Tag: 3BL

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) administers the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), which represent a cooperative relationship to encourage excellence in worksite-based safety and health. VPP sets performance-based criteria for the safety and health system at worksites operated by private industry and federal agencies and, after a worksite applies for admission to the program, OSHA assesses the worksite against these criteria. This is above and beyond normal safety standards and results in a thorough on-site evaluation by a team of OSHA safety and health professionals.

In Michigan, the program operates as the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) through the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). Our Gwinn, Michigan facility is a Star Worksite in the MVPP (one of 24 Star Worksites in the state of Michigan). Our Gwinn facility first received MVPP Rising Star status in 2010 and achieved MVPP Star status by early 2013. The last re-evaluation was in 2022, with the recommendation from MIOSHA for continued participation as a Star Worksite. During the latest re-evaluation cycle, the Gwinn site was recognized by the MIOSHA team for its safety vision statement: “Through actively caring about the safety and health of our co-workers, the goal of the Gwinn mill is to ensure that all Team Members return home to their families, uninjured every day.” Also recognized as an area of excellence was the implementation of a 90-day Safety Passport onboarding process. This onboarding process gives new Team Members the opportunity to meet members of site leadership to reiterate the site’s safety vision and the resources available for Team Members as they develop in their roles at the mill.

The Minnesota program is called MNSTAR. Our Bemidji, Minnesota facility achieved MNSTAR status in 2001 and has maintained its status since then. The last re-evaluation audit was in 2020 with several best practices highlighted including the facility’s Safety Roadmap program and goals, Making Safety Visible program, safety tailgate process, fireside chats with mill management, Safety Superstar program, Job Safety program and Environmental Analysis program. One best practice noted was our on-site physical therapy and athletic training program, a proactive approach to prevent soft tissue injuries. Bemidji’s safety efforts earned the Minnesota Safety Council’s Governor’s Safety Award in Occupational Safety in 2022, with the facility achieving the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Our St. Maries, Idaho lumber and plywood facilities have set an exceptional standard for safety, and both have been a VPP Star site since 2000 – there are only 11 in the state of Idaho. The last re-evaluation was in 2019 during which the auditors highlighted as an exemplary practice our redesigned lockout / tagout procedures. The next on-site evaluation will take place in 2024. The St. Maries complex has focused on an employee-engaged workforce giving Team Members several opportunities to be involved in safety processes throughout the year. Every month, Team Members are given opportunities to be involved in the safety process including recognizing hazards, using SLAM (i.e., Stop, Look, Assess, and Manage) risk assessments, safety training, reporting near misses, safety committees, new hire training, and reviewing Job Hazard Analysis.

Although it is not certain that we will maintain the state and federal VPP recognitions described above, we believe that participation in these programs is an important part of the health and safety culture at these worksites, and we intend to continue to participate in the VPPs as long as we qualify to do so.

How can a more engaged, participatory approach to philanthropy help make a real impact on climate solutions and equity in Georgia? By embracing its position in the “messy middle” between funders and the many organizations striving to solve for climate, the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice believes that philanthropy is significantly more impactful when funders adopt a collaborative approach with grantees. 

What makes this approach so effective, and how can other funders get involved? Find out in this Georgia Climate Digest video conversation between Eriqah Vincent of Drawdown Georgia and Melanie Allen, co-director of the Hive Fund. With the Georgia Climate Digest Video Series, Drawdown Georgia will shine a light on some of the many Georgians who are working to bring climate solutions home.

Watch the video here.

Anaerobic digestion, the process in which bacteria breaks down organic matter such as food wastes, wastewater biosolids and animal manures, is being increasingly recognized as a solution to addressing the climate-related crisis around excess food waste. In a growing number of locations around the world, and in particular, here in Canada, anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities are diverting food waste from landfills, thus lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to create green energy and valuable soil amendments for agricultural use.

However, the handling, logistics, operation and maintenance of AD facilities for waste materials are distinct and complex compared to other waste management approaches.

