The global supply of stationary energy storage systems has expanded dramatically as the number of solar and wind farms increase – but ensuring the safe operation of larger systems is critical to their long-term success.
Michael Burz admitted at the outset his is an uphill battle — making battery technology sexy.
“It’s a battery, not blockchain,” said Burz, referring to the popular technology used as the basis for BitCoin and other digital currency.
Still, the president and CEO of EnZinc Inc. thinks his Bay Area-based company could advance the development of advanced high performance green batteries that are based on zinc instead of the more common lithium ion or lead acid.
Grid modernization is getting into gear across the country as electric utilities continue to work to automate distribution and smarten the grid. Buoyed by validating data, states such as California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts are leading the way, providing blueprints for other regions to follow.
Consumers Energy today ushered in a new technology on the campus of Western Michigan University, starting operation of a new large-scale battery that should store enough energy to power 1,000 homes at any time.
It’s been a headache-inducing nexus of active regulation, distributed energy and environmentalism for some electric utilities. Plunging costs of solar power and growing concerns of climate change are inspiring swelling ranks of the largest private and Fortune 500 companies pursuing not only aggressive renewable energy goals for sustainability purposes but also cost effectiveness and resiliency. Now utilities are facing the sobering question of whether to significantly invest in green infrastructure to keep these large customers and risk controversial rate cases, or watch helplessly as that caravan of large, rate-paying customers defects, taking considerable revenue with them.
Just a few years ago, there were predictions that 30 percent of power from renewables was all the grid could easily handle and that anything more would have significant consequences. However, recent events have shown that it is possible to integrate much higher levels of renewable energy without large negative effects. Part of the reason is that the growth has been incremental, typically a few percentage points a year, allowing grid planners to adjust as needed. It’s also because of the emergence of technologies and techniques that help incorporate fluctuating power from renewables into the grid.
The concept of “new energy” has ushered in a global movement dedicated to cost-effective sustainability, clean energy technology and grid innovation. Today more than ever, we’re seeing stakeholders and industry giants from all sectors — finance, manufacturing, retail, utilities, technology, even academia — come together in combined efforts.
The energy ecosystem is changing, driven by the advent of distributed clean energy, increased competition from new technologies and service providers, the evolving expectations of customers, and new opportunities for serving those customers. As the traditional business model changes, utilities are seeking new opportunities for revenue as they establish themselves as the “Preferred Energy Partner.” But getting there is another story, requiring a comprehensive category of innovative products and services that will define the future of revenue generation in the energy space.
Global engineering, procurement and construction company Black & Veatch’s newly released 2018 Strategic Directions: Electric Report explores the progress made by the industry as it addresses a rapidly changing customer base, commercial defection from the grid and a regulatory landscape challenged to support new market realities.
At ENGIE Storage, we’re committed to our customers’ success, and have people and processes in place to ensure they are taken care of throughout the life of their energy project. One of the key features of an energy storage engagement is the 10-year contract term, which is quite a long time in our fast-changing industry. We sat down with Michael Laine, Client Relationship Director at ENGIE Storage, to explore the questions that commercial and industrial (C&I) facility energy managers might have.
UPS is excited to be bringing a new class six vehicle into its rolling lab of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The new fully electric vehicle from Thor Trucks, Inc. will be road tested in Los Angeles, California later this year.
Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
The SCS Kingfisher certification mark is showing up on an increasing number of products around the world. It differentiates companies that are making...
