| Today's Top Stories
1. Space-Time Insight situational awareness helps utilities avoid outages
2. FERC, CFTC at odds over transmission planning and cost allocation rule change
3. Mark Group, SunRun offer 20-year locked in solar rates
4. BuildingIQ awarded $1.2M for proactive energy management optimization
5. American DG Energy delivers CHP to Stevens Institute of Technology Also Noted: Spotlight On... Green Mountain Energy donates solar array to educate Texas public
Safer nukes, solar energy storage and much more... News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Newton-Evans research shows smart meters still a big part of smart grid plans
2. Protocols driving smart grid interoperability
3. General Motors and OnStar partner for smart grid EV pilot
Today's Top News 1. Space-Time Insight situational awareness helps utilities avoid outages
Space-Time Insight has announced new capabilities in its software to simplify the ability of a utility to assess the performance of the electric grid and visualize, analyze and correlate large volumes of data received from multiple sources, a critical requirement in the deployment of Wide Area Situational Awareness (WASA) systems. Designed to accommodate the microsecond measurements recorded by synchrophasors, devices used to measure the state and quality of the power system, the new software arms control room operators with timely information needed to make instant decisions that impact grid stability and availability.  | | Situational awareness allows utilities to drill down to specific assets and use financial heat maps to prioritize initiatives. Photo courtesy of Space-Time Insight. | Many utilities are reliant on aging databases, spreadsheets and basic operational charts and line diagrams to run their operations. There's a growing assumption that running a business on yesterday's data with software tuned to accessing data in a delayed format, exposes the company to undue risk. "This is especially true with the rollout of smart meter and wide area situational awareness systems that not only generate huge volumes of data, but the success of their operation depends on real-time or near real-time interpretation of that data," Steve Ehlich, Vice President of Marketing, Space-Time Insight, said in an interview with FierceEnergy. "The situation is exacerbated by the need to correlate multiple internal and external sources of data, all arriving in different formats, at different speeds and at different times." Situational intelligence helps utilities take control of this data onslaught and make faster informed decisions as a result. To do so requires users to be able to visualize operational problems or situations in a simple intuitive format, determine why and how problems occur, and finally, take the prescribed remedial steps to address issues. "Geospatial displays used in conjunction with more traditional analytics are at the center of this revolution since they provide the framework for the visualization as well as a jumping-off point for further analysis and action," Ehlich said. Read the entire article online at FierceEnergy. Read more about: Space-Time Insight, geospatial software, wide area situational awareness
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2. FERC, CFTC at odds over transmission planning and cost allocation rule change
A federal rule change regarding energy transmission planning and cost allocation, which will require that public utility transmission providers work regionally to meet policy requirements and set cost allocation methods, has sparked controversy with a leading electric utility coalition. Order No. 1000 will be implemented by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in order to correct previous policy deficiencies regarding transmission planning processes and cost allocation methods, according to information from the FERC website. FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil. Notice of a transmission planning and cost allocation rule change was announced on June 17, 2010. FERC received more than 180 initial comments and more than 65 reply comments in response to the proposed changes, which will replace Order No. 890. FERC's July 21 2011 announcement that the Order No. 1000 was a final rule agitated the Coalition for Fair Transmission Policy (CFTC), a trade organization representing utilities which serve more than 28 percent of U.S. electric consumers. A CFTC press release distributed August 5 cautioned that the new rule ignored comments filed with FERC and could mean that consumers have to pay more for electricity. "The final rule ignores multiple comments recommending that entities responsible for meeting state and federal public policy requirements and the state regulatory commissions overseeing them should decide how best to meet those mandates. Instead, the rule allows regions to develop planning processes as they see fit, possibly shifting costs among states or sub-regions," according to a statement released Monday by the CFTC. The group's media representative could not be immediately reached for comment. The statement also expressed concern that, "FERC's approach permits the allocation of costs for new transmission within a region even to some consumers receiving no electricity from the project. Someone else will decide whether those consumers benefit from a project not otherwise needed for reliability purposes, even if the project was opposed by utilities being allocated costs and the suggested ‘benefits' are not really needed or desired by the supposed ‘beneficiaries'." FERC framed the new rule as a step toward improving transmission planning and cost allocation by promoting competition "by removing from FERC-approved tariffs and agreements a federal right of first refusal for transmission facilities selected in a regional transmission plan for purposes of cost allocation, subject to certain limitations." "This rule is an important step forward, building on FERC's successful market reforms over the past 15 years," FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in a media statement. "Our action today promotes efficient and cost-effective transmission planning and the fair allocation of costs for new transmission facilities. These changes will provide consumers with greater access to efficient, low-cost electricity." When contacted by FierceEnergy, FERC declined to comment further on the new rules. Order No. 1000 is set to take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. For more:
- see the CFTC release
- see the FERC release Related articles:
Investment in new transmission a multi-billion dollar industry
White House smart grid initiatives heavy on "dialogue," light on specifics |
3. Mark Group, SunRun offer 20-year locked in solar rates