In this blog, we cover what AD is, how it works, challenges to avoid, and how Canadian municipalities are helping solve the climate crisis little by little.

Anaerobic Digestion in Canada

Governments across Canada, both provincial and municipal, have rolled out disposal bans to divert municipal and/or commercial food organic waste from landfills. Nova Scotia was the first province to ban organics from landfill in 1998, followed by Metro Vancouver in 2015.

In Ontario, residents generate about 3.7 million tons of food and organic waste every year, with 60% of total food waste going to landfills. In Toronto, the city is tackling the climate crisis by addressing the residential food waste issue with tremendous success. In 2014, Toronto expanded its Green Bin Program and built its second anaerobic digestion facility, called the Disco Road Organics Processing Facility.

Why is this so important as a measure to fight the climate emergency?

Organic food waste represents approximately 30% of the municipal waste stream. When sent to a landfill, it breaks down and becomes a significant source of methane. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is considered to be about 80 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Thus, diverting organic materials from landfills lowers greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and also preserves limited landfill capacity. Also, when sent to an AD facility, biomethane, a renewable gas, and valuable soil products are created. In essence, AD allows us to turn waste into resources, thus promoting the circular economy.

Types of Anaerobic Digestion 

Anaerobic digestion uses bacteria to transform organic waste into energy in the absence of oxygen. This mirrors a process that already occurs in nature, such as in marshes. These microorganisms decompose muds at the bottom of marshes through AD, producing methane, carbon dioxide and other reduced compounds as byproducts. In order to be implemented on a larger scale, the process is optimized in closed tanks called digesters. The microorganisms in AD facilities digest the organic fraction of the waste and convert it into biogas (biomethane), a source of renewable energy. The residual organic matter forms what is called the digestate. The digestate is dewatered, composted and turned into fertilizer for agricultural purposes.

There are two predominant AD technologies currently being used in Canada for the processing of municipal and commercial organics: wet and dry technologies. These technologies are primarily selected depending on the feedstocks that will be received from municipal and/or commercial sources, as well as the desired outputs from the process.

Pre-Treatment Challenges

A critical component of the anaerobic digestion process is the pre-treatment of feedstocks. Municipal organic waste feedstocks often have high plastic content if the collection of food wastes is in plastic bags. The pre-treatment system removes the inert contaminants and other non-digestible elements. The remaining contaminant-free organic slurry is processed through an AD system where, over a specific time period, the organics are converted into biogas and digester solids.

There are different types of pre-treatment and choosing the right one can be a complex endeavour. The right type of pre-treatment will depend on the particular features of the feedstock, specific site conditions and requirements (e.g. future expansion, energy and/or water recovery), as well as desired outputs.

Aside from the initial capital investment, it’s critical to consider both the long-term operating costs and possible income that can be generated from the plant. Selecting an inappropriate technology may result in long-term operational problems, poor or unstable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and high operating costs.

Treating Organic Food Wastes at Wastewater Treatment Facilities

In addition to standalone anaerobic digestion facilities, organic food wastes can also be processed at wastewater treatment facilities. As many wastewater treatment facilities already have anaerobic digesters, more organics can be added when there is underutilized capacity. This option is particularly attractive to communities seeking to leverage existing municipal infrastructure. It’s also an option when neighbouring communities have organic wastes they want to divert from landfills.

Another option for processing municipal and commercial organic wastes is the use of on-farm digesters, at much lower volumes, however, given regulatory constraints. An additional possibility is the processing of an engineered bio slurry (EBS). This pre-treatment technology depackages organic wastes at transfer stations or other locales, then transports the organic slurry to a wastewater treatment facility , where it is injected into the anaerobic digesters. This process augments and/or bypasses the facility’s onsite pre-treatment process. While the EBS processing approach can be beneficial in that it can reduce the operational footprint and operational issues associated with the pre-treatment of organic waste streams, it is critical that the bio slurry be properly pre-processed to avoid contamination issues that could impact the biogas production and digestate.

