The Smart Energy paradigm is fast evolving from niche markets into a standardized part of the global energy portfolio. Oil majors, national governments, and technology developers have all reached the consensus that a more diversified energy mix is critical to sustainable economic growth in the future. As a result of this development, combined with the … Continue reading Smart Energy: Five Metatrends to Watch in 2013 and Beyond
Continue readingCategory Archives: Grids
Nissan wants one-stop shopping for its electric vehicles and home chargers
More than three years ago, Nissan (NASDAQ: NSANY) chose AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) as the preferred home charging station of choice for its all-electric Leaf. On Thursday, the integration between purchasing a car and using an AeroVironment charger has been significantly streamlined. AeroVironment has a new dealer program that allows for residential charging packages for car … Continue reading Nissan wants one-stop shopping for its electric vehicles and home chargers
Continue reading
Nearly 27,000 Off-Grid Remote Sensing Power Systems Using Renewable Will be Deployed Annually by 2020
Remote sensing systems, including light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for the oil and gas industry, as well as remote monitoring using telemetry for environmental applications, represent a growing market for off-grid power. Increasingly this power is being supplied by renewable energy and alternative sources, such as fuel … Continue reading Nearly 27,000 Off-Grid Remote Sensing Power Systems Using Renewable Will be Deployed Annually by 2020
Continue reading
Home Energy Management from Broadband Service Providers
Broadband service providers (BSPs) have entered the home energy management (HEM) space in the past few years with the aim of helping customers reduce or more efficiently control their energy consumption. The approach has been to bundle home energy management tools with current home security and home automation products and services. This nascent market has … Continue reading Home Energy Management from Broadband Service Providers
Continue reading
Concentrating Solar Power With Storage Can Benefit the Grid
The evidence is piling up that when the real value of energy is considered, electricity generated from concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with storage capability outperforms solar photovoltaic. Rigorous research studies cited throughout The Economic and Reliability Benefits of CSP With Thermal Energy Storage: Recent Studies and Research Needs, a report from the CSP Alliance, … Continue reading Concentrating Solar Power With Storage Can Benefit the Grid
Continue reading
Off-Grid Power for Mobile Base Stations
Demand for high quality, high reliability off-grid power is increasing yearly. In the coming years, a significant fraction of this demand will be met by some form of hybrid system that includes renewable or alternative energy sources. Of particular interest in this regard is growing demand for reliable, non-diesel-based energy sources from off-grid base transceiver … Continue reading Off-Grid Power for Mobile Base Stations
Continue reading
Obama Launches Electric Vehicles Everywhere Challenge
As part of the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, the new Workplace Charging Challenge aims to expand access to charging stations in cities across the U.S. At the Washington Auto Show, Secretary Chu announced the Workplace Charging Challenge. The Challenge aims to increase the number of U.S. employers offering charging tenfold over the next five years. … Continue reading Obama Launches Electric Vehicles Everywhere Challenge
Continue reading
Alstom Grid and Capgemini form global alliance for smart grid
Alstom Grid and Capgemini, one of the world’s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services today announced the signing of a global alliance agreement to pursue joint commercial opportunities for their combined smart grid solutions. “With Capgemini’s experience in the utilities industry and our proven Managed Business Services framework and “Infrastructure-as-a-Service” Together, the two … Continue reading Alstom Grid and Capgemini form global alliance for smart grid
Continue readingConsumers Remain Unfamiliar With Smart Grid Concepts
Smart grid rollouts are building momentum as utilities across the United States continue to invest in this new infrastructure in an effort to transform their power grids. However, even as utilities invest in these new technologies, they struggle to effectively communicate both the benefits of smart grids and the possibilities they make available to the … Continue reading Consumers Remain Unfamiliar With Smart Grid Concepts
Continue reading
Brussels requires Spain multiply by 60 charging points for electric vehicles by 2020
The European Commission has demanded that Spain multiply by 60 by 2020 (from 1356 there are currently 82,000) charging points for electric cars open to the public in order to promote the use of electric vehicles. The Spanish government at that time expected to Spanish roads traversing 2.5 million electric cars. Brussels has also chosen … Continue reading Brussels requires Spain multiply by 60 charging points for electric vehicles by 2020
