by Anthony Allard, head of Hitachi Energy, North America
Every time a big show wraps up, I can't stop thinking about the great conversations with industry leaders and practitioners from across the energy industry. Everyone is laser focused on doing our part to lead the clean energy transition and make a zero-carbon future a reality. Instead of shying away from this enormous responsibility, people are excited about the challenges ahead and are working at an aggressive pace toward meeting our goals.
As the leader of Hitachi Energy in North America, I appreciate the opportunity for fruitful conversations with our customers – utilities, renewable energy developers, transportation companies and other market participants – who are taking control of their sustainable future.
Here are three topics that keep coming up in these invaluable meetings of the mind:
1. Grid modernization
It’s clear that grid modernization efforts and associated digital transformation initiatives are maturing at a rapid pace, but we need to move even more quickly if we want to mitigate the most serious impacts of climate change. Meeting rising demand, integrating renewable energy sources such as solar and wind into the grid, and smoothing out inconsistent energy supply from a vast network of distributed sources are major roadblocks that will require significant investment in grid infrastructure, coupled with digitalization. We need to increase capacity and expand visibility across the entire energy lifecycle, and have the control to make data-driven decisions in the moment. Digital tools such as asset performance management (APM) and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) can help simplify operations across an increasingly complex grid. This built-in resiliency and flexibility will help utilities anticipate bottlenecks and predict impending failures – helping them ensure reliable service to customers while improving safety and the bottom line.
2. Investments in U.S. manufacturing
Solving the challenges ahead will require more than just grid modernization. We also need to optimize the entire energy supply chain and encourage greater collaboration between stakeholders. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has gone a long way toward incentivizing this, but we need greater clarity and certainty to reduce investment risk and enable the scalability we need to move the needle on climate change. This includes extending tax credits and encouraging local labor and investment incentives. We and many other suppliers have been investing aggressively to expand research and development, operations, and manufacturing capacity in the U.S. to shorten delivery times and shore up local supply chains. As demand grows, we will continue to need to do more.
3. Technology is not the bottleneck
Despite all the industry focus on supply chains, technology isn’t the primary bottleneck slowing the clean energy transition. Yes, there are issues we need to resolve, but the technologies needed to address our primary challenges are mature and available. What the industry needs is a more comprehensive national plan for grid modernization that leverages regulatory reforms and new business models. For example, the permitting and siting process for electrical infrastructure projects, particularly high-capacity transmission links, still takes too long in North America. This undermines our ability to support the needed influx of new renewable energy sources needed to meet climate challenges. We need a national transmission plan, a roadmap of sorts that can help overcome regulatory hurdles and accelerate deployments. We also need new business models where developers and suppliers work more closely on long-range planning, extended supply agreements, and standardization, so that we’re not recreating the wheel with each new project.
Meeting challenges with integrity
It’s great to see all the optimism about meeting the challenges that lie ahead of us, and I have no doubt that the industry will step up and do what is necessary. Our ability to address grid modernization, investments in U.S. manufacturing and supply chains, and more holistic planning and exploration of new business models will be key to delivering on our commitments in the coming decades – not just for the industry, but for the entire world.
Hitachi Energy /// www.hitachi.us
Happiness is a game changer for the environment
Psychologists and economists have determined that money and possessions account for only 2-4% of people’s happiness. These findings are documented by author Jeff Golden in his book, Reclaiming the Sacred: Healing Our Relationships with Ourselves and the World. Happiness in the United States and many industrialized nations has been in a decline since at least the 1940s. The recent findings about the relationship between money and happiness help to explain this decline, despite the spectacular material gains that have been made since that time, and the immense environmental destruction it has entailed. These findings are vitally important when it comes to global warming and other forms of environmental destruction. Strategies to address these problems often pit production and consumption against environmental protection. Changes or reductions in consumption are framed as trade-offs or sacrifices. These findings reveal that these shifts and reductions offer an opportunity to actually elevate people’s quality of life, not compromise it.
Reclaiming the Sacred: Healing Our Relationships with Ourselves and the World /// reclaimingthesacred.net
Sustainable, eco-friendly fire pit
The Colsen Fire Pits journey began with a simple yet powerful vision-to elevate the way people experience fire pits. Founded by fire pit enthusiasts with a shared love for design and functionality, their story is woven with a commitment to creating exceptional fire pits that seamlessly blend aesthetics and performance. Colsen Fire Pits are the architects of memorable moments, the creators of warmth, and the designers of ambiance for indoor and outdoor living spaces. Colsen Fire Pits are not just sources of heat, they are versatile companions. Whether gathering with friends, cooking under the stars, or simply enjoying a quiet evening alone, these fire pits adapt to the moment, creating an atmosphere that suits any occasion. Colsen Fire Pits are crafted with sustainability in mind, utilizing eco-friendly materials in construction and fuel to minimize their ecological footprint, and maintain a responsibility to the environment. Made in the USA.
Colsen Fire Pits /// colsenfirepits.com
See how the clean energy for steelmaking will also power the rise of clean cities. nucor.com/madeforgood/ helion-case-study
Power in the Wrong Hands
The rising threat to renewables
by Ian Bramson
Cyberattackers love renewables. This is because they meet many of the key characteristics that make them prime targets. First, renewables pioneer and employ new technology. Threat actors feed off new technology because it allows them to target vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered. Second, renewable operations are spread out over large distances, often in remote locations. This drives a dependency on renewables for remote connectivity and control, providing more ways cyberattackers could have a large impact. Lastly, renewables are high profile. Increasing investment and renewables’ criticality to national infrastructure makes them a high-impact target for cyberthreats.
Rise in cyberattacks
Geopolitical tensions are a stark reality in today's world. The aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine saw Europe's attempt to reduce its reliance on Russian oil, leading to retaliatory cyberattacks on renewables; three wind turbine companies in Germany bore the brunt of these attacks, temporarily losing control of a staggering 7,800 turbines. These real-world examples underscore the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures in the renewable energy sector.
In the United States, the frequency of cyberattacks against renewables has seen a sharp rise. Ransomware attacks against utilities and manufacturers increased by 50 percent in 2023. Administration officials have been sounding the alarm, warning that many of these attacks are orchestrated by nation-states and aimed at critical U.S. infrastructure. A separate report identified 21 “threat groups” specifically targeting industrial/OT networks, including electric power generation facilities, transmission and distribution networks, renewable facilities, satellite services, and telecommunications networks.
Start with the basics
When enhancing your cybersecurity posture, begin by asking these four fundamental questions:
• Do you know what you need to protect, especially after drilling into the components? (This is your asset inventory/management)
• Do you know where your gaps are? (This is your vulnerability management and prioritization)
• Can you see if someone is inside your system? (This is your monitoring program)
• If someone is inside your system, can you get them out? (This is your response and remediation plan)
Addressing these questions is a solid place to begin for both existing facilities and new project builds. If you aren’t able to confidently answer “Yes” to each one, your OT cyber program needs work.
Know your supply chain
The time has certainly come for renewables to step up their fight against cyberattacks, especially on the OT side. One of the most important protective actions is to know your supply chain – and know it thoroughly, end to end. It is
not enough to know where a piece of equipment was assembled or from where it was imported. Do you know where the subassemblies or motherboards were built? What about the software? Organizations need to have a supply chain map that digs deep into all digital equipment, components, and subcomponents to ensure better control of all equipment entering the facility. It is also vital to know your suppliers' cyber “hygiene” practices. What measures do they take to protect, validate, and check equipment and components before shipping to you?
A second key step involves acceptance testing of all equipment (big and small) against any malware before installation. Acceptance testing is common practice, but generally we’re not looking at it from a security standpoint; we’re checking to make sure the equipment works, but, all too often, that’s where it ends. We need to take it much further.
Proper security acceptance testing includes virus and malware detections, penetration tests for vulnerabilities, segmentation, and other types of system hardening. The amount of time and money organizations spend on these two steps now could be pennies on the dollar compared to the millions a typical successful cyberattack would cost.
Designing cybersecurity in each new project
Building in cybersecurity is better than bolting it on later. Ideally, you want to be thinking about how your organization is going to protect your facilities at the point of the design, not afterward — and certainly not after you’ve been the target of a cyberattack. Building in cyber from the beginning is less expensive, offers better protection, more efficiency, and provides a higher understanding of what you have and what you need to protect.
Keep an eye on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Generative AI is being applied rapidly in the cyber world, as it can see patterns humans may overlook. Organizations now have the capabilities to reproduce malware and test it on their own systems. If the bad guys have AI to attack systems (which they do in increasing numbers), then the good guys need AI to protect them.
Many organizations are still taking a “wait-and-see” attitude on AI. In this instance, however, renewable facilities cannot afford to get left behind this wave – there’s too much at risk.
Renewable energy is rapidly becoming a critical part of our infrastructures, economies, and national security. Organizations must understand that the chance of a potential cyberattack is almost a certainty, as today’s bad actors use sophisticated scanners
to find vector points (openings) to get into any system. The size or location of the facility is irrelevant.
Investing in solutions to address the fundamentals of strong security is crucial in reducing the cybersecurity risk renewable utilities face. With the increasing threats, it is vital to take protective measures to ensure a safer and more secure environment for your renewable energy infrastructure and operations. Without the right protections, we run the risk of letting our power fall into the wrong hands.
Ian Bramson is Vice President – Global Industrial Cybersecurity at Black & Veatch. He is a highly experienced leader in the fields of cybersecurity, risk management, and digital transformation, with a career spanning over 25 years. As the head of the global industrial cybersecurity practice at Black & Veatch, Ian works closely with top-level executives in critical infrastructure industries to provide innovative solutions that minimize cybersecurity risks. He has successfully built two cybersecurity consulting services over the past decade, both of which were supported by global sales organizations and implemented in multiple industries. Ian is a respected thought leader and market developer in the emerging threat landscape of attacks on industrial operations and critical infrastructure. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and English from Cornell University. Black & Veatch /
Toolkits for Large-Scale Solar The strategic advantage of standardization
by Will White
In the rapidly evolving solar industry, large-scale operations face a myriad of challenges ranging from installation efficiency to operational scalability. One strategic initiative that significantly addresses these challenges is toolkit standardization. This approach not only streamlines processes, but also enhances productivity, reduces costs, and maintains high quality across projects. This article explores the myriad benefits of standardizing toolkits in large-scale solar operations, and offers insights into how companies can implement these practices to achieve competitive advantages.
Increasing efficiency through standardization
Efficiency is paramount in large-scale solar projects where timelines are tight, and budgets are strict. Standardizing toolkits across all operations can significantly expedite training periods. With a standardized set of test and measurement tools, new employees require less time to become proficient, thereby accelerating the onboarding process and reducing downtime. Moreover, familiarity with a common set of test and measurement tools reduces the likelihood of errors, further increasing the overall efficiency of the installation process. For instance, when each team utilizes the same high-tech solar panel installation equipment, the consistency in the installation process across different sites can lead to faster completion rates. This uniformity ensures that all installations are performed to the same standard, which is crucial for maintaining project schedules and enhancing productivity.
Cost reduction through economies of scale
The economic benefits of standardizing toolkits are substantial. By adopting a unified set of test and measurement tools, companies can leverage bulk purchasing to negotiate better prices from suppliers, thereby reducing the cost per unit of test and measurement tools and equipment. Additionally, maintenance costs are lowered as standardized test and measurement tools simplify the servicing process. With fewer unique parts to manage, inventory costs are also reduced, freeing up capital for other strategic investments.
Standardization also minimizes the need for diverse training programs or multiple sets of documentation, which further reduces operational costs. These savings can be significant, especially when scaled across multiple projects and geographic locations.
Enhancing quality and consistency
Quality assurance is crucial in solar installations where the energy output and longevity of the project depend on the quality of the initial installation. Standardized toolkits ensure that every technician performs tasks with the same level of precision, leading to consistently high-quality installations. This uniformity is crucial for companies aiming to maintain a reputation for reliability and excellence in the competitive renewable energy market.
Additionally, standardized processes facilitate easier compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties by ensuring that all installations meet safety and performance benchmarks.
Improving collaboration and communication
Effective communication and collaboration are critical in large-scale projects that involve multiple teams, often working in different geographical areas. Standardized toolkits create a common language and understanding among team members, which enhances collaboration. When everyone uses the same test and measurement tools and follows the same procedures, it reduces misunderstandings and streamlines project management.
For example, if a problem arises at one site, solutions derived from a standardized toolkit can be quickly communicated and applied across other sites, ensuring a cohesive approach to problem-solving and project execution.
Facilitating scalability
As solar companies grow and take on more ambitious projects, scalability becomes a key consideration. Standardized toolkits allow for easier scaling of operations as they ensure that all projects, regardless of their location or size, are equipped and operated under the same standards. This makes it easier to replicate success from one project to another, and to expand operations without sacrificing quality or efficiency.
Furthermore, standardized test and measurement tools and processes enable a smoother integration of new teams and technologies, which is essential for companies looking to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions.
Implementing toolkit standardization
Implementing toolkit standardization requires a strategic approach. Companies should begin by evaluating their current toolkits to identify any inefficiencies or inconsistencies. Engaging with stakeholders, including technicians and project managers, can provide valuable insights into what works well and what might need to be standardized.
Once a standard toolkit has been developed, training programs should be updated to reflect the new test and measurement tools and processes. It’s also crucial to monitor the impact of these changes on project execution and make
adjustments as necessary. Continuous improvement should be a key part of the standardization strategy, ensuring that toolkits evolve with technological advancements and industry trends.
Conclusion
Toolkit standardization offers a pathway to enhanced operational efficiency, cost savings, improved quality, and better scalability for large-scale solar operations. By adopting a standardized approach, solar companies can ensure that their projects are completed efficiently and to a high standard, thereby securing their competitive edge in the market. As the solar industry continues to grow, those who embrace standardization will likely lead the charge toward a more sustainable and efficient future in renewable energy. This strategic focus not only prepares companies for current challenges, but also positions them well for future opportunities, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of the solar industry.
Will White is the Solar Application Specialist at multinational electric tools manufacturer Fluke, where he leads workforce training programs, including Fluke’s NABCEP-Approved course(s), and tool design and development to support and accelerate the growth of the solar workforce for the clean energy future. Will also serves as a contract instructor at Solar Energy International (SEI) where he teaches online, in-person, and hands-on classes in solar and energy storage. A 20+ year veteran of the renewable energy industry and a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional since 2006 (starting as a PV module installer, and working in sales, design, and project management) Will has ample experience in wind power, solar thermal, energy storage, and PV systems.
Shining a Light on Stored Solar and Battery Data
by Brett Benson
Data is a goldmine of opportunity for performance improvement and competitive advantage, but not if it is left forgotten and unused in an organization’s historian software.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generation has been a viable technology for decades and, until recently, PV solar installations were limited in number and small in capacity, ranging from a few kilowatts (kW) to several megawatts (MW). Traditional fossil plants made up the majority of generation for supporting global power needs. However, in response to the increasing demand for clean electricity, regulated and independent power producers have been exploring ways to increase their renewable energy supply; a core element of that strategy is increased solar PV generation.
As PV solar power has grown in popularity, intermittency of output and grid stability has become a bigger concern. When sunshine is abundant, solar sites can have excess generation that may need to be curtailed and thus wasted. Or, during cloudy days or weather events, PV solar can struggle to keep up with forecasted output. This results in a production deficit that requires generation from unscheduled alternative sources, which could be expensive and impact revenue. To meet this dynamic environment and gain more control over uncertainty, many PV solar producers are adding battery storage to their portfolio (Figure 1).
While it is fairly easy to accumulate and store the data from solar farms and battery storage systems, companies seeking a competitive advantage recognize they need contextualized data to make better, more informed decisions. These companies are building a long-term plan for their solar and battery data, putting the foundational technologies in place now to drive more value from their data over the lifecycle of their assets.
A deluge of data
PV solar farms have panels, inverters, meteorological stations, substations, transformers, and more, with each independent component generating its own data. In large sites, this can easily reach hundreds of thousands of data points. Battery storage can increase those numbers exponentially, with some of the largest battery sites capturing over a million values. Adding bidirectional inverter communication to the equation creates a complex system that needs simplifying tools to determine an optimal charge and discharge schedule.
2: Adding battery storage to solar PV farms creates a dispatchable entity that increases asset value by creating new economic opportunities that can be further exploited by forecasting and analytic tools.
That data, while expansive, is also critical to advanced operations. It is the foundation upon which teams can build diagnostics and baselines of ideal operations, which empower them to build models to train operators, identify process aberrations, engineer new operating strategies, and improve performance and profitability — but only with the right tools. Teams using millions of data points from a historian can only perform basic analyses, but they can do much more with advanced analytical software tools (Figure 2).
Technology
builds
a foundation
The roadmap to taking advantage of PV solar and battery storage data is not exclusive. Organizations at any stage in their operations can find a level of technology that will start them on a digitalization strategy journey to help them make the most of their investments; a renewable energy producer can begin with simple software tools, and expand on them over time.
As an entry point, the right supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software can help boost renewable production by calculating meaningful KPIs, collecting and contextualizing millions of data points, and showing critical information through operator displays. Automation partners with deep energy industry expertise can further help these organizations integrate pattern recognition solutions with their SCADA system to quickly and intuitively identify the real-world problems that impact a site’s ability to optimally operate.
For example, an operator may not notice an inverter that has been degrading uncharacteristically over several months. Pattern recognition software can see the data trend by detecting minute step-changes, identify the problem, and alarm operators in the early stages to avoid a potential failure (Figure 3).
In a more advanced environment (i.e., one already using pattern recognition) teams can use digital twin simulation software to collect and further refine data in a risk-free environment. These teams can build baseline models of operation to identify and mimic the optimal output of a plant. Analysts can then run historical data through simulations to track and trend more complex anomalies and model degradation — caused by delayed maintenance, for example — including operational and financial impacts. The most advanced companies are already considering the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and analyzing how it will help them further refine their operating models. These companies are exploring advanced solutions to
Figure 1: Combining solar PV production with battery storage systems can help stabilize
Figure
Figure 3: Leveraging proven, foundational software, such as purposebuilt renewable SCADA, to extract and display contextualized data, can help detect developing site issues earlier in the failure curve that may not be visible or obvious to operators.
combine even more data from a wider array of sources to predict and identify problems, and to eventually empower AI copilots to intervene. For example, when an AI copilot identifies an issue like an inverter fan failure, it could potentially not only notify operators, but also automatically order the needed parts, and then schedule a technician to execute the repair using a computerized maintenance management system.
In parallel, leveraging a combination of site, market, and weather data with AI tools can lead to fully autonomous dispatch of solar PV and battery storage plants. This could result in optimal day-ahead operating schedules, while also “watching” the spot market for rewarding dispatch opportunities.
Capturing competitive advantage
There are a limited number of players in the PV solar generation and battery storage industry. However, as regulations change and incentives increase, so will the number of new companies looking to capitalize on emerging opportunities with digital solutions. The companies that win the future of renewable energy generation (solar and battery hybrid operations, in particular) will be those that can increase profit by dispatching power efficiently across multiple transmission authorities or system operators.
To be more competitive and responsive, these companies will need to make better use of the data for more effective decisions across their fleets. Currently, not every company is equipped to do this, but every organization can begin by putting foundational modern technologies in place that will make such a transition possible as the market gets more crowded. Those technologies will improve performance today, while simultaneously setting organizations up for success in the future, a win-win scenario for the whole industry.
Brett Benson is the director of global renewable solutions business development for Emerson’s Power and Water Solutions business. He possesses over 30 years of extensive power and automation industry project engineering and management experience with many types of power generators and fuel sources, with a focus on global, strategic renewable projects. In his current role, Brett helps to create value-add, purposebuilt strategies for all renewable assets, with a focus on solar PV and battery energy storage. Brett received his Electrical Engineering Degree from Auburn University.
Emerson /// www.emerson.com
Cable Management Solutions Designed to Lower the Cost of Construction
How Utility-Consolidated Billing Can Improve Community Solar
by Bruce Stewart and Georgina Arreola
Community solar brings clean energy to all people. It enables anyone to support and benefit from solar, even if they can’t or don’t want to install rooftop panels. The democratizing potential of community solar uniquely enables energy equity in, while also driving towards, a renewable energy future.
But in many states, the community solar customer experience includes unnecessary complications. These pitfalls hinder access for the low- and moderateincome (LMI) households who would benefit most from electricity discounts. Particularly clunky is the traditional dual-bill payment system, where households and businesses pay for their reduced electricity bills and their community solar credits separately – a disjuncture that can delay savings for months.
To address this problem, the foremost thing regulatory bodies can do is to implement utility-consolidated billing (UCB) using the net crediting methodology. Under this UCB construct, community solar customers see their community solar discounts reflected directly on their regular electricity bill, much like utility assistance for LMI households or any other discount. It’s worth underscoring the good this policy offers: The customer relationship with their utility remains unchanged beyond the lower payment amounts due by customers and reduced collections for the utility. By making community solar more accessible, it becomes more equitable and makes the customer experience easier.
UCB alone may not address all community solar growing pains, such as project launch delays. But it improves the community solar product by streamlining the subscription process, and simplifies the delivery of savings. Rather than reeducating customers around a confusing model, it aligns the billing process with consumer expectations. Such alignment is good for the industry, and especially good for the disadvantaged communities that community solar is trying to help.
Improving the customer experience and removing delays
Most consumer products provide instant gratification. Someone purchases the item and it arrives at their door. So “instant” has this urge for commercial gratification become, that anything taking longer than two days to arrive seems sluggish. And when it comes to less tangible goods like streaming services, people expect instant access.
Our objective in all of this is to work with legislators, regulators, utilities, and community solar advocates to develop rules to enhance the customer experience and deliver on these expectations. But as it stands, customers must wait months between registration for and delivery of electricity discounts.
While this patience is currently an inherent part of expanding renewable generation, we see transitioning from the clunky dual billing to UCB as a meaningful way to reduce the wait between credit purchases and actualized savings.
State-by-state
community solar
programs must standardize around simplified billing
As community solar matures, the time is perfect for programs to evolve and address customer experience shortfalls.
Developers cannot amend the customer experience alone. Focused on getting projects up and running, they have little control over interconnection delays. Meanwhile, subscription servicers have clear incentives to improve the customer experience, but need program rule adjustments to deliver speed and ease of access for customers. By standardizing programs around UCB, state governments can enable community solar customers to see their community solar credits directly on their regular electricity bill.
This shift aligns the subscription experience with customer expectations. By consolidating a subscriber’s community solar credits onto their normal electricity bill, UCB boosts community solar accessibility, standardization, and equity. In sum, it makes community solar a vastly better consumer product.
Accessibility
UCB makes it easier for community solar service providers to educate potential subscribers about how credits and savings work. It also removes the hurdle of explaining a delayed dual bill system. When savings appear directly on the subscriber’s bill, subscription managers can spend less time convincing customers that community solar pencils financially, and more time serving said customers’ needs. That shift simplifies solar billing. By enhancing speed and ease of transaction, it also aligns the subscription experience with customer expectations.
Standardization
Implementing UCB is a necessary industry standard. Our community solar policy “laboratories,” where each state designs its own program, have proved an excellent forum for innovation. But when one state’s experiment wildly succeeds, other states should standardize the practice.
New York has demonstrated that UCB is one of those success stories that we must standardize for the industry to serve all customer types properly. It leads the nation in both community solar installations and overall customers. Last year, it passed 2 GW of installed community solar capacity — over 30 percent of the U.S. total. Thankfully, states are following New York’s lead, including Minnesota, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, and possibly California.
Of course, UCB supplements New York’s overall strong program to produce these results. But it’s safe to posit that UCB is one of the program’s most influential pillars. UCB made community solar easy for New Yorkers by vastly improving the customer experience. Now, New York is the highest-performing state by a longshot.
Equity
State governments have started getting serious about LMI community solar access. If they really want it to work, they must implement UCB. Otherwise, too many LMI households — the explicitly intended beneficiaries of community solar programs — may forgo participation entirely. Community solar programs with mandatory and voluntary LMI participation alike have struggled to engage customers. The last thing disadvantaged households need is another bill on their mind. We have engaged with thousands of LMI customers and know this to be the case. They may decide the monthly savings aren’t worth the hassle of a separate payment when doing nothing is the simplest approach. Why? Today’s dual billing is byzantine. First, people must invest enough time upfront to understand community solar. Those who do subscribe receive a reduced electricity bill from their utility – followed, sometimes over a month later, by a second bill from their community solar services provider. Consequently, larger commercial customers have dominated community solar. Whether an anchor customer or a small business, they virtually always consume more electricity than household subscribers. Higher energy usage makes the 5-20 percent community solar discount provide enough electricity savings to justify the annoyance of a separate bill. People watching their expenses closely may not see the appeal. It’s clear: UCB is an equity policy, not just a billing one.
