efficiency
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has launched a $74-million smart-grid initiative supported in part by a Smart Grid Investment Grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The initiative involves the installation of capacitor banks and phasor measurement units (PMUs) on the bulk transmission system throughout the state.
electricity transmission
Here’s a pretty cool smart technology you’ll never see in your house, although it could do a great deal to help keep your home’s electricity on: a robotic device called LineVue that can “see” the health of the conductor core at the heart of transmission lines. Developed
fuel cells
The US Department of Energy plans to invest nearly $7 million over five years to study cost issues related to fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems. The funds will go toward four independent analyses aimed at identifying ways to drive down production costs of transportation fuel cell systems, stationary fuel
smart cities
Working with IBM, the city of Portland in Oregon has developed a 25-year plan for becoming a “smarter” city. The plan is based on a computer simulation designed to help city leaders see how municipal systems — the economy, housing, education, public safety, transportation, healthcare/wellness, government services, utilities, etc. — work
home automation
Home automation firm Vivint has opened a smart-grid training center for technicians who will be installing smart meters, home area networks, load control devices, electric vehicle (EV) chargers and other advanced technologies. The 10,000-square-foot facility in Austin, Texas, is the first training center of its kind, according to Vivint.
wind energy
Duke Energy has unveiled plans to build and operate a 200-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Texas and sell the electricity it generates to San Antonio-based CPS Energy, the US’s largest municipally owned energy utility. Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, plans to build the Los
photovoltaics
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $967-million loan guarantee to Agua Caliente Solar to support the construction of a 290-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar generating facility in Yuma County, Arizona. Sponsored by NRG Solar, the Agua Caliente Solar project will use thin-film solar panels manufactured by First Solar
energy storage
Flywheel-based energy storage company VYCON is coming out with a new system that combines flywheel technology with batteries for longer-lasting backup power capabilities. According to VYCON, the Hybrid VDC XEB flywheel system enables users who need more backup time to combine the reliability and green aspects of the flywheel system
Sustainability software firm CloudApps has begun working with a UK- and Africa-based charity to help it maximize the number of families it helps while keeping its own carbon emissions under control. The charity Send a Cow, which provides livestock, seeds and training to poor African families, has become a new
solar energy
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has inked a 25-year deal to buy 150 megawatts (MW) of renewable power from Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar complex in Boulder City, Nevada. Photovoltaic solar module producer First Solar will provide the ground-mounted thin film panels for the project, and
energy management
The energy management software company BuildingIQ has been awarded a $1.2-million grant from Commercialisation Australia, an initiative of the Australian federal government. BuildingIQ plans to use the funds to expand its offerings, which focus on energy maangement in commercial buildings. As recent heat waves have shown, power grids are
renewables
As the demand for clean energy keeps growing, Siemens has decided it makes sense to split its renewables business into two independent units: one focused on wind, the other focused on solar and hydropower. “We want to continue our success story in wind power business and establish the basis for