As the demand for sustainability and resource efficiency grows in response to the climate crisis, Canadian municipalities are investing in comprehensive organic waste processing programs. These programs aim to extract maximum value from organic waste by offsetting operational costs, generating renewable energy from biogas and producing agriculturally beneficial byproducts, all part of a burgeoning circular economy.

However, these processing programs require complex planning and extensive knowledge across many areas, including processing of municipal and commercial food and yard wastes, wastewater treatment, sludge concentration, thermal processes, product marketing and distribution, land application and energy recovery.

Baker Tilly’s podcast series specifically for professionals in the multifamily housing industry

On this special post-election episode of BuzzHouse, Don Bernards sits down with David Gasson, executive director of the Housing Advisory Group, a national advocacy organization that works on behalf of the LIHTC, as well as broader housing issues. David provides insight on the implications of the 2024 election on the world of affordable housing – including leadership in housing policy-related Congressional committees, predictions on changes to the corporate tax rate, GSE reform, the status of CRA and much more. Press play and discover this informative and enlightening episode!

Multifamily housing resources

For articles, webinars and additional resources for developers, housing authorities, property managers, state housing credit agencies and lenders, visit Baker Tilly’s multifamily housing page.

SALT LAKE CITY, December 13, 2024 /3BL/ – KeyBank has awarded a $225,000 grant to NeighborWorks Salt Lake (NWSL), a Utah-based nonprofit organization that strengthens community neighborhoods through housing, resident leadership, youth, and economic development opportunities. KeyBank’s grant will bolster NWSL’s CareerWorks program, which creates medical career readiness employment opportunities for diverse populations in the Salt Lake community.

CareerWorks offers specialized healthcare career training to lower-income diverse community members so they can secure employment and opportunities for career advancement.

“Programs like CareerWorks equip our community citizens with the confidence and skills needed to kickstart successful medical careers, offering sustainable employment and quality medical care for our Utah citizens,” said Drew Yergensen, KeyBank Utah market president. “KeyBank is honored to support this valuable and much-needed community initiative.”

NWSL began CareerWorks during the Covid pandemic to support a local hospital in employing a diverse workforce. The program offers various training programs, including phlebotomy, certified nursing assistant, medical translation and more, and has a 95% completion rate.

“NeighborWorks Salt Lake is grateful for KeyBank’s support of our CareerWorks program. This partnership is vital to our mission of building stronger, more inclusive communities by empowering individuals through career readiness in the healthcare sector,” said Maria Garciaz, CEO of NeighborWorks Salt Lake. “CareerWorks not only opens doors to stable, meaningful employment for our diverse community members but also enriches our local healthcare system with skilled, compassionate professionals who represent the communities they serve. Together with KeyBank, we are creating pathways to opportunity and helping our neighbors thrive.”

About NWSL 
NeighborWorks Salt Lake is a 47-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities throughout Salt Lake County by providing affordable housing, supporting resident leadership, and fostering youth and economic development. With a focus on creating sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods, NeighborWorks offers programs that empower individuals and families, enhance economic stability, and promote long-term community resilience. Through partnerships, innovation, and a commitment to social equity, NeighborWorks Salt Lake continues to make a positive, lasting impact on the lives of thousands of residents each year. For more information, visit https://www.nwsaltlake.org

About KeyCorp 
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion at September 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

###

In this episode, ESG Talk revisits key segments from the Climate Week series, spotlighting actionable solutions and industry insights. First, join hosts Steve Soter, Andie Wood, and Alyssa Zucker as they demystify greenhouse gas emissions and explore practical approaches to carbon accounting. Then, hear from Amelia DeLuca, Delta Air Lines’ chief sustainability officer, as she discusses Delta’s innovative strategies for reducing direct carbon emissions and advancing sustainable aviation fuel production in the airline industry.

Listen Now

Looking for more? Subscribe to the ESG Talk podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. 