Subscriptions, delivered
As community solar programs launch or expand around the country, policymakers face a choice. They can continue to expect community solar service providers to convince people accustomed to the ease and speed of same-day delivery that they should happily wait months for subscription fulfillment. Or they can connect energy-burdened customers with millions of dollars in electricity discounts – with greater speed, easier comprehension, and significantly less friction. The difference lies with UCB. For community solar to reach its energy transition potential, we need programs that clearly benefit the disadvantaged populations they are designed to help, and we must align with existing customer expectations of a subscription experience. UCB achieves both those aims. As the industry considers standardization, it should top every state’s community solar list.
Bruce Stewart is President & CEO, and Georgina Arreola is VP of Policy at the community solar services provider Perch Energy.
Perch
Energy /// www.perchenergy.com
The Vital Role of Formal Training Programs for Solar’s Evolution
by Kevin King
In today's digital age, information is readily accessible at our fingertips. From DIY tutorials on YouTube to social media influencers, aspiring solar installers have numerous avenues to explore the intricacies of photovoltaic systems. However, while these informal sources of education offer valuable insights, they often lack the depth and credibility necessary for comprehensive training in the solar industry.
As the solar industry expands exponentially, it is poised to be recognized as an official trade on a national level. With this recognition comes the inevitable implementation of regulations and standards, including certifications for permitting and installation procedures. Relying solely on informal sources of education may leave individuals illprepared to meet these forthcoming requirements.
Formal training programs offered by reputable organizations play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the solar industry. These programs go beyond basic knowledge and theoretical concepts, providing participants with practical skills and handson experience essential for success in the field. Additionally, these programs are developed and delivered by industry experts who understand the unique challenges and requirements of the solar industry. Participants benefit from access to cuttingedge information, industry best practices, and real-world case studies that enhance their learning experience.
Ensuring that the solar educational training one chooses is certified as valid and reliable is crucial for aspiring solar professionals. One effective way to guarantee the quality of training is by selecting courses that are NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certified. NABCEP certification is a recognized standard in the solar industry, ensuring that training programs meet rigorous criteria for quality and comprehensiveness.
The goal of NABCEP is to produce well-trained professionals who can demonstrate their competence and retain the knowledge acquired during their training. This is vital for consumers, whether they are homeowners or business owners, as it helps safeguard their investment in solar energy systems. Properly trained professionals are more likely to install systems that produce the expected amount of energy, and require less operation and maintenance over time.
As facilitators of solar training, NABCEP’s role involves meticulously vetting trainers and training programs to ensure they cover the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs).
These KSAs are identified through detailed Job Task Analysis (JTA) reports, which ensure training continually aligns with practical job requirements. NABCEP creates and provides these reports for a variety of certifications, such as the Photovoltaic Installation Professional (PVIP) certification. Training providers that meet these standards are invited to register with NABCEP, allowing them to become recognized as an Associate Registered Training Provider (ARTP) and identify their courses as a Registered Training Provider (RTP) program. Additionally, NABCEP organizes an annual Continuing Education Conference, which provides ongoing professional development opportunities.
Solar professionals who meet NABCEP’s high training standards and pass their Associate and Professional exams to obtain certification are continually recognized as the gold standard in the solar industry.
One such NABCEP Registered Training Provider is Solar Energy International (SEI). As a non-profit organization, SEI has been committed to offering high-quality education to the renewable energy industry for over 30 years, in both English and Spanish. SEI’s mission is to train the global solar energy workforce, a goal they achieve through innovative, accessible, and engaging online and hands-on training programs. Their curriculum covers everything from gridconnected PV to energy storage, operations and maintenance, and sales, with individualized student support along the way.
SEI’s online renewable energy education program is particularly popular. Covering a wide range of topics, students have the flexibility of learning at their own pace from anywhere with an internet connection, making it ideal for working professionals or individuals looking to gain a deeper understanding of solar. SEI also offers in-person training programs in Colorado, Oman, and Costa Rica, providing hands-on experience and practical demonstrations that allow students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. This experiential learning approach reinforces theoretical concepts, builds confidence and proficiency in participants, and allows them to safely develop the skills and expertise needed to succeed in the field.
For students seeking a more cohesive program of study, SEI’s Solar Professionals Certificate Program offers comprehensive and rigorous training for individuals looking to enter or advance in the solar energy industry. Students engage with prearranged learning pathways, leading to various industry-recognized certifications
valuable for job prospecting and upskilling. The program is ideal for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge in the rapidly growing field of solar energy.
Beyond obtaining qualified training and certifications in renewable energy, it is beneficial for installers to familiarize themselves with local building codes to ensure installations pass necessary inspections. It is also highly advisable to take OSHA Construction Safety courses, which are designed to prevent job site injuries. Many OSHA courses are also available online.
Formal training programs by reputable organizations offer numerous benefits beyond what informal sources of education can provide, and are increasingly essential for the solar industry's growth and success. By providing individuals with the knowledge, skills, and certifications needed to excel in the field, these programs contribute to the overall health and professionalism of the industry. As the solar industry evolves, formal training programs will be essential in ensuring its continued growth and success.
For further information visit: NABCEP: www.nabcep.org SEI: www.solarenergy.org OSHA: www.osha.gov
Kevin King is the CEO and Founder of Solar Tools USA, a JTA committee member for NABCEP’s PVIP certification, an active advisory supporter of SEI, advisory committee member for IREC’s Solar Ready Vets Program, and President of the Idaho Clean Energy Association. Solar Tools USA /// www.solartoolsusa.com
The Sound of Solar
by Michael Bahtiarian
In a push towards sustainability, many coal- and gas-fired power plants across the U.S. are being replaced with environmentally friendly and renewable energy (RE) sources like wind and solar. However, there are plenty of environmental hurdles for RE projects to overcome to get through the permitting process. One major environmental side effect that plagues wind farms is noise emissions, evidenced by some projects not passing the permitting stage, or being shut down due to bothersome noise. Solar power, a quieter alternative, has gained popularity across the country for many reasons aside from noise. Photovoltaic (PV) or solar energy generation sites are popping up on highway median strips, brownfields, greenfields, and even agricultural lands.
But, not so fast! At first look, one would think that a solar energy facility generates NO sound. There are no large moving parts like the large blades of a wind turbine or combustionproducing impulsive engine noise. The most visible part of the solar facility is the large solar panels, and these indeed produce NO sound. However, there are noise-generating equipment at solar facilities; they are inconspicuously sited on small concrete pads (as shown in Figure 1). These pads hold various pieces of equipment which typically include transformers, inverters, and switchgear. The acoustics professional will know the noise emissions details of each equipment type.
Like any other energy-generating or industrial facility, the solar farm will need to be compliant with state, county, and/or municipal noise codes. Facilities far from residential properties should not require consideration of noise. However, if the facility fence-line is within 1,000 feet of a noise sensitive receptor such as residences, schools, and places of worship, you should consider further review by an acoustics professional. Before undertaking a full noise study, the next step might be to look closely at the applicable regulations and ordinances, which can have various forms. Most of the Northeast states have policies regarding noise, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. Most of the Southeast states have noise limits at the county level. Wherever the project is situated, it will need to meet the most stringent of those three jurisdictional limitations (town, county, and state).
One thing that the acoustics professional needs to watch out for is a “Pure Tone” criterion, which can become the primary obstacle in achieving compliance. Some jurisdictions – like the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine – have such requirements. While most of the equipment used at a solar facility is noiseless (like the solar panels), the rest produce either
broadband, tonal, or both types of sound. Broadband sound is sound with a contribution of acoustic energy at all frequencies. Examples of broadband sources are some mechanical (HVAC) equipment, cooling fans, pumps, and even the water fountain at the park. Tonal sound is sound produced at a single frequency. Examples include fingernails on a chalkboard, a police siren, whining fan, damaged car bearing, squealing brakes, and lastly, the electrical hum of solar facility electrical equipment. Solar facility transformers are used to step-up the voltage for easier transmission into the local electrical grid. There are three sources of noise from within the transformer: (1) core noise, (2) coil noise, and (3) fan noise. The core and coil noise are caused by electromagnetic forces that occur two times for every cycle of AC power. Like the inverters, this results in 120 Hz primary sound source, along with harmonics (as noted above). The third source of sound is the cooling fan(s) mounted outside the transformer, usually directed across the fins of a heat sink. While the cooling fans can be the most significant source of overall broadband A-weighted sound, “… it is almost always the pure-tone transformer noise and not the broadband fan noise that is objectionable” .
To determine if the project will be compliant, the acoustics professional may suggest analyzing the solar facility using one of the 3D acoustic modeling software tools. The acoustician will need the equipment “source” sound levels provided by all manufacturers. The software allows importing terrain features, modeling buildings, and other things that attenuate and diffract sound. The software then provides sound levels at any receptor location and sound contours (as shown in Figure 2). Now you are ready to consider noise control features.
The easiest – and least expensive – form of noise control at a solar facility is to put the sound producing equipment in the center of the facility. In general, this is the best location for
sound output without knowing anything about a specific site. However, if one side of the solar site was residential and the other side was unoccupied or industrially zoned, placing the sound producing components on the industrial-zoned side would be beneficial.
While quiet transformers and inverters exist, they are generally not a good option for most developers due to their premium cost. Therefore, the second line of noise control would be noise barriers. The most aggressive sound control treatment for transformers and inverters is a full enclosure, or even a building. Due to the heat generated by both devices, a forced air ventilation system would be needed. However, the fans used in these cooling systems may be louder on an A-weighted basis than the electrical side of the hardware. One thing in favor of solar facilities is that most of them only operate during the day, although some facilities with battery storage components could result in transformer and inverter operation during the night. This is an important consideration because excessive noise at night is usually a bigger issue for residential abutters. In these cases, there will be a real need for acoustic evaluation and noise control with respect to nighttime operations of solar energy components. Even working through the steps above, a noise-compliant facility can be designed with the proper planning and consideration of both the site and the community requirements.
Michael Bahtiarian is a Principal at Acentech, a multi-disciplinary acoustics, noise, technology, and vibration consulting firm. He is a fellow and board certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE-USA), and currently serves as the organization’s immediate PastPresident. He can be contacted at mbahtiarian@acentech.com.
Acentech /// www.acentech.com
Figure 2: 3D acoustic model of a solar facility with sound contours from 25 to 50 dBA (photo credit Acentech)
Figure 1: A solar facility’s electrical equipment pad (photo credit Acentech)
Three Challenges Facing Community Solar’s Exponential Growth
by Trish Graf
Community solar is on a hot streak. The industry is expected to hit 14GW in existing U.S. markets by 2028 with a projected 8 percent average annual growth, at least one community solar project now exists in 41 states and D.C., and at least 19 states and D.C. have officially affirmed the value of these projects through enacted policies and programs.
But this level of growth is not without its challenges. Community solar as an industry has three key concerns that developers, owner-operators, and other stakeholders must address in order to see continued portfolio expansion as well as return on investment. These include:
1. Supply vs. demand
While the growth of community solar is exciting for developers who want to get into this space, there’s a significant hurdle to overcome: the more demand there is for community solar, the more developers have to actually supply that demand.
Community solar is attractive to developers, independent power producers (IPPs), and commercial real estate owners because of incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, but it’s also attractive to homeowners and corporations who want to take advantage of the affordable energy rates generated by such projects. This creates a dual-sided demand for community solar.
Since interest in this solar solution isn’t going away anytime soon, energy providers will need to determine how they can balance their enticing services with the reality of their delivery capacity, as well as the best way to present this information to off-takers (residents, income-qualified people, and commercial subscribers).
For example, community solar providers might need to look outside of programmatic requirements, consider more onsite installations, or provide virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs). They also need to take into account when power can actually be delivered due to an often-delayed interconnection queue.
Ultimately, energy providers will have to figure out exactly what they can give subscribers (and when) to meet their energy needs, and then explain this in clear terms so there’s no confusion or disappointment in delivery. In theory, as the community solar industry grows, energy providers will have an easier time with supplying enough power to meet demand.
2. Long-term operating expenses
More often than not, community solar developers know what their capital expenses are going into a project’s development. They don’t, however, always have the most accurate data to forecast appropriately for ongoing operating expenses (OpEx).
Solar assets are a long-term investment that can last 25+ years. But both corrective and preventative maintenance have to be factored into operating costs, along with other aspects that might affect financial models: QA/QC visits, monitoring software, prevailing wage increases, etc. Large ground-mount projects will also need landscaping/vegetation management, and panels have to be routinely washed.
Underestimating for OpEx can be detrimental to numerous parties. Because community solar is one of the fastest growing clean energy segments, anyone involved in a community solar asset – from developers to IPPs to commercial real estate owners – stands to lose if that asset doesn’t perform as expected.
Fortunately, community solar developers can budget for operating expenses, not only through a robust understanding of what needs to be included in their post-install OpEx, but also by focusing on optimal asset performance. This will help reduce system downtime, while avoiding expenses like unnecessary truck rolls.
Focusing on asset performance can be accomplished through partnerships with companies that specialize in solar performance assurance and management. As community solar assets continue to perform optimally, every involved party will realize the full benefit of the investment.
3. Technician shortage
One of the biggest challenges facing community solar is the same facing all of the solar industry, and that is the reality of a shortage of operations and maintenance (O&M) technicians. This problem will only get bigger as community solar expands without sufficiently trained technicians to go around.
Developers, IPPs, and commercial real estate owners will all want to hire experienced installers and electricians from adjacent trades, but the truth is, there's not enough of them. Solar experts are well aware of this shortage, as it’s often at the top of the collective industry’s mind. Industry events like AMNA and RE+ often have entire panel discussions dedicated to hiring enough trained and experienced technicians, because fixing the O&M technician shortage – as well as standardizing the definitions, qualifications, and skills of a solar technician – is a goal shared by the entire industry.
What’s the best solution to fixing the O&M technician shortage? Invest in training, awareness, and standardization of technician roles. Community solar developers can do this by supporting organizations who are dedicated to defining, nurturing, and training these O&M roles, or by actively championing initiatives that drive awareness of solar O&M technician job opportunities to the general public.
These three challenges in community solar won’t be solved overnight. But as awareness of them grows and solutions are advanced, the more likely developers, offtakers, and the solar industry as a whole will benefit from the upward momentum of community solar development.
Solar Energy’s Success is a Win for Everyone
by Ted Ferguson
In March of this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) provided new data to show just how significant the increase in renewable energy has been across the world. Not only are solar, wind, and other forms of clean energy dominating the options available, but they are reducing and eliminating polluting forms of energy generation as well.
The environmental benefits of this rise in the deployment of renewables are creating a hopeful path for stabilizing the emissions that contribute to extreme weather, at a level that will avoid the worst effects of an altered global climate system. Clean energy technologies have been able to achieve adoption despite market and political headwinds. There are some important and encouraging wins to highlight in the IEA report relating to clean energy technologies in general, and solar specifically. Let me share a few with you.
◆ Global emission reduction: At the global level, the deployment of solar PV over the last five years avoids around 1.1 Gt (gigatons) of emissions annually. That is equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan’s entire energy sector. In certain markets, the impact is even more significant. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, deployment of solar PV over the last five years annually avoids an amount of CO2 equivalent to almost 10 percent of that region’s total annual emissions from energy production in 2023. The deployment of clean energy production, solar PV, wind power, and nuclear power (as well as clean technologies, electric cars, and heat pumps) avoided around 2.2 billion Gt of emissions annually between 2019 to 2023. Otherwise, the increase in CO2 emissions globally over the same period would have been more than three times larger than it was. The benefit doubles when using clean energy to charge electric vehicles, which then avoids the CO2 emissions of gasoline and diesel fuel.
◆ North American solar energy added to the grid: Here in North America, the solar energy story is brighter than ever. In the US, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released their 2023 market data showing that there has never been a year with so much solar energy added to the grid. The US added a record-setting 32.4 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2023, a 37 percent increase from the previous record set in 2021, and a 51 percent increase from 2022. It is the first time in 80 years that a renewable electricity source has accounted for over half of annual capacity additions to the grid. The last time annual capacity additions were that large was when hydro power generation was built out on a large scale in the 1940s.
◆ Residential rooftop solar adoption – power to the people: The growth in renewable energy adoption saw over 800,000 Americans adding solar to their rooftops. Homeowners installing solar is one of the optimal ways the economic benefits from this energy transition can benefit both people and the planet. In recent examples from Massachusetts and Florida, the
importance of enabling solar power for homes and rooftops has been well accepted, and a future for solar power secured in durable public policies. The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities estimates the expansion of net metering in that state will save homeowners $10 million a year with the regulatory change. That state has one of the highest roof-top solar penetration rates in the country (10 percent), which has been significant enough to drop polluting generating stations from the grid. The 1.4 GW natural gas fueled Mystic Generating Station serving the ISO New England grid operator used to be in operation each winter to prevent blackouts, but increased solar capacity has made the grid dependable enough to shut down Mystic entirely. Yes. Solar can produce in the winter!
◆ Bringing solar manufacturing home to North America: The move towards increased domestic manufacturing of low carbon solar cells for use in solar modules is a significant next step in creating a sustainable economy driven by clean energy. These re-shoring manufacturing efforts not only ensure a reduction in carbon emissions for the solar modules, but also strengthen the domestic solar industry by creating a self-reliant supply chain. The positive effects of this move include job creation, product innovation, and increased competition, all of which can drive down costs and make solar energy more affordable. Local cell manufacturing will reduce the dependence on foreign imported cells, thereby enhancing energy security. It underscores the potential of the solar industry to pivot when opportunities are created, contributing to the nation’s economy. This is indeed a win-win situation for everyone involved — the solar industry, the economy, and, with reduced emissions, our planet.
Ted Ferguson is Director of Sustainability and Government Relations at Silfab Solar, which manufacturers commercial and residential solar panels in Burlington, Washington. Silfab will soon be manufacturing solar cells in Fort Mills, South Carolina.
Silfab Solar /// silfabsolar.com
Goldilocks and Community Solar State Regulations
How do we best protect consumers?
by Jason Kaplan
Just as Goldilocks spent her afternoon searching for something that was “just right,” state regulators must develop consumer protections for community solar that are neither too hot nor too cold. Burgeoning community solar programs can be undermined by miscalculated guidelines and restrictions. How do we identify protections and practices that protect consumers’ rights while also creating an environment that allows interested subscribers to easily enroll in available community solar projects?
In recent years, some states have developed community solar programs with well-intended but flawed consumer protection rules, creating unnecessary frictions for subscribers. These excess consumer protections — which, in many cases, are a reaction to historical bad actors in the retail supply and rooftop solar market — have unintentionally spawned an unkind ecosystem for interested community solar participants. The root of this is understandable, as previous retail energy suppliers and some rooftop installers have misrepresented themselves to consumers, burdening them with unexpected upfront costs, underperforming equipment, or escalating rates that result in higher energy costs compared to bundled utility supply.
Let’s be clear: Community solar is not retail energy supply, and it is not rooftop solar. Generally speaking, community solar subscriptions require no upfront cost, deliver guaranteed savings, and are flexible, with the ability to cancel with a 60-day notice. Community solar is inherently low risk to the subscriber, and the consumer protection rules should appreciate this.
So, how do we find a consumer protection approach that is “just right?”
Too hot = too many hoops to jump through
In states like Illinois, the consumer protection pendulum has swung too far. In the name of guarding consumers, the system requires interested customers to navigate a disjointed and digital-only enrollment process that aggravates both subscribers and the community solar providers that serve them.
Illinois requires interested subscribers to first execute a unique, online-only disclosure form (DF). This DF creation process presents material barriers to households without computer access or technical savvy. In fact, if you are a subscriber who doesn't have an email address, like many seniors, you need to sign an additional form representing as much.
Additionally, the DF requires community solar providers to set the subscriber’s allocation in the form, leaving no way to update the subscriber’s allotment without executing a new DF. This means that if a subscriber were to increase or decrease their energy usage, the manager couldn’t adjust their allocation to optimize savings without repeating the cumbersome DF process.
Community solar programs are meant to be flexible to adapt to the changes of the subscriber’s dynamic usage. But when you apply strict consumer protection rules without an appreciation for the product itself, you end up protecting against a small theoretical risk at the cost of the significant real benefits the program delivers.
Too cold = protecting against the wrong risks
In general, Massachusetts has taken a more sensible approach to consumer protection in its community solar program. However, in some cases, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (“DOER”) has erroneously focused on topics that don’t have a real impact on consumers, while neglecting true consumer protection risks.
At the end of last year, DOER required that customer savings estimates and subscription sizes be explicitly provided in the disclosure form. Given that a subscriber’s initial allocation is calculated based on their historic usage, and over time that allocation will undoubtedly adjust based on the subscriber’s usage, their actual savings will change from what is reported on the form. While these aren’t unreasonable requirements, it's not where there needs to be real improvement in consumer protection.
Rather, DOER should focus on reconciling the inconsistency in how its SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) incentive program is implemented in community solar across utilities. For example, one provider provides grossly inadequate data to subscriber organizations to properly manage accounts. Further, it prohibits the submission of an allocation schedule below 100 percent, so if a subscriber cancels without having an immediate replacement, the cancelled subscriber is forced to remain on the project until the community solar provider finds
a replacement account. In comparison, another provider provides a robust monthly report with complete subscriber-level details, and accepts allocation schedules below 100 percent (but not less than 90 percent), which eases the process for departing users. Without these advantages, the burden and risk shifts onto the unwitting subscriber, causing a real consumer protection risk that should be prioritized.
Just right
New York’s community solar program rules strike that “just right” balance between consumer protection and ease of participation. New York has created a regulatory framework where community solar providers must register with the NYS regulators and commit to following Uniform Best Practices for Distributed Energy Resource Suppliers. These rules include requirements on how community solar can be marketed, the use of a disclosure form to dictate the key terms of the subscriber agreement, and annual reporting on any complaints and banked credits. Outside of that, New York has allowed its market participants to act freely in the engagement and enrollment of subscribers. Disclosure forms can be printed and signed alongside subscriber agreements, and allocations for subscribers can easily be adjusted to adapt to their changing usage patterns. These are all features that improve consumer experience. When bad actors are identified, they are subject to punishments laid out in the program rules and procedural documents. The rules in New York protect consumers without creating unnecessary friction in participation, fostering a successful and well-functioning market.
Effective community solar programs have the potential to strengthen public support for renewables across the board. Goldilocks and all three bears can and should benefit. If residents have positive experiences with their own retail energy engagements, then it follows that they would be more likely to support broad clean energy development. However, ill-developed consumer protection policies in many states are currently hurting the consumer populations they are aiming to help. Renewable energy leaders, both in and out of community solar, must come together to advocate for a functional regulatory environment that promotes the responsible growth of community solar for all.
Jason Kaplan is Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at PowerMarket, a clean energy solutions provider that delivers turnkey acquisition, management, billing, and support services to developers, financiers, and the incumbent energy industry. In his role, Kaplan is responsible for growing the company’s community solar business, managing its legal affairs, ensuring success for its community solar partners, and building the company culture. Today, PowerMarket supports over 400 community solar projects across 11 states, representing 800 MW of capacity, and more than 75,000 subscribers.
Stahlin Enclosures’ Stahlin SolarShield HMI Covers provide HMI screen protection in harsh environments, and the option of a clear cover configuration allows for excellent visibility of the HMI screen while the cover is closed.
The new Stahlin SolarShield Opaque and Clear HMI Covers offer durable, non-metallic HMI protection solution for use with all enclosure material types. The opaque covers with side shields are suitable for protecting HMI Screens from UV and harsh environmental conditions. Stahlin SolarShield HMI Clear and Opaque Covers fit standard 8'' and smaller HMI screens and maintain NEMA 4X rating of the enclosure when paired with a NEMA 4X HMI device. These universal covers can be used with either non-metallic or metallic enclosures and in both outdoor and indoor applications. They provide protection of Human Interface (HMI) screens from the sun, dust, rain, sleet, snow, sand, flames, oils, chemicals, grease, dirt, foreign objects, and other environmental conditions that cause corrosion and damage. The reliable sealing features a robotically applied foam-in-place seamless polyurethane gasket.
Stahlin SolarShield HMI Covers come with stainless steel hardware kit included and are padlock-able for increased security. Installation is simple and easy with the use of common tools. Stahlin SolarShield HMI Covers maintain an “f1” per UL 746C (resin has passed tests for UV exposure and water immersion). They also conform to the standards cURus Listed, UL50e, UL508A, Type 1, 3R, 4, 4X, 12. They provide an Operating Temperature Rating of -40°F to 248°F (-40°C to 120°C) and are Outdoor UV Exposure (UL 746C) (f1) Rated.
