

There are few main components to make a CER policy of a company effective. Including, environmental commitment and awareness, stakeholder engagement, measuring, reporting and auditing, transparency, commitment to continuous improvement and going beyond compliance.  According to most environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGO),  fundamental difference in expected environmental performance for companies of different ownership structures and size is minimal, as the need for corporate environmental responsibility is independent of company structure or size.

Driving forces behind CER

There are several driving forces behind the evolution of CER; consumer activism, shareholder and investor pressure, and competitive advantage are a few. As a result of increased discussions on human rights, Consumers and employees, nowadays, are attracted more towards the companies with a green vision, making it one of the main reasons for them to focus more on their responsibility towards the environment. Unlike in the past, the shareholders now,  request companies on disclosure of  environmental risk, recognizing that environmental risk often translates into financial risk. Investors hesitate to lend money to environmentally doubtful projects, for example, which might bring huge clean-up costs and damage to the reputation.  Corporations are now recognizing the potential competitive advantage to be gained by responding to stakeholder expectations for environmental performance of the company as a whole, or of its products individually.

Blue Sky Award - to Apply New Technologies for Renewable Energy Utilization

Going with this concept of Environment Responsibility, Shenzhen International Technology Promotion Center for Sustainable Development with the help of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Boao Forum for Asia and CRES  awards “Bluesky Award - Evaluation of Global Top Investment Scenarios to Apply New Technologies for Renewable Energy Utilization” to encourage companies to protect the environment. This international contest aims to demonstrate award-winning technology success stories to guide large-scale renewable energy applications in China and other developing countries to mitigate the effects of the supply shortage of conventional energy and greenhouse gas effects on the global climate. Since 2005, four sessions have been held, 38 technologies have been granted the BlueSky Award among numerous competitors from Germany, the United States, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India, the Philippines and China.

Trina Solar wins the award

Trina Solar, one of the principal companies affiliated to JLanka Technologies and a global leader in photovoltaic ("PV") modules, solutions, and services, received the Blue Sky Award 2014 for Global Top Investment Scenarios to Apply New Technologies for Renewable Energy Utilization for its high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and Honey Ultra modules, proving once again to the world that they are the true pioneers in the industry. Utilizing its own crystalline silicon solar cells, Trina Solar's Honey Ultra high efficiency crystalline silicon solar module has set three world records in the last four years.

Earth Day 2014 - Green cities for a healthier future...

Every year, April 22 we celebrate Earth day, a day aimed to inspire awareness of and appreciation for earth's environment. In 2014, the theme of the day is Green cities; type of cities that has the cleanest and most efficient energy, transportation and building structure possible.  Already there are several cities in the world, which satisfies the requirements of a green city.

Difference between a normal city and green city

One of the main difference between a normal city and green city is, usually a green city is powered by renewable energy sources like Solar, hydroelectric power and geothermal energy. Eco-friendly cities utilize these energy sources to be more sustainable and efficient and reliable micro grids are used to distribute the energy. Solar energy is probably the easiest energy to obtain and it can be used in both smaller and larger functions of daily life. Cities like Chicago, Vancouver and Philadelphia have solar powered trash compactors along side of the road.

A green city is connected by clean and accessible public transportation networks and is

biking- and walking-friendly. Sustainable cities have better and easier public transportation from subways to metros; Los Angeles has lanes specifically for their buses and Portland, Oregon utilized its city’s layout to make light rails and Metro, use an easier and more efficient option as opposed to automobiles.  Biking is given priority in these cities opposed to vehicular transportation. Biking in high density urban areas can be a challenge if there are no viable options other than riding in the street, which often angers drivers and is a safety risk.

Globally, buildings are responsible for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings typically do not rely on renewable energy sources for their power and most buildings don’t use energy efficiently. However, buildings in a green city are energy efficient, conserve water and reduce waste.

Cities like Portland, Copenhagen, Vancouver, Melbourne and Barcelona are some of the green cities in the world. These cities are healthier, more affordable, and more pleasant places to live.