ESG Talk is brought to you by Workiva, the world’s only unified platform for financial reporting, ESG, audit, and risk. Learn more at workiva.com.

Written by Scott Brady, PE, National Manager – Technical Application Support, Eaton

To encourage safer electrical systems, the 2023 update to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70B shifted from a “Recommended Practice” to a “Standard” that contains mandatory requirements for the development, implementation and operation of an electrical maintenance program (EMP).

In addition to covering all common electrical system components, the 2023 update to NFPA 70B includes specific guidance for the maintenance of:

Chapter 30 – Photovoltaic (PV) systemsChapter 31 – Wind power systems and associated equipmentChapter 32 – Battery energy storage systemsChapter 33 – Electric vehicle (EV) power transfer systems and associated equipment

I believe this new standard can help electrical system owners ensure they are getting the most out of their investments in energy transition technologies while protecting people and personnel. But what does the new standard entail? And how can you ensure your preventive maintenance plan is compliant? The first important thing to understand is how to properly assess the condition of your equipment.

Equipment condition assessment drives efficient preventive maintenance 

Chapter 10 of the NFPA 70B standard prescribes maintenance intervals for specific pieces of electrical componentry based on equipment condition assessment. This is an evolution of the table that previously existed in Annex L but goes a step further to consider the condition of the equipment being maintained, with factors including:

Equipment physical conditionCriticalityOperating environment

The equipment condition assessment (ECA) is driven by the HIGHEST value of these three conditions. For example, if equipment is designated “Condition 1” for electrical equipment and criticality but a “Condition 3” for operating environment it would use “Condition 3” durations for the ECA maintenance intervals.

NFPA 70B also requires a condition of maintenance indication to communicate the serviceability of the electrical equipment to electrical workers.

Maintenance intervals guide routine preventive maintenance

Once the equipment condition assessment is performed, Chapter 10 of NFPA 70B provides mandatory scopes of work and maintenance intervals broken out by product type. These requirements can be referenced in Table 10.1.2.1, which is in alphabetical order and provides the corresponding reference chapter for scope of work specifics.

It is important to note these maintenance intervals do not supersede manufacturer’s guidelines; they provide guidance only in the absence of information from the manufacturer.

For example, if a PV system received an Equipment Condition Assessment rating of condition 3 because it could be supporting a microgrid or emergency power system, the PV system requires visual inspection and regular electrical testing at an interval of every 12 months unless manufacturer guidelines advise otherwise.

What is electrical testing?

NFPA 70B requires detailed, prescriptive testing processes for preventive maintenance program compliance. These guidelines are described in Chapter 8: Field Testing and Test Methods.

Compared to previous versions of 70B, the update clearly defines testing category types in Section 8.3:

1 – Online standard test: Performed while the electrical equipment or device is connected to the source of supply.1A – Online enhanced test: Not typically performed in normal electrical maintenance activities and provides additional diagnostic information.2 – Offline standard test: Performed while the electrical equipment or device is disconnected from the source of supply or is connected to an external test voltage source of supply.”2A – Offline enhanced test: Typically not required but may be useful based on the application of the equipment or if there is a problem with the equipment. For example, a “rated hold-in” test in accordance with NEMA AB-4 might be performed on a molded case circuit breaker if the circuit breaker has been tripping under normal load conditions.

It is important to note that NFPA 70B provides the minimum requirements for preventive maintenance, which are superseded by manufacturer guidelines.

For instance, NFPA 70B states that testing trip functions is optional for circuit breakers 250A or less. And circuit breakers with electronic trip units that are rated or can be adjusted to 250A or over only require verification of the calibration of all the functions of the trip unit by means of the manufacturer’s specified test set.

At Eaton, we recognize the labor-intensive and accuracy challenges of testing circuit breakers using primary injection current that facilitated the development of electronic trip units. Modern electronic trip units feature built-in communications via USB connection for verification of the calibration of the trip functions being used, saving time and the cost of expensive test kits.