Stahlin Enclosures /// stahlin.com
US made power quality meters
Socomec’s latest addition to their metering lineup is the DIRIS A-100/A-200 Power Quality Meter, developed in collaboration with CCS engineers and Socomec, and manufactured in the USA in Longmont, CO. Rated 600 V L-N, with waveform capture, RS485 Modbus RTU, Dual Ethernet (Modbus TCP and BACnet IP), embedded webserver, solid-core, split-core and self-powered Rogowski sensors, ,and ANSI C12.20 Class 0.1 accuracy, these meters offer modern and advanced capabilities and are now available, in stock, and ready to ship with short lead times.
Popular in larger installations where a large number of conductors need to be routed Open/Close feature makes ser v or maintenance a breeze PVC coating provides additional abrasion protection
Heyco® SunStraps
Available in 8˝ or 12˝ lengths to accommodate a variety of cable bundle sizes Releasable design allows for ser vice or maintenance without needing to replace the par t like other bundling solutions
Heyco®-Tite Solar Masthead® II Liquid Tight Cordgrips
Now accommodates #6 AWG cables! T unique, skinned-over technology allows installers to use the same par t for multiple applications/cable configurations while remaining liquid tight
Heyco®-Tite Cordgrips for Enphase Q Cable
Heyco now offers 1/2 NPT and 3/4 NPT cordgrips compatible with the Enphase Q Cable Use the 1/2˝ NPT for just 1 Enphase Q Cable or the 3/4 NPT for 2 Enphase Q Cables PLUS a #8 solid Grounding cable
Heyco® HEYClip™ SunRunner® and New Short Flange* SunRunner
Double-compression design holds either 1 or 2 cables ranging from 20˝ - 30˝ (5,1 mm - 7,6 mm) each in diameter
*Minimum flange depth requirement of only 10 mm holds as tight as our popular SunRunner series
stainless wire w/UV protected vinyl jacket and stainless steel crimp sleeve, 4 (102 mm) to 44 (1118 mm) lengths
Home solar and battery system control
Enphase Power Control software can integrate with the Enphase Energy System in North America. Enphase Power Control dynamically controls the power produced by an Enphase Energy System. This gives installers flexibility in system design to build larger systems, avoid costly main panel upgrades, and meet utility and national electrical code (NEC) requirements. Enphase Power Control software enables the installation of more solar panels or batteries without requiring expensive main panel upgrades to meet NEC requirements, helping homeowners save on labor and material costs. Enphase Power Control software is designed to enable second and third generation IQ Batteries to export stored electricity to the grid for economic benefit, maximizing the system value under rate structures like California’s NEM 3.0. Enphase batteries are now listed with the California Energy Commission (CEC) as power control compliant with the export operating mode. By controlling the power of a system, the Enphase Power Control software enables installers to build a battery up to 80kWh capacity with the IQ Battery 5P, doubling the capacity when compared with prior Enphase battery generations. The Enphase batteries are listed with the CEC as power control compliant with the import-only operating mode and the IQ8 Microinverters are certified for power export limiting (PEL). This enables easy interconnection with utilities without requiring customers to pay for expensive utility transformer upgrades. Enphase Power Control software is UL-certified and can support a variety of solar-only and solar-plus storage combinations, including grid-tied and grid-forming applications. Enphase Energy, Inc. /// enphase.com
The German flux and cleaning specialist Emil Otto is expanding its range of cleaning agents for the solar industry with four new products developed specifically for cleaning solar modules. EO-SMC-001 is a mild alkaline, VOC-free cleaning agent. The cleaner has a mild odor, is water-based, and biodegradable, a ready-to-use product and can be used for both manual and automatic cleaning of solar modules. EO-SMC-001 can be applied by spraying, brushing, or other automatic cleaning systems. The alkaline formulation has a high degree of efficiency, which helps to effectively remove both acidic and saline soiling. After cleaning, no greasy residues or other contaminants are left behind, which could affect the efficiency of the solar module. EO-SMC-002 is a mildly acidic cleaning agent, while EO-SMC-003 is based on a neutral formulation. The cleaning results and application properties of both cleaning agents are the same as those of EO-SMC-001. However, due to its neutral formulation, EOSMC-003 is a pH-neutral cleaner. PH-neutral cleaners are particularly gentle on sensitive materials. Soiling and deposits on the modules, such as dust, pollen, or dirt from road traffic, can be reliably removed with EO-SMC-003. EO-SMC-004 was developed for removing lichens, mosses, algae, and some types of mold. This cleaner is based on an active oxygen formulation. The EO-SMC-004 can also be used to efficiently remove acidic and saline soiling.
Emil Otto /// emilotto.com
Fully adjustable work vest for all day comfort
The StaCool Vest Core Body Cooling System presents their fully adjustable over-vests which provide all day comfort, keeping workers cool and productive despite the summer heat. Velcro straps at the shoulders, chest, and stomach provide a comfortable fit and flexible mobility for wearers of all body types and sizes. Advanced cooling technology provided by the ThermoPaks keep core body temperatures at safe levels for hours of use. A spare set of ThermoPaks are included with each StaCool Vest to extend cooling time and comfort when the initial set thaws. Each gel-packed cell works independently for extended cooling time for workers in all industries. A thermal barrier is built in to ensure wearer does not get too cold. Weighing 6.5lb when full hydrated, the vest weight is evenly distributed across the wearers body. Constructed of Denier Nylon Diamond Ripstop material, stain resistant StaCool Premium Industrial Vests are available in black, safety yellow, orange, and green. Under-vests are also available, to be worn under other clothing, so there is a StaCool Vest to suit any style, preference, and application. Easy to care for micro-thin, highly breathable materials provide wearers unsurpassed cooling comfort and mobility.
#6 AWG!
DC-coupled EV charging solution
Enteligent Inc., developer of solarpowered electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) and solar power optimization technologies, is accepting pre-orders for their solar-powered DC-to-DC charger, the Enteligent TLCEV T1 EVSE. This device provides convenient and affordable daytime charging directly from on-site solar generation, fostering a fundamental shift in energy consumption habits so solar power can be used to charge where it’s generated. Powered directly from the sun, the TLCEV T1 charger’s convenient design can easily integrate EV charging into solar canopies and carports located at residences, office parking lots, campuses, agricultural locales, and construction sites. Since the chargers do not rely on the grid, they do not require lengthy permitting processes and avoid complicated grid integration. The direct DC-coupled charging provides NACS and CCS-1 options for consumers, making clean solar widely accessible. Enteligent’s TLCEV chargers can supply up to 12.5kW of fast DC charging and also eliminates the DC-to-AC-to-DC conversion losses, resulting in up to 20% energy savings.
Enteligent /// enteligent.com
HJT solar panel for C&I rooftop and ground mount installations
REC Group has launched its REC Alpha Pro M Series which boasts a high power output, ranging from 610 to 640Wp and is designed specifically for commercial and industrial rooftop and ground mount solar PV installations in the United States. Production is set to commence this August at REC's production site in Singapore. The new REC Alpha Pro M solar panel empowers businesses and investors to successfully meet their carbon emissions reduction targets. Key features of the REC Alpha Pro M Series include up to 22.5% efficiency; temperature coefficient of -0.24%/K, ensuring stable energy output even in high-temperature conditions; eligibility for the comprehensive REC ProTrust warranty, guaranteeing reliable long-term performance with a minimum of 92% after 25 years; REC’s support bars at the back, enhancing robustness
Durable solar junction box
Introducing the 0599 SolaDeck, a durable solar junction box. Like all SolaDeck models, the 0599 is constructed of steel and entirely made within the USA. The cover is slotted and secured by one set screw and weighs only 2.5lb. The shape of the 0599 SolaDeck reduces the number of roof nail obstructions and there are knockouts in the left, right, and bottom sidewalls to eliminate drilling. The 0599 SolaDeck comes with a lifetime warranty from SolaDeck with their 20-year history.
SolaDeck /// www.soladeck.com
4-port antenna switch
Signal Hound’s RFS44 is a single pole four throw (SP4T) absorptive solid-state switch. Using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, the RFS44 provides RF switching across four ports at up to 44GHz. The RFS44 4-Port Antenna Switch operates at a frequency range of 100kHz to 44GHz, is direct logic control enabled, boasts a 20ns switch time, and allows for frequency or interval switching with supported hardware. With a standard operating temperature range of -40°F to 185°F (-40°C to 85°C), the RFS44 weighs 8.9oz (0.25kg) and measures 4.09" x 4.17" x 1.32" (104mm x 106mm x 34mm).
Signal Hound /// www.signalhound.com
Maximize visibility even when the cover is closed and locked
AttaBox Enclosures recently introduced AttaBox SolarShield HMI Covers, providing HMI screen protection in harsh environments. Now, AttaBox offers the option of a clear cover configuration that maximizes visibility of the HMI screen while the cover is closed and locked providing the convenience of hands-free viewing. The new AttaBox SolarShield Clear and Opaque HMI Covers offer durable, non-metallic HMI Covers for use with all enclosure material types. The non-metallic HMI covers with side shields are suitable for protecting HMI Screens from UV and harsh environmental conditions. Tough and durable, AttaBox SolarShield HMI Covers can be used in both outdoor and indoor applications. They provide protection of HMI screens from the sun, dust, water (rain, sleet, snow), sand, flames, oils, chemicals, grease, dirt, foreign objects, and other environmental conditions that cause corrosion and damage. AttaBox SolarShield HMI Clear and Opaque Covers fit standard 8" and smaller HMI screens and maintain a NEMA 4X rating of enclosure when paired with a NEMA 4X HMI device. These universal covers can be used with either non-metallic or metallic enclosures. AttaBox SolarShield HMI Covers come with stainless steel hardware kit included and are padlock-able for increased security. Installation is simple and easy with the use of common tools. AttaBox SolarShield HMI Covers maintain UL’s best rating, an “f1” per UL 746C (polycarbonate material has passed tests for UV exposure and water immersion). They also conform to the following standards: cURus Listed, UL50e, UL508A, Type 1, 3R, 4, 4X, 12. They provide an Operating Temperature Rating of -40°F to 248°F (-40°C to 120°C).
AttaBox Enclosures /// attabox.com
Practical cable entry for housings
The new UT grommets from icotek are a solution for the simple and efficient routing of cables with and without plugs into housings. The UT grommet is a U-shaped grommet with slots on one side which allows individual cables with a variable clamping range of 0.8" (2mm) to be routed safely and tool-less. The diameter range is from 0.16" to 0.43" (4mm to 11mm). The UT grommet is suitable for installation on the bottom part of the housing. The grommet is simply mounted around the cable. The fitted grommet is routed into the recommended opening and the housing cover is put on. By screwing the cover on, the required pressure is exerted on the UT grommet, which enables sealing up to IP54. The grommet is routed into the lower part of the housing without a frame or tools. The wall thickness of the housing can be 0.04" to 0.16" (1mm to 4mm). The UT grommet is made of the icotek elastomer and offers high UV resistance as well as freedom from silicone and halogen, and a fire class of UL 94 V-0. It is suitable for a temperature range of -40°F to 212°F (-40°C to 100°C).
icotek Corp. /// www.icotek.com
Extreme dexterity and longwearing comfort
Brass Knuckle SmartFlex 400 Series gloves are designed to be comfortablefitting, general purpose work gloves that afford the wearer abrasion resistance and maximum feel. These are gloves workers love to wear, inspiring compliance and helping to reduce injury. There are three gloves in the 400 Series, each suited for a different style of work. SmartFlex BK401 is black nylon with a gray coating to conceal dirt and grime. SmartFlex BK402 is white-on-white, making it easy to identify foreign particles on the glove, suitable for inspectors and quality control. SmartFlex BK403 is black nylon with a black coating, a tough-looking concealer for grimy projects. Each glove in the 400 Series is carefully constructed for fit but is also cost-competitive. The lightweight, 13-gauge nylon shell facilitates dexterity and grip, making an immediate impact on productivity. Grip is further enhanced by a polyurethane coating on the palm and fingers that is grippy but not sticky.
Brass Knuckle /// www.brassknuckleprotection.com
Tracker for large-scale solar projects
Soltec’s new solar tracker, SFOneX, has a length of 410ft (125m) and is designed to adapt to various types of projects, minimizing the need for civil works thanks to its terrain adaptability. The SFOneX conforms to natural contours, adapting to both north-south and east-west slopes of up to 15%, ensuring optimal land utilization and simplifying the installation process through direct piling. With its self-powered system, equipped with a dedicated panel and a long-lasting battery, the SFOneX guarantees up to four days of autonomous operation without sunlight. Furthermore, its design with double rows connected by a flexible transmission axis not only reduces the number of tracking motors and controllers by half but also provides a cost-effective solution for solar projects. The SFOneX solar tracker is designed for efficient installation and operation. With a reduced number of foundation piles, pre-assembled sets, and standardized components, the SFOneX offers economic efficiency by reducing both civil work and installation costs, as well as long-term operational and maintenance costs. It features the adapted TeamTrack system that allows maximizing energy capture by avoiding shading between rows. In the case of bifacial tracking, this algorithm balances production between diffuse and direct radiation to always achieve maximum performance. Additionally, through the Diffuse Booster algorithm, equipped with advanced sensor systems and weather forecasting, it allows maximizing production even on cloudy days. Soltec’s tracking technology also features Dy-WIND technology, which protects the plant in case of strong winds by adopting the optimal defense position for plant protection. Additionally, it features a hail protection algorithm, an early detection defense system, equipped with sensors with rapid response by the trackers to position themselves in the most advantageous position.
Signal wiring and signal marshalling terminal blocks
Weidmuller USA’s new Klippon Connect W2C and W2T Range signal wiring and signal marshalling terminal blocks offer flexible solutions for complex production processes. The single and double-level arrangement of Weidmuller’s DCS marshalling terminal blocks, combined with the provision of the four basic functions (fuse, feed-through, disconnect, and ground), enable users to achieve maximum flexibility when connecting their devices wired in the field. The Klippon Connect marshalling products feature standardized test points which make automated testing and checking processes possible.
Weidmuller USA /// www.weidmuller.com
Inverters
An integral part of any energy system, inverters convert the power generated from the sun into functional energy for grid and off-grid use. With technology offering ever-more efficient and reliable power generation, herein we highlight the latest in utility-scale, commercial, industrial, and residential inverters…
Sol-Ark.com
Product: 60K-3P-480V Commercial Hybrid Inverter
Primary Market: Solar
Application: Commercial, industrial
Continuous Output Power: 60kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 96.5%
Peak Efficiency: 97.5%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 160V to 800V
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 35.2" x 20.8" x 11.6" (894mm x 528mm x 295mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741-2021 (UL1741SB), CSA C22.2 No 107.1-16, IEEE 1547-2018 & 1547a-2020 & 1547.1-2020 (SRD V2.0), UL 1741 CRD-PCS, UL1699B, CEC, SGIP
Warranty: 10-year warranty
Key Features:
• Native 277/480V 3-phase output simplifies installation and reduces complexity for large commercial and industrial buildings;
• AC and DC coupling capability enables seamless integration with existing grid-tie PV systems or new arrays;
• Modular and flexible design allowing for easy expansion from 60kW to 600kW to accommodate growing energy needs;
• Provides reliable, fast 5ms transfer and backup power during grid outages and 200A grid pass-through for simple grid-tied and backup applications;
• The MySol-Ark portal provides intelligent programming and real-time monitoring for optimal system performance and fleet management. www.sol-ark.com
Key Features:
• Easy installation, just plug and play;
• 4 input channels to connect to 4 PV modules;
• With Reactive Power Control, compliant with CA Rule 21;
• Compliant with NEC-2017 and 2020 rapid shutdown;
• High reliability: NEMA6 (IP67) enclosure, 6000V surge protection. www.hoymiles.com
Hoymiles Power Electronics, Inc.
Product: HMS-1500NT
Dimensions: 1.3" x 11" x 6.9" (33mm x 280mm x 176mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741, IEEE 1547, UL 1741 SA (240 Vac), CA Rule 21 (240 Vac), CSA C22.2 No. 107.116, FCC Part 15B, FCC Part 15C
Warranty: 25-year standard warranty (USA), 12-year standard warranty (Canada)
Sineng Electric Co., Ltd.
Product: EP-3600-HAN-UD
Primary Market: Solar
Application: Utility-scale
Continuous Output Power: 3600kVA@40°C
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 98.5%
Peak Efficiency: 98.9%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 915V to 1500V
Operating Temperature Range: -22°F to 140°F (-30°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 73" x 92" x 91" (1865mm x 2335mm × 2300mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL1741-SB, CSA-C22.2 NO.107.1-01, IEEE1547a-2018; FCC PART 15
Warranty: 5-year warranty, extendible to 10-, 15-, or 20-years www.chintpowersystems.com
PROUD TO SAY MADE IN THE USA
Ready to Maximize Your PV System?
American-made SOLECTRIA XGI inverters for 1500V utility-scale systems will increase uptime and productivity. We are also proud to say our inverters qualify as domestic content making you eligible for the 10% increase in the Investment Tax Credit.
The Yaskawa Solectria Solar product family includes a full lineup of string combiners designed for the XGI inverters, 1-2MW factory-integrated power racks, as well as DC-coupled and AC-coupled storage solutions.
Want to learn more about how the Yaskawa Solectria Solar product family can improve your systems? Contact us today!
Key Features:
SMA America
Product: Sunny Tripower X
Primary Market: Solar Application: Commercial
Continuous Output Power: 20kW, 25kW, 30kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 97.5%, 98%, 98%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 150V to 1000V
Operating Temperature Range: -13°F to 140°F (-25°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 28.7" x 30" x 10.5" (728mm x 762mm x 266mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741 SB, IEEE 1547-2018, UL 1699B Ed. 1, UL 1998, CAN/CSA-C22.2, CA Rule 21, HECO Rule 14H, ISO-NE, PVRS
Warranty: 10-year factory warranty, extendable up to 20-years
• High flexibility in system design with 3 MPP trackers;
• Easy installation with an overall light weight and mounting system;
• Flexible and scalable system sizing: 20kW, 25kW, 30kW;
• Integrated System Manager allows monitoring and control of up to 5 inverters (with up to 150kVA) and 1 energy meter;
• SMA ShadeFix optimization is an integrated inverter capability that optimizes PV system energy production in every situation even when shading occurs. www.sma-america.com
Key Features:
• 25-year warranty;
• 10% more AC power output power;
• NEMA6 (IP67) enclosure rated for protection in harsh outdoor conditions;
• Built-in rapid shutdown feature in compliance with National Electrical Code (NEC);
• Battery integration ready. www.aptossolar.com
Aptos Solar Technology
Product: MAC800
Primary Market: Solar
Application: Commercial, residential, industrial
Continuous Output Power: 766kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 96.5%
Peak Efficiency: 96.7%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 16Vdc to 60Vdc
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Dimensions: 9.8" x 6.7" x 1.1" (250mm x 170mm x 28mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741, UL 1741 SA, UL1741 SB, CSA C22.2
Warranty: 25-year warranty
Northern Electric and Power, Inc.
Product: BDM-800
Primary Market: Solar Application: Commercial, residential Continuous Output Power: 2 x 600W
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 96.5%
Peak Efficiency: 97.3%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 22V to 60V
SolarEdge
Product: SolarEdge TerraMax Inverter
Primary Market: Solar
Application: Commercial, community, industrial
Continuous Output Power: 330kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 99.2%
Peak Efficiency: 99%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 1250V to 1500V
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 42.9" x 35.6" x 16.1" (1090mm x 903mm x 409mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741, UL 1998, CSA C22.2#107.1 (Safety); UL 1741SA, UL 1741SB, IEEE 1547, Rule 21, Rule 14 (Grid Connection)
Warranty: 5-year warranty (330kW inverter), 25-year warranty (H1300 Power Optimizer)
www.solaredge.com
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Dimensions: 8.2" x 8.8" x 1.38" (208mm x 224mm x 25mm)
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Dimensions: 10.3" x 8.6" x 1.6" (262mm x 218mm x 41.2mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL1741; CSA C22.2 No. 107.1-16; CA Rule 21 (UL 1741 SA); FCC Part15; ANSI C63.4; ICES-003; IEEE1547; NEC2014 & NEC2017 Section 690.11 DC Arc-Fault circuit; Protection NEC2014 & NEC2017 Section 690.12 Rapid Shutdown of PV systems on Buildings; NEC 2020 Warranty: 10-year standard warranty, extendable to 15-years usa.apsystems.com
Morningstar Corporation
Product: SureSine Off-grid Inverter
Primary Market: Off-grid
Application: Commercial, residential, industrial Continuous Output Power: 150W to 2500W depending on model
Peak Efficiency: 89 to 95% depending on model
DC Voltage Operating Range: 10.5V to 16.5V per 12V nominal battery
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 160°F (-40°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: Varies per model
Certifications/Approvals: CE and REACH Compliant, ETL Listed (UL 1741), FCC Title 47 (CFR), Part 15 Subpart B for Class B Device Compliant, manufactured in a Certified ISO 9001 Facility
Warranty: 5-year warranty
www.morningstarcorp.com
Canadian Solar
Product: EP Cube Energy Storage Solution Integrated Inverter
Primary Market: Energy storage Application: Residential Continuous Output Power: 7.6W
Operating Temperature Range: 14°F to 122°F (-10°C to 50°C)
Dimensions: 23.62" x 22.62" x 9.25" (600mm x 575mm x 235mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1699B, UL 1741-SB, IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547-1, IEEE 2030.5, UL 1998, UL 1642, UL 1973, UL 9540, UL 9540A, UN 38.3, UL 60730-1 ANNEX H, FCC Part 15 (Class B), IEEE 693-2005 (high),CEC listing, HECO listing Warranty: 10-year standard warranty www.epcube.com
Dimensions: 19.7" x 23.1" x 9.3" (500mm x 587mm x 236mm)
Certifications/Approvals:
UL 1741 SB/SA, UL 62109-1, UL 1998, UL 1699B Ed. 1, UL9540, IEEE1547, FCC Part 15 (Class A & B), CAN CSA-C22.2, CA Rule 21, HECO Rule 14H, PV Rapid Shutdown System Equipment in accordance with UL1741, NEC 2020, NEC 2023 compliant
Warranty: 10-year factory warranty, extendable up to 25-years
Solis Inverters
Product: 100K Three Phase Inverter
Primary Market: Solar Application: Commercial
Continuous Output Power: 100kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 98.3%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 180V to 1000V
Operating Temperature Range: -22°F to 140°F (-30°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 41.9" x 22.3" x 13.6" (1065mm x 567mm x 344.5mm)
Certifications/Approvals:
UL1741SB, UL1741SA, IEEE 15472018, UL1699B, UL1998, FCC Part15 ClassB, California Rule 21, Heco Rule 14H, NEC 690.12-2020, CAN/CSA C22.2107.1-1 SEE AD ON PAGE 38
Key Features:
• Rugged performer, built for easy repowering and easily accessed via high-amp external Staubli connectors;
Operating Temperature Range: 13°F to 140°F (-25°C to 60°C)
Dimensions: 19.2" x 26.4" x 7.8" (487mm x 670mm x 199mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741, Third Edition, Dated September 28, 2021 (including UL 1741 Supplement SB), CSA C22.2 NO. 107.1-16, UL 1699B, 1st Ed. August 22, 2018, Compliance with IEEE Std 1547:2018 (Revision of IEEE Std 1547:2003), IEEE Std 1547a-2020, UL 1741 (April 20, 2010 Ed.2) CRD, Subject: Power Control Systems (PCS) Hawaiian Electric Companies, IEEE 1547.1-2020 Source Requirements Document Version 2.0 (“SRD V2.0”)
Certifications/Approvals: UL1741B Rule 21, Rapid Shut Down (RSD) NEC 2020:690.12, UL1699B, CSA 22.2.107.1 CSA 22.2.330 IEEE 1547.1:2020, IEEE 1547:2018, Hawaii Rule 14H, California Rule 21 (Phase I, II, III FCC Part 15, Class B) Warranty: 10-year standard warranty www.eg4electronics.com
Duracell Power Center
Product: D350-M1 / D700-M2 / D1500-M4
Primary Market: Energy storage
Application: Commercial, residential Continuous Output Power: 0.35kW to 1.5kW
Weighted CEC Efficiency: 96.5%
Peak Efficiency: 96.7%
DC Voltage Operating Range: 16Vdc to 60Vdc
Operating Temperature Range: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)
Dimensions: 7.17" x 6.46" x 1.16" (182mm x 164mm x 29.5mm)
Certifications/Approvals: UL 1741, IEEE 1547, UL 1741 SA, UL 1741 SB (240 Vac), CA Rule 21 (240 Vac), CSA C22.2 No. 107.1-16, FCC Part 15B, FCC Part 15C
Solar performance monitoring systems are necessary to verify the components within a solar system are performing and producing the energy they should. Here, we highlight some of the performance monitoring systems available on the market today...
HuksefluxUSA, Inc.
Product: SR300 Industrial-Grade Class A
Pyranometer
Power: < 3.0W maximum power consumption
Spectral range: 285 nm to 3000 nm
Output: Modbus RS-485
Warranty: 5-year warranty
Key Features:
Hoymiles Power Electronics, Inc.
