ComEd looks to blockchain as tool to manage an increasingly complex grid

David Thrill

November 8, 2019

Another utility is jumping on the blockchain bandwagon.

Illinois electric utility ComEd is partnering with a California developer called Xage to test how its blockchain-based software might help the utility manage an increasingly complex distribution grid.

As customer-owned solar and storage becomes more common, electricity is more often flowing in multiple directions. Utilities are looking for better ways to securely track and verify how electrons are moving around on the system.

The information will be critical to ensure owners of distributed resources are fairly compensated and can exchange energy securely with other resources on the grid.

For the rest of the story visit: Tool to manage complex grid

Race Heats Up For Title Of Cheapest Solar Energy In The World

October 17, 2019
Dominic Dudley, Contributor

Dubai has narrowly missed out on reclaiming the title of having the world’s cheapest solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, after receiving bids for the latest phase of a massive solar park on the desert outskirts of the city.

Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power submitted a tariff of just 1.6953 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the 900MW fifth phase of Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park, according to a report by the Middle East Economic Digest. That sets a new record for unsubsidized solar PV production, in the region at least. However, it is still a little way short of the 1.654 cents/kWh achieved in Portugal earlier this year.

The Dubai authorities have delighted in repeatedly setting new records for previous phases of the MBR Solar Park and they may be disappointed to have fallen just short this time. A carefully-worded statement from the government-owned utility, DEWA, earlier this week claimed they had, however, set a new world record for a PV solar plant based on the independent power producer (IPP) model.

For the rest if the story visit: Cheapest Solar in the World

How the Battery Sector Is Looking to Improve Lithium-Ion

Jason Deign, October 17, 2019

Electric vehicle makers and battery manufacturers are making progress in developing new lithium-ion designs, amid persistent concerns over the supply of key materials.

Concerns over cobalt, in particular, are forcing battery makers to move toward cobalt-light lithium-ion formulations, said Hans Eric Melin, founder of Circular Energy Storage, a consultancy focused on battery end-of-life management.

Foremost among these formulations is a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode chemistry with eight parts of nickel for each part of cobalt. This mix, known as 811, is the latest in a line of NMC cathode chemistries where the ratio of cobalt is being reduced in favor of other materials, particularly nickel, which is cheaper and easier to source.

For the rest of the story visit: Improved Lithium-Ion Battery

Webinar: NABCEP, Debating the State of Storage 2019 - October 30th

Where are we, really, with storage in 2019?

·    Are consumers catching on? If so, what is motivating them to add storage to their project? What's keeping them away?

·    Are contractors well-prepared, and well-positioned, to sell and install this technology? If not, what kind of support do they need?

·    Will California's "Title 24" play a prominent role moving forward? How so?

Join us on October 30th at 1:00 PM EST as our panelists debate these, and other important storage questions, in the first installment of a new educational series from BayWa r.e. Solar Systems and NABCEP.

For more information and to register visit:Storage webinar registration

DOE, Office of Science, WDTS Virtual Career Fair October 24, 2019

12PM -3PM EDT

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Virtual Career Fair is your chance to explore opportunities to participate in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and the Community College Internships (CCI) program at DOE labs and facilities across the country.

During the event you can:

·                Chat with recruiters, scientists, and researchers

·                Explore information about each lab/facility

·                Learn more about the SULI and CCI experience

For more information and to register visit: Virtual Career Fair Registration

This “Climate” Headline Points to Growing Career Opportunities

By Joe Sarubbi
A new career map, Careers in Climate Control Technology, attempts to end the stereotypes and to show these jobs in the positive light they deserve. It provides a first-of-its-kind interactive, visual tool to showcase the employment opportunities that exist in the exploding HVAC/R industry – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.

In fact, employment in the HVAC/R industry is growing faster than the average for all occupations – on track for projected growth of 15 percent from 2016 to 2026.

This new career map offers a powerful tool that can be used by educators, career advisors, students, military veterans, employers, policy-makers, workforce professionals and others to see the wide variety of high-quality jobs that exist in the industry. It also illustrates how advancement is possible after just a few years of experience.

