Locus Again Recognized as Carbon Software Leader

Groom Energy Research Study Reveals Carbon Software Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 25, 2010 — Locus Technologies was recognized as one of the leaders in software for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting by Massachusetts-based research firm Groom Energy Solutions. Their Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA) report is titled “2010 Enterprise Carbon Accounting: An Analysis of Corporate-Level Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reporting and a Review of GHG Software Products.” This report comes only weeks after UtiliPoint International, Inc., a key utility and energy industry analysis and consulting firm, in a similar report recognized Locus as one of the oldest and most comprehensive providers of GHG software.

“We are very pleased that some of the leading industry analysts, first UtiliPoint, followed by IDC, and now Groom Energy, have recognized Locus as one of the most established and versatile companies in the sustainability and environmental software space,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

Founded in 1997, Locus pioneered the use of the Internet’s power to manage all aspects of environmental business, focusing on environmental information management (EIM) developed on a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform and delivered through Cloud Computing. In addition, ePortal, the Locus environmental executive dashboard, brings key environmental information to the user’s desktop in a Yahoo!-style single sign-on (SSO) interface, providing the ability to drill into the data when a more in-depth view is needed.

“With our suite of diverse but well integrated products offered through an SSO, along with our stellar client list who manage environmental information in real time using Locus Cloud Computing software at over 36,000 sites around the world, Locus is well positioned to continue to lead the environmental software market,” added Dr. Duplan.

Thirteen years after Locus’ founding, environmental software has become a multi-billion dollar industry with new players entering almost daily. In its report, Groom Energy stated that more than $46 million in venture capital was invested in ECA startup companies in 2009, while large software companies like Microsoft and SAP also entered the market. The research also confirmed that the number of corporations disclosing GHGs increased significantly in 2009 and predicts that ECA software purchases will increase 600 percent by 2011. To distinguish Locus from competition, Locus offers a proven track record of delivering complex environmental information management and compliance solutions over the Internet for over 10 years.

The New York Times, in commenting on the Groom Energy Study, reports that the current ECA industry leaders are a mix of longtime software players and startups. The newspaper predicts that winners will be the companies that can integrate various applications that not only manage GHGs but also provide management of other, mission-critical environmental data and information, such as water quality and consumption management.

The analyst reports highlight Locus’ experience in Cloud Computing, not only for the company’s GHG emissions management, but also for its general leadership in the complex space of environmental sustainability software, including water quality management.

Locus is an industry leader in providing Web-based Cloud Computing information technology to help manage data and information related to water supply and quality to meet the growing need for clean water.

Any climate bill before the U.S. Congress is almost certainly to be delayed after the 19 January 2010 special election of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last December declared greenhouse gases a danger to public health. The “endangerment finding” announced by EPA will allow EPA to manage GHG emissions under the 1970 Clean Air Act, and opens up large emitters such as power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants and metal smelters to regulations that limit their output of carbon dioxide and other gases. Managing GHG under the Clean Air Act will be more costly to the industry. The biggest threat of huge new energy taxes and government controls right now comes not from cap-and-trade legislation, but from the existing regulation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. As a result, the industry will focus on the broad spectrum of existing environmental compliance issues, all of which require specialized software and a deep knowledge of regulations, all of which Locus developed and deployed over the last 13 years.

Requirements for environmental compliance have existed for years. The Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule of September 2009 represents yet another element (and a relatively small one at that) in a long list of environmental compliance activities to which U.S. companies are subject. In particular, oil and gas companies are facing increased regulation and enforcement by the EPA.

As a result, many companies are revisiting their environmental, health and safety (EH&S) strategies and are looking for software applications not only to manage GHG or environmental data, but also to improve operational efficiency and reduce operating costs.

“Locus has served this market exceptionally well since 1997, and maintains the leading position in many of its segments,” noted Dr. Duplan.

ZDNet GreenTech Pastures | Need to verify your greenhouse gas emissions? Locus Tech has your back

Environmental software developer Locus Technologies has earned the right to provider greenhouse gas emissions verification services by the California Air Resources Board.