Product: DTU-PRO-S
Voltage: 5V
Current: 2A
Power: 1.5W to 2.5W
Frequency: 50Hz or 60Hz
Logging values: W, V, A
Output: 5V, 2A
SMA America
Product: SMA EnnexOS Sunny Portal
Voltage: DC (per MPPT) and AC from all inverters, 5 min average values
Current: DC (per MPPT) and AC from all inverters, 5 min average values
Power: DC (per MPPT) and AC from all inverters, 5 min average values
Frequency: AC, 5 min average values
Logging values: 5 min averages for life of devices/plant
Measurement range: 0-1500Vdc, 0-660Vac, 0-4000A
Output: Website, SMA Energy App, API access
Sensitivity: +/- 5% accuracy
Warranty: Data available to view for life of inverter
Key Features:
• Visualize yield data, monitor real-time system status and energy flow, track inverter performance and access weather information for location-based insights;
• Stay informed with reliable email updates on system yields and performance;
• Streamline management and monitoring for time and cost savings and access key data for residential and commercial PV systems;
• Make parameter changes remotely, as long as the system is online. www.sma-america.com
Vaisala
Product: Vaisala Automatic Weather Station
AWS810 Solar Edition
Voltage: 15Vdc to 28Vdc; 100Vac to 240Vac
Power: 2W
Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
Logging values: Solar irradiance (GHI,POA,RPOA), albedo, panel temperature, wind, air temperature, precipitation
Output: Modbus TCP-IP, Sunspec, Cloud
Connectivity
Warranty: 2-year warranty
Certifications: Complies with IEC 61724-1, CE , UL
Key Features:
• Provides global, direct, and diffuse solar irradiance data, albedo, and key weather parameters;
• Compatible with all standard, smart, and high-quality irradiance sensors;
• Offers expandability, flexibility, and modern security architecture;
• Features advanced data management with Vaisala Data Management Unit DMU801;
• Supports enhanced remote maintenance, configuration, and easy integration with solar power plant SCADA systems. www.vaisala.com
Key Features:
• Versatile and easy to use;
• Portable for field or lab use;
• Advanced power quality analysis;
• Performs direct and diffuse solar radiation, converter, and overall efficiency measurements;
• Follows IEC-61000-4-30 Class A. www.dewesoft.com
DEWESoft, LLC
Product: SIRIUS XHS
Voltage: ± 2000Vdc or Vacrms
Current: 0 to 10,000A
Power: W to MW
Frequency: 15MHz sample rate (continuous)
Logging values: Analog, computed, reduced
Spectral range: 5Mhz bandwidth
Measurement range: Voltage, current, vibration, frequency, other mechanical sensors
Output: Analog, digital, MODBUS, serial, OPC UA
Sensitivity: 16-bit resolution
Warranty: 7-year warranty
Certifications: IEC-61000-4-30 Class A, IEC 61400
Fluke Corporation
Product: Fluke Solmetric PVA-1500HE2
Voltage: 1500V
Current: 30A
Power: 45kW
Spectral range: 400 nm to 1100 nm
Measurement range: 100 W/m² to 1500 W/m²
Warranty: 1-year warranty
Certifications: CE, UKCA, TUV
Key Features:
• Measures and displays I-V curves up to 1500V and 30A, including on high efficiency modules;
• Advanced built-in PV model provides immediate PV performance checking;
• Sweep-to-sweep delay of 9 seconds to measure 3.5MW in <1hr;
• Wireless interfaces for fast setup, safe work environment, and freedom of movement during PV troubleshooting;
• Automates data management, analysis, and reporting. www.fluke.com
meteocontrol North America, Inc.
Product: blue'Log X-Series
Voltage: Dependant on connected devices
Current: Dependant on connected devices
Power: Dependant on connected devices, no limit
Frequency: 50/60Hz
Logging values: Dependant on connected devices
Spectral range: Dependant on connected devices
Measurement range: Dependant on connected devices
Warranty: 2-year warranty
Certifications: CE, UL E478072, DIN EN ISO/IEC 27001:2017-06, ISO 9001:2015
www.meteocontrol.com/en
EKO Instruments USA, Inc.
Product:
Voltage:
Current:
Power:
Logging values: GHI, DHI Meta data; T, RH, Tilt, Time, Long, Lat, Solar Position
Certifications: UL Listed, BTL Listed www.accuenergy.com
Dynamic Ratings
Product: Switchgear Monitor
Voltage: 88Vac to 276Vac or 88Vdc to 288Vdc
Current: Varies
Power: 44W max
Frequency: 50/60Hz
Logging values: Trip coils, close coils, phase currents, phase voltages, partial discharges, motor currents, heater currents, aux contacts, SF6 density, supply voltages, cabinet/ambient temp
Measurement range: to meet input requirements
Output: Breaker waveform capture, PD analysis
Sensitivity: Varies
Warranty: 5-year warranty
Certifications: CE Marked, IEC60068-2, IEC61000, IEC61850, RoHS Compliant www.dynamicratings.com
Fracsun
Key Features:
• Includes support with design, manufacture, shipping, installation, and operation of system as well as data services to streamline data delivery, processing, site monitoring, and data quality assurance;
• Accurate, site-specific data delivered to local SCADA network via Modbus TCP or to NRG Cloud via 4G cellular connectivity;
• For all safe low voltage 333mVAC output CTs. www.ctlsys.com
CAS Dataloggers
Product: Electrocorder PV-3
Voltage: 1 to 300Vdc
Current: 10A to +10A or -100A to +100A, selectable range
Power: PV system output Vdc to 300V, Idc to 100A
Frequency: 800Hz (every 1.25ms)
Logging values: Non-volatile SEEPROM
Measurement range: 0 to 1500 W/m2
Output: USA
Sensitivity: Voltage: <1-2% depending on model to Current: <5% of selected range
Warranty: Lifetime warranty
Certifications: Recording EN50160: 1994, CAT II www.dataloggerinc.com
Software
Solar-specific software systems have the ability to help users improve accuracy, organize customer management, prepare sales proposals, design systems, reduce costs, and streamline their operations. Here, we highlight some of the solar software options available on the market today...
SEE AD ON PAGE 63 SEE AD ON PAGE 31
Key Features:
• Portfolio performance management;
• Real-time, high-quality data and alarm management;
• High-level decision support with automated reporting;
• Full-stack of capabilities for O&M and Asset Managers;
• Unlimited scalability. www.tgs.com/solar
Ageto Energy
Product: Ageto ARC Microgrid Controller
Application: C&I microgrids, behindthe-meter, off-grid, storage and generator integration
Software category: Energy management
Description: The Ageto ARC Microgrid Controller is a robust, reliable, and flexible control solution designed to amplify the value of energy resources in three-phase behindthe-meter and off-grid microgrid installations. The ARC controller acts as the single interface for the entire system, providing autonomous system control and optimization, data collection and visualization, alarm handling, and other features designed to ease the operation and maintenance of these complex and high investment systems. www.agetoenergy.com
TGS
Product: Prediktor PowerView
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: Operations
Description: Preditkor PowerView is an asset management platform designed for utility-scale Solar PV portfolios. The software enables performance monitoring with realtime, high-quality, granular data and advanced analytics that empower informed and data-driven decisionmaking, which will drive down costs and maximize production. Features include data ingestion, AI-driven tools for precise loss estimation, performance analytics and forecasting. It operates according to industry-standard protocols and open information models that enable plug-and-play interoperability solutions that are repeatable across assets and portfolios.
SparkCognition
Product: SparkCognition Industrial AI Suite
Application: Industrial
Software category: Energy management, artificial intelligence
Description: SparkCognition Industrial AI Suite for Renewables is an AI-powered full-spectrum APM platform for renewable energy, enabling operators to improve profitability by increasing energy production, reducing maintenance costs, and maximizing operational efficiency. It facilitates the extraction and utilization of valuable insights from configurable data pipelines connected to structured and/or unstructured datasets. The platform provides a 360° view of operations and critical assets, leverages normal behavior modeling and enables more effective triaging of alerts, and provides first-hand visibility into downtime and work order data. www.sparkcognition.com
Terrasmart
Product: SIFT
Application: Utility, C&I
Software category: System design
Description: SIFT, (Solar Instant Feasibility Tool), is Terrasmart's project optimization software used in early-stage development to identify the best system design and the right products for a solar project. It crunches variables like weather and terrain, factors affecting module performance, as well as finance and revenue structures. SIFT puts a stop to the guessing games in the feasibility stage, eliminates assumptions, and helps decision-makers discover more value in each project.
www.terrasmart.com
Key Features:
• Inverter direct and revenue grade monitoring;
• Performance charting;
• Real-time status notifications and detailed system data;
• Reliable, safe and secure data storage;
• SunSpec compatible. www.solectria.com
Ellume Solar, Inc.
Product: Ellume 360
Application: Utility-scale, C&I solar power plants
Software category: Remote monitoring, asset management, DAS Description: Ellume 360 is an integrated solution designed for centralized management of solar power plants with strong emphasis on data visualization, analysis, and performance reporting. This cloud based, secure, and scalable infrastructure allows users to manage multiple solar power plants globally from a central location. The ticketing and asset management module makes it a complete solution for any device monitoring, reports, analytics for EPC, O&M service providers, IPP, and C&I end users. Detailed status messages help with accurate error detection and analysis. The platform is device agnostic thus ready to configure instantaneously with most devices. www.ellume.net
Description: Yaskawa Solectria Solar’s SolrenView web-based monitoring solution provides PV system owners an accurate and real time web-based monitoring solution to maximize efficiency and profitability of their solar assets. It is available for use with residential, commercial, and utility-scale inverters, allowing for real-time, seamless recording and reporting of PV system production. The SolrenView data logger comes standard and fully-integrated within all commercial and utility-scale inverters. A standalone SolrenView system features inverter direct monitoring, revenue grade monitoring, agency reporting, SolZone subarray current monitoring, XML feed, kiosk view, and weather station monitoring.
Description: Salesbook is a complete sales platform and methodology that supports and automates the work of sales representatives to increase efficiency. They streamline the entire direct sales process from meeting the client, through offering and CRM, to hard reporting data and decision support. By introducing automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence to the classic sales approach, they change its effectiveness and save salespeople's time. They operate on the energy, automotive, and insurance markets. The application is used worldwide by sellers and managers. www.salesbook.com
Bodhi
Product: Bodhi
Application: Residential
Software category: Customer experience
Description: Bodhi is a software that helps residential installers automatically engage customers throughout the entire customer journey, from lead to install to repeat customers. www.bodhi.solar
Sunvoy
Product: Sunvoy
Application: Residential, commercial Software category: Energy management, marketing, API services
Description: Sunny creates solar specific customer portals and a solar fleet management for solar EPCs. They also create branded apps in the Apple Store for solar installers, and offer API services to get inverter data from multiple brands. www.sunvoy.com
Cachelan
Product: SolarVu Monitoring and SmartGrid Control Solutions
Application: Commercial, utility, C&I, energy storage, microgrid
Software category: Monitoring, portfolio consolidation, SCADA, finance operations, energy management
Description: Cachelan is a solar and energy monitoring company that provides utility SCADA and DAS systems to help with O&M and asset management of solar, storage, and smartgrid portfolios via their SolarVu platform. Consolidate and manage portfolios of different OEM equipment types and 3rd party systems in one place. Receive high fidelity alerts and insights when performance deviates, and connect weather sensors, meters, site cameras, batteries, and information from building systems to users’ needs. Cachelan also provides microgrid controllers and for smart control solutions with interconnected batteries and building systems. Cachelan helps to meet site data utility interconnection and reports requirements. www.cachelan.com
ABB, in partnership with Lumin
Product: ReliaHome Smart Panel
Application: Residential
Software category: Energy management
Description: The ReliaHome Smart Panel is a home energy management solution designed to optimize and dynamically control the home’s highest-consumption loads, unlocking energy insights, savings, and control, all from a single app. This platform serves as a complement to the homeowner’s existing electrical panel. It is system agnostic, making it suitable for newly constructed and renovated single-family homes. By dynamically managing energy use to stay below the customer’s power threshold during an outage, the ReliaHome Smart Panel grants homeowners access to the most important circuits when needed, enabling maximum energy control. The platform intelligently responds to user preferences and energy usage conditions, providing extended backup runtime during outages. www.electrification.us.abb.com www.luminsmart.com
Moduly
Product: Moduly Nødz
Application: Residential, small commercial
Software category: Energy management
Description: Moduly's software optimizes HVAC consumption, EV charging, solar production, and storage for residential and commercial users, reducing peak power demand. Their bidirectional battery connects to any wall outlet, opening new market opportunities for solar installers by cutting installation costs without retrofits. This solution offers savings on electricity bills, budget-friendly energy storage, and reliable power backup from their Moduly Nødz. www.moduly.io
Key Features:
• Inverter setpoint control;
• Accurate ramp rate control;
• Optimized control strategies;
• Compliant response to frequency events;
• Single, integrated platform.
www.emerson.com
Clir Renewables
Product: Clir
Application: Commercial
Software category: Energy management
Description: Clir is a renewable energy platform, built with a large wind and solar operational dataset, that improves oversight, provides deep insights, and helps optimize revenue. Combining 250GW of advanced AI that is designed, built, and supported by decades of renewable energy expertise, Clir offers stakeholders the ability to leverage portfolio, peer, and industry data to drive actionable optimization and risk mitigation roadmaps. By aggregating millions of data points and comparing KPIs to peer and industry benchmarks, Clir enables positive outcomes across the renewable energy lifecycle. www.clir.eco/discover-insights
Emerson
Product: Ovation Green
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: Operations
Description: Emerson’s Ovation Green renewable portfolio provides a secure, purpose-built digital automation foundation with multiasset and multi-vendor interoperability. The Ovation Green portfolio leverages their Ovation automation platform and deep power industry expertise, to provide simplified renewables automation that helps power producers confidently navigate the sustainable energy economy. As a single source for contextualizing renewable operations data, their renewable solutions reduce complexity to optimize hybrid system operations. Their data-driven solution provides actionable intelligence that drives fast, informed decisions to increase availability and reduce costs.
Elexity
Product: Elexity
Application: Commercial, industrial
Software category: Energy management
Description: A clean energy management system for commercial buildings, Elexity helps building owners tame energy chaos at their facilities. Elexity offers energy asset control for distributed assets like solar and storage with HVAC and solar optimization solutions in an all-in-one, easy-to-operate platform. By leveraging intelligent demand management with a 24/7 monitoring software program, Elexity delivers maximum energy savings while providing a platform that offers control across all of a building’s energy assets. The software is compatible with the latest regulatory structures, including NEM 3.0, to maximize savings. www.elexity.io
EagleView
Product: EagleView TrueDesign
Application: Commercial
Software category: Operations
Description: EagleView TrueDesign is a web-based 3D visualizer that will autogenerate final, install ready PV designs based on trustworthy data, throughout the solar contracting process. It reduces change orders and cancellations, lowers soft costs, and increases profit margins at every stage of the process. EagleView offers guaranteed accuracy for roof dimensions and obstructions, with a ≥ 98% accuracy for TSRF and Solar Access Values (SAV), with shade data verified by DNV-GL and PV production calculated with PVWatts by NREL. www.eagleview.com
LandGate
Product: PowerTools
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: System design, proposal, energy management
Description: LandGate is a platform that delivers actionable deals, quality renewable solar energy data and analytics, and site analysis solutions to solar developers nationwide. The comprehensive platform offers active landowner leads, end-to-end solutions for land origination and deal management, grid infrastructure data, and an all-in-one engineering and economics tool allowing users to source and model utility-scale renewable energy development projects in minutes.
Key Features:
• Ready-to-close solar leads direct from landowners;
• Search parcels based on advanced criteria;
• Interconnection queue and site control data;
Enerflo
Product: Enerflo Platform
Application: Residential, light commercial
Software category: CRM, proposal, system design, finance, operations, sales, fulfillment
Description: Enerflo a Lead-to-PTO, open API Solar Platform which helps cut soft costs and project duration through tech consolidation, data centralization, and process efficiencies. Purpose-built for residential solar installers, EPCs, and sales dealers, Enerflo helps these organizations deploy more solar and related services through sales and business process automation. Installers rely on multiple tools from lead to install and Enerflo connects them with native platform features into one, cohesive sales and install platform. Enerflo can be relied on to deliver one connected flow from lead to PTO. www.enerflo.com
New Sun Road
• Site analysis, due diligence, and feasibility studies;
• Evaluate any potential solar farm site in minutes.
www.landgate.com
Radian Generation
Product: Radian Digital
Application: Commercial
Software category: Finance, operations, energy management, compliance
Description: Radian Generation offers software and services to support solar generation developers and owners. With the Radian Digital platform, organizations can streamline land management and automate landowner payment calculations, optimize project development activities with tools for tracking progress, managing budgets, financial modeling, and use powerful data analytics to achieve optimal financial performance goals. With Radian Digital, renewable stakeholders have access to real-time information from one single source, providing them with the ability to make data driven decisions unified across all their teams.
www.radiangen.com
Product: Stellar Microgrid OS
Application: Utilities, C&I
Software category: Energy management
Description: New Sun Road's Stellar Microgrid OS remotely monitors and optimizes fleets of renewables-based distributed power systems in real-time. Users can remotely monitor all their systems in a single dashboard and drill down to see the smart devices in each system. Find and resolve issues fast with automated notifications, ticketing, and a graphical interface to compare systems. Remotely reboot systems. Maximizes system renewable energy usage and minimizes fuel costs in hybrid systems. Effortlessly generate periodic reports showing performance and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. www.newsunroad.com
Key Features:
NRG Systems
Product: NRG Cloud
Application: Commercial, utility-scale solar development
Software category: Data management
Description: NRG Cloud is the intuitive, webbased data management platform for NRG Systems’ resource measurement hardware. Users can reliably access wind and solar data, configure NRG equipment, and troubleshoot potential issues from anywhere, ensuring a turnkey experience. NRG products supported by NRG Cloud include ZX Lidars, SymphoniePRO Data Logger, LOGR-S Data Logger, and LOGR | Solar Data Logger.
• Programmatically store data from all campaign assets on servers for analysis and bankable report creation;
• Remote logger configuration, including the ability to change site settings and set data logger check-ins at user-selectable interval (every 10 minutes to 1x/week) without a static IP;
• View and manage the health and operability of all active sites while storing historical data from past campaigns on a single platform;
• Plug NRG data into the existing data analysis pipelines via APIs for data retrieval, advanced alerts, and document storage.
www.nrgsystems.com
Brillion
Product: Brillion
Application: Residential
Software category: CRM, operations, energy management, training
Description: Brillion is an AI-powered, customerengagement SaaS application suite that enables utilities to meet customer needs by scaling and optimizing energy efficiency, demand-side management (DSM), and clean energy programs. Brillion helps turn customer relationships into partnerships, modify energy usage, and reap energy-savings improvements, while managing costs. Brillion’s platform addresses shifting demand, new competition, rising distributed generation, and new regulations with Brillion Engage, Brillion Educate, and Brillion Fulfill, that leverage AI, behavior, and data insights. A collaboration by four companies, Apogee Interactive, AIQUEOUS, energyOrbit, and EnergyX Solutions. brillion.ai
Solargis Americas, Inc.
Product: Solargis Monitor
Application: Commercial
Software category: Energy management
Description: Solargis Monitor monitors the reliability and consistency of PV performance assessments. Solargis Monitor helps accurately assess solar project performance in near real-time. Using satellite-derived irradiation data promotes transparency and independent validation of performance reporting. With their gap- and error-free PV output data, users can determine whether any potential performance issue can be attributed to technical factors, rather than weather variability or environmental conditions. solargis.com
Paces
Product: Paces
Application: Commercial, utility-scale
Software category: Paces is software that helps renewable developers increase the number of successful projects reaching Notice to Proceed (NTP). Using data for interconnection, permitting, and environmental due diligence, Paces enables developers to identify, evaluate, and monitor high-value sites throughout the development life cycle.
www.paces.com
Discover and Assess Project Sites in Minutes
Maplewell Energy
Product: JANiiT energy management system
Application: C&I, utility-scale
Software category: Energy management
Description: Maplewell is modernizing energy demand for commercial and industrial enterprises by unlocking demand flexibility with distributed battery storage to create demand savings, grid service revenue, and energy resiliency. The company’s optimization and predictive control technology enhances energy storage performance for optimum peak shaving, load management, and coincident peak reduction within commercial and industrial buildings, or on a distribution system. Maplewell’s solution helps solar developers, energy service companies, facilities managers, building owners, and distribution system operators predict, optimize, and control peak demand.
www.maplewelleng.com
Valentin Software
Product: PV*SOL premium
Application: C&I, residential Software category: System design
Description: PV*SOL premium is a dynamic simulation program with 3D visualization and detailed shading analysis for designing photovoltaic systems. Whether full or surplus feed-in, whether in combination with electrical appliances, battery systems, and electric vehicles, or together with a heat pump or heating rod, PV*SOL premium can be used to professionally design and simulate the renewable energy supply through photovoltaics. www.valentin-software.com
GreenLancer
Product: GreenLancer Application
Application: Commercial, residential, utility
Software category: Proposal, system design, operations
Description: GreenLancer is an online marketplace for solar and EV charging installers to purchase permit drawings, engineering wet stamps, and other services from a network of certified design and engineering firms. The platform is built for speed with a seamless, standardized customer experience, and quality designs. Installers sign up for free and shop a catalog of services at prices that fit their needs, allowing them to budget, plan, and grow their business far into the future. greenlancer.com
RatedPower
Product: RatedPower
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: System design
Description: RatedPower has developed a software tailored for developers, EPCists, consultants, engineering firms, and others, offering smart solutions to maximize the potential of solar PV plants. From designing and engineering PV plants to BESS management, optimizing transmission lines, substations, and more, RatedPower's platform can enhance a project's profitability by 20% and reduce design and planning hours for PV plants by 85%.
ratedpower.com
Transect, Inc.
Product: Transect
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: Site assessment
Description: Transect’s site assessment platform enables developers to discover highquality renewable energy sites in minutes. By aggregating an array of data sources, developers gain immediate access to critical insights about environmental concerns, permit requirements, topography, and interconnection infrastructure and capacity. With Transect, project developers can focus resources on prime sites, avoid costly risks, and quickly and confidently move projects forward.
Key Features:
• Decide quickly and confidently whether to advance a potential project site;
• Reduce unforeseen delays and costs by identifying environmental risks early-on using accurate data;
• Accelerate decision making and streamline collaboration, without disrupting current workflows. transect.com
Conductor Solar
Product: Conductor Solar
Application: C&I, community solar
Software category: Finance
Description: Conductor Solar is a finance marketplace for commercial and community solar, where developers and EPCs get projects funded and built fast and cost effectively. With deep financing expertise, dozens of active investors, and a software platform dedicated to solar's middle market, Conductor accelerates project financing and development. Conductor specializes in aligning companies, projects, and deals to increase success rates and speed to completion. Using insights gleaned from hundreds of solar projects and a billion dollars in capital deployments, Conductor identifies partners, solicits bids, and supports collaborations for successful project execution. www.conductor.solar
Ganex, Inc.
Product: SOLAR SCADA and SCADA Retrofit
Application: Commercial
Software category: Operations, SCADA
Description: Ganex's SCADA solutions are suitable for new initiatives or upgrading existing systems and help to enhance productivity and minimize downtime. Users can overcome typical challenges like limited controls, errors, insufficient data, outdated hardware, and expansion difficulties with these affordable, vendor-neutral options. www.ganex.com
Key Features:
• Stay informed with dynamically updated, 100% geo-corrected transmission and generation maps;
• Understand the risks of developing load or generation with congestion analytics and project cost estimates;
• Identify trends in the market;
• Pinpoint ideal locations for generation development;
• See where others are developing. epeconsulting.com
Otonomi Solutions
Product: Otonomi DX
Application: Residential Software category: CRM, system design, proposal
Description: Otonomi DX is a platform that enables solar installers/resellers to streamline their sales process. This user-friendly solution transforms the process of selling off-grid and hybrid solar kits for homes, RVs, boats, cabins, etc. As prospects complete the online form, the platform automatically recommends the most suitable solar kit based on the prospect's specific needs. On the flip side, solar professionals can access customer information through an intuitive dashboard. They can effortlessly expand their sales while eliminating labor-intensive lead qualification and pre-sale steps. The flexibility of Otonomi DX allows easy integration into websites and stores. www.solutions-otonomi.com
Description: RenuLogix EPC Online Solar Platform is designed for solar companies to grow in today's market by lowering marketing and sales costs, and increase operational efficiency. www.renulogix.com
Electric Power Engineers
Product: InSights
Application: Commercial
Software category: Site capacity mapping
Description: InSights combines information from various sources in an easy-to-use interface. All electrical substations and transmission lines are 100% geo-corrected and all existing and planned generation and transmission projects are shown at their point of interconnections. The interactive dashboard allows users to dynamically navigate the available transmission capacity for both new load and new generation. Users can dive even deeper into the results and view details on the different binding constraints that arise at larger load and generation levels. The dashboard is updated routinely to reflect current generation and transmission project information by ISOs and RTOs.