Intelligence and digitalization can help simplify electrical testing

In the 2023 NFPA 70B standard, language was added to allow continuous monitoring and predictive techniques to drive maintenance intervals compared to the tables provided.

For example, when taking trip function testing into consideration, modern advancements in intelligent trip units are revolutionizing the ability to monitor overall circuit breaker health. These trip units dramatically streamline traditional breaker inspection procedures, with an at-a-glance health indicator and powerful data analytics that detail the health condition of the breaker. The health analytics provide predictive maintenance diagnostics along with detailed reports on operations, short-circuits, overloads, temperature and more to help enhance system reliability.

These technologies can be applied in EV charging applications to provide remote load testing, time-stamped event summaries and high-speed event waveform captures with detailed event logging to simplify preventive maintenance.

Additionally, there are add-on devices you can implement to provide continuous, non-invasive online monitoring for switchgear, transformers, bus duct and cable connections commonly found in alternative energy applications. These devices provide predictive monitoring to help users make more informed safety and maintenance decisions.

Preventive maintenance supports a safer, more sustainable future

It’s been half a century since the first version of NFPA 70B was issued as a recommended practice. Today, the transition to a standard provides more enforceability for what shall be done when it comes to electrical equipment maintenance. That is a win-win for the reliability of electrical equipment and the overall safety of the electrical system for those individuals tasked with working on them.

For decades, Eaton has customers develop and implement preventive maintenance strategies to improve safety, uptime and compliance with local, state and national requirements. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need assistance understanding these new requirements or creating your own customized preventive maintenance program.

Contact:

Kristin Somers
+1.919.345.3714 
Kristincsomers@eaton.com

Regina Parundik
Cobblestone Communications
+1.412.559.1614
Regina@cobblecreative.com

The power and proximity of CNH brand, New Holland Construction, distinguished itself as an official sponsor in the Red Bull Los Andes race.

Through SKC, official distributor in Chile, the brand participated in the event that brought together more than 200 of the best riders in the world on the challenging terrain of the Andes Mountains.

“The brand’s efficiency and precision were reflected in the extreme and complex competition recognized globally, as was New Holland Construction. The synergy of this sport with the principles and values of the brand strengthens our identity and commitment to the community. This connection defines us and is one of the reasons why we are pleased to support this competition year after year,” said Fernando Conforti, Commercial Manager of Territory of New Holland Construction Latin America.

The yellow excavators were the at centre of the show, forming, with their arms, the arch that marked the starting point of the race. In addition, the brand’s skid steers and backhoes showed off at the event, showing all their strength and power.

“It is an honor to be a partner of Red Bull Los Andes since its inception. This event not only highlights the skill of athletes in a setting as impressive as the Chilean Andes, but also celebrates the passion for extreme sports and the connection with nature. Every year, the energy and emotion experienced in this meeting are indescribable. We are excited to be part of this unique experience and to continue supporting the talents that make this event memorable”, said Alessandro Maccarini Gonzalez, Marketing Manager New Holland Construction at SKC Chile.

By Sam Naffziger, SVP, AMD Corporate Fellow, and Product Technology Architect

Over the last two years, generative AI has become a major focus, with billions of people and organizations using AI tools daily. As adoption accelerates and new applications emerge, new data centers are coming online to support this transformational technology – but energy is a critical limiting factor.

In these early stages of the AI transformation, demand for compute will continue to be nearly insatiable. And in the data center, every watt of energy consumed by a chip has an impact on its energy needs, total cost of ownership, carbon emissions and, most importantly, its compute capacity. To continue driving advances in AI and broaden access, the industry must deliver higher performance and more energy efficient processors.

Driving energy efficiency through the 30×25 goal

In 2021, we announced our 30×25 goal, a vision to deliver a 30x energy efficiency improvement for AMD EPYC™ CPUs and AMD Instinct™ accelerators powering AI and high performance computing (HPC) by 2025 from a 2020 baseline. We have made steady progress against our goal by finetuning every layer from silicon to software.