The map identifies five sectors within the industry – residential, commercial, sales and marketing, automated controls, and design and engineering. It highlights 40 jobs and more than 150 advancements between those jobs and across sectors. The jobs and job details are applicable across the U.S., but the salaries are focused on the California market since the funding for the Careers in Climate Control Technology map was made possible by the Proposition 39 Clean Energy Workforce Program Grant, a statewide California initiative.

The map also highlights “green jobs.” The HVAC/R industry is loaded with jobs that have an immense impact on a building's efficient use of energy and resources. Think heating and lighting controls in a building or home. Think maintaining heating and air conditioning equipment in homes or offices so it runs efficiently. Think about design and manufacturing jobs where new technology is being developed and deployed to reduce heating and air conditioning equipment's energy use. 

Details in the career map provide a brief description of each job, with salary range, information on education and training, as well as skills and requirements necessary to do the job well.

http://www.hvaccareermap.org/

Nebraska college capitalizes on need for wind energy workers

Chris Dunker, Journal Star

Editor's note: This is part of a regular series about the courses being taught at Nebraska's colleges and universities, as well as the instructors and students involved in them.

NORFOLK -- Mastering the inner-workings of a nacelle, which houses the gearbox, brakes and generator that makes a wind turbine a wind turbine, will come in time and practice.

First, students in Northeast Community College's wind energy program must master gravity.

Dressed in hard hats and harnesses, the dozen or so future wind turbine technicians practice rappelling off the side of a decommissioned nacelle donated to the college program from NextEra Energy. Unlike the 71 turbines of the Sholes Wind Farm about 30 miles north of the Norfolk campus, Northeast's newest wind energy lab puts the students about 10 feet off the ground.

To those without experience in a controlled vertical descent, however, mastering the technique can be challenging. Boots slip on the nacelle casing, and students roll and pitch on their first tries.

"It's all about setting your weight back and trusting your equipment," said Alex Junck, of Sioux City, Iowa. "You also have to bend your knees a little. A lot of people stand up too tall and put their weight on their toes."

For the rest of the story visit: College Capitalizes on need for wind energy workers

DWP approves deal to buy record-cheap solar power

By Sammy Roth; Photograph by Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times

For a long time, there were two big knocks against solar power: It’s expensive, and it can’t keep the lights on after sundown.

A contract approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shows how much that reality has changed.

Under the 25-year deal with developer 8minute Solar Energy, the city would buy electricity from a sprawling complex of solar panels and lithium-ion batteries in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County, about two hours north of Los Angeles. The Eland project would meet 6% to 7% of L.A.’s annual electricity needs and would be capable of pumping clean energy into the grid for four hours each night.

The combined solar power and energy storage is priced at 3.3 cents per kilowatt-hour — a record low for this type of contract, city officials and independent experts say, and cheaper than electricity from natural gas.

For the rest of the story visit:Record-cheap solar

Webinar: Battery Energy Storage System Safety: Critical Steps for the Maturing Storage Market

Date: September 19th, 2019 at 2pm ET / 11am PT

Duration: 1 hour

With the rise of variable renewable energy sources comes the need for dispatchability and grid stability. Offering unprecedented flexibility, the battery energy storage solution is being recognized more and more as the “missing link” in the electricity value chain. Just within the past few years alone, gigawatts of battery energy storage systems have been installed across the globe, and the industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as battery costs continue to decline and favorable regulatory policies are implemented.

For more information and to register visit: Battery Storage Webinar

Webinar - Grid Modernization: Solving the Question of Where

September 17th, 2019 - 1:00PM ET

Enterprise-level GIS has the ability to help planners, grid operators, marketing, and customer experience professionals coordinate their efforts. GIS gives each of these departments a view of how customers interact with the grid. As the utility business becomes more distributed the ability to visualize the grid, analyze data, and improve operational decision making will make GIS an even more critical tool for the industry.

This webinar will explore:

• How to use GIS to drive a more effective grid modernization strategy.

• How spatial data can help utilities address challenges related to DER.

• How to use spatial data more effectively to understand their customer’s needs.

To Register: Grid Modernization Webinar