Description: Indji Watch for solar operations provides advanced notice of significant events, including high winds, damaging hail, and wildfires, so users can prepare and mitigate the overall impact to solar operations. Hail and wind outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center give up to a 24-hour notice of threat areas and Indji Watch High Impact weather alerts provide the critical information needed to make a stow decision before impact. Alerts are sent when wildfires breach a predefined distance threshold for the site, providing more time to get employees to safety and take mitigative actions at the site to reduce the impact, and daily updates continue for active fires. www.indjiwatch.com
DynoRaxx
Product: DynoDesign
Application: Commercial, residential
Software category: System design, proposal
Description: The new DynoDesign from DynoRaxx helps customers design their flat roof projects, and provides the bill of materials for quotation purposes. The tool will also provide engineering and a code compliant racking layout. www.dynoraxx.com
Key Features:
• Analysis of energy consumptions with breakdown by location, usage, and utility and export of data in CSV format;
• Visualize power quality events, various graphical modes, historical records of measurement;
• Customized dashboard with real-time data tracking and mapping of the measurement plan;
• View active alarms and details, alarms history, e-mail alerts;
• Real-time measurement of electrical values, graphical display, adapted to the analyzed data, power quality analysis of the utility supply and of loads.
PXiSE Energy Solutions
Application: Commercial Software category: Energy management
Description: PXiSE grid controls provide utilities, developers, and building owners with the tools to manage the complex requirements of integrating solar and energy storage into the grid. PXiSE solutions deliver advanced control functionality that maximizes customer ROI. Customers can choose from an assortment of grid management tech for their needs, including a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), Microgrid Controller (MGC), Renewable Power Plant Controller (PPC), and DER Management and Communication platform. www.pxise.com
MR Control Systems
International,
Inc.
Product: Sinolta
Application: Commercial
Software category: Energy management, operation, optimization
Description: Sinolta’s Unified System architecture allows users to design and manage their data transformation solutions in one place and typically with visual drag and drop ease. www.mrcsi.com
Socomec, Inc.
Product: WEBVIEW
Application: Commercial, industrial
Software category: Monitoring, analysis
Description: WEBVIEW is a web interface software for monitoring and analyzing electrical installations, helping organizations understand energy consumption patterns and reduce their carbon footprint. Free with no license or subscription fees, it’s embedded in Socomec's power meters, communication gateways, and dataloggers. WEBVIEW offers realtime and historical monitoring, with detailed breakdowns by area, load, or usage. User-friendly and intuitive, WEBVIEW requires no technical skills to set up or operate. Graphical views and reports simplify understanding energy performance. WEBVIEW centralizes multi-utility consumption, including water and gas, in one interface, with automatic data export
OpusFlow
Product: OpusFlow Application: Residential Software category: CRM, system design, proposal, finance, operations, stock Description: OpusFlow is an all-in-one ERP system focused on installation companies. From solar panels and heat pumps to charging stations, OpusFlow software ensures streamlined business operations. With their solar design software, users can easily create installation plans for both private and commercial roofs in just minutes. They also get access to all other modules within OpusFlow to make their workflow even more efficient. opusflow.io
PCVue, Inc.
Product: PcVue
Application: Commercial
Software category: Energy management
Description: PcVue is used for direct and remote control of renewable energy generation. High application creation, duplication, and deployment enable control, display events and alarms, and view trends and historical analysis. Available on any computer or mobile device.
Key Features:
• Monitor and control any kind of power systems;
• Connect heterogeneous and distributed assets;
• Centralize data remote control, dispatching, and reporting;
• Save time and cost with a flexible and scalable open platform that adapts to system changes;
• Take advantage of the latest mobile technologies.
Description: Concentro is a platform enabling clean energy tax credit transfers. It helps DG developers monetize their tax credits via transferability, offering a turn-key solution. Concentro manages the entire endto-end process including matching supply and demand, conducting full project diligence, bundling projects to get the best pricing for sellers, providing all legal documents, and offering fully-wrapped recapture insurance. concentro.io
Software category: System design, energy management
Description: The Qcells Geli EMS consists of multiple software products covering the entire project lifecycle for storage developers and asset owners. Geli's hardware agnostic design-to-runtime platform leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize system performance across multiple markets and asset types.
www.qcells.com/us
Key Features:
• 15 MS/s sampling rate;
• 5MHz bandwithl;
• Advanced online and offline math processing;
• Software included;
• Dewesoft quality with 7-year warranty. www.dewesoft.com
DEWESoft, LLC
Product: DEWESoft Power and Power Quality Analysis
Description: DEWESoft Power Analyzers combine the functionality of a power analyzer, scope, FFT analyzer, data/transient logger, and power quality analyzer simultaneously. Sampling all channels at up to 15MHz continuously, DEWESoft Power Analyzers are used for motors, inverters, batteries, chargers, power electronics, and more. DEWESoft hardware platforms can be synchronized together and expanded as projects evolve. Along with analog Inputs, video, and GPS, DEWESoft can integrate with many industrial buses (CAN, XCP, OPC UA, Serial, MODBUS, Ethernet, etc.) DEWESoft Power Analyzers run DEWESoft X software.
Pylon
Product: Solar Design & CRM
Application: Residential
Software category: CRM, proposal, system design, finance, marketing
Description: Pylon a solar design software providing premium features with no monthly fees. Hi-Res Imagery is included, along with an Advanced 3D Solar Shading feature, interval analysis, and a design studio that works on iPad just as well as desktop. Pylon allows customers to have unlimited users on their team and charges a low per-project-fee. Pylon users can sign up and make their first project in 2 minutes. www.getpylon.com
Scanifly
Product: Scanifly
Application: Residential, commercial Software category: System design, operations, training, marketing
Description: Scanifly is a solar design and field operations software for contractors. Its end-to-end solution centralizes all design, site survey, engineering, installation, and maintenance processes on one platform.
Contractors who use Scanifly’s mobile, web, and drone-based technology suite eliminate design revisions, improve operational efficiency, and reduce roof climbs. scanifly.com
Key Features:
• Online monitoring toolkit for solar performance;
Description: TRU provides simple digital solutions to safeguard critical industrial assets. They take the risk, uncertainty, and complexity out of data collection to improve productivity while protecting frontline workers and the environment. With TRU’s digitalization tools for data management, coupled with ongoing support from a team who understands their client’s data challenges, they provide scalable and easily adopted solutions that optimize operations and ease compliance concerns. trusolutions.com
Latapult
Product: Latapult
Application: Commercial
Software category: GIS
Description: Latapult is a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform for anyone who needs to understand land. With comprehensive data and dynamic mapping, renewable energy developers can make confident business decisions by searching, managing, and evaluating land data in Latapult based on exact criteria. Backed by GIS experts with roots in geospatial data analysis, Latapult helps land and renewable energy professionals complete successful projects through collaborative tools and deep insights. latapult.com
Hoymiles Power Electronics, Inc.
Product: S-Miles Cloud
Application: Commercial, residential Software category: Energy management
Description: The S-Miles Cloud is a smart energy storage operation monitoring and management system developed by Hoymiles specifically for distributors, installers, and end users of distributed PV power plants. The system has Installer and End-user versions, with the corresponding webpage and mobile apps available. This platform provides an easy-to-use procedure for accounts under monitoring. It enables installers to configure the monitored accounts quickly and provides them with power generation data of both plant and device, as well as detailed alarm information about the power plant regarding commissioning and diagnostics. This manual is intended to guide users in operating and managing S-Miles Cloud.
Description: Journeys from Demand IQ is an effective online lead generation and customer qualification tool. With Journeys, users can double their website's lead conversion rate by providing instant quotes that educate homeowners and enable them to explore solar options transparently. Additionally, Journeys streamlines lead qualification, appointment setting, and utility bill data gathering, all from the website in a selfservice, white labeled experience. demand-iq.com
illu
Product: illu EnergyPros
Application: Commercial, residential
Software category: Operations, training
Description: illu software helps cleantech manufacturers and installers deal with the growing complexity of solar, batteries, and home electrification equipment by breaking down installs into step-by-step workflows. Workflows make mandatory documentation, including code, compliance, and customer reports simple and effective. Users can access ready-to-use workflows from illu and OEMS and build their team's operational capacity and confidence from day one. With illu EnergyPros, users can cut documentation time and avoid extra truck rolls and inspection fees. www.illu.works
Key Features:
iRooFA
Product: iRoofA
Application: Residential
Software category: Structural engineering
Description: iRooFA, Instant Roof Framing Analysis for residential PV solar projects. Stick frame, truss, IBC / CBC 5% analysis and seismic. Very easy to use online data input with graphic interface. Structural engineering reports and plan checks for codes, wind / snow, structural, and electrical. AutoCAD integration. Automatically produce BOM's, post installation affidavits, and select state construction permits.
• Instant roof structural analysis following data upload from the field or office;
• 3 to 5 hour turnaround time for sealed report and plan set;
• PE Licenses in 34 US states;
• Code and electrical checks: wind, snow, building code verification. Electrical calculations including wire and breaker sizing;
• AutoCAD integration. Automatically insert project owner and location information, structural notes, location maps, inverters, electrical calculation tables, wire and breaker sizes, and product cut sheets. www.iroof.solar
Virtual Peaker
Product: Topline Demand Control
Application: Residential
Software category: Energy management
Description: Topline Demand Control is Virtual Peaker’s novel combination of the Shift distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) suite, the Envision load forecasting suite, and model predictive control that allows utilities to specify and harness an exact amount of demand during a precise period of time while optimizing around device, customer, and program constraints. The technology maximizes the potential of distributed energy resources (DERs), ensuring they can effectively provide grid stability, when required, with dependable and precise accuracy, increasing virtual power plant capabilities. virtual-peaker.com
PowerDev
Product: PowerDev
Application: Renewables and battery project siting, modeling, optimization
Software category: Finance, energy management, optimization
Description: PowerDev allows renewable energy contenders to make decisive and sustainable battery storage and green hydrogen investments. The predictive SaaS platform harnesses historical and real-time big data in ever-changing power market conditions to run multi-dimensional models for swift and continuous decision-making.
www.power.dev
OpenSolar
Product: Solar design, sales, and management software
Application: Residential, small to mid-sized commercial
Software category: Proposal, system design, operations, training, marketing, sales, finance
Description: OpenSolar is an all-in-one solar design, sales, and management software, enabling over 23,000 solar professionals in 150+ countries to grow their businesses profitably, completely free-of-charge. Their technology provides installers with accurate solar designs, custom proposals, integrated financing options, and access to 130+ preferred providers. By using OpenSolar, solar professionals can avoid substantial software costs and invest more into other areas of their business, confident they are using quality design and sales tools, all for free. opensolar.com
Trimark Associates, Inc.
Product: Vantage SCADA
Application: Utility-scale
Software category: Energy management
Description: Trimark’s Vantage SCADA maximizes revenue, optimizes asset life, and ensures peak performance of utilityscale photovoltaic and BESS resources. Trimark supports projects from design thru commissioning, meeting strict requirements for large-plant control and security set by IEEE and NERC-CIP. After startup, Trimark’s team is there to support ongoing success. www.trimarkassoc.com
Solis
Product: SolisCloud
Application: Residential, C&I, utility
Software category: Energy management
Description: SolisCloud is a smart energy monitoring platforms offering system owners and managers full remote control, 24/7. It features an intuitive, real-time display with advanced visibility into all Solis inverter solutions. Ensure maximum uptime and fast issue mitigation, onsite and off, with accurate and timely alarm messaging.
Key Features:
• Monitor and optimize system performance in real-time;
• Identify and mitigate potential issues before they occur w/string-level detection;
• Adjust battery storage levels ahead of severe weather;
• Stay connected with complete solar and battery control. solisinverters.com
Description: ENACT’s Software platform helps users design, deploy, and manage solar and energy storage projects. ENACT’s platform enables sales teams to design, price, and sell remotely, finalize contracts, and track project execution. End-customers can also leverage ENACT’s platform to manage their solar and energy storage transition and track financial outcomes. www.enact-systems.com
RE+ MID-ATLANTIC
July 18th -19 th , 2024
Pennsylvania Convention Center 12th & Arch East Entrance Philadelphia, PA
re-plus.events/midatlantic
800Vac, UL 891 main breaker switchboard
EPEC Solutions recently announced a new product, an 800Vac UL 891 switchboard with a main breaker. Since overcurrent protection is required for the conductors on the secondary side of the transformer per NEC 240.4(F), a switchboard with a main breaker is an important addition to UL 891 switchboards utilized for AC collection. This new product now allows for solar developers and EPC’s to take full advantage of new inverter technology and be fully compliant with the NEC code requirements.
EPEC Solutions
www.epecsolutionsinc.com
Booth 525
100% domestic USA steel racking
Solar Mounts LLC is a commercial and utility scale solar racking manufacturer. All of their products are made in Michigan, with 100% Domestic USA steel. Their product line ranges from solar carports, post driven ground mounts, ballasted roof mounts, and an all-new solar walkway. Offering quick lead times and competitive pricing, Solar Mounts is a one-stop-shop for commercial and utility scale solar racking, from design, manufacturing, and mechanical installation.
Solar Mounts LLC
www.solarmounts.com
Booth 801
Versatile solar solutions
SMA America provides solutions for solar energy generation, management, and storage across both the residential and commercial segments, including their newest commercial inverter, the Sunny Tripower X and the Sunny Boy Smart Energy hybrid residential inverter.
SMA America
sma-america.com
Booth 526
Easy-to-insall, versatile mounting solution
The QB RibRider for trapezoidal ribbed metal roofs is easy to place and quick to lock down with an adjustable base that fits different rib widths and angles. This mount also features a Butyl Bottom for better weatherproofing. The rotating L-bracket allows for Dual RailMounting at 90° or 180°.
QuickBOLT quickbolt.com
Booth 804
Discover clean energy solutions, network with industry leaders, and propel your business forward. Engage in dynamic discussions and gain insights from expert speakers at RE+ Mid-Atlantic. This event was designed to serve and advance this market by bringing together buyers and suppliers in solar and energy storage to explore business solutions, new technologies, policy initiatives, and other market factors. Attendees can connect with 1,600 industry professionals, meet with 100+ regional and national companies, understand cutting-edge policy, trends, and know-how, and grow their customer base in this regional market.
Kevins Worldwide has been providing promotional products and apparel since 1994. They maintain a quick response time; all emails and calls are responded to within 90 minutes maximum. Each client is assigned a dedicated account executive who manages all client projects, adding value throughout the process. They offer services and solutions, like fulfillment and swag stores, all under one roof.
Kevins Worldwide www.kevinsww.com
Booth 508
Elevated rooftop solar system
Universal’s elevated rooftop solar system is installed above all existing equipment on a current roof, and saves the hassle of replacing the roof before installation and the hassle of removing the solar system to replace the roof in the future. Their team designs and builds solar solutions that maximize the solar capacity of each rooftop. Universal can increase installed capacity by 50% to +500%.
Universal Renewables
universalrenewables.com
Booth 306
Tracker interface for challenging soils
APA’s A-Frame 2.0 is a tracker interface for SAT sites with challenging soils utilizing ground screws or helical foundations. The 2.0 design is tooled up for high volume production at a cost-effective price point and integrates seamlessly with top SAT manufacturers. The A-Frame mitigates foundation risk and frost heave concerns. APA offers USA ground screws or helicals, making the A-Frame a 100% domestic content compliant product.
APA Solar Racking apasolar.com
Booth 711
Efficient, reliable and durable solar panel
The AXIblackperfect 440Wp solar panel has advanced technology, offers high efficiency, durability, and reliability, and is a suitable choice for both residential and commercial use. Its sleek design and black aesthetics blend well with any architecture, making it an attractive addition to any building. The AXIblackperfect 440Wp solar panel’s eco-friendly features help reduce the carbon footprint.
AXITEC
www.axitecsolar.com
Booth 600
30kW low-voltage inverter
With a grid voltage of 208Vac, the S6-GC30K-LV-US inverter is suitable for three-phase commercial rooftop PV projects. Maximum solar is ensured with string current of up to 20A for new high-power and bifacial PV modules. Featuring three independent MPPTs, it offers the flexibility to install PV strings in multiple orientations and optimize energy capture across different configurations. It also has a wide operating voltage range, facilitating early morning and late evening production to maximize daily output. O&M intelligence is boosted with string monitoring and I-V curve scanning, and it allows convenient troubleshooting onsite with separable AC wiring box.Performance is increased by adding optional module-level monitoring and safety is provided with an integrated rapid shutdown transmitter and AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupt).
Solis Inverters
solisinverters.com Booth 604
Above-ground solar cable management
CAB Solar’s Above-Ground Cable Management with Integrated Grounding is manufactured in the USA by persons with disabilities at the Cambria County Association for the Blind and Handicapped. This system uses a specially engineered grounding messenger wire strong enough to provide support functionality and evaluated to be conductive enough to serve as an Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC) and a Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC). The messenger wire includes #1, #2, and #3 Equivalent Options. CAB’s Integrated Grounding System meets NEC and IEEE standards, and is ETL Safety listed by Intertek to UL 2703. CAB Solar is an aboveground cable management solution for the solar industry and maintains simplicity of design, ease of installation, and cost-effectiveness.
CAB Solar www.cabsolar.com Booth 305
High voltage battery system
Sol-Ark is expanding its high voltage battery portfolio to include the new L3 Series LimitLess Lithium Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), an efficient, flexible, scalable, and cost effective solution to battery energy storage. Engineered to pair with SolArk’s 30K and 60K inverters, the L3 Series BESS includes native 208V and 480V options, built-in aerosolbased fire suppression, integrated controls, grid transfer, AC and/or DC coupling. Additional key features include high amperage grid relay and controls, multi-purpose relay suitable for oversized AC-coupled solar, EV chargers, or generators. Modular outdoor and indoor solutions offer scalable energy storage from 40KWh to 11.5MWh. Outdoor battery energy storage systems are pre-assembled, self-contained, forklift-able systems.
Sol-Ark
www.sol-ark.com
Booth 212
Versatile drilling machine
The WORD Skid Steer Attachment is suitable for the installation of helical anchors and ground screws or pre-drilling a solar site. The WORD Skid Steer Attachment is a versatile machine that will get the job done. Equipped with a unique motor mounting system, this one drill provides the capability to be successful in a variety of soil conditions and racking systems. Additionally, operated with a two man crew, the easy-to-use controls and maneuverability of the skid steer make this a solution for high productivity in commercial solar installations.
WORD International, Inc.
www.wordrockdrills.com
Booth 710
Three-phase microinverter
The new three-phase HMT-2000-4T208-NA microinverters are tailored for high-powered PV modules and will supercharge commercial and industrial PV applications across North America. The peak output power of up to 2000VA and a maximum DC input current of up to 16A ensure energy conversion efficiency.
Hoymiles Power Electronics, Inc.
hoymiles.com/us
Booth 809
Transforming Condition Monitoring Focusing on the structural health of wind turbine towers and foundations
by Frank Fladerer
Traditionally, Condition Monitoring Systems for wind turbines concentrated primarily on the drivetrain. Thanks to a rapid increase in the number of wind turbines, monitoring the condition of the rotor blades also became a requirement. Today, the focus is increasingly on monitoring the tower and foundation by means of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM).
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the collection and analysis of monitoring-related data from sensors located on the turbine tower and foundations. SHM data can often be used to extend the service life of a wind turbine. The term refers to the monitoring of the condition of a turbine's tower and foundations.
Wind turbines (WTGs) must produce clean energy for 20 years or longer, often operating under extremely challenging conditions. They must be reliable and, above all, safe. Unlike the USA, onshore wind turbines in Europe are installed in increasingly densely populated areas, even close to built-up areas or roads. If they collapse or parts fall off, human life could be endangered, not to mention the financial loss incurred.
Rotor blade lengths greater than 100 m, total heights greater than 250 m, rated capacities of 12 MW and higher – and the
end is not in sight: Wind turbines have been increasing in size by roughly ten percent every two years, with the near-constant introduction of new materials and designs.
The risks associated with WTG construction are well known: A rotor blade can break or the tower can collapse. On the other hand, structural loads and the associated dangers are increasing due to the growing dimensions of wind turbines, and the impact of a potential collapse becomes much more severe.
SHM for lifetime extension
Once the type test's service life ends, turbine operators must choose between dismantling or building a new turbine with higher output (keyword: repowering) at select locations.
Following the standard 20-year service life, the question will arise: what is the current state of the structure? Is it possible to continue operations for another five, or even ten years? If the answer is yes, this massively improves ROI. An extended period of operation also helps bridge the "expansion gap"; the missing capacity required by energy transition targets. But to safely extend the operating period, the plant operator requires reliable data detailing (for example, actual loads on the WTG during operation compared with the original design loads).
In contrast to Europe, there are no universal legal regulations for the lifetime extension (LTE) of wind turbines in the USA. Instead, local law applies in the individual regions. However, the technical process remains basically the same.
Achieving a lifetime extension permit involves an expert report compiled by authorized experts. This happens in two stages. First, recurring inspections during operation serve as the practical part. Second, specialists investigate factors influencing the installation's resilience, examining planning presumptions against real-world results,
checking feasibility of lifetime extension while addressing risk factors, tailoring maintenance plans, and eventually recommending approvals to officials granting permits. This is where Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) comes in.
SHM
retrofits for added value
Modern wind turbines are equipped with systems that monitor drivetrain vibration and, increasingly, rotor blade. This is an established method for avoiding catastrophic failure of rotating components, and does not differ dramatically from the methods applied to Structural Health Monitoring.
The installation of CMS and SHM sensors during turbine construction captures the entire load history. While retrofitting sensors after construction has its limitations, operators still see major benefits from collecting this data, instead of relying solely on SCADA data and theoretical wind models.
SHM systems record actual measured load data, rather than the site-specific loads, which can only be estimated based on SCADA data. When it comes to Lifetime Extension (LTE), actual load data enables load calculation experts to determine the remaining service life more accurately than in the past as it uses more dynamic assumptions.
Turbine, drive train, tower, and foundation as well as rotor - these are the components on which automation experts can monitor the operating parameters of a wind turbine. Image: Bachmann
When it comes to the technology behind CMS and SHM, we often differentiate between hardware and software. CMS hardware detects and records turbine vibration data and converts it into analog or digital signals that can be processed by the control system. Acceleration sensors and strain gauges are traditionally implemented, with newer approaches utilizing sensors that are not subject to mechanical deformation to improve their long-term stability.
But analyzing the collected data requires specialized software. Condition monitoring experts are continuously working on dedicated algorithms and software solutions specifically for this purpose. Today, artificial intelligence plays an everincreasing role in enabling condition monitoring teams to process the growing volumes of CMS data.
Increased safety at a lower cost
Structural Health Monitoring provides information for the evaluation of structural integrity. It also helps reduce fatigue by forewarning operators about unfavorable operating situations that exert stress on the structure – the type of stress that would cause resonance within the actual natural frequency of the tower’s structure. Thus, SHM not only improves the safety of a wind turbine, it reduces maintenance costs. With reliable data concerning the precise state of a wind turbine, SHM can also facilitate lifetime extension of the WTG beyond the planned operating lifetime, putting money into the pockets of wind park owners and operators.
Frank Fladerer is a journalist with long-standing experience at daily newspapers and technical magazines. He works in corporate communications at Bachmann Electronic GmbH, which provides automation, grid measurement and protection, visualization, and condition monitoring of plants and machines. Headquartered in the Austrian town of Feldkirch with 19 locations worldwide, Bachmann is an internationally-aligned and strong-growth enterprise with intelligent, scalable technology based on over 50 years of experience in the field of integrated engineering.
Bachmann Electronic GmbH /// www.bachmann.info
Main Image Facing Page: ICondition monitoring is changing due to the everincreasing size of wind turbines. Today, both the tower and foundation are monitored.
Bild: Bachmann / Adobe Stock
Triaxial accelerometers are used to record structural vibrations in wind turbines. Image: Bachmann
Beyond Capacity?
Offshore wind heavy lift fleet faces uncharted waters
by Yvan Gelbart
The global goal for offshore wind capacity is an ambitious 234 GW by 2030, but a significant gap exists between national targets and developer realities. With political, economic, and technological hurdles threatening progress, this article explores the impact of a globalizing market on installation performance.
Well-established players such as the UK and Germany are more confident in meeting respective goals of 50 and 30 GW, but it is yet to be seen how some emerging markets, such as Colombia or Australia, will fare. The middle ground sees two regions that have been ramping up bottomfixed capacity since the early 2020s: APAC and North America. Through these two regions, the market begins to understand some of the crucial hurdles those emerging wind players face.