Locus Technologies Offers Greenhouse Gas Emissions Verification Services

Locus is one of only a few California Air Resources Board certified GHG verification organizations

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 18, 2010 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, has been accredited by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to provide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions verification services. Locus is one of just a few companies to obtain this accreditation.

The accreditation allows Locus to provide verification services for GHG emissions reports. The verification team at Locus consists of experts in all reporting requirements. Locus’ in-house Lead Verifiers are certified in all sectors including refineries, cement production and electricity transactions to provide verification services for all reporting scopes.

On December 6, 2007, pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the CARB approved the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions regulation. The regulation requires the mandatory reporting and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Facilities subject to GHG reporting are mandated to have their greenhouse gas emissions verified beginning in 2010, for their 2009 reported emissions. Facilities will be subject to either annual or triennial verification. Only CARB accredited verification bodies and verifiers may provide GHG emissions reporting verification.

“GHG emissions are becoming important parameters to accurately measure and report. Locus is excited to offer services to aid clients in meeting the new GHG reporting requirements,” stated Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

Locus has also developed a cloud computing based software program to collect, manage, and report GHG emissions. “With the training and certification in validation, we are confident that the emissions data in our software can be quickly and easily verified by a third party,” said Dr. Duplan.

ZDNet GreenTech Pastures | Need to verify your greenhouse gas emissions? LocusTec has your back

Environmental software developer Locus Technologies has earned the right to provider greenhouse gas emissions verification services by the California Air Resources Board.

Locus Recognized as Carbon Software Leader

Emissions Trading & Monitoring Software Study Applauds Locus

 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., December 14, 2009 — In the midst of climate change discussions in Copenhagen, Locus Technologies (Locus), was recognized as one of the oldest and most comprehensive providers of greenhouse gas (GHG) software in a study just published by UtiliPoint International, Inc., a key utility and energy industry analysis and consulting firm.

The UtiliPoint study focuses on both software aimed at emission reporting and software aimed at emissions trading as well as the need for a link between the two types of software. “We are very pleased with leading industry analyst UtiliPoint’s comprehensive study of software providers for greenhouse gas management and with their recognition of Locus,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

The Emissions Trading & Monitoring Software Study highlights Locus’ experience in the domain of Software as a Service (SaaS), not only for GHG emissions management, but also as a general leader in the complex space of environmental sustainability software, including water quality management. UtiliPoint predicts that Locus’ record of environmental software expertise will help Locus to become a top player in the emerging field of GHG data management and reporting.

eGHG, Locus’ GHG emissions monitoring software, is applauded in the UtiliPoint report. This software can create an emissions inventory that can be easily verified and reported to various emissions reporting programs in the US and internationally.

“Whether or not carbon is regulated through the Clean Air Act as announced by EPA last week, or a United States Federal cap-and-trade program is created in the near future, a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system is still needed for compliance with the Clean Air Act, various voluntary registries such as The Climate Registry or Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and for trading with the various international programs already in place. We are already witnessing an explosive growth in carbon data, analysis, and reporting that comes on top of other environmental data streams such as water and sustainability. Locus provides one stop shopping for all enterprise environmental software needs,” added Dr. Duplan.

ZDNet GreenTech Pastures | Seeing is believing: Locus Technologies environmental software helps visualize the impact

If seeing is believing, then we could all benefit from more environmental software applications like the one sold by Locus Technologies. You input your data once; it visualizes the impact.

Locus Offers Free GHG Calculator for CA Mandatory Reporting

Industry Leader Takes Action to Help with GHG Reporting

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., November 2, 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental software, announced today the release of its free greenhouse gas (GHG) calculator.

By estimating the Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide emitted from stationary sources, the calculator helps companies know if they are required to meet the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) mandatory GHG reporting CARB 95101 (b)(8) legislation. This handy tool is located on Locus’ website.