Continue reading
Photovoltaics Better than Biofuels in Converting Solar to Mileage
A recent report indicates that in terms of conversion of solar energy to how much distance one can cover on wheels, photovoltaics come out on top over even the best biofuels. The report, published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal hoped to establish how efficient each of the power sources were by comparing how … Continue reading Photovoltaics Better than Biofuels in Converting Solar to Mileage
Continue reading
US DoD exploring electric vehicles as a source of emergency power
Electric vehicles may turn out to be more than gasoline-free people movers. The Department of Defense is said to be exploring electric vehicles as a serious means of emergency power during natural disasters and widespread outages. With the huge amount of news stories coming out during hurricane Sandy, it’s quite possible that a few important … Continue reading US DoD exploring electric vehicles as a source of emergency power
Continue reading
Wind energy battery going back online
Xcel Energy Inc. installed the $4.7 million battery in 2008 next to a Luverne, Minn., wind farm and operated it safely for more than two years. The sodium-sulfur battery was shut down in October 2011 on the advice of its Japanese manufacturer after a similar unit caught fire there. The only battery in Minnesota large … Continue reading Wind energy battery going back online
Continue reading
Update on vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G)
All-electric Mini Coopers at the University of Delaware’s STAR Campusmay soon be referred to as mini power plants as they become sources of distributed energy and demonstrate the potential that innovative vehicle-to-grid technology has to change the fundamental design of the delivery of energy in the United States. Willett Kempton, director of the Center for … Continue reading Update on vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G)
Continue reading
UK-Ireland wind energy deal is model for Europe
The agreement to be signed today in Dublin by the Energy Minister of Ireland and the UK Secretary of State for Energy to pave the way for the export of Ireland’s wind energy to Britain could serve as a template for other countries – and be a step towards a pan-European electricity grid. “With greater … Continue reading UK-Ireland wind energy deal is model for Europe
Continue reading
Despite flaws, DOE collaborative report shows more wind and transmission saves ratepayers money
A planning collaborative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy has released a final report on its analysis of several electricity generation and transmission options in the Eastern U.S. In spite of some serious shortcomings, the report clearly indicates that building more wind generation and transmission is the most cost-effective way to meet the region’s … Continue reading Despite flaws, DOE collaborative report shows more wind and transmission saves ratepayers money
Continue readingBest Practices for Utilities to Prepare for Electric Vehicles
In 2012, approximately 50,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) were sold in the United States, and the market is expected to grow by more than 50% in 2013. When primarily charged at home, these vehicles will, for many families, become the single largest power consumer of any device connected at a residence. For utilities, PEVs represent … Continue reading Best Practices for Utilities to Prepare for Electric Vehicles
Continue reading
Smart Cities
The next 40 years will see an unprecedented transformation in the global urban landscape. Between 2010 and 2050, the number of people living in cities will increase from 3.6 billion to 6.3 billion. Almost all of that growth will occur in developing countries. By 2025 there will be 37 megacities, each with a population greater … Continue reading Smart Cities
Continue reading
European Collaboration to Prepare European Electricity Networks for Influx of Electric Vehicles
A European consortium, consisting of DNV KEMA, Fraunhofer ISE, EMD International, RAH and RFVV, has begun an EU funded project to develop modeling and simulation tools for optimally integrating electrical vehicles (EVs) into electricity networks. The project, Novel E-Mobility Grid Model (NEMO), plays a key role in the further development of electric mobility in Europe … Continue reading European Collaboration to Prepare European Electricity Networks for Influx of Electric Vehicles
Continue reading
The Atlantic Wind Connection announces offshore wind energy transmission project selects Bechtel, Alstom to build historic project
The Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC), developer of the New Jersey Energy Link, the first offshore backbone electricity transmission system proposed in the United States, will announce Thursday that it has selected major construction and design firm Bechtel as its Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor and international power equipment supplier Alstom as its HVDC technical … Continue reading The Atlantic Wind Connection announces offshore wind energy transmission project selects Bechtel, Alstom to build historic project
Continue reading