As countries like the USA, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea aggressively advance their offshore wind projects, the challenges surrounding heavy-lift installation vessels (which are designed to install foundations and turbines) have come to the fore. Heavy lift contractors must navigate evolving legislation, increased transit times, lack of infrastructure, complex marine spreads, diverse seabed compositions, and fluctuating weather patterns. Additionally, recurring events like whale breeding seasons can further constrain operational windows. These challenges necessitate meticulous planning to minimize disruption.
Legislative challenges
Regional adaptability
Regional markets use various strategies to cope with these challenges. By using the approaches of North America and East Asia as examples, we gain insights into how different regions adapt.
Logistical hurdles
Infrastructure limitations further add to the operational challenges. Ports equipped to handle the specific needs of heavy lift vessels are sparse in emerging markets. Few ports can welcome heavylift jackups with sufficient quay length, space, and strength to receive batches of foundations and turbines. This requires alternative approaches, such as offshore feedering solutions with HLCs or barges, which increase complexity and cost.
Civil infrastructure can also present issues. The Great Belt Bridge, between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, blocks Baltic Sea entry to crane vessels with an air draft above 65 meters. This means yet more complex and costly solutions. For example, prior to turbine installation at Arcadis Ost 1, semisub Thialf underwent extensive modifications to its crane A-frame to allow it to lower the cranes, fold the A-frames, and use ballasting to create enough space to pass under the bridge.
Transit times and associated costs represent a logistical challenge, especially when components or vessels must travel from distant bases, such as heavy lift assets from Europe for projects in Asia or North America. The distance escalates costs and introduces complexities in supply chain management, decreasing effective vessel utilization on the worksite.
Environmental considerations
Environmental regulations (and expectations) dictate operational timelines, restricting activities to specific seasons to minimize the impact on local habitats and activities. This was apparent during the development of Saint Brieuc, where the installation campaign followed the rhythm of scallop fishing seasons, blocking offshore operations in October and November. The project itself was met with local resistance, with several occurrences of fishermen surrounding installation vessels on the worksite, breaching safety zones, and halting operations.
When examining legislative hurdles, the US Jones Act is at the top of the list; the Jones Act mandates using American-made, owned, and operated vessels for transporting goods between US ports. This regulation significantly complicates logistics for foreign heavy-lift vessels aiming to operate in the burgeoning US offshore wind sector.
But it is not the only legislation posing questions for developers. In Brazil, which is yet to have a full-fledged offshore wind market, regulations state minimum requirements of local content onboard.
Beyond legislation and logistics, the environment of new regions poses its own questions to developers. The Baltic Sea presents a particularly challenging environment with its weak seabed, which is unsuitable for some of the jackup vessels traditionally used in offshore wind installations. This necessitates the deployment of more specialized floaters. In Taiwan, attempts to use XXL monopiles at the Yunlin project resulted in several slippages. It can be observed that Taiwan’s seabed composition is one of the factors that negatively impact operations performance, at 2.2 days per completed installation in APAC compared to 1.4 in Europe on average.
Beyond seabed considerations, typhoon risks in East Asia necessitate modifications to both planning and equipment. The need to operate within narrow weather windows adds pressure to project schedules, leading to downtime when the installation vessel is in port waiting for conditions to improve. In a turbine installation analysis of the last projects to reach COD in Taiwan and Europe, waiting on weather duration was found to be 152 percent higher in Taiwan, at 2.1 days per turbine versus 0.8.
is less focused on protectionist legislation, allowing for efficient shuttling methods with foreign assets. While facing challenges like harsh weather and difficult seabeds, which result in slightly lower installation performance than Europe, East Asia's strategic advantages position it for rapid growth in the offshore wind market.
Yvan Gelbart is Lead Analyst at Spinergie, a maritime technology company specializing in market intelligence, operational digitalization, and emission reduction.
Evolution of bottom fixed offshore wind demand by decade and region
Foundation installations completed over the last three years per region.
Engaging the NIMBYs
Using AI to overcome community engagement bottlenecks for the wind industry
by Kyle Woolard
Although community engagement has traditionally been a laborious and data-starved process, AI has unleashed a new era of improved workflows, better resource allocation, and higher visibility, helping wind power developers tap into real-time community sentiment.
Robust, proactive community engagement is now a necessity for both on- and offshore wind energy projects. Developments that fail to earn community support are increasingly likely to fail, mired by restrictive zoning ordinances, legal challenges, and attrition costs – the proverbial “death by a thousand cuts” that drain a project of its profit margins. Indiscriminate opposition is delaying and shutting down gigawatts of wind capacity, often employing fearmongering, outside influence, and local political lobbying to kill projects.
How can developers and community engagement teams use AI to overcome such a complex problem? The solution involves a three-step process:
1. Centralize everything
Without a centralized software platform for all community engagement activities, understanding data is an unending process of chasing down emails, PDFs, pen-and-paper notes, and cumbersome excel spreadsheets. A centralized platform
- Interactions: All stakeholder interactions including emails, calls, face-to-face meetings, social media activity, and public meeting comments
- Analytics: All analysis from the data must live in the same place as the data itself
These three crucial elements form a single source of truth for development teams and their community engagement personnel.
2. Automate data collection
“Garbage in, garbage out.” This axiom gets at a core truth: if your team isn’t feeding high-quality data into the platform, the platform in turn won’t be able to generate high-quality insights. Manual data entry is a real-world barrier to effectiveness. After a long day of phone calls, emails, and/or door-to-door conversations, most people simply do not have the time or energy to diligently type up their notes. The burden then falls on the individual to remember who they’ve spoken with and what was said. This is where current CRMs inevitably fail: the data is only as good as your team’s willingness to enter it.
A centralized, AI-powered platform can automate the collection of data in novel ways, including: Autonomous sentiment analysis: Emails, social media activity, and other forms of interactions receive automatic, AI-powered sentiment analysis.
Voice memo readers: Instead of typing up notes, your team can simply record voice memos on the go to summarize their interactions and upload them in bulk to the platform for autonomous analysis.
AI document analysis: The platform should be able to autonomously convert PDF, XLS, DOC, and other file formats into usable data. This saves valuable time when analyzing lengthy documents such as public hearing comments or existing spreadsheets.
Social networking sites like Facebook and NextDoor are hotbeds for community discussion of local renewable energy projects. Autonomous scraping can identify, collect, and sort this data.
Dynamic stakeholder profiles: New interactions are automatically attributed to existing stakeholders, updating their sentiment in real time.
Influence potential: The platform must detect both a stakeholder’s sentiment about the project and the amount of influence they exert on other stakeholders.
With so much information feeding into a centralized location, the quality and resolution of data increase dramatically.
3. Automate AI-powered analytics
The final step is where clarity emerges: your centralized platform continuously mines your entire data ecosystem for valuable trends, delivering them as real-time, intuitive visuals. This is a substantial improvement over traditional data management, where
lengthy spreadsheets make it difficult to understand single data points in the broader context. A centralized platform delivers novel advantages:
- 24/7 analytics: No need to order reports – the platform is constantly generating them.
- At-a-glance understanding: No more poring over spreadsheets and emails. Concise, intuitive visuals help you understand where risk and opportunity lie.
- Real-time sentiment: Every new piece of data is automatically incorporated into analytics, ensuring every decision is based on up-to-date information.
- Mobilized supporters: Opposition tends to be loud, while support tends to be timid. This is a problem you can only overcome by truly understanding what motivates people and how to connect with them. Your AI-powered platform distills such insights from all historical and incoming data.
The key is to adopt a centralized, AIpowered platform. Taking a proactive stance against opposition requires understanding where to allocate resources: which activities to invest in, who to build relationships with, and how to best overcome roadblocks. A datadriven approach first requires addressing the issue of manual work. Automations are best used to replace low value-added activities like data collection, entry, and analysis/calculations. This leaves more room for high value-added activities like building relationships, strategizing, and performing outreach.
A centralized, AI-powered platform allows you to make better use of community engagement resources, leading to data-backed decision-making, lower costs, and more successful projects.
Kyle Woolard is Director of Business Development at Learnewable, a stakeholder engagement platform for renewable energy developers and their partners.
Aspecialblend
SafetyandProtection
Fire resistant
Biodegradable Non-toxicity Mechanical protection
specially designed for applications where there are fire hazards and risks of environmental contamination.
Today’s large offshore wind turbines flanges for jackets, monopiles, transition pieces, and bottom tower sections can measure up to eight meters across, while 10 meters are forecast in the future. Additionally, floating foundations are foreseen to play a significant role, pushing the limits even further.
Wind turbine tower flanges are critical mechanical joints fastened together by bolts. To ensure correct bolt tightening and to prevent bolts failing due to fatigue, the two connecting flanges must be flat to within a few millimeters, or some cases tenths of a millimeter. Achieving this level of precision presents a technical challenge even for smaller diameter flanges of some 6 meters.
Achieving Millimeter Tolerances for Large Wind Turbine Flanges
by Søren Kellenberger
During manufacturing, when flanges are welded to the structure — tower, monopile, transition pieces, jackets or floaters — the heat input can cause twisting and bending in the flange. Sometimes this affects the intended flatness. In this case, the flanges must be adjusted following the welding. Traditionally, these flange surfaces have had to be corrected by hand using heat treatment to remove the skewness. However, the manual method is time consuming and requires significant skills, and it can still be difficult to achieve the level of precision needed.
Betting on precision machining
Manufacturers of foundations and towers are increasingly looking for reliable automated machining methods that not only offer the required precision, but can also be integrated into the production processes.
CNC machining is a suitable solution that delivers benefits in the manufacturing process as it improves precision significantly. The method also reduces the time needed for re-straightening flange, thereby reducing costs and improving throughput. The operation of the CNC machines can either be handled by the manufacturer, or outsourced to specialized CNC machine suppliers who will manufacture the custom-built machine to specifications. Depending on the exact need, manufacturers can choose to either buy the machine or rent it.
Several such custom-made machines for offshore wind turbine flanges are currently being developed in Denmark, the first country in the world to install a wind turbine at sea some 30 years ago. These CNC precision milling machines are available to customers worldwide.
Milling flanges up to 12 meters
One fully automatic CNC-controlled machine, which has been on the market for two years, can mill flanges of up to 10-meters in standard configuration and can be configured for diameters up to 12-meters. This has previously not been possible with a tolerance level below two millimeters.
W ind turbine diameter sizes continue to increase.
Using CNC machines for wind turbine flanges brings many benefits. They are fast and precise, and they can handle many different flange designs. Furthermore, they can be used to machine or brush-up flange details likes gasket grooves.
The machines can be built to operate horizontally as well as vertically. As the factory layout and processes vary between manufacturers, this makes it possible to use the machine where it is most efficient for the given manufacturer. Designed to work quickly without compromising the high-precision work, the tool carries out some steps simultaneously to save time. This includes new complex flange designs.
A complex piece of equipment to build, the machine needs to cope with features on large flanges such as tilted or double-tilted surfaces, as well as requirements for parallelism between front- and backside of the flange surfaces. All of these features are important to ensure the integrity of the flange connection during operation; these details can be handled by choosing the most appropriate CNC machines.
The fine tolerances that are achievable using these Danish CNC machines allow designers to create smaller diameter flanges, and offers the potential to obtain maintenance-free bolt connections, which ultimately reduces both CapEx and OpEx for wind farm owners.
Several international foundation and tower manufacturers have already decided to incorporate precision flange milling using CNC machining in the plant. This is because wind turbine manufacturers in the future will probably tighten tolerances further.
Flatness and fatigue can affect bolts
Achieving the best possible fit between the wind turbine tower flange and its base during the manufacturing process reduces the requirement for routine retightening and associated downtime.
Incorrect bolt tension is problematic, as it can cause the bolts to loosen over time. This leads to fatigue in the bolts — at some point, they will start to brake, which ultimately can lead to a complete turbine collapse. Nor are regular bolt inspections favorable. They are expensive, and the tools are heavy from a health and safety perspective.
If combined with precise bolt tensioning methods, the precise flange tolerances achieved with CNC machines can help reduce and even eliminate the need to retighten bolts. This eventually leads to maintenance free connections – reducing OpEx and improving Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
While the first offshore CNC machining projects in North America are being installed on foundations manufactured outside the continent, the local supply in this region is rapidly developing. It is expected that Danish machines will soon be supplying customized flange milling machines to North America, allowing local manufacturers to obtain the required and optimal tolerances.
Søren Schmidt Kellenberger is Sales Director and Partner at CNC Onsite and can be contacted by email at ssk@cnconsite.dk or by phone at +45 25 53 76 50.
CNC Onsite /// cnconsite.dk
The Problem
Nobody Can Can See
by B.D. Erickson
Many of us are familiar with the saying that every adversity carries the seeds of equal or greater opportunity. This certainly proved painfully true for me. My son was a happy child who had not missed a day of school in over two years and had never received a grade other than A. Only after we moved back to my home state of Montana did I realize — rather belatedly — that our new home had been built under massive power-lines. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but within one year of our move, my son seemed off. Unable to pin down his anxiety, well-meaning school counselors and doctors suggested the pharmaceutical route. Rather than simply address my son’s symptoms, I exhaustively researched possible causes for his altered behavior, and discovered that he was suffering from E.H.S, or Electrohypersensitivity syndrome, a prognosis that would change our lives forever.
As it turned out, the strong electromagnetic fields (or EMFs) being emitted from the power lines overhead were slowly killing my son. In the end, I learned how to help him and others, but it was a long road.
I took a deep dive into E.H.S., his illness, the causes of EMF radiation, and dirty electricity, and was surprised to discover that EMFs caused by dirty electricity are, indeed, real. While dirty electricity is wasteful and inefficient for appliances and tech devices, it has been proven to be harmful to the biological and natural world. Not only can it harm people, but it also affects precious beneficial insects like bees. Additionally, researchers have observed that dirty electricity is deleterious to plants and indoor grows, though it’s best documented in dairy cows.
It is now suggested that 12 percent of the population suffer from E.H.S., with those numbers expected to grow yearly as we are overexposed to the vast proliferation of e-pollution. When I stood directly under those power lines above our house, I could hear them buzzing, and even feel my hair stand on end. As soon as I walked far enough away, however, those sensations quickly faded. For my son, unfortunately, any time he was in the home, they were inescapable; the constant ear ringing, skin oversensitivity, and subsequent anxiety were quite literally driving him mad.
Sadly, the reality of e-pollution overexposure and the booming increase of those suffering with E.H.S is, in great part, simply a result of the modern electrified world. The power being delivered by utilities is dirtier than ever. In fact, it’s steadily getting worse because, on a macro level, our power usage changed with things like the massive increase of indoor grows and crypto-miners; on a micro level, we all contribute.
When it comes to wind power, the areas of the country best suited (and with enough space to allow the number of massive wind turbines necessary for both greater grid capacity and ROI) tend to be in the middle of nowhere. This poses a challenge when delivering this renewable electricity to urban areas where it is most often needed; a challenge exacerbated by “dirty electricity”. From a technical point of view, as a wind turbine spins, it creates a sine wave of AC power in "variable frequencies" (in order to be able to take advantage of varying wind speeds). The grid, however, only operates at a 60Hz fixed or primary frequency, meaning the resulting variable frequency has to be converted into DC to stabilize it, after which an inverter is used to convert it back into a 60Hz AC primary frequency so it can be used be used by existing power lines. Most inverters generate an extremely "dirty" signal (i.e., a 60Hz waveform)
The Midwest Rural Energy Council published research on wind farms and resulting stray voltage, which they define as, “…differences that can exist between two surfaces that are accessible to animals (stanchion, waterer, floor, etc.). When an animal touches both surfaces simultaneously, a small electric current will flow through its body. If the current is high enough, it can be felt by the animal and may cause behavioral changes. Stray voltage is usually caused by electrical currents that flow on the neutral and grounding conductors of a farm’s electrical system.”1 Animal sensitivity is beyond contestation as the principal on which electric fences are effective. I’ve personally interviewed farmers that state dairy cows won’t even step in a puddle if they sense stray voltage. If simple proximity affects livestock, it’s not much of a leap to imagine what happens to human beings. Before you work up your counter argument involving the much greater distances between farms and urban locations, consider this revelation: “…of great importance are reforms to interregional transmission planning, which are critical to expedite the build-out of high-capacity, longdistance transmission lines to transport renewables from areas with abundant, cheap wind and solar resources to load centers, while improving the resilience of the grid to extreme weather events.”2
“…differences that can exist between two surfaces that are accessible to animals (stanchion, waterer, floor, etc.). When an animal touches both surfaces simultaneously, a small electric current will flow through its body. If the current is high enough, it can be felt by the animal and may cause behavioral changes. Stray voltage is usually caused by electrical currents that flow on the neutral and grounding conductors of a farm’s electrical system.”1
It’s neither popular nor comfortable to report that, while wind is “clean” in that it’s renewable, the power itself is –sadly – dirty, as inverters, by their sheer operation, create huge electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and subsequent Dirty Electricity (DE). It is equally painful to report that the “Smart” or “Net” meter also creates huge levels of EMFs, acting as a powerful Wi-Fi transmitting tower on the side of the home, all in the name of creating a fully-electrified future. Since we’re working hard to make sure that our clean energy is saving the planet, and hurtling towards carbon neutral, it's worth discovering if we, as carbon creatures, can keep pace.
Environmental intelligence and insights to optimize wind farm operations
Vaisala’s new weather-augmented wind farm approach provides a 360° view of atmospheric conditions across wind farms and enhances wind farm profitability through higher production, improved reliability, optimized operations and maintenance, all while reducing overall costs. With the ability to tailor a solution based on unique needs and existing infrastructure, Vaisala’s solution suite equips wind farm operators with a modular and scalable approach to atmospheric awareness. A breadth of solutions and services, including wind lidars, meteorological sensors, lightning monitoring, and advanced data analytics work seamlessly together under one unified intelligence.
Vaisala /// vaisala.com
IEEE 1547-2018 compliant controller
B.D. Erickson II is CEO of Satic Shield, which designs plugin and wire-in filters that clean electrical service, increase the life span of everything within its sphere (biological and electrical) of influence, save money, and the planet.
The new Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Controller from WAGO is a library function block with a control algorithm for voltage, frequency, and reactive power control. To ensure a reliable power system, the DER connection to the grid requires communication between the energy source and the operator. Standards like IEEE 1547-2018 have been implemented to provide a trouble-free connection between systems. Of the 11 clauses related to IEEE 1547-2018, WAGO’s DER supports clauses 5 and 10. Clause 5 deals with reactive power and voltage/power control. This reinforces Clause 10 which handles the subject of interoperability for information exchange. The library function block in these controllers is programmed with CODESYS 3.5 software and has been validated and verified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
WAGO /// www.wago.com
MBA is an industrial building contractor who specializes in renewable/energy related projects. Our diverse portfolio includes O&M Buildings, battery storage buildings, H2 and N2 facilities, warehouses, RNG facilities, compressor buildings, and more. MBA completed over 40 buildings in 20 different states in 2023, and 60% of those projects involved repeat clients. MBA is familiar and able to meet Inflation Reduction Act Compliance, local labor compliance, and union labor compliance. MBA provides a service that clients can trust to meet quality, safety, and budget expectations throughout the entire country.
Elevating wind farm wildlife protection
IdentiFlight has launched its V5 technology. IdentiFlight V5 represents a significant advancement in both performance and reliability. Building upon IdentiFlight's track record of safeguarding avian species while supporting the expansion of renewable energy, IdentiFlight V5 sets a new standard for efficiency and effectiveness in avian detection systems. Key features of IdentiFlight V5 include enhanced performance, ruggedized design, and streamlined serviceability.
IdentiFlight /// identiflight.com
Whether you need a system for wind blade production or repairs, contact us today to learn how Mankiewicz can provide your complete coatings solutions.
High performing 2-axis anemometer
WindUltra is Gill’s newest 2-axis anemometer offering high performance combined with toughness, compact design, rapid installation, and alignment features. WindUltra offers reliable and accurate solid-state sensors; robustness with IP ratings IP69k, IP68, and IP66; space efficient design; features for rapid installation and alignment; easy configuration; and built-in heating. WindUltra provides stand-alone measurements or can be part of a larger measurement or monitoring system. It is has robust performance in harsh environments including dust, sand, pressurized water, impact, shock, and vibration. WindUltra’s rapid installation and alignment features include either a twist-lock 1" (25-26mm) pole mount or 1.75-2" (44-51mm) band-clamp pole mount. The sensor unit can be unclicked from either of the pole mounts to reveal alignment features integral within the pole mounts themselves. WindUltra is available with a range of industry standard output protocols and comprehensive support including software and technical advice. All Gill products are solid state, with no moving parts for minimal maintenance and low cost of ownership.
Gill Instruments /// gillinstruments.com
Second-generation application tools
HellermannTyton’s updated versions of its handheld cable tie application tools, the EVO 7i and 9i, offer visual and functional enhancements for customers that process wire, cable, and tubular bundles. The EVO 7i tensions and cuts cable ties ranging from 18lb to 80lb. The heavier duty EVO 9i processes 50lb to 255lb ties including wide strap ties. Both tools come in standard or short hand span models to accommodate all users. An additional model, the EVO 9HT, delivers even higher tensions for applications such as heavy equipment manufacturing. A key feature of the EVO line is HellermannTyton’s Tension-Lock-Cut (TLC) technology, which freezes the tensioner before the cut is made, eliminating kick-back. That and an improved, ergonomic handle design help reduce repetitive strain injuries. Each tool is housed in a lightweight composite body that resists drops and is molded in the company’s signature dark blue introduced to the tool segment in 2022.
HellermannTyton /// www.hellermanntyton.us/evo
Protective and comfortable work boot
New for Spring ‘24, the Evanston from KEEN Utility offers the burly protection of a work boot with the athletic feel and flexibility of a sneaker. Product highlights include a responsive KEEN.ReGEN cushioning that provides up to 50% energy return with every step as well as carbon-fiber safety toes that are unobtrusive and 15% lighter than steel. Other standout features include a KEEN.DRY waterproof, breathable membrane and full-grain Barnyard Resistant leather upper to keep wearers shielded from jobsite messes. A tough worker with an energetic sole, the Evanston is available for both men and women.
Utility /// www.keenfootwear.com
Welding and face shields for protection and comfort
STUDSON has announced three face shields that are purpose-built to fit the SHK-1 Full Brim Safety Helmet. Exclusively designed with Paulson Manufacturing, the three shields integrate seamlessly with the STUDSON full brim ANSI Z89.1 Type II safety helmet, bypassing the need to custom fit a shield or to swap personal protective equipment (PPE) mid-job. Studson’s shields feature an ergonomic design, the weight-compensating slotted cap bracket reduces the strain felt when the shield is stowed, offering better balance and comfort. With an arc thermal protective value (ATPV) rating of 12 cal/cm², the Full Brim Welding Face Shield –Arc Flash Tint offers protection against arc flash hazards, ensuring safety in high-risk environments. Also featuring an HT nanoparticle lens, the nanoparticle technology enhances clarity and durability, providing a clever view while maintaining high resistance to impacts. Built for hightemperature and high-impact applications, the Full Brim Face Shield – Clear offers unobstructed visibility, making it suitable for a variety of applications where a clear view is essential while maintaining high levels of protection. Designed for optimal protection and visibility in gas welding and cutting operations, the Shade 5 green tint shields a wearer’s eyes from harmful radiation while providing a clear view of their work. It is rated for severe industrial service where high temperature and high impact may occur. All three styles feature the LeverLock attachment system, allowing for quick and easy shield replacement. The press-to-release slotted adapters make bracket removal simple. In addition, the toricshaped lens design allows for an expansive field of vision and downward sightlines while minimizing internal glare to help users stay aware of their surroundings. The shields also have permanent anti-fog and anti-abrasion coatings that ensure long-lasting clarity and scratch resistance, helping reduce maintenance and replacement needs.