“Carbon management and reporting in various legal jurisdictions in the U.S. and around the world is getting complicated by the rapid introduction of new legislation. Spreadsheets or even specialty databases will not work any more. Locus’ approach of deploying a universal web-based platform where multinational companies can input carbon data once and report many times and in many different formats is exactly the concept the market needs to avoid an accounting nightmare, ” said international carbon trading expert Peter Fusaro, Chairman of New York based Global Change Associates, cofounder of the Energy Hedge Fund Center, and creator of the annual Wall Street Green Trading Summit.

“The U.S. EPA Federal Mandatory Reporting Rule and the Climate Registry’s work to harmonize emissions reporting coupled with tools like Locus’ GHG calculator and ePortal will help industry to streamline their GHG reporting requirements while getting insight into their energy consumption,” added Fusaro.

“Offering industry a free GHG estimator is a part of Locus’ broader strategy to provide a suite of cloud-based carbon management tools in our ePortal where customers input GHG and other sustainability information once and report it many times to meet various requirements,” explained Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

“Locus’ GHG calculator is useful for quickly estimating reporting eligibility and requirements. Organizations will realize cost-savings by organizing their GHG and other sustainability data with Locus’ ePortal software; they can retain historical information in Locus’ central database on the web and use that information for planning and budgeting,” added Duplan.

In addition, the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule, recently announced by the EPA, imposed a requirement that will require all facilities that emit 25,000 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (mtCO2e) per year to report GHG emissions data to EPA annually. To estimate CO2e for Federal EPA requirements, EPA has provided an equivalency calculator at their website, which is accessible from Locus’ website.

Although California ARB and Federal EPA have similar 25,000 ton reporting requirements, the calculation requirements are different. EPA considered several factors when developing the reporting threshold, including the form of the threshold and emissions-based thresholds used in other GHG emissions programs such as California’s 95101 (b)(8) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 1605b program. EPA’s 25,000 metric ton CO2e threshold will cover many of the types of facilities and suppliers typically regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA), while appropriately balancing emission coverage and burden.

Locus’ GHG estimating calculator was developed in collaboration with Ecotek (www.ecotek.com), a Los Angeles based consulting firm specializing in air emission reduction solutions. Ecotek is a Climate Action Leader with the California Climate Action Registry and a founding member of The Climate Registry.

Locus Technologies Joins The Climate Registry and The Global Reporting Initiative

Industry Leader Takes Action on Climate Change

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., September 28, 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental software, announced today that it has joined The Climate Registry and The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to report its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and GRI Performance Indicators and to assist its clients with doing the same. The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization established to support organizations in calculating and publicly reporting GHG emissions in a common, accurate and transparent manner consistent across industry sectors and geographical borders. The Global Reporting Initiative has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance.

“Locus Technologies has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by taking the critical first step toward analyzing its impact on the environment” said Doug Scott, Chair of The Climate Registry and Chair of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. “In order to manage and reduce emissions, it is important to calculate and verify emissions data accurately. By measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions according to the most rigorous and comprehensive standards, Locus is holding itself to the highest level of accountability and responsibility.”

Registry Members calculate and verify their GHG emissions according to The Climate Registry’s protocols, which are based on and consistent with international standards such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and WRI/WBCSD. By calculating, reporting and verifying their GHG emissions, Members serve as international role models for environmental responsibility and commitment. Because they have experience in managing their emissions, they also serve as valuable resources in developing future policies.

The GRI Guidelines are the world’s most widely-used sustainability reporting framework. The common framework enables like-for-like comparison to be made between companies, and for change to be effected from within a company. GRI’s mission is to create conditions for the transparent and reliable exchange of sustainability information through the development and continuous improvement of the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework. The GRI vision is that disclosure on economic, environmental, and social performance is as commonplace and comparable as financial reporting, and as important to organizational success.