Taking Sri Lanka towards the ultimate green status

JLanka Technologies is a company committed to taking Sri Lanka towards the ultimate green status. They provide solar energy solutions to residencies and commercial buildings, to be able to live a sustainable life and at the same time save the Earth. Using the latest technology and global expertise, JLanka leads the way to achieve the green targets in Sri Lanka. The company have also received global recognition for their service through awards like Green Leadership Award of AsiaResponsible Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 — South Asia, and World Water Day — Excellence Service Award 2014 from SUNFO.

In the future we will also have living buildings, buildings which will operate as living organisms, monitoring performance and adapting to our needs in real time, saving us energy and money, Self-driving electric cars with no exhaust pipes, no carbon dioxide emissions, no gas stations, and no car accidents , high speed long distance travel,  through solar-powered pods that travel through elevated, depressurized tubes and energy independent homes, adorned with solar panels, small-scale wind turbines and other sources of electrical generation. Then we won't  feel like we are living on the Earth anymore. It will be a much more healthier and nicer place to live! 

Sri Lankan Solar Industry Recognized with the Green Leadership Award

Honour Deserving Enterprises in the Field of Corporate Responsibility

Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) is to honour deserving enterprises in the field of corporate responsibility. AREA honours Asian enterprises for outstanding, innovative products, services and projects in six categories. These projects should demonstrate the enterprise’s leadership, sincerity and on-going commitment in incorporating ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, respect for individuals, involvement in communities and protection of the environment into the way they do business.

Mission Towards a Greener Sri Lanka

The JLanka technologies team celebrates its latest achievement Green Leadership Award of Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 — South Asia. JLanka was declared as the best solar energy provider of the year in south Asia for its premiership in Solar Power technology over 250 successful projects& generating above 1MW green electricity to national grids. The critical success factor for all these achievements is focusing precisely and being fully responsible on complete lifetime of every project we deliver to the customers. Not only winning the project but also taking the international technology throughout the whole project efficiently is JLanka’s promise to its each customer.

In a relatively short span of time, JLanka Technologies has been able to install world class solar

energy systems totalling Mega Watts of solar electricity which cuts more than 425,000kg emissions, and saved up to more than 1,500 trees among an array of benefits to the environment and its people.

“Our project rightly titled “Towards a Greener Sri Lanka” is driven by the pillars of our company’s vision which is to provide world class cost effective green energy solutions for homes and businesses for their own growth while preserving and protecting the environment.

While our main objective of cutting carbon emissions in Sri Lanka, we at JLanka Technologies truly believe that green energy is the only way to a sustainable future, not only as a viable option as a source of energy, but also as an important means of protecting the environment of our country and her amazing biodiversity for the future generations.

Zero Water Wastage in Solar Energy attracts the World Water Day Award!

SUNFO – Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship organization is a people's organization consisting of many renowned personalities in Sri Lanka & Overseas. It is an organization committed to the development of Children, Youth, Women, adults, & Senior Citizens. For 2014, the organization has chosen the theme “Water and Energy” and emphasizes how water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent. 

Water and Energy

Did you know that water is used in the process of generating fuel energy? Water is used mainly to pump crude oil and for cooling purposes. On the other hand, water is also immensely polluted by the use of crude oil, in ways such as, oil spills, and factory wastage. According to recent statistics, energy sources like coal, nuclear and natural gas uses up to 1100 gallons per MWh. But, on the other hand, solar energy does not use any water at all to generate energy. 

The organization also points out that 8% of energy generated globally, are used for pumping, treating and transporting water to consumers. The costs involved in this process make it difficult for poorer people to gain access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Therefore, this year United Nation aims to find the best practice in the green industry to help bring the dream of, making available clean water to everyone, a reality. In short, going green has a lot of benefits, the latest and the much less noticed benefit is saving water and making it feasible to provide clean water to less fortunate; a target United Nations is trying to achieve. Companies like JLanka can help immensely to achieve that target. 


JLanka wins the water day award for preserving water

JLanka, a pioneer solar company in Sri Lanka, received World Water Day  - Excellence Service Award 2014 from SUNFO – Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship organization, for the excellent service they do to create a greener world. Additionally, earlier this year they were also awarded with a Green Leadership Award of Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards 2014 — South Asia. JLanka was declared as the best solar energy provider of the year in south Asia for its premiership in Solar Power technology over 300 successful projects & generating above 1.6 MW green electricity to national grid, to date.  