STUDSON /// studson.com
KEEN
Lubricants and Greases
Key Features:
An important part of the planned maintenance of a wind turbine, proper lubrication will help keep the machinery working well for years. Keeping a wind turbine’s gearbox properly lubricated is essential to extending the life of the turbine. Herein we highlight some of the solutions available on the market today…
TotalEnergies
Product: Hydransafe HFDU 46
Application: Hydransafe HFDU is TotalEnergies' line of fire-resistant and biodegradable hydraulic fluids. Its high performance and biodegradability are suitable for extreme conditions where environmental impact must be taken into account.
cSt @ 40°C: 40
cSt @ 100°C: 9.35
Viscosity Index: 185
Pour Point: -43.6°F (-42°C)
Flash Point: 590°F (310°C)
• Biodegradable product, good for use when there is a possibility of water contamination;
• High flash point and high spontaneous ignition temperature;
• Protection against wear and therefore a longer service life of the hydraulic components, offers good anticorrosion properties;
• Very high natural viscosity index guaranteeing a viscosity constantly adapted to the temperature range in which the fluid must be used;
• Considerable fire resistance properties. services.us.totalenergies.com
Shell Lubricant Solutions
Product: Omala S5 Wind
Application: Shell Omala S5 Wind is specifically designed to provide optimum performance and long service life. It is formulated to lubricate and protect wind turbine main gearboxes, even under harsh conditions, and is also suitable for yaw and pitch drives that require an ISO 320 viscosity specification.
cSt @ 40°C: 320 cSt
cSt @ 100°C: 39 cSt
Viscosity Index: 170
Pour Point: -54.4°F (-48°C)
Flash Point: 464°F (240°C) shell.us/wind
Hydrotex
Product: SYN-Nth Gear Oil
AMSOIL Industrial
Product: Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lubricants
Application: AMSOIL Industrial PT Series
Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lubricants are designed to provide protection for wind turbine and other industrial gearboxes requiring EP protection. AMSOIL Industrial PT Series Gear Lubricants are formulated to meet the listed standards and requirements.
Application: SYN-Nth Gear Oil maximizes gearbox reliability. Its protection against gear scuffing and micropitting has been documented with FZG testing and fieldproven in wind turbines. Its high oxidation stability extends drain intervals. Guaranteed ISO 4406 cleanliness: 16/14/11.
Castrol Industrial
Product: Tribol GR SW 460-1 and 680-1
Application: Tribol GR SW is recommended for tough industrial applications especially as encountered in wind turbine main bearings, pitch, and yaw bearings. It gives bearing protection under high loads at low to moderate speeds and in applications where water resistance is critical.
Viscosity Index: 460, 680 Oil Type: Synthetic
Thickener Type: Lithium complex
NLGI Grade: NLGI Grade 1 www.castrol.com/wind-us
Mobil
Product: Mobil SHC Grease 681 WT
Application: Mobil SHC Grease 681 WT was specially developed in collaboration with a global OEM to lubricate main bearings of wind turbines. This highperformance synthetic grease was designed to exceed the demanding requirements of wind turbine applications at extreme temperatures.
cSt @ 40°C: 680
cSt @ 100°C: 74
FUCHS Lubricants, Co.
Product: CEPLATTYN 300 SPRAY
Application: CEPLATTYN 300 SPRAY is a high-graphite containing adhesive lubricant for the wind segment, based on a selected base oil and containing EP additives and tackiness improvers. It provides dry lubricating film protection down to -40°F with excellent adhesion for protection against wear and corrosion. It forms a solid lubricant film under the pressure of the gear teeth, is water-resistant, repels oils and dirt, and is easy to apply.
Wind turbines should be regularly inspected and maintained in order to continue running smoothly and prevent property damage or injuries. Wind turbine maintenance includes inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and repair. Here, we highlight some of the wind turbine maintenance options available on the market today.
USA Borescopes
Product: USA 750 J-4-1500
Maintenance category: Inspection
Description: This advanced joystick articulating videoscope offers a 3.9mm probe with dual camera imaging for no more lost or cross threaded side view tips. A push button allows users to switch to front or side view. HD image quality borescope with probe lengths available in 1.5m and 3m lengths. Designed for applications where high mobility is needed, the USA750 is lightweight, rugged, and provides highresolution images and advanced imaging functions that allow workers to fulfill their tasks in challenging environments.
Description: Fibre Glast provides the products needed for wind turbine blade repair that will help minimize the downtime of assets and can help save both time and money. To combat leading edge erosion and other wear and tear damage, high quality, fast repairs are critical to the turbines' performance. When in-field repair specialists use Fibre Glast's composite epoxies and fabrics, turbines are back in operating condition as fast as possible. www.fibreglast.com
FT Technologies
Product: FT Wind Sensors
Poseidon Systems, LLC
Product: DM4500 Wear Debris Sensor
Maintenance category: Gearbox fault detection
Description: A real-time, in-line fluid sensing technology for the detection of metallic wear debris and particulates in a lubrication system. Comparative analysis across a site identifies outlying gearboxes that are producing more debris, allowing inspection efforts to be focused on these gearboxes first to capitalize on inspection man-hours. Using this data saves hundreds of man-hours from the process, preventing the inspection of gearboxes that aren’t generating metal. www.poseidonsys.com
Maintenance category: Wind measurement
Description: FT Technologies’ Acu-Res Technology provides an ultrasonic sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio. With strong corrosion resistance and lightning protection, FT sensors are a suitable choice for retrofitting older turbines. fttechnologies.com
Aurora Energy Services
Product: Uptower Maintenance Solutions
Maintenance category: Cleaning, general maintenance, inspection, repairs
Description: Aurora specializes in comprehensive up-tower wind maintenance including Category 1-5 blade inspection and repair, tower cleaning, gearbox inspection and service, and generator testing and repairs. Their Altitude generator repair fixture enables efficient up-tower rotor and stator repair, machining, and dual plane balancing.
Key Features:
• Microwave inspection of blades for identification of hidden defects;
Description: eologix-ping enhances the wind industry’s operational efficiency by providing continuous blade health monitoring. Their sensor technology is designed to detect damage to the rotor blades, lightning strikes, and ice formation, among other things. These retrofit-friendly sensor systems facilitate onthe-spot measurements directly on the rotor blade surfaces and acoustic measurements inside the blades or on the turbines. With this versatile technology, wind farm operators are able to detect problems promptly and better assess the condition of the rotor blades. It is compatible with wind turbines of all types, locations, and life cycle stages, empowering wind farm operators to achieve operational excellence with their wind turbines. www.eologix-ping.com
Weidmuller
Product: BLADEcontrol with Web-based Visualization
Maintenance category: Preventative maintenance
Description: This intelligent solution for blade condition monitoring measures the vibration response inside the blade to detect performance and structural-related issues such as aerodynamic imbalances, trailing edge cracks, delamination or bonding defects, blade bearing damage, and blade tip damage caused by such factors as lightning strikes or ice accumulation. Additionally, wind park managers can unlock turbine insights using BLADEcontrol’s web-based visualization and analysis suite, WebVis. The overview dashboard on WebVis highlights single turbine and fleet-wide diagnostics to help identify anomalous behavior, minimize unplanned downtime, and maximize productivity. The many advantages of BLADEcontrol include increased turbine availability, extended service life of the rotor blades, reduced downtime, ability to plan repairs, optimum turbine efficiency, and measurable increase in revenue. www.weidmuller.com
Acoem
Product: Acoem Wind Shaft Alignment Solutions for Wind Turbines
Maintenance category: General maintenance, inspection, repairs, testing
Description: Acoem Wind Shaft
Alignment Solutions specializes in precise shaft alignment for wind turbines, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions and continuously expanding its range. Tailored tools for various turbine models ensure high precision, ease of use, and durability, even in harsh conditions. Acoem Wind Shaft Alignment Solutions help ensure the longevity and effectiveness of wind turbines, prevent expensive breakdowns, and ensure uninterrupted energy production. acoem.us/wind
Wind Secure, Inc.
Product: Wind Turbine Foundation
Maintenance
Maintenance category: General maintenance, inspection, repairs, testing, foundation maintenance
Description: Anchor bolt tension testing, anchor bolt corrosion prevention, guaranteed grip tight anchor bolt covers. Torque and tension for anchor bolts, tower bolts, and blade bolts. Above and below ground foundation inspections and repairs along with whole tower re-leveling. www.windsecure.com
Weather Guard Lightning Tech
Product: StrikeTape
Maintenance category: General maintenance, repairs, LPS upgrade retrofit
Description: StrikeTape acts as a guide for lightning, sending it into the existing LPS to avoid wrong lightning attachments that create punctures, delaminations, split edges, and structural damages to wind turbine blades. It is installed on the exterior surface of blades, usually near the tip. This installation only take 15-20 minutes per blade and protects the wind turbine for years.
www.weatherguardwind.com
Aegis Onshore, Inc.
Product: Large Corrective Services and Blade Services
Maintenance category: General maintenance, inspection, repairs, repowering
Description: Aegis Onshore’s teams combine multiple engineering competencies with a deep technical understanding of their service domain. Through their turnkey onsite approach to blade repair and large corrective service, Aegis Onshore provides services needed to optimize production equipment, lowering operating costs, and establishing standardized metrics for measurable results. Their comprehensive multi-domain services mean every step of the process is handled by Aegis from initial turbine assessment and inspection, engineering, LOTO, repairs/RTS. www.aegisonshore.com
Aerones
Product: Blade leading edge erosion repair
Maintenance category: Repairs
Description: Aerones has developed a wind turbine blade leading edge repair (LER) robot. It is fast, safe, and efficient. Aerones LER robot is capable of removing old 3M tape, cleaning and smoothening blade surface, and applying lasting protective coating with precision, speed, and quality.
aerones.com
RNWBL
Product: Wind services
Maintenance category: Repowering
Description: RNWBL offers turnkey solutions to clients for repowering or performing major restorations on underperforming wind farms. Their repowering services include engineering, crane and craft labor, electrical work, and standard project services such as receiving and installation QA/QC.
www.rnwbl.com
Clobotics Wind Services
Product: Internal and external blade inspections
Maintenance category: Inspections
Description: Clobotics' autonomous drone inspection can inspect a wind turbine in less than half an hour, and the internal blade inspection crawler can inspect the wind turbine in less than three hours per wind turbine. Data is uploaded and analyzed, and reports are delivered via cloud-based blade asset management software.
www.clobotics.com/wind
KK Wind Solutions
Product: Monitoring Solutions
Maintenance category: General maintenance, repairs, repowering, CMS
Description: KK Wind Solutions’ capabilities span development of wind technologies, lean manufacturing, flexible aftermarket services, and advanced monitoring solutions. www.kkwindsolutions.com
MISTRAS Group
Product: Wind Blade Integrity Management
Maintenance category: General maintenance, inspection, repairs, monitoring
Description: MISTRAS Group helps to ensure blade integrity by offering maintenance, light mechanical, and repair services that enable blades and wind turbines to operate effectively and reliably. To enable a proactive maintenance strategy, MISTRAS’ Sensoria, the 24/7/365 wind blade monitor, utilizes acoustic emission (AE) technology to consistently monitor the blades, alerting operators in real time to damages that need to be addressed. MISTRAS’ Spider SemiAutomated (SA) Scanner services offer rope access compatibility for onshore and offshore jobs, to effectively inspect hard-to-reach and inaccessible locations; large, complex, semifinished products; and completed structures.
• Digital blade scanning and damage analysis. wind.mistrasgroup.com
ITH Bolting Technology
Product: Bolt tension and torque tooling
Maintenance category: General maintenance, repairs, bolting
Description: ITH designs, manufactures, and sells hydraulic bolt tensioning and torque tooling for wind turbines. Bolting tools for foundations, towers, blades, gearboxes, and more, as well as hub alignment rotating tools. www.ith.com
Mankiewicz
Product: Alext BladeRep
Maintenance category: Repairs
Description: Consisting of four products, profile filler, pore filler, leading edge protection, and topcoat, ALEXIT BladeRep allows applicators to select an efficient product for each repair application. All ALEXIT BladeRep products are polyurethane-based, aiming to avoid the need for frequent costly blade replacements and extending the time between maintenance intervals, making it a cost-effective choice. As an internationally operating company with 16 locations worldwide, they can give on-site support, with local knowledge, wherever needed.
Key Features:
• Advanced protection;
• User-friendly for various application environments;
• Convenient packaging sizes;
• Global availability;
• Worldwide presence and consultancy of technical application experts. bladerep.com
Tech Wind Services
Product: Wind Tower Inspection and Repair
Maintenance category: General maintenance, inspection, repowering, testing Description: Tech Wind Services provide services including nondestructive testing on erected towers; mapping, measurement, and repair of indentations; repair and replacement of tower internals; welding repairs at height; coating repairs and periodic maintenance, as well as inspection and repair of composite materials. They also offer bolt removal services throughout the tower with their EDM process. www.techwindservices.com
Altura, a division of IRISNDT
Product: Altura inspection services
Maintenance category: Inspections and repairs
Description: To help maintain their customers’ fleet, Altura collects data with a range of different inspection methods. Their engineers can then analyze the data and advise on repair strategy, minimizing loss of production, and prolonging the life of the blades. Their team of experienced and safetyoriented blade repair technicians can perform the repairs via rope access or 360° blade platform.
www.alturawind.com
IMCORP - an Osmose Company
Product: Power Cable Reliability Services
Maintenance category: Consulting and diagnostics
Description: IMCORP provides diagnostic and technical services for underground power cable systems, utilizing their AI-based Factory Grade technology to take the complexity out of site commissioning as well as testing and maintenance services to extend cable system useful life, increasing their clients’ asset longevity, safety metrics, and improving their bottom lines. www.imcorp.com
Reshaping Insurance, Risk, and Revenues for BESS Owners and Operators
by Matt Besch
Risk management is one of the primary concerns that keeps energy storage leaders awake at night. When risk management is underpinned by predictive battery analytics, however, there are several emerging value-creation levers that battery energy storage system (BESS) owners and operators are realizing — one of which is moving towards a proactive asset management approach. This new approach to asset management is also drawing the interest of the insurance industry.
New territory for insurers
As insurance carriers become more familiar with the range of risks inherent to storage technologies, they are coming to terms with the fact that batteries are unlike other renewable assets. Batteries involve an ongoing chemical process, which is completely different than mechanical-based technologies like solar or wind.
To put this in perspective, large-scale storage systems might have half a million or more battery cells—each having its own chemical reaction. This adds a significant amount of complexity and potential risk to storage projects.
Several of the more progressive carriers recognize that data analysis is a path toward better understanding these complex assets. These carriers use advanced battery analytics to understand what’s happening inside the systems they insure, and translate it into insurance KPIs. This reduces their risk exposure.
Meanwhile, BESS owners and operators use the same battery data to inform their operational decisions, such as whether to replace a module, adjust equipment, or take corrective action to ensure optimal system performance. Rather than wait for a failure, maintenance can be scheduled at a preferred time that won’t have as big of an effect on revenue.
For example, BESS operators that deploy predictive battery analytics technology across their system during commissioning, often discover that one or more battery cells are not behaving correctly and should be replaced under the manufacturer’s warranty. For the insurer, having that information provides a more detailed picture of the BESS asset, as well as confidence that initial equipment shortfalls have been addressed and
the system is now capable of running at peak performance, with a reduced risk for safety incidents.
Having this inside-out perspective of the asset enables the insurer to be more precise and confident in their underwriting, and helps the BESS owners to optimize their Operations and Maintenance planning.
A high degree of caution
BESS insurance typically aims to protect the value of the system’s assets and revenues. Some insurance policies also include performance guarantees related to an owner or operator’s ability to fulfill contractual obligations, or manage certain expectations regarding battery degradation and useful life. Battery systems are generally regarded with a high degree of caution because of the risk of thermal runaway.
Predictive analytics' ability to identify patterns and causal trends, long before these issues become unstoppable, makes the technology appealing to BESS owners and operators and insurance companies alike. Being able to spot potential problems early and act before they have a chance to do any harm improves overall safety and risk management for BESS operations.
The bigger the sample, the sharper the insights
While sometimes a lone indicator can warn of a potentially severe failure, looking at multiple system conditions in combination provides a clearer and deeper picture of system changes that could have downstream implications. Effective risk monitoring requires tracking numerous indicators across multiple sites, then building an aggregate dataset that can be analyzed with AI and machine learning to pick out holistic patterns. Reviewing multiple system conditions enables predictive analytics technology to provide a clearer and deeper picture of system changes that could have downstream implications, compared with conventional data generated from a standard battery management system.
Unlocking business value
Insurance providers are now incentivizing the use of predictive analytics. Some owners and operators are receiving better insurance considerations, similar to how some insurers provide credit to automobile or homeowner’s insurance policyholders who take additional actions to reduce their risk of accidents.
BESS owners and operators often face pressure to cut costs and maximize revenues, but they often have relatively few levers to pull, since they don’t set electricity rates and
have little flexibility when it comes to overhead costs. However, there are things BESS operators can do to ensure their system consistently produces maximum output, while minimizing maintenance costs and running their system in a way that extends useful life. Predictive battery analytics can help achieve these goals, while also reducing risk.
BESS operators who are adopting predictive analytics technology often reap immediate business benefits through improved physical operation and lower incident risk, as well as better insurance terms and conditions, as more insurers understand the unique risk-reducing advantages predictive analytics can bring.
Matt Besch is VP of Marketing at ACCURE Battery Intelligence, which makes batteries safer, more reliable, and sustainable using analytics.
ACCURE Battery Intelligence /// www.accure.net
NOVA SCOTIA
CANADA
Since 1959, Rolls Battery Engineering has been manufacturing premium deep cycle batteries in Nova Scotia.
Serving Renewable Energy markets around the world for decades, the Rolls brand is well-recognized as an industry leader in product quality and performance, and continues to be the first choice of installers and DIY homeowners looking for affordable and dependable energy storage solutions.
● FLOODED LEAD-ACID
● SEALED VRLA AGM & GEL
● LIFEPO4 DROP-IN REPLACEMENTS
● LIFEPO4 ESS SOLUTIONS
Navigating the Electrification Frontier with Whole Home Energy Management
by Vincent Ambrose
Electric vehicles are hitting the mainstream, savvy consumers are adopting highefficiency heat pumps, and induction cooktops are replacing gas stoves. Homes are becoming more complicated — and more energy hungry — as energy prices continue to sharply rise and the grid’s reliability continues to fall.
Homeowners’ approaches to electrification have been fragmented at best. It’s not their fault; this is a new frontier for everyone. However, it’s abundantly clear that without a robust home energy management system, these grid-tied solutions can cause havoc on energy bills and leave homeowners in the dark during outages, even with solar power.
To thrive in our sustainable future, it's crucial to embrace advanced technologies that monitor, optimize, and control energy use. Comprehensive energy management – from solar panels to battery storage and grid integration – can revolutionize efficiency, cut costs, and enhance resilience, creating a stable and eco-friendly energy landscape. At the end of the day, homes need new levels of intelligence to work properly in a future full of electrification, and that intelligence needs to be paired with energy storage.
Let's delve into the transformative power and benefits of these systems for homes nationwide.
Balancing the needs of an electrified home
A holistic approach to home energy management provides homeowners with a comprehensive understanding of their energy consumption patterns and optimization strategies. EVs have been adopted far and wide. Many new EV owners are often shocked by the energy bills they receive after charging in the middle of the day, only learning retroactively about concepts such as peak demand charges and other nuances of their utility’s rate structures. How and when energy is consumed has been something about which homeowners have been able to remain blissfully ignorant, but increased electrification is changing that. Electrifying a home is a good investment, but being able to smartly shift energy loads and balance energy usage makes it an even better one. Real-time monitoring and control of home energy sources and consumption, supported by energy storage for additional energy freedom, is a critical element to the electrification of homes.
Preparing for energy sources of the future
The future of electrification is not just about appliances consuming energy, it’s about being able to balance a mix of current and future generation sources. Proactively managing energy generation is essential, as is shifting the consumers’ focus from mere consumption to comprehensive energy resilience.
In today’s market, when it comes to solar, the first thing a homeowner thinks about is an onsite power source coming from the utility, but the process of using intelligent energy management platforms to optimize solar plus storage is critical for maximizing the ROI of a home system. In other words, knowing when to consume power now, save it later for consumption, or sell it back to the grid for the highest return. However, electrification has crossed the threshold to now include more energy sources –simply optimizing the usage of solar has become table stakes.
the household's functionality while extending battery longevity.
Building a solid electrification foundation
Paired with whole house battery backup, home energy management systems empower homeowners to take control of their energy generation and consumption, promoting efficiency and cost savings. The solutions chosen today should be agnostic to energy sources and able to incorporate new ones in the future. This investment creates the foundation necessary for other electrification projects such as
www.franklinwh.com
Indoors or outdoors, the AES RACKMOUNT Slimline Enclosure is economical, installs fast and offers the smallest footprint for 30 kWh of low-voltage energy storage. Parallel up to six enclosures for 180 kWh in closed-loop configuration. Slimline Enclosures come pre-assembled with a DC bus bar and battery cables and hosts up to six AES RACKMOUNT Battery Modules.
Unlock the full potential of Discover Lithium batteries with LYNK II Communication Gateway by enabling the BMS to optimize and dynamically manage the charging configurations of hybrid inverter-chargers in a closed-loop configuration - Schneider, Victron, Sol-Ark, SMA, Studer.
The Power of a Second Chance
by Blessin McFarlane and John Kincaide
Ever heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Turns out this applies to batteries, as well. Batteries have been prematurely disposed of, despite still holding three to five years of discharge cycles within them, meaning they can be put to use in an application. Since they are often less expensive than new batteries and incredibly versatile, batteries on their second life can be a source of stationary storage for anything ranging from grid support to renewable energy collection. Extending their lifespan by many more years makes these batteries great for the environment, promoting sustainability and further delaying the toxic recycling and mining processes. Additionally, depending on the renewable energy application and how long they are used, second-life batteries have the chance to offset or completely compensate for their first-life carbon emissions, since they are no longer feeding off of the power grid. Almost any rechargeable battery chemistry can be reused, including lead-acid, Nickel-Cadmium Wet, zinc, and all types of lithium-ion batteries. Overall, however, there are two categories of second-life batteries:
1. Stationary Storage to Stationary Storage
2. Electric Vehicle (EV) to Stationary Storage
The largest difference between the two are the safety testing costs. Underwriter Laboratories (UL) tests consumer and industrial products for electrical safety and writes technical standards for equipment, including second life batteries and systems that are connected to the utility grid. While their procedures hold no legal weight alone, the US and Canada fire and building codes refer to UL tests and standards, and they’ve since become law. This slows deployment because it is expensive and, in some cases, testing takes a lot of time.
The more common form of reuse is using a backup storage battery until the end of its first life, and then giving it a second-life as renewable energy storage. It is a great way to passively collect and store energy produced by wind and solar farms, helping to reduce their carbon footprint and increase the amount of available renewable energy on the grid.
Conveniently, second-life batteries are customizable, giving buyers the option to build grander storage systems that can hold larger amounts of energy over time to meet their needs. Using stationary storage backup batteries for stationary storage renewable energy systems has one advantage: There are already GWhs of installed base of stationary storage batteries. For example, 32 second-life leadacid AGM non-spillable batteries were used to provide backup support to a grid-tied solar array for a hospital in The Gambia, Africa. In this case, 16 batteries created 4 strings of 4 batteries in series. These 4 strings were then wired in parallel to create a “Block” of 18Kwh of useful energy (a “Stack” is made of 2 Blocks totaling 36KWh of useful energy). This gives the hospital enough power to continue performing surgeries for 2 hours into the night when the solar and grid are not working. Eventually, a total of 6 Stacks will provide 7-8 hours of power.
Another common way to repurpose batteries is by converting EV batteries into stationary storage. This is especially relevant given that the EV battery market is expected to skyrocket. Over the next 3-10 years, depending on how they are driven, EV batteries wear out for vehicle transport when they reach 70 to 80 percent state of charge. At this point, they have reduced driving range and available power to dependably manage emergency maneuvers (like quick acceleration to avoid a collision). However, to prematurely recycle a 100Kwh battery with up to 80 percent reserve remaining is a large waste of resources — and at the cost of a sizable carbon footprint. If you have a 100KWh EV pack, the
remaining 70-80Kwh is useful for stationary energy storage applications such as manufacturing, mining, “peak shaving” to prevent expensive power spikes caused by sudden equipment power demand, and remote communities with renewable energy and other power sources.
Keep in mind that reuse comes before recycling. Recycling is a great choice at the battery end of lifenot before that occurs. Unfortunately, the processes involved in recycling batteries can release all the toxic materials into the environment, poisoning surrounding soil and groundwater stores, polluting the air with excessive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, and pulling loads of energy from the grid. Reusing batteries delays this phenomenon for many years, giving researchers additional time to perfect the emerging “cathode to cathode” recycling method; this has fewer steps, and is potentially less costly to make battery active materials to make new Li-ion batteries than today’s chemical, furnace, or electrolysis recovery methods.
A monumental amount of energy storage systems is already installed, with even more planned for the near future. In other words, the market for second-life batteries is poised for exponential growth, currently on an expansive hockey stick graph. This is a growing industry, yet there is room for so many more. Giving batteries a second life is a reliable and effective way to make energy more accessible to those in need while reducing their impact on the environment.
Blessin McFarlane is Marketer and John Kincaide is CEO of 2nd Life Batteries. They can be reached at Blessin@2ndlifebatteries.com and John@2ndLifeBatteries.com respectively.
2ndLife Batteries
/// www.2ndlifebatteries.com
2ndLife Batteries for The Gambia Hosptial utilizing remote WatchDog International's Battery monitoring system.
