Mexico is the world’s 11th largest economy and greenhouse gas emitter.

In the 1990’s Mexico City was named the most polluted city in the world.  Birds struggled to survive.  It was a wakeup call for Mexico City, and 20 million people’s lives depended on it.  Since the 1990’s Mexico City has cleaned up their act reducing their high ozone days by almost half of what they had two decades ago.  Changes such as; “Don’t Drive Days”, rooftop garden’s, development of public transportation and “Cycle Sundays” have all contributed to the improvements.  Still there are days where the citizens are cautioned about exercising and an air quality website has been developed to notify residents, encouraging them to avoid highly polluted pockets in the City.

Then this year Mexico passed a climate change law that has been hailed one of the most progress climate change laws to date.   The new law contains many sweeping provisions to mitigate climate change, including a mandate to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 30% below business-as-usual levels by 2020, and by 50% below 2000 levels by 2050. Read more in this article by Erik Vance, Nature International Weekly Journal of Science.

Mexico has a police force of over 544,000 elements, making it the country with the third largest police force in the world, just behind India the United States.   By installing the Independence Package, mobile electric power with idle reduction capability in their law enforcement vehicles, the Mexican authorities can make a significant contribution to their countries climate goals.

Reasons to use Mobile Electric Power

5.  Abate dead batteries

Constant use of the OEM battery to power equipment it’s not meant to power, such as bucket lifts, computers and digital cameras, is the fastest way to drain the vehicles battery.  In fact, with police vehicles running idle in the field being such a common occurrence, a typical law enforcement vehicle will need at least two new batteries a year!  With mobile electric power, the appropriate power is being used for the appropriate things.  Limiting vehicle down time, and controlling towing and maintenance costs are all a result of mobile electric power.

4.  Increases asset longevity

Municipalities, particularly police, replace vehicles every few years.  In addition to driving a lot of miles, vehicles are left idle A LOT!  Engines of today are not meant to idle; they are made to be driven. For each minute of idling, the engine wears as if it’s been driven 30 miles – these are known as “ghost miles.”  Ghost miles exacerbate wear and tear on the engine, causing a decrease in the life of the vehicle.  When a vehicle is equipped with mobile electric power, “ghost miles” aren’t accumulated.

As gas prices rise, fleets often react and purchase new hybrid cars. However, the cars they already drive could instead be retrofitted with mobile electric power.  Mobile electric power could curtail additional capital expenditure, avoid added insurance costs and reduce maintenance costs.

3. Reduce emissions

Emissions from transportation are responsible for almost 70% of the greenhouse gases that pollute our air.  Avoiding voluntary idling is one of the simplest things we can do to mitigate the negative impact on our planet.  So when you’re sitting in the carpool line at school, the bank or even your favorite fast food restaurant, keep in mind that just 5 minutes of idling daily emits an annual average of 330lbs of CO2.  For corporate and municipal fleets, mitigating their contribution to emissions is a major responsibility; one that can be easily accomplished with mobile electric power.

2.  Save money

Over the last few years, fuel prices have increased up to 40% in some areas.  The increase in fuel touches our wallet every day by increasing our food and utility costs, taxes are raised as City management maintains the municipal fleets, and as a result transportation companies such as UPS, FEDEX, US Post Office and taxi’s all have to increase their prices. In addition, the global reach of fuel prices impacts our troops overseas; every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of crude costs the Department of Defense an extra $1.3 billion. Mobile electric power saves fuel and deters excessive spending.

1. It CAN save lives

Air pollution is a global health crisis. Annually, more people die from cancers related to air pollution than breast and prostate cancer combined.  Asthma is on the rise, plus high risk heart patients, elderly and even children are experiencing pre-mature death due to environmental pollutants.  Fossil fuel emissions from transportation are one of the largest contributors to air pollution. Eliminating voluntary idling is the simplest thing we can do.   Municipal and corporate fleets can use mobile electric power as a fleet wide solution.  Equipping fleets such as service trucks, patrol cars and emergency vehicles (that typically need to idle to power sophisticated equipment) with mobile electric power eliminates those vehicles’ needs for idling, decreasing their contribution to what’s  quickly becoming our planet’s number-one killer – air pollution.

Energy Xtreme Stevie Award Finalist

Energy Xtreme’s Independence Package®, a mobile electric power solution, was named a Finalist today in the Best New Product or Service – Business to Business category in The 2012 American Business Awards, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program.

Energy Xtreme’s Independence Package offers fleets valuable and financially impactful ways to operate mission critical electrical loads, such as lights, radio, laptop, in car video and LPR, without running the engine to idle and power those loads.  

