News, Trends & Analysis
Archive for May, 2010
Smart Grid Integration: EnerDel, ITOCHU Connect EVs, Stationary Storage, Solar and Rapid Recharging
May 15th
May 14, 2010
Indianapolis-based lithium-ion battery manufacturer EnerDel and longtime partner ITOCHU, a giant Japanese industrial trading company, unveiled a Smart Grid integration project near Tokyo said to the be the first integration of EVs, stationary grid storage, renewable energy technologies and rapid recharging in a real-world setting. EnerDel’s advanced batteries are at the heart of the project which is intended to showcase the value batteries can have in stationary grid applications after their more demanding life cycle as EV batteries is over. A solid battery aftermarket would greatly reduce battery costs for both automotive and utility buyers. The project, with partners Mazda and Family Mart convenience stores, also More >
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Loading ...Taking Grid Energy Storage to the Edge
May 15th
Taking Grid Energy Storage to the Edge by Brad Roberts, S&C Electric Co. POWERGRID International Published: May 12, 2010
Boston, United States — The concept of storing electricity generated in a utility grid has been tried since the beginning of the power industry. In the U.S., large-scale storage projects flourished in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s as utilities added 18 GWs of pumped hydro facilities to support the rapid build out of the fleet of nuclear power plants across the nation. Nuclear plants run best at higher power ratings, so pumping water in these hydro plants presented ideal off-peak loads during More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...With Acquisition, Honeywell to Marry Demand Repsonse and Building Management
May 7th
MICHAEL KANELLOS: MAY 7, 2010
With Acquisition, Honeywell to Marry Demand Repsonse and Building Management
It bought Akuacom.
People have been talking about and witnessing acquisitions in the smart grid space since 2008and current events just keep building on the trend.
Today, Honeywell, one of the leaders in building management, bought Akuacom, which provides demand response services to independent service providers and building owners.
It’s an interesting combination. Honeywell and Johnson Controls are the dominant names in building management. Chances are you’re in a building right now controlled by their systems. Many, however, complain that traditional building management systems are too expensive and don’t provide dynamic More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The Associated Press: Bid to enact energy bill might survive Gulf spill
May 6th
WASHINGTON — The Gulf oil spill has dealt a big blow to expanded offshore drilling, leaving the nation’s energy problems as murky and unsettled as ever.
The disaster may bolster arguments for greater energy conservation and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, environmentalists say. But it’s hard to see any other political beneficiaries, and under the best of scenarios, few experts think the nation’s thirst for foreign oil will abate for years to come.
Apart from the deaths of 11 oil rig workers and the environmental damage to the Gulf and southeastern coastlines, the More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Smart Grid Strategy: ABB to Grow Energy Management Software Market Access With Ventyx Acquisition
May 5th
May 5, 2010
Global power and automation technology company ABB will acquire major software, data and advisory services provider Ventyx for more than $1 billion from Vista Equity Partners. ABB’s strategy is to combine its related network management business within the Power Systems Division, with Ventyx as a single unit for energy management software solutions. The acquisition triples the energy management software market for ABB and plants the company firmly as a leading software solutions provider for managing energy networks.
Quick Take: Whenever we talk to mid-sized Smart Grid companies these days, the executives whisper that they have received multiple tire-kicking visits from bigger companies working on a Smart Grid More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...TX House Committee on State Affairs (May 12): “green” technologies, climate change
May 3rd
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
COMMITTEE:
State Affairs
TIME & DATE:
11:00 AM, Wednesday, May 12, 2010
PLACE:
JHR 140
CHAIR:
Rep. Burt Solomons
The House Committee on State Affairs will meet to hear invited testimony
only on interim charges 2, 3, and 5.
Interim Charge 2: Examine of state policy on “green” technologies for all
state buildings and costs associated with such implementation.
Interim Charge 3: Monitor federal legislation and regulatory initiatives
pertaining to climate change and its effects on utilities and consumers.
Consider Texas’ response to proposals and make recommendations as to any
further preparations.
Interim Charge 5: Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee’s
jurisdiction.
Invited testimony only.
More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...New EPRI Collaborative: Industry-wide Transmission Efficiency Initiative
May 3rd
Industry-wide Transmission Efficiency Initiative
Apr 30, 2010
One of the thornier problems facing implementation of the Smart Grid is the grid’s transmission system. But the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has come to the rescue by forming a brain trust of utilities and transmission system operators to compile and analyze data from transmission lines, substations and grid operations to develop ways to cost effectively improve the inadequate existing system. More than 20 organizations and 33 proposed transmission projects will feed data into the collaborative effort. It’s an outgrowth of previous efforts by EPRI and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and industry stakeholders to More >
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