“Locus is very happy to join these organizations that are leading initiatives to standardize reporting of GHG and Sustainability Indicators for the benefit of the planet and business community. For the last several years Locus has been developing web-based software that incorporates guidance documents from these organizations to help its clients with reporting needs in various jurisdictions around the world. Locus’ goal is to provide its clients with Software as a Service (SaaS) tools where clients need to input GHG and Sustainability information only once and report it many times in accordance with various geographies and standards. This is particularly important because many regions around the world still don’t have a clear set of enterprise GHG reporting standards. With passage of the Federal Greenhouse Gases Rule on 22 September 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, require large emitters to begin reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under a new reporting system. This new program covers approximately 85 percent of the U.S. GHG emissions and applies to roughly 10,000 facilities. The owners of these facilities need to be ready to organize and report their data in the most efficient way. Furthermore, by organizing their GHG and Sustainability data in a system like Locus’, companies will not only be able to lower the reporting costs and organize their data better, but also use the very same data to improve their operational efficiency across their organization in a way that could self-fund these important initiatives,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.

“We hope that Locus will pave the way for many other companies from the US and other regions of the world to recognize the importance of GRI and GHG reporting. Embedding the GRI guidance in ePortal applications through a multi-stakeholder process will help industry to faster adopt a set of standards for sustainability disclosure,” added Dr. Duplan.

Locus Technologies Announces Alfresco Enterprise Content Management and Collaboration Tools Integration With its ePortal Platform

Integration of the latest Web 2.0 technologies optimize environmental management and corporate social reporting

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 22 June 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance, sustainability and GHG information management software, announced today a key release of their ePortal platform, which incorporates both enhanced corporate sustainability reporting tools and Web 2.0 collaboration tools, provided by Alfresco Software (www.Alfresco.com), the leader in open source enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. The addition of Alfresco’s ECM capability to Locus’ popular ePortal product enables distributed teams working online to securely share, track and manage environmental content, as well as automate reporting within and across companies.

Locus’ ePortal environmental management solution integrates its environmental management modules into a single software solution through a single sign on (SSO) for large and small enterprise applications. Locus’ ePortal automates environmental information management workflows, as well as compliance, sustainability and greenhouse gas reporting at the enterprise level through its environmental Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. Locus’ enhanced release due this summer expands corporate sustainability and GHG reporting and adds collaboration tools powered by Alfresco.

“Corporate sustainability reporting is all about measurement, metrics and improvement as companies strive to be better stewards of the earth while conducting their business and lowering costs,” said Rick Bergquist, Chief Software Evangelist and former CTO of PeopleSoft. “By adding the power of collaboration using Alfresco, Locus’ ePortal can track sustainability progress, sharing best practices among far flung corporate divisions to further enhance a company’s return on investment. This is part of the key Locus vision to provide rich, easy to use, on-demand software tools that streamline environmental reporting and foster continuous improvements through active collaboration,” added Bergquist.

“Locus has provided online sustainability solutions since 2002, covering the core Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators for environmental performance, labor practices and decent work,” said Locus President and CEO, Neno Duplancic. “Although GRI reporting can be complex, our system provides an easy-to-use multi language user interface that streamlines data entry and requires little or no user training,” said Duplancic.

“Locus’ inclusion of Alfresco into their solution provides a cost-effective way for organizations to address their environmental management and corporate social reporting requirements,” commented John Powell, CEO of Alfresco Software. “Alfresco has been designed to provide flexible collaborative content services well suited to the SaaS delivery model. ”

In addition to GRI-compliant sustainability reporting, Locus’ ePortal includes auditable and actionable compliance task-based tracking with automated notifications, environmental data management using a powerful online database, regulatory permit tracking, asset tracking and document management. Robust business analytics and on-board mapping with Google maps enable enterprise users to manage and track trends at divisional or corporate levels on configurable dashboards. Locus provides unprecedented access and environmental information control across all enterprise environmental content repositories, structured and unstructured. This functionality enables a new generation of solutions and modules that can intelligently leverage information to automate tasks previously requiring human action, providing significant ROI.