Through a combination of architectural advances and software optimizations, we’ve achieved a ~28.3×1 energy efficiency improvement in 2024 using AMD Instinct™ MI300X accelerators paired with AMD EPYC™ 9575F host CPUs, compared to the 2020 goal baseline.

Energy efficient design starts at the architecture level

AMD takes a holistic approach to energy efficient design, balancing advancements across the many complex architectural levers that make up chip design, incorporating tight integration of compute and memory with chiplet architectures, advanced packaging, software partitions, and new interconnects. One of our primary goals across all of our products is to extract as much performance as possible while balancing energy use.

AMD Instinct MI300X accelerators pack an unprecedented 153 billion transistors and leverage advanced 3.5D CoWoS packaging to minimize communication energy and data movement overhead. With eight 5nm compute die layered on top of four 6nm IO die, all tightly connected to industry-leading 192GB of high-bandwidth memory (HBM3) capacity running at 5.2 terabytes per second, these accelerators can ingest and process massive amounts of data at an incredible pace.

Microsoft and Meta are taking advantage of these capabilities, leveraging MI300X accelerators to power key services including all live traffic on Meta’s Llama 405B models.

Memory capacity and bandwidth play a crucial role in AI performance and efficiency, and we are committed to delivering industry-leading memory with every generation of AMD Instinct accelerators. Increasing the memory on chips, improving the locality of memory access via software partitions, and optimizing how data is processed by enabling high bandwidth between chiplets can lower interconnect energy and total communication energy consumption, reducing the overall energy demand of a system. These effects multiply across clusters and data centers.

But it’s not just accelerators that impact AI performance and energy efficiency. Pairing them with the right CPU host is critical to keeping accelerators fed with data for demanding AI workloads. AMD EPYC 9575F CPUs are tailor made for GPU-powered AI solutions, with our testing showing up to 8% faster processing than a competitive CPU thanks to higher boost clock frequency2.

Continuous improvement with software optimizations

The AMD ROCm™ open software stack is also delivering major leaps in AI performance, allowing us to continue driving performance and energy efficiency optimizations for our accelerators well after they’ve shipped to customers.

Since we launched the AMD Instinct MI300X accelerators, we have doubled inferencing and training performance3 across a wide range of the most popular AI models through ROCm enhancements. We are continuously finetuning, and our engagement in the open ecosystem with partners like PyTorch and Hugging Face means that developers have access to daily updates of the latest ROCm libraries to help ensure their applications are always as optimized as possible.

With ROCm, we have also expanded support of lower abstraction AI-specific math formats including FP8, enabling greater power efficiency for AI inference and training. Leveraging lower precision math formats can alleviate memory bottlenecks and reduce latency associated with higher precision formats, allowing for larger models to be handled within the same hardware constraints, enabling more efficient training and inference processes. Our latest ROCm 6.3 release continues to extend performance, efficiency and scalability.

Where do we go from here?

Our high-performance AMD EPYC CPUs and AMD Instinct accelerators are powering AI at scale, uncovering incredible insights through the world’s fastest supercomputers, and enabling data centers to do more in a smaller footprint. We are not taking our foot off the gas – we are continuing to push the boundaries of performance and energy efficiency for AI and high performance computing through holistic chip design. What’s more, our open software approach enables us to harness the collective innovation across the open ecosystem to drive performance and efficiency enhancements on a consistent and frequent cadence.

With our thoughtful approach to hardware and software co-design, we are confident in our roadmap to exceed the 30×25 goal and excited about the possibilities ahead, where we see a path to massive energy efficiency improvements within the next couple of years.

As AI continues to proliferate and demand for compute accelerates, energy efficiency becomes increasingly important beyond the silicon, as we broaden our focus to address energy consumption at the system, rack, and cluster level. We look forward to sharing more on our progress and what’s after 30×25 when we wrap up the goal next year.
 