Why A Psychology of "Green Leadership” is a need for companies

It is an era where everything is looking to be more efficient, greener and sustainable. In an environment like that, a company with a Green Leadership can move mountains. People have too many choices, employees always seek better working environments, and customers are on the lookout for better prices. Improving leadership skills has become a  necessity for career development in current work environment. In addition, global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, over-consumption, obesity, poverty, population growth and geopolitical changes, are in the rise and converging in ways result in increased economic and political tensions around the world. 


A green leadership trend emerging in the business sector seems to be the ultimate solution. It

 suppose to provide global perspective and focus on providing solutions for real needs in society. There are six major trends that can support companies that want to become global green; heroes, connectivity, crowd development, transparency, dematerialization, and a  better life. 




Heroes

This is the most popular green trend of the century. This era of heroes focus on companies that can help us live a sustainable life. The new green companies will use sustainability to drive increased revenues and innovation, they will also attract a new generation top students around the world that want to help create a better society. The CEO and the board are responsible for green strategies. 


Connectivity

The society is getting more and more connected and the world is getting smaller. The companies with a green perspective have more opportunities to gather required information. 


Crowd Development

Crowd development is the latest trend that changes  how  businesses are operated and trigger solutions to change the world. These digital tools allow people to work on the same documents regardless of time zones and office hours. All of a sudden national borders, age and titles matters less than the concrete contributions to a project.


Transparency

Over the past couple of years, the world became much more transparent than it was few years ago. Data that was hidden from public for many years, suddenly became available in the open. In the 21st century people will not buy a product based on the price alone. Sustainable marketing will make people aware of the fact that they can help create a better society by choosing products from 21st century green companies. With the help of smart phones people will also have an opportunity to brag about their purchases, giving companies a golden possibility of expanding their customer base. 

JLanka wins AREA Green Leadership Award 2014

Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) honor deserving enterprises in the field of corporate responsibility.   Projects that demonstrate the enterprise’s leadership, sincerity and on-going commitment in incorporating ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, respect for individuals, involvement in communities and protection of the environment into the way they do business are being honored. JLanka project titled “Towards a Greener Sri Lanka” won this award and have placed their name in the list of winners among the world leaders like HSBC, Loreal, LG, Holcim and Carlsberg. 

Renewable Energy Potential in Sri Lanka - Part 2

Government Renewable Energy Policies and Targets Government policies play a major role in the sustainability and development of renewable energy sources in a country. Sri Lankan government also has a set of policies that determines the future of renewable energy sources.   The main target that the government is hoping to reach is providing electricity 100% throughout the country by 2015. However, the growing electricity demand could be met only by adding adequate generation capacities, employing the most appropriate technologies in the most economical manner. Despite the efforts, the present energy resources in Sri Lanka fail to meet these criteria and therefore, the need for several resources or an energy mix arises.  National Energy Management Plan (EnMAP) Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka (SLSEA) is in the process of implementing a National Energy Management Plan (EnMAP) from 2012-2016 under the guidance of Ministry of Power and Energy. This project sees the target of achieving an energy saving equivalent to 20% of the total energy consumption of year 2010, by 2020. The overall objective of the EnMAP is to enhance the economic activity of the country without forcing an additional burden on the energy sector.  As a part of the program, the SLSEA has launched a program in collaboration with Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI),  called Energy Labeling. It is an internationally accepted method to ensure that the  electrical appliances used, are energy efficient. Home appliances and office equipment account for 25% of electricity use in Sri Lanka.   Code of Practice for Energy Efficient Buildings SLSEA has also introduced a Code of practice for energy efficient buildings. This Code is applicable to all commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and large-scale housing developments. To be in this category the building should have one or more of the features; Four or more stories, Floor area of 500 m2 or more, Electrical power demand of 100 kVA or more and Air-conditioning cooling capacity of 350 kW (output) or more. The code has been developed to cover building ventilation & air-conditioning, lighting, electrical power, distribution, and service water heating.  Accelerate the Development of Renewable Energy Generation In 2004, 47.3% of the primary energy contributions to national energy supply were from biomass, 45.3% from crude oil and petroleum products and 7.4% from hydroelectricity. The use of non-conventional energy resources in Sri Lanka is of a relatively smaller scale and therefore its contribution is presently of low significance in the macro energy picture The Government has also recognized the need to elevate biomass as both a commercial crop as well as the third fuel option for electricity generation and has accordingly declared Gliricedia sepium as the fourth plantation crop after tea, rubber and coconut in 2005. Bio fuels as an important constituent of the transport energy will be developed to take a 20 % share by 2020.   As a part of the commitment of the Government to accelerate the development of renewable energy generation as well as to integrate the use of non-conventional renewable energy within the power sector, GOSL approved the joint World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development (RERED) project. Through the RERED project, GOSL aims to foster the rural economic development and improve the quality of life in rural areas by providing access to electricity, and expand the financial support for the mini hydro power projects with low cost funding.