B2Uco.com's SEPV Sierra project in Lancaster, CA consisting of hybrid solar + storage with 28MWh repurposed EV second-life battery energy storage.
Home energy management solution
Schneider Electric’s Schneider Home is an integrated home energy management solution that makes homes more efficient and resilient. This solution provides energy independence automating energy production, storage, measurement, and control all from a single, easy-touse app. Schneider Home is a comprehensive solution that includes a smart electrical panel, a home battery for clean energy storage, a high-power solar inverter, an electric vehicle (EV) charger, and connected electric sockets and light switches, all connected to intelligently orchestrate home energy. Schneider Home eliminates complexity, providing homeowners the ability to easily monitor energy consumption by individual appliance, decide where to prioritize power during an outage to extend available back up power, and avoid expensive electrical service upgrades when purchasing an EV.
Schneider
Electric /// www.se.com
Affordable products that harness free renewable energy
Nature’s Generator has expanded their line of transfer switches with their 12-circuit non-automatic transfer switch for Nature’s Generator Powerhouse. The Nature’s Generator 12-Circuit Power Transfer Switch Kit is a 12-circuit, 120V/240V 30A manual transfer switch specifically designed for easy indoor installation. The Power Transfer Switch Kit is pre-wired and integrates the electrical system of the building to use the renewable energy that is generated then stored/accessed through the Nature's Generator Powerhouse, allowing it to run up to 12 single-pole circuits or 6 double-pole circuits. Nature’s Generator’s Power Transfer Switches are code compliant and certified according to ISO/IEC Guide 17067, Conformity AssessmentFundamentals of Product Certification, System 3, and in accordance with UL 1008 and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 178.1. The transfer switches always isolate the generator power from utility power. The circuit breakers are 1” interchangeable breakers so they can be changed to different sizes and brands that are compatible and within the maximum circuit size ratings. In addition to providing backup power for electrical appliances, devices, and lighting during a blackout, the Nature's Generator Power Transfer Switches, when combined with the Nature’s Generator Powerhouse and solar panels, can provide a whole home offgrid renewable energy system to power all off-grid energy needs.
Nature's Generator
/// naturesgenerator.com
How New Maintenance Training Can Increase the Declining Demand for EVs
by Elaina Farnsworth
The world is racing toward a more sustainable future, and the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) stands as a cornerstone in the fight against climate change and harmful emissions. Although EVs offer a hopeful solution to the climate crisis, their widespread adoption hinges on one critical component: a robust network of EV charging stations.
The EV world has a charging station problem, causing rampant “charging anxiety” and disinterest in EVs altogether. Recent studies show that up to 20 percent of current charging stations are inoperable at any given time.
Although there have been calls for more charging stations to be built, people are beginning to see the writing on the wall. If there are not enough specially trained technicians to support the current infrastructure, what good will more stations do?
Decline in demand
The problems with the current charging infrastructure have contributed significantly to the overall declining demand for EVs. Data published in January of 2024 stated that survey respondents who reported being interested in purchasing an EV stands at 41 percent, down from 49 percent in 2023. Interest has plummeted for members of Generation Z, despite their overwhelming interest in sustainability and climate change issues, with 52 percent of survey respondents citing the “inconvenience of charging” as a primary reason for steering clear of EVs.
Much of this inconvenience stems from the unreliable EV charging network; “charging anxiety” has emerged as a leading deterrent to EV ownership. Long lines at the one or two charging stations available in certain areas, broken equipment, and unreliable software have made people feel that owning an EV is not so much a “sure thing,” but rather a daily gamble on whether or not the need to charge one’s vehicle will be supported.
Today’s drivers need to find reassurance in the push for EV adoption. They need to know that not only will the EV charging infrastructure be expanded to support the number of EVs that experts would like to see on the roads, but that those new charging stations will be supported by trained technicians who know the ins and outs of the specific needs of these stations.
Skill development and training
To support the increased adoption of EVs, there must be a push for better training and skill development for technicians tasked with supporting the current and future network of charging stations. Currently, electricians or IT professionals are often tapped to handle issues of maintenance and network downtime. Problems arise when these technicians — however talented they may be within their own industries — do not have the EV-specific knowledge or training to properly support the embattled infrastructure. EV charging stations can have complex operating systems and electrical needs. Components such as network connectivity, cybersecurity, and links to payment systems put the maintenance of these stations outside the skill realm of many traditional electricians or IT technicians. This skill gap has resulted in frustration on the part of both workers and EV drivers. Through specific skill development and certification programs, proponents of EVs are working to tackle the skill gap issue. The operations and maintenance (O&M) market is rapidly evolving for workers. Aligning skilled professionals with the precise expertise they need to successfully support the growing EV charging infrastructure could solve the slowdown of EV adoption.
Even with a slight decline in EV demand, there are rampant opportunities for workers in the EV space. By gaining specific certifications such as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) certification, technicians can unlock nearly unlimited future career opportunities in the EV space.
All of this work toward offering upskilling and training evolution for EV charging station maintenance technicians goes toward furthering overall EV adoption in the future. With a fully supported charging network, a significant pain point for EV drivers could be solved.
In the face of a decline in demand for EVs, enhanced technology and a bolstered infrastructure are two steps that will be necessary to support the waning EV market. In addition, the skilled support of EV charging stations will underpin wider adoption – restoring consumer confidence, and soothing “charging anxiety.”
By equipping technicians with the specialized skills and certifications they will need to properly maintain and support the growing EV charging infrastructure, charging stations will finally begin to shed their reputation for unreliability. Moreover, the continued interest in specific skill building is helping to create a robust new industry that will become more in demand as EV technology evolves.
The world will continue grappling with climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EV use is integral to the plan to create a more sustainable future. By recognizing the pivotal role of skilled professionals in supporting the ongoing EV revolution, barriers can be overcome, and widespread EV adoption can pick up steam once again.
Elaina
Farnsworth is Co-Founder & CEO of SkillFusion, which increases availability of certified electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) workers to ensure service providers have seamless access to the righttrained service technician.
Simplify ES analysis
QuESt 2.0 includes three main components, The QuESt App Hub operates similarly to an app store, offering access points to a multitude of applications. The QuESt Workspace provides an integrated environment where users can create workflows by assembling multiple applications into a coherent process. QuESt GPT utilizes generative AI, specifically Large Language Models, or LLM, for data characterization and visualization. Users can select datasets and ask questions about the data, with QuESt GPT providing insights based on the data's characteristics. This interaction model simplifies complex data analysis, making it accessible to users without deep technical expertise. QuESt 2.0 provides a unified platform, advanced data analytics, flexibility and scalability, and collaborative development.
Storage-only Power Bloc k
Built-in Aux Power & DC panel
480/550/600/690Vac
800-1500Vdc
Work with independent battery c
Grid-tied and off-grid
DCDC
SkillFusion /// skillfusion.com
Multiple MPPT: 1/2/4 00kW-750kW per cabinet
NEMA3R
690Vac
215kW- 1.72MW per cabinet
PSCAD, PSSE, DIgSILENT
Grid-tied and off-grid
Logistics of Lithium Education for a sustainable future
by Tyler Bourns
In the ever-evolving landscape of energy storage solutions, lithium batteries are quickly moving up the ranks when it comes to sustainability and technology solutions. From smartphones to electric vehicles, laptops, scooters, and even off-grid living and storing renewable energy, lithium-ion batteries are indispensable throughout our daily lives. As we search for more efficient and more environmentally-friendly energy storage solutions, we need a deeper understanding of lithium batteries before we begin to power energy storage technology for the future.
Understanding the chemistry
The core of a lithium battery is an intricate matrix of materials, electrolytes, and electrochemical processes that determine how they perform and for how long. For years, battery manufacturers and technology companies have been studying lithium battery chemistry to understand and research the opportunities and weaknesses of the various chemistries, as well as how they can work to the benefit of advanced technologies. By closely studying the behaviors of electrode materials at the nanoscale or investigating deeper electrolyte formulations, researchers are unlocking the pathways to safer and more efficient batteries, complete with enhanced energy density and lifecycles.
Mitigating environmental impacts
While the benefits of lithium batteries are numerous, their quick and widespread adoption has raised concerns about safety and sustainability. From the potentially damaging extraction of lithium and other raw materials, to manufacturing emissions and waste, to battery disposal and recycling, every stage of the battery lifecycle presents environmental challenges. A focus on education and research initiatives is essential for mitigating these impacts. The real solution, however, is to create batteries that ultimately lessen our environmental impact from the start.
That consideration begins with developers adopting a holistic perspective on the impacts from sourcing to the production line, with an increased focus on using recyclable materials and improving the battery lifecycle processes. Ultimately, reducing the environmental footprint of the battery manufacturing process will lead to a completely sustainable process that positively impacts the
circular economy of the battery industry itself. Considering Nevada hosts potentially the largest lithium deposit in the country, Biden’s recent 2.26-billion-dollar infusion to the state comes as no surprise. In fact, lithium battery recycling plants have already established operations in northern Nevada. And a Nevada-based lithium technology company is already moving forward with a patented dry electrode manufacturing technology that allows for a 22 percent reduction of required factory space for battery production, compared to traditional processes.
Advancing energy storage technologies
In an era where sustainability is a business requirement, energy storage technologies like lithium batteries play a pivotal role in facilitating the transition from coal and fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. With high energy density and rechargeability, lithium batteries are leading the revolution. However, we are far from reaching the full potential of lithium technology. There will always be a battery that stores more energy, charges faster, lasts longer, or is more environmentally friendly to manufacture. As battery technology companies continue to develop lithium battery technology, the solution for these advanced batteries becomes clearer.
The promise of solid-state Safety concerns are at the top of the list. While issues such as thermal runaway and battery fires make headlines, they underscore the importance of rigorous research and education. To remain competitive, battery manufacturers are working to develop safer and nonflammable solutions, including an all-solid-state battery.
Solid-state lithium batteries represent a paradigm shift in energy storage, replacing traditional liquid electrolytes with solid-state alternatives. By eliminating flammable components and enhancing ion conductivity, solid-state batteries bring enhanced safety, higher energy densities, and longer cycle lives.
Solid-state lithium batteries offer more than just technological advancements — they embody a commitment to resolve the very challenges the industry faces. By eliminating flammable components and toxic materials, solidstate batteries mitigate safety hazards and environmental risks associated with traditional lithium-ion batteries. The longer cycle lives and higher energy densities contribute to the longevity and efficiency of energy storage systems, and support the swift move to a truly renewable energy source.
Solid-state lithium batteries stand out as a sign of innovation and progress. Through comprehensive education and research, we continue to unlock the transformative potential of solid-state battery technology and its role in shaping a world powered by clean, reliable energy, and a clear path to a greener tomorrow.
A foundation for the future
The pursuit of fundamental knowledge in lithium batteries is transformative in reshaping the energy landscape for generations. From solid-state batteries to lithium-air and beyond, the possibilities are endless, but realizing and capitalizing on these requires a foundation built on education and research. Through this, we can enhance our understanding of battery chemistry, drive innovations in energy storage, mitigate environmental impacts, ensure safety and reliability, and pioneer transformative technologies. Only then will the industry be more sustainable and electrified.
Tyler Bourns is the Chief Marketing Officer for Dragonfly Energy, a green energy storage company which has a patented dry-electrode manufacturing technology that is being developed to enable costeffective and sustainable lithium battery production in North America.
Dragonfly Energy
/
/ dragonflyenergy.com
Helping to protect communities from power outages
Smart home leader ecobee released a new update to its eco+ Community Energy Savings feature to protect customers from power outages caused by extreme weather. During North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Emergency Event Alert (EEA) or equivalent events, customers who are not already enrolled in a utility demand response program will receive an alert on their ecobee Smart Thermostat and ecobee mobile app informing them that their home is at risk of an outage. Customers then receive recommended, automated temperature adjustments to help ensure grid stability. With this update, customers are in control and can opt out of any changes before or even during the event. Those who choose to conserve energy and help protect their communities from disruptive outages will see adjustments of only 1-4 degrees that last no more than four hours. With ecobee’s new update, customers can allow their ecobee Smart Thermostat to reduce demand, creating less strain on the grid and helping to avoid outages in their community. ecobee’s Community Energy Savings feature is one of six eco+ smart features available on ecobee smart thermostats. Together, these features help people use cleaner energy automatically, while saving up to 26% on annual heating and cooling costs. The new update provides customers with an automated solution for additional home energy resiliency and they can choose to participate in their utility's demand response program if they would like to take advantage of these automated adjustments more often and receive a financial incentive from their utility provider.
ecobee Inc. /// ecobee.com
Overcoming Barriers to Better Energy Management
by Colin Gault
For many years, energy use in businesses has been taken for granted, and largely gone unmanaged. Despite it being such a significant overhead, organizations have been guilty of not giving enough thought to exactly how, when, or where they use energy.
As energy costs have continued to rise, however, there has been a shift in mindset. Today, the need for better energy management is increasingly being discussed in boardrooms throughout the US. However, it is often difficult for internal advocates to justify the return on investment (ROI) of such projects due to the insufficiency or inaccuracy of the data available. It is such an issue that ROI and conflicting priorities are seen as the top two challenges faced by over 40 percent of cases.
Being seen to be green
In addition to wanting to reduce costs, the other major catalyst for better energy management is the desire for businesses to be seen as green. In fact, environmental accountability is now top of mind for more than two-thirds of business leaders, with almost eight in ten (79 percent) saying they have either already entered into a renewable energy power purchase agreement, or plan to do so within the next two years. And not before time; doing so can attract increasingly ecoconscious clients and help retain staff.
A three-step strategy
With the increased propensity for extreme weather events, the problem of energy cost and availability is not going away. It’s no surprise that almost half (46 percent) of organizations say that the availability and cost of energy has caused moderate to significant disruption to their business activities over the past year. While three quarters admit to only having been focused thus far on short-term energy demand reduction optimization strategies, a longer-term view is preferable.
There should be a three-step strategy for those looking to make the change towards better energy management. Firstly, look at reducing the overall load as much as possible. Then look at what the fixed and variable load is, before finally looking at moving the load to cheaper times of day.
The need for data visibility and reliability
Whatever the catalyst to better energy management, there is no doubt that data can be the proof point required to get such a project off the ground. While the availability of digital technology is rarely seen as a major barrier, data visibility and reliability often are. Although there is more data within digital technology than ever before, the right data needs to be produced to support ROI calculations and gain boardroom buy in. It is vital that the industry does what it can to provide accurate energy consumption data that will support businesses to deliver on their cost reduction programs and environmental management goals.
Creating goodwill
Luckily, help is at hand. Through the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, digital technology has greater ability to provide insight into when and where a business uses energy, and how much they could save by moving the load to a different time of day. This is a win, win. Because the cost of energy to the supplier themselves will be cheaper during off peak hours, this saving can be passed on, creating goodwill and loyalty.
We are already seeing the act of better balancing load as a big focus for the energy industry. Several energy giants are undertaking real-time trials to discover how moving energy demand out of peak times can support balancing the power grid and reducing costs. It is now a case of persuading businesses that they can play a pivotal role in reducing the costs of balancing supply and demand, so as to ultimately reduce the cost of their own bills.
Make sure you are following suit
Although energy prices have started to come down for many businesses, they remain significantly higher than they were a few years ago. These high costs are continuing to expose businesses to serious financial and operational challenges across multiple industries. The desire to reduce energy usage and improve sustainability goals has led to a significant shift in attitude, with the likes of battery storage becoming increasingly popular. Businesses are changing their behaviors and strategies through a diverse set of longterm investments and activities to manage energy consumption, and it is to be applauded. In fact, threequarters say they have already started reducing their
energy usage through optimization activities, and another 19 percent plan to do so within the next two years. Make sure that you are following suit.
Any business wanting to make a change will likely face significant internal hurdles. The energy industry is aware of them, and able to help by better aligning itself with organizational priorities so businesses execute their day-to-day operations at a lower cost point, and unlock additional opportunities.
Colin Gault is Head of Product at POWWR, which helps companies sell and manage energy more efficiently by providing advanced platforms and simple solutions for both suppliers and brokers.
POWWR /// www.powwr.com
High-performance fuel cell engine for heavy-duty vehicles
Ballard Power Systems’ 9th generation, high-performance fuel cell engine, the FCmove-XD delivers a high volumetric power density for heavy-duty applications, and features an engine volumetric power density of 0.36kW/L and gravimetric power density of 0.48kW/kg. The scalable 120kW fuel cell engine integrates DC/DC regulated output, enabling up to three modules to operate as one system with a single interface, capable of delivering a combined 360kW of zero-emission power output. With a design life of 30,000+ hours of operation, or over one million miles in truck operation at typical duty cycles, the FCmove-XD engine is developed to deliver durability and low total cost of ownership. Enabled by an innovative open architecture design and other new design advances, the powerful and compact FCmove-XD enables several important performance improvements including 33% reduction in total parts count, significantly improving reliability and reducing costs; high peak system efficiency at >60%, enabling improved fuel consumption and efficient heat rejection; wide operating temperature range, up to 203°F (95°C); integrated power controller incorporates DC/DC converter, air compressor inverter, and a power distribution unit, along with software controls, enables improved engine operation and efficiency; rapid up and down transient times, with an innovative hot stand-by mode enabling rapid power increase; improved manufacturability with >50% assembly time reduction; easy access to parts for fast and low-cost field maintenance; and compliance with applicable safety codes and standards.
Ballard Power Systems /// www.ballard.com
High energy density for stationary storage, C&I applications, and EVs
Great Power’s 320 Ultra, offers over 1kWh of energy (320Ah of capacity) with LFP chemistry and technology and a boost in capacity and cycle life. The 320 Ultra provides an increase of 128Wh of capacity per cell, compared to Great Power’s standard 280Ah cells, which is a nearly 15% increase in energy density in the same package size. The energy capacity of Great Power’s solution allows system designers to utilize the battery cell in spaceconstrained applications without forfeiting performance. Further, the increase in energy density directly translates to an associated reduction in costs for associated hardware, wiring, containers, installation time, and maintenance. In addition to improved energy density, the 320 Ultra offers over 8000 highperformance cycles, increasing overall lifetime and reducing the levelized cost of energy. Great Power’s battery can be used effectively for over 20 years, reducing maintenance and increasing reliability for developers and designers.
Great Power
/// www.greatpower.net
Capturing the Potential Power of eFuels
by Levi Quinn
In ongoing discussions around net zero, heavy-emitting sectors have taken center stage, primarily due to their reliance on fossil fuels. Hard-to-abate industries account for about 30 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so their decarbonization is a priority in order to achieve net zero targets.
Our way of life generates substantial carbon emissions, with the industries we most rely on for human progress the hardest to abate, including transportation, manufacturing, and infrastructure. As industries move toward cleaner initiatives to reduce harmful emissions, they are increasingly embracing cutting-edge, creative approaches to sustainability.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) are crucial mitigations to help address the impact of climate change. In 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) acknowledged that “the value of CCUS is inescapable”. Importantly, CCUS was recognized as essential to achieving net zero in the COP28 final agreement, published in December 2023.
The next generation of CCUS technology is already being demonstrated by early adopters, and the results are promising. While historically carbon capture has been too costly or large an undertaking due to its logistical and space requirements, the footprint of new modular carbon capture units is up to 50 percent smaller than the conventional solutions. Because this makes the equipment 10 times smaller, carbon capture technology can be added to existing congested brownfield industrial sites, removing the previous barriers of cost, plot constraints, and lengthy construction cycles.
Smaller size, lower cost modular point-source carbon capture units can be implemented across existing industrial sites with minimal disruption. This is a major win for sectors with hundreds of years of industrial history (like paper and pulp), where sites are not capable of undergoing large-scale reconstruction to make room for the footprint required for conventional carbon capture plants.
This cost-effective deployment of carbon capture opens up opportunities for companies to utilize this carbon (the “U” in CCUS) converting it from a waste product into a revenue stream.
The shipping industry is responsible for transporting 12 billion tons of essential goods each year, such as iron ore and grain. The sector accounts for around 3 percent of the world’s GHG emissions; its reliance on fossil fuels to power large vessels creates challenges for decarbonization. A global initiative is seeing a policy-driven demand increase for eFuels, such as eMethanol, to replace these fossil fuels. This trend will codify as sustainably derived energy sources become a global necessity in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Electricity-based fuels, or eFuels, are fuels that have been synthetically produced rather than derived from hydrocarbons. The first step is based on the extraction of hydrogen, typically through the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then combined with CO2 captured from industrial waste gases or the air itself. The whole procedure is usually referred to as “Power-to-X”, where electricity is converted into a fuel that can be easily stored, transported, and used. When utilizing a renewable energy source to produce this fuel, it is classified as green fuel: fully sustainable fuel produced from renewable methods.
Low-cost modular carbon capture solutions decarbonize existing hard-to-abate industries, and in turn, produce a sustainable fuel with a lower environmental impact than existing hydrocarbon-derived fuels. Commercial-scale eMethanol facilities are currently under construction and set to be operational in the next few years.
eMethanol is sustainable, has lower GHG emissions, and eliminates the noxious emissions associated with burning fossil-derived fuels. The next step, to fully
decarbonize the shipping industry and create a circular carbon economy, is already underway with compact modular onboard carbon capture solutions (OCCS). The carbon is burned as fuel, the emissions captured, and the captured carbon converted back into fuel.
Because eMethanol is liquid at ambient temperature, it can be used as a drop-in replacement for conventional methanol. This is a game changer for shipping because eMethanol can be used in vessels, after minor engine and storage modifications. Unlike heavy fuel oil, which has a propensity for settling, eMethanol does not contain sediment, making it easier to store for longer periods of time.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by – or close to – 2050. Green eMethanol and OCCS will both be fundamental tools to achieving these goals.
But the path towards sustainable solutions can still be costly. Producing eFuels is currently more expensive than fossil fuels, and requires a series of collaborations between companies and governments that are willing to pay a premium upfront for a greener future. To accelerate the adoption of these solutions, there needs to be a collective effort dependent on several factors: increased investment in scalable carbon capture technology, adoption of new practices on the part of manufacturers, affordable renewable energy, and incentives for those who adopt these practices despite increased costs.
Synthetic fuel production is expected to reach price parity with fossil fuel-derived production around 2030 to 2035, as the technology further develops and is globally adopted. From that point, synthetic fuel production will be cheaper than current methods, and no longer held to fossil fuel price patterns. Early adopters will hold a key advantage and market share in this burgeoning market.
The increased availability of fully modular carbon capture units creates opportunities to achieve a faster path to net zero. Companies can reduce their environmental impact and create new revenue streams, delivering significant return on investment for their decarbonizing efforts.
The timing of these transformations is ripe. In the US, Section 45Q of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides tax credits of up to $85 per metric ton of CO2 captured and either securely stored or reused for industrial purposes. This legislation also provides for a 45Z clean fuel production tax credit that directly incentivizes the production of eFuels. The IRA’s credit structure makes it simpler for companies to effectively develop and deploy ways to transition to a low-carbon economy. The path to net zero is finally within reach.
Levi Quinn is Chief Delivery and Supply Chain Officer at Carbon Clean, which provides all the services needed to achieve net zero, including technology licence and solvent supply, a full process design package (PDP) and proprietary equipment, and end-to-end systems — including design, build, financing and operation.
Carbon Clean /// www.carbonclean.com
RENEWING WHAT’S POSSIBLE
SEPTEMBER 9-12, 2024 | ANAHEIM, CA
RE+ 24 brings the modern energy industry together to foster a cleaner future and marks its 20th year as the largest and most comprehensive event in North America for the clean energy industry. Get ready to explore solutions, exchange ideas, and discover new technologies!
EVENTS CALENDAR EVENTS CALENDAR
JULY
bajacarports.com
www.bioennopower.com
Emerson www.emerson.com/
epeconsulting.com
Helukabel USA, Inc. www.helukabel.com 26 Heyco www.heyco.com
33 Hoymiles Power Electronics Inc hoymiles.com 47 HuksefluxUSA Inc www.huksefluxusa.com 28 INS Engineering www.inrgx.com 51 iRooFA www.iroofa.solar
MBA Energy & Industrial www.mba-nrg.com
Mibet Energy www.mbt-energy.com
Mistras sensoria.com 77 MK Battery mkbattery.com 23 Nor Cal Carpenters Union www.norcalcarpenters.org
NRG Systems nrgsystems.com
Nucor Corporation nucor.com
Paige Renewable Energy paigerenewableenergy.com
Patriot Renewables www.patriotind.com
PcVue Inc pcvuesolutions.com
PV Labels pvlabels.com
quickbolt.com
www.rafterjindustries.com
www.pvmet.com
www.rct-usa.com
re-plus.events/
www.rollsbattery.com
takkion.com
solectria.com
Branch Connector MC4-Evo 2
• Plug-and-play: no crimping or torquing necessary
• Versatility and compact dimensions
• Mating compatibility with original MC4 and MC4-Evo 2 cable connectors