[1] EPYC-030B Calculation includes 1) base case kWhr use projections in 2025 conducted with Koomey Analytics based on available research and data that includes segment specific projected 2025 deployment volumes and data center power utilization effectiveness (PUE) including GPU HPC and machine learning (ML) installations and 2) AMD CPU and GPU node power consumptions incorporating segment-specific utilization (active vs. idle) percentages and multiplied by PUE to determine actual total energy use for calculation of the performance per Watt. 28.3x is calculated using the following formula: (base case HPC node kWhr use projection in 2025 * AMD 2024 perf/Watt improvement using DGEMM and TEC +Base case ML node kWhr use projection in 2025 *AMD 2024 perf/Watt improvement using ML math and TEC) /(2020
perf/Watt * Base case projected kWhr usage in 2025). For more information, www.amd.com/en/corporate-responsibility/data-center-sustainability.

[2] 9xx5-056A: Llama3.1-70B inference throughput results based on AMD internal testing as of 09/24/2024.   
Llama3.1-70B configurations: vLLM 0.6.1.post2, TP8 Parallel, FP8, continuous batching, results in tokens/second.   
2P AMD EPYC 9575F (128 Total Cores) with 8x AMD Instinct MI300X-NPS1-SPX-192GB-750W, GPU Interconnectivity XGMI, ROCm™ 6.2.0-66, 2304GB 24x96GB DDR5-6000, BIOS 1.0, Ubuntu® 22.04.4 LTS, kernel 5.15.0-72-generic
2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ (128 Total Cores) with 8x AMD Instinct MI300X-NPS1-SPX-192GB-750, GPU Interconnectivity XGMI, ROCm 6.2.0-66, 2048GB 32x64GB DDR5-4400, BIOS 2.0.4, Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS, kernel 5.15.0-72-generic
Input/Output Tokens, 2K MI300X Turin MI300X EMR Turin vs. EMR
128/1, 500 prompts 185.7 158.62 1.171
128/128, 500 prompts 6859.35 6252.68 1.097
128/2048, 500 prompts 8763.52 8048.48 1.089
2048/1, 2000 prompts 13.08 13 1.00
2048/128, 2000 prompts 1421.79 1393.54 1.02
2048/2048, 2000 prompts 6508.68 6026.48 1.08
Geomean of Relative Performance 1.076
Results may vary due to factors including system configurations, software versions and BIOS settings. 

[3] Testing conducted by internal AMD Performance Labs as of September 29, 2024 inference performance comparison between ROCm 6.2 software and ROCm 6.0 software on the systems with 8 AMD Instinct™ MI300X GPUs coupled with Llama 3.1-8B, Llama 3.1-70B, Mixtral-8x7B, Mixtral-8x22B, and Qwen 72B models.

ROCm 6.2 with vLLM 0.5.5 performance was measured against the performance with ROCm 6.0 with vLLM 0.3.3, and tests were performed across batch sizes of 1 to 256 and sequence lengths of 128 to 2048. 

Configurations:
1P AMD EPYC™ 9534 CPU server with 8x AMD Instinct™ MI300X (192GB, 750W) GPUs, Supermicro AS-8125GS-TNMR2, NPS1 (1 NUMA per socket), 1.5 TiB (24 DIMMs, 4800 mts memory, 64 GiB/DIMM), 4x 3.49TB Micron 7450 storage, BIOS version: 1.8, , ROCm 6.2.0-00, vLLM 0.5.5, PyTorch 2.4.0, Ubuntu® 22.04 LTS with Linux kernel 5.15.0-119-generic. 
vs. 
1P AMD EPYC 9534 CPU server with 8x AMD Instinct™ MI300X (192GB, 750W) GPUs, Supermicro AS-8125GS-TNMR2, NPS1 (1 NUMA per socket), 1.5TiB 24 DIMMS, 4800 mts memory, 64 GiB/DIMM), 4x 3.49TB Micron 7450 storage, BIOS version: 1.8, ROCm 6.0.0-00, vLLM 0.3.3, PyTorch 2.1.1, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with Linux kernel 5.15.0-119-generic.