Idling represents a significant fuel cost outlay for fleets. , increases air pollution and causes wear and tear on the engine adding ghost engine hours and maintenance costs. Additionally, regular reliance on an OEM battery to operate electrical systems leads to a high volume of dead batteries and significant work hours to jump or replace.

“Our fellow finalist are some of the most innovative and progressive companies around,” said Devin Scott, CEO of Energy Xtreme. “We’re honored to be recognized by and be a member of the Stevie Award community.” 

More than 3,000 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration. Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May.  More than 150 members of 10 specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place May 14 – 25.

Winner!

AUSTIN, TX, May 3rd (PRWEB) Austin-based Energy Xtreme has garnered a prestigious Silver Edison Award. The Edison Awards, celebrating its 25th year, has announced its finalists for the internationally renowned 2012 Edison Best New Product Awards. Since 1987, The Edison Awards have recognized ideas at the forefront of new products, services, marketing, design and innovation. Winning an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business.

This year’s Edison Award nominees were judged on a new set of evaluation criteria developed in partnership with Nielsen. These new criteria establish a new definition of innovation, leveraging the primary themes of Concept, Value, Impact and Delivery.

Energy Xtreme’s Independence Package® was awarded a silver medal in the ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY category.

Energy Xtreme’s Independence Package offers fleets valuable and financially impactful ways to operate mission critical electrical loads, such as lights, radio, laptop, in car video and LPR, without the engine running and also reduces unnecessary idling.

Idling represents a significant fuel cost outlay for fleets. , increases air pollution and causes wear and tear on the engine adding ghost engine hours and maintenance costs. Additionally, regular reliance on an OEM battery to operate electrical systems leads to a high volume of dead batteries and significant work hours to jump or replace.

For more information on Energy Xtreme’s IP usage please go to this link – http://www.energyxtreme.net/solutions/law-enforcement .

And for a downloadable PDF brochure please go to this link – http://www.energyxtreme.net/images/pdfs/sell/Energy%20Xtreme%20Sales_LawEnforcement.pdf .

About Energy Xtreme:
Energy Xtreme, headquartered in Austin, is a mobile electric power solutions company focused on developing intelligent power management systems with idle reduction capabilities. Named by Forbes as one of the most promising companies of 2012, we are dedicated to empowering fleet management and cost efficiency. Our solutions provide unmatched mobile electric power for a vehicle’s electrical needs, including lights, cameras, computers, power tools and hydraulic systems, without engaging the vehicle’s engine. Our products help fleets significantly lower their fuel  and maintenance costs while reducing emissions. Energy Xtreme’s future-focused solutions are ideal for fleets in law enforcement, transportation, public works, telecom, utilities and work truck centric organizations. (*Note: Some products described are made by Xtreme Power Systems, LLC.) Additional information is available at http://www.energyxtreme.net . Follow us on Twitter @Energyxtreme .

Edison Awards | 2012 Best New Product Energy & Sustainability

Last night in New York City the Edison Awards held their awards ceremony for the Best New Products of 2012.  Energy Xtreme took home the SILVER for the Energy & Sustainability Automotive/Transportation category.  Regretfully, we were unable to attend, but was certainly excited this morning when we logged on and saw that our Independence Package, mobile electric power system with idle reduction capability, earned such a prestigious award.  Many thanks to the Edison Awards and congratulations to all the other winners.

There is real danger here.

Auto emissions is a global health crisis.  Everything we do to our local environment reaches far beyond our backyards.  In this article, the ClickGreen staff reveals that researchers have found emissions originating elsewhere in Europe cause an addition 6,000 early deaths in the UK annually.  For the U.S. we absolutely need to care about Latin America and Canada’s auto emissions policies.  Air pollution isn’t just one countries problem it’s all our problems.   There are solutions available now that can not only allivate air pollution but the hazardous effects it’s having on our planet and our lives.  Do your part and avoid idling.   Take action and ask your publics works, state and local governments to equip their massive fleets with idle reduction technology.  Read the complete story for more startling statistics.  http://bit.ly/Iq5GLb

Girl Scout crusades against idling.

Kudos to Katie for taking steps now to protect the planet for her future.  In her town of Sudbury, MA Katie has identitfied high idle areas and posted signs to remind people to turn off their engines.   

We invite the City of Sudbury to contact us and learn how our mobile electric power unit with idle reduction capability can help them power their police and public works vehicles, along with school buses for up to 4 hours without having to engage the engine. Our Independence Package will help you save fuel and reduce your emissions output.  We think Katie would approve.