Renewable Energy Potential in Sri Lanka - Part 1

Sri Lanka is one of the few countries blessed with mother nature's kindness.  Beauty to resources, the country has almost everything. It is known as the pearl of the Indian ocean for a very good reason.  Surrounded by the scenic ocean, the placement of the country gives the land the best climate and abundance of natural resources. 

We know we have resources, but we are not using those enough, are we? Are there ways to utilize the resources more? Undoubtedly, although we have the potential, we have not reached the maximum for sure. If so, we would not expect power outages as soon as a drought hits the country. We depend mostly on rainfall to supply our electricity, yet we clear the forest cover we have. Given the circumstances, it is the perfect time to look for the potential Sri Lanka has for renewable energy sources. 

Main sources of renewable energy

Since Sri Lanka is located in the equatorial belt, it receives a year round supply of solar
radiation. The tropical temperatures and the location of the island in the ocean have resulted in distinct wind circulations. These settings have blessed the country with ample base of renewable energy resources. Some of these energy sources are already in use, like hydropower, solar, and wind. However, except for hydropower, solar and the wind has not been utilized to its maximum potential. 

Wind Power

Wind climate of Sri Lanka is primarily determined by the two Asian Monsoons, the South West (SW) and North East (NE) Monsoons.  The SW is the stronger of the two Monsoons and is felt along the entire West Coast of Sri Lanka as well as in interior areas and some mountainous regions. While winds over mountainous regions are highly site specific, turbulent and confined to the SW monsoon, winds over flat landscapes in the south-eastern and north-western coastal belt are more consistent and occur during both monsoons.

Several Wind studies were carried out by the CEB and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of USA. According to the studies, the potential for wind power in Sri Lanka is 20,740 MW's. 

Generating power through wind turbines is indeed a very feasible project to be initiated in Sri Lanka.  Although we have few wind turbines running in Hambantota and Puttalam, it is still in the primitive stage to be known as a primary source of renewable energy. One of the main reasons for being that a less popular choice is the high initial cost. It would be a good investment for the country if the government could work with the private sector to initialize a project. 

Solar Power

We receive an abundant supply of solar radiation year around. Solar radiation over the island
does not show a marked seasonal variation. As estimated in the solar resource map developed by NREL of the USA, over most parts of the flat dry zone, which accounts for two-thirds of the land area, solar radiation varies from 4.0 – 4.5 kWh/m2/day. Solar radiation levels remain as low as 2.0 – 3.5 kWh/m2/day over the high plains of Nuwara Eliya due to the significant cloud cover over most parts of the day. Thus, a substantial potential exists in the dry zone of Sri Lanka for harnessing solar energy.

Bio Mass 

Biomass is the most common source of energy supply in the country, with the majority usage coming from the domestic sector for cooking purposes. Paddy being one of the main agricultural crop in Sri lanka. Residue of paddy is more than substantial to give bio mass energy a serious thought.  Sri Lanka also has the potential of generating Bio mass energy though the plant  Gliricedia sepium. In 2005, the government declared the plant as the fourth plantation crop after tea, rubber and coconut. The target is to develop bio-fuels to take 20% share in the energy generation by 2020.