Locus and Ecotek Team to provide new Cloud Computing Platform for Greenhouse Gas Management

Upcoming changes to regulatory reporting requirements drive new solutions

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 27 April 2009 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in web-based environmental compliance and information management software, today announced a development relationship with Ecotek, a leader in helping industry navigate the complexities of Federal and State air and greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation compliance reporting.

The environmental industry is at a critical point in determining how businesses, government agencies, and community organizations respond to unprecedented legislative mandates to reduce greenhouse gas to curb global warming. The California Air Resources Board recently adopted the proposed Scoping Plan for implementing AB32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. And, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States, the Federal Mandatory GHG reporting Rule.

Business will be required to provide the best possible environmental information and Locus and Ecotek are teaming to make that possible. Progressive companies should be acting now to prepare. Locus is a leader in cloud computing solutions for the environmental industry. Historically, Locus has emphasized environmental data management for complex analytical data with their Environmental Information Management (EIM) system, used by Fortune 100 companies to manage environmental data and risk. Locus’ ePortal is the industry’s first on-demand environmental software that automates environmental information management workflows, compliance, and reporting at enterprise level through Locus’ Software as a Service (SaaS) environmental software offerings. Locus’ ePortal already offers eEHS, a streamlined enterprise corporate sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) tracking application that includes Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions tracking and key Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) environmental and labor indicators. GRI is independent institution (started in 1997 by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) and became independent in 2002) whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The GRI is an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The GRI performance indicators are grouped under three sections covering the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability.

CSR, corporate sustainability and corporate governance collectively are shaping the identity of organizations and are therefore increasingly integrated into the business strategy of successful corporations. Consequently, the field of responsible business strategy and practice is becoming one of the most dynamic and challenging subjects corporations are facing today and possibly one of the most important ones for shaping the future of the world.

Ecotek is a key player in development and support of air emission and air regulatory reporting software and provides expert air compliance consulting services to a strong base of private sector companies and public agencies. Ecotek’s areas of expertise include EPA Title V and California Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Annual Emissions Reports (AER) and upcoming Greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations. Ecotek is a Climate Action Leader with the California Climate Action Registry and a founding member of The Climate Registry.

“Locus’ eEHS application, in use since 2004, was already tracking the Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions and GRI sustainability indicators as well as calculating carbon footprint for customers. It was natural to take the next step and round out the offering by covering the current (AB32) and proposed (Federal) air quality indicators and GHG reporting requirements expected later this year,” said Locus President and CEO, Neno Duplancic. “Locus selected Ecotek based on their superior qualifications and deep domain expertise in both old and new air regulatory reporting requirements and their excellent reputation with the California South Coast AQMD, as evidenced by their twelve year relationship providing support for that agency.”

“Ecotek is excited to work with Locus on enhancing their popular on-demand software suite,” said Ecotek President, Natasha Meskal. “We have long believed that the advantages of SaaS software applied to air emissions reporting was a perfect match and would offer a wide range of users subject to State and Federal regulations an easier and better way to comply with the current and future requirements, which are only getting more complex.”

“Business owners have so much on their plates to comply with requirements and keep up with regulatory changes, having an easy online tool to streamline that process for all their various reporting needs will be a huge benefit.” concluded Meskal.

 

ABOUT ECOTEK
Ecotek is a leading environmental engineering company providing environmental compliance consulting services and information technology solutions to a strong base of private sector companies and public agencies. Ecotek specializes in the design and implementation of strategies that provide practical compliance and emission reduction solutions that are not only cost effective, but also improve process efficiency and allow businesses to optimize their growth potential. Ecotek manages data to minimize the regulatory impact, by the development and implementation of a customized, proactive compliance programs, applying technological innovations. Ecotek is a Climate Action Leader with the California Climate Action Registry and a founding member of The Climate Registry.

For more information, visit www.locustec.com or contact Ms. Marian Carr at (650) 960-1640.