A partnership between Mark Group and SunRun is offering a clean energy rate 20-year lock-in program to the greater Philadelphia area to make solar more affordable as demand for stable and renewable power continues to grow.  | | An East Coast rooftop solar installation. Photo courtesy of SunRun. | The solar systems should meet at least 40 percent of customers' power needs, depending on roof size. "Many with larger, more southern facing roofs may be able to nearly eliminate their utility bill," Jeff Bladen, Chief Commercial Officer at Mark Group, told FierceEnergy. "All needs not met by the solar are filled in from the power grid. Again, this is mostly a function of how much unobstructed southern facing roof space is available at the home." Even as customers cut down on their utility bills, utilities will experience the benefits of solar. "Utilities will see less stress on their distribution systems during many hours of the day as these customers draw from the panels rather than the grid. Particularly important during hot summer days with otherwise high demand on the system when solar panels produce the most," Bladen said. "The effect should be reduced cost for utilities to operate and maintain their local distribution systems and should also mean less need for long distance transmission expansion." For more:
- see this release Related Articles:
Premier Power and LCSD use solar to combat increasing electricity costs
Go Solar in Arizona: Utilities could profit from SRECs Read more about: Solar power, SunRun, Mark Group, rate lock-in program
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4. BuildingIQ awarded $1.2M for proactive energy management optimization
BuildingIQ energy management software has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Australian government's Commercialisation Australia to expand its offerings in order to redefine the way energy is managed in commercial buildings. According to David Olson, PE, Vice President of Business Development for BuildingIQ, the energy management software allows utility CTOs a link between available end-user customer resources (both demand response and energy efficiency) to support grid operations and Improve customer relations. In an interview with FierceEnergy, Olson said that the energy management software offers utility executives many benefits including: - Better insight into the demand response and energy-effiiciency resources actually available
- Identification of faults in end customer plant operations or BMS settings which could adversely impact demand response participation
- Multiple property aggregation and reporting
- Proactive and automatic monitoring, managing and optimization of end customer building energy use/operations and demand response resources to increase participation in demand response events and programs
- Better management of dynamic pricing
- Reduction of customer energy consumption and peak loads without compromising comfort or disrupting operations
The technology also offers business opportunities for utilities in terms of value added customer services. For example, customer energy management services can be extended from continuous manual adjustments to strategic focus through a virtual energy manager where system capital expenses can be avoided. "The future of energy management is proactive optimization - basically a more intelligent, more profitable way to manage energy in commercial buildings," said Mike Zimmerman, CEO of BuildingIQ. For more:
- see this release Related Articles:
Home Gateway Initiative supports smart grid solutions with Home Energy Management
Brambleton Verizon's first Connected Home community
Parks Associates: Energy management more than just a wall device
Home Gateway Initiative: Utilities and BSPs can interface for enhanced HEM services
DOE PSAs educate consumers on energy efficiency Read more about: BuildingIQ, energy management software, Commercialisation Australia, customer energy management services
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5. American DG Energy delivers CHP to Stevens Institute of Technology
American DG Energy has added two more energy systems at Stevens Institute of Technology. The combined heat and power (CHP) systems provide highly efficient electricity and heat such as hot water. The CHP concept has existed since Edison. When American DG Energy sites the equipment in a building, the heat can be supplied locally to maximize the efficiency. Supplying the energy is considered distributed generation providing safer and lower cost energy. The future of distributed energy is very strong.  | | A 150 kW CHP system installed at a multi-tenant housing property. Photo courtesy of American DG Energy. | "Utilities can partner with companies like American DG Energy to offer the technology and innovative business practices such as an on-site utility where the customer only pays for discounted energy," said Barry J. Sanders, President and COO, American DG Energy, in an interview with FierceEnergy. American DG Energy sells the energy produced from an onsite energy system to an individual property as an alternative to the outright sale of energy equipment. On-site utility customers only pay for the energy produced by the system and receive a guaranteed discount rate on the price of the energy. CHP technology integrates with the smart grid to deliver energy when and where it is needed. For more:
- see this release Related Articles:
Fuel Cells 2000: US ahead of international competition
Will Micro CHP be the next sleeper market to come out of the shadows in the U.S.?
SoCalGas invests in Tecogen to meet customer onsite power gen needs
CHP will move forward with or without the utility Read more about: combined heat and power, American DG Energy, distributed generation
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Green Mountain Energy donates solar array to educate Texas public Green Mountain Energy Company has donated $140,000 to the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi through the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club to fund its first solar array system. The solar array is installed on the Museum's roof above the entrance and visible to visitors. The solar array helps reduce the Museum's carbon footprint and energy costs, as well as educates the public about the benefits of solar energy. According to David Knox, NRG Energy's Director of Communications, solar has definite benefits to utilities. The intermittent nature of solar means, in most cases, that it only generates when the sun is out; however, it also generates when it is needed the most. When electrical demand is highest in the afternoon, solar can produce the most power making it a natural peaker. Further, there is a large research and development effort to create battery technology that can store power to make it available at other times during the day. Article >CPS Energy will add wind power in 2012. Article
>The U.S. Department of Energy is funding research for safer nuclear energy. Article
>MIT is researching solar energy storage. Article
>And Finally...chairman quits alternative energy panel. Article > White paper: Smart Planning for Smart Grid AMI Mesh Networks Mesh networks must be properly designed to operate within the constraints of mesh routing protocols and capacity limits This white paper shows how planning/analysis techniques can deliver reliable and scalable networks and outlines best RF design practices to optimize for performance and cost. Download today! > White paper: Cyber Security and the Energy Sector Utilities face many security challenges today. AT&T and Sierra Wireless are working together to provide strong and proven security technologies enabling utilities with a secure and flexible two-way communications infrastructure to connect and communicate in real time. Download now. | |