To learn more about Katie’s crusade for idle reduction, read the full story by Sarah Domar Ostrow.

Cities including Aspen are working to curb idling – as reported in this story by Carolyn Sackarariason, Aspen Daily News Staff. This issue impacts all the municipalities across the nation. We at Energy Xtreme are also working with police forces across the country to reduce idle emissions. A key question in the field for officers and public works department workers is how can they do their jobs without cars idling? Link to story http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/152413

Should we be buying new or renewing and reusing?

Ford Motors Company has rolled out its newest Ford fleet car http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120328/AUTO0102/203280337/1121/auto/Ford-diesel-to-reduce-customer-fleet-costs , but we’re more interested in how or if this next generation fleet car reduces idling? Is it a viable solution for current capital assets and does it give fleets extra power? Reducing fuel costs, emissions, and fleet costs cannot only rely on municipalities and cities being able to purchase new fleets. We need a solution that works now and for the future on the existing and new fleet vehicles. At EnergyXtreme that’s what we devote our science to making happen!

Idling school buses put our children's health at risk.

Idling affects our lives in ways we don’t realize until we read news releases like this one from the EPA.  The health of bus drivers, school service employees and thousands of school children in New England were put at risk by idling school buses.  Idling engines emit pollutants that have generated a national health crisis.  In fact, cancer deaths due to air pollution are more than breast and prostate cancer combined. Based on the data in the below news release, by reducing idling this school bus service can avoid emitting 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide and save up to $5 million per year just on fuel alone. 

(Boston, Mass. – April  10, 2012) – As part of a settlement for alleged excessive diesel idling in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Durham School Services will commit to reduce idling from its school bus fleet of 13,900 buses operating in 30 states.  The anti-idling project is the result of an EPA New England enforcement action to address excessive school bus idling and reduce school children’s exposure to diesel pollution.

Durham School Services will pay a $90,000 penalty and perform environmental projects valued at $348,000.

In fall 2010, an EPA inspector observed Durham school buses idling for extended periods of time in school bus lots in Storrs, Conn., Worcester, Mass. and Johnston, R.I.  The inspector observed some buses idling for close to two hours before departing the bus lot to pick up school children. The state idling regulations in question, which are enforceable by EPA, generally limit idling in Connecticut to three minutes and in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to five minutes.

Under the settlement, Durham will implement a national training and management program to prevent excessive idling from its entire fleet of school buses. Through this program, Durham will train its drivers to comply with state and local anti-idling regulations and to avoid excessive idling. Durham will require supervisors to monitor idling in school bus lots, post anti-idling signs in areas where drivers congregate, and notify the school districts it serves of its anti-idling policy.

In addition, Durham will replace 30 older school buses (model years 1999 and 2000) with new buses that are equipped with state-of-the-art pollution controls.  

“Pollution from diesel vehicles is a serious health concern in New England and across the country,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Children, especially those suffering from asthma or other respiratory ailments, are particularly vulnerable to diesel exhaust.  EPA is pleased with this settlement, which will dramatically limit school bus idling and help protect the health of school children in dozens of communities across the country.”

Idling diesel engines emit pollutants which can cause or aggravate a variety of health problems including asthma and other respiratory diseases, and the fine particles in diesel exhaust are a likely human carcinogen. Diesel exhaust not only contributes to area-wide air quality problems, but more direct exposure can cause lightheadedness, nausea, sore throat, coughing, and other symptoms. Drivers, school children riding on the buses, facility workers, neighbors and bystanders are all vulnerable.

Idling school buses consume about one-half gallon of fuel per hour. By reducing the idling time of each bus in its fleet by one hour per day, Durham would reduce its fuel use by 1.25 million gallons per year and avoid emitting 28 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

In a separate but related action, EPA recently issued a Clean Air Act Notice of Violation for Ocean State Transit, LLC and STA of Connecticut, Inc., which operate fleets of school buses at a number of different locations in Rhode Island and Connecticut.  The violations cited in the EPA Notice of Violation occurred at Ocean State’s locations in East Greenwich and South Kingstown, R.I. and at STA of Connecticut’s locations in Danbury, Naugatuck, Higganum, Stamford, and Groton, Conn.

More information: EPA Clean Diesel Campaign (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/index.htm)

By adding our Independence Package mobile power units to their buses, Dunham School Services could avoid having to buy 30 new buses.  Plus, the system will provide the ancillary power the buses need to operate the air conditioner, radio, on-board camera and lights without having to engage their engine.