Server manufacturers may vary configurations, yielding different results. Performance may vary based on factors including but not limited to different versions of configurations, vLLM, and drivers. MI300-62

DAVIDSON, N.C., December 12, 2024 /3BL/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, announces that energy-saving infrastructure upgrades are underway at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) campus in DeKalb, Ill. Trane, a leader in building and energy solutions, is collaborating with the university to develop and implement a comprehensive energy saving and emissions reduction program.

Over the course of the next 18 months, Trane and NIU will upgrade the Dekalb campus with comprehensive energy saving solutions including LED lighting, water conservation measures, building weatherization improvements, Solar Photovoltaic installations at multiple locations, EV charging stations, Thermal Energy Storage for cooling, high-efficiency heating and cooling system upgrades, and smart HVAC building controls.

As a result of these improvements, NIU is projected to achieve over a 26% reduction in energy consumption and an 11 percent reduction in emissions. The new energy-saving program by Trane will help NIU reduce its carbon footprint and achieve measurable progress toward the university’s goal of reducing emissions by 50 percent by fiscal year 2030, further solidifying NIU’s commitment to sustainability leadership.

This campus-wide initiative supports NIU’s technical, social, environmental, and financial goals, delivering sustainable benefits to the community while integrating sustainability into campus life, strategic planning, and decision-making. In 2023 the university established a comprehensive Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, aiming to establish a leading position in sustainability education and research. Campus improvements will have an annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 6,552 cars from the road or planting 455,169 trees according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

“In collaboration with Trane, we are excited and thrilled to be pursuing a greener future for Northern Illinois University, our community and our world,” NIU President Lisa C. Freeman said. “NIU already plays critical roles in education and research related to sustainability, but this effort demonstrates our commitment to modeling sustainable behavior and environmental stewardship.”

The updates are funded through a combination of federal, state, utility, energy, and operational savings. By leveraging Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), this budget-neutral approach will enable progress. This allows NIU to reinvest capital against other priorities that align with their vision of being a regional and national model for sustainability. By collaborating with Trane, the university can finance today’s facility upgrades with tomorrow’s energy savings, without tapping into capital budgets.

“NIU’s commitment to both sustainability and the comfort of students and staff created a strong foundation for this extensive sustainability program,” said Jon Dunlap, Upper Midwest Area Director of Energy Services, Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies. “We are proud to collaborate and help them achieve their energy efficiency goals. These improvements will help reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions and create more resilient and sustainable learning spaces for students and more comfortable working environments for staff.”

In addition to ambitious on-campus sustainability goals, the Trane and NIU collaboration will incorporate significant social impact elements, including new workforce development opportunities for students through capstone projects, internships, and employment opportunities. The program emphasizes community engagement and uplift around sustainability, energy career paths, and STEM education. These efforts further enhance NIU’s community presence and contribute to the broader community’s economic and social well-being.

# # #

About Trane   
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments through a broad portfolio of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and controls, services, parts and supply. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies   
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. For more on Trane Technologies, visit tranetechnologies.com.   

About Northern Illinois University   
Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. The Wall Street Journal and CollegeNET recognize NIU as a leading institution for social mobility, or helping its students climb the socioeconomic ladder. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Naperville and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 areas of study while serving a diverse and international student body.   

Forward Looking Statements   
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of securities laws, which are statements that are not historical facts, including statements that relate to our decarbonization efforts, energy saving initiatives, social impact initiatives, sustainability commitments and the impact of these commitments. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause such differences can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as well as our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Tax Disclaimer: Trane does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. This material is for informational purposes only and it should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. Tax law is subject to continual change. All decisions are your responsibility and you should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors. Trane disclaims any responsibility for actions taken on the material presented.   

© 2024 Trane. All Rights Reserved.​​  
All trademarks referenced in this document are the trademarks of their respective owners.