North American Clean Energy May/June 2021 Issue by North American Clean Energy

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 3

EXTREME WEATHER

EDITION Coping with Texas-Sized Weather How localized generation can alleviate future problems Pg. 8

Survival of the Fittest Protect your power source with a turbine retrofit Pg. 14

Why PV Modules Love Cold Weather Risk Ready Solar

Pg. 32

Systems thinking key to tackling Mother Nature's worst Pg. 40

In Search of Emissionality

Pg. 74

Plus Show-in-Print Feature:

• Solar and Energy Storage Northeast Pg. 59

Pg. 34

Pg. 64

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contents

VOLUME 15

18 Reaching Extreme Heights

ISSUE 3

MAY•JUNE2021 Volume 15, Issue 3

EXTREME WEATHER

PUBLISHER

EDITION

Ian Stuart istuart@nacleanenergy.com

Coping with Texas-Sized Weather How localized generation can alleviate future problems Pg. 8

Survival of the Fittest

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Protect your power source with a turbine retrofit Pg. 14

Why PV Modules Love Cold Weather Risk Ready Solar

Quinn Stuart quinn@nacleanenergy.com

Pg. 32

Systems thinking key to tackling Mother Nature's worst Pg. 40

In Search of Emissionality

EDITORS

Pg. 74

Jill Walters editor@nacleanenergy.com

Plus Show-in-Print Feature:

• Solar and Energy Storage Northeast Pg. 59

Pg. 34

Pg. 64

NACE_MayJun2021-FINAL.indd 1

2021-04-27 10:36 PM

Meg Lugaric meg@nacleanenergy.com

Wind product spotlight: Lighting

ART DIRECTOR

On our cover…

Chris Van Boeyen production@nacleanenergy.com

Bachmann electronic delivers robust automation with guaranteed performance down to -40°.

SALES

Bachmann electronic GmbH

Ian Stuart istuart@nacleanenergy.com

/// www.bachmann.info

from the 30 Lessons Texas Blackout product: 46 Solar Fibox

departments Top story

Wind power

Wind product spotlight: Lighting

Clean energy service spotlight: Project developers & epc

Solar energy

Solar & energy storage product spotlight: Battery & energy storage systems

Keaton Spence keaton@nacleanenergy.com James Vail circulation@nacleanenergy.com ACCOUNTING

Alison Bell abell@nacleanenergy.com 255 NEWPORT DRIVE, SUITE 336

Port Moody, B.C. V3H 5H1 Phone: (604) 461-6223

59 Show-in-print: Solar & Energy Storage Northeast 62

Energy storage

Energy storage product spotlight: EV charging

Energy efficiency

Events calendar & advertiser’s list

Coping with Texas-Sized Weather

How localized generation can alleviate future problems

Heading into Choppy Seas

Project Developers & EPC

Lessons from the Texas Blackout

Challenging Logistics of New Terrain

Four best practices for the wind industry

Survival of the Fittest

Protect your power source with a turbine retrofit

Winding Our Way Up a Mountainside

Reaching Extreme Heights

Why PV Modules Love Cold Weather

The Next Energy Wave

Clean energy opportunities through dynamic energy management Charging the Kings of the Road

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification and the utility grid

Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle and Energy Storage Developments and Commercialization

Solar Needs Comprehensive Federal PV Recycling Legislation Risk Ready Solar

Systems thinking key to tackling Mother Nature’s worst

Solar & energy storage product spotlight:

Battery & Energy Storage Systems

59 Show-in-Print:

Solar & Energy Storage Northeast

Lighting

Tough Projects Need the Right Racking Hardware

Wind product spotlight:

Rating Extreme Loads

Saving Land and Money Through Repowering

Clean energy service spotlight:

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

How to Design Off-Grid Solar Systems to Deal with Extreme Weather Challenges

Energy storage product spotlight:

In Search of Emissionality

Striking a Decarbonization Balance to Prevent Future Blackouts

EV Charging

North American Clean Energy (USPS 1370) is publishing bi-monthly and distributed free by Action Media Ltd. Periodicals postage paid at Henry, IL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to North American Clean Energy at 515 University Ave. Suite 1, Henry, IL 61537. Subscription updates can be made at circulation@nacleanenergy.com. North American Clean Energy accepts no responsibility or liability for reported claims made by manufacturers and/or distributors of products of services; the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of North American Clean Energy. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.

Developments and Commercialization

Is the workboat sector prepared for the changing nature of offshore wind?

Solar & energy storage product spotlight: Battery & energy storage systems

CO2 66 Supercritical Power Cycle and Energy Storage

Don McIntosh dmcintosh@nacleanenergy.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Quinn Stuart quinn@nacleanenergy.com

Flexible, sustainable, and reliable solutions today can pave the path to a renewable energy future

Editorial, Advertising, Production, and Circulation are at 255 Newport Drive, Suite 336, Port Moody, B.C. V3H 5H1 (604) 461-6223. Subscriptions: $89 per year outside North America. Email: circulation@nacleanenergy.com

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editor's note

news bites

SOME PEOPLE TRY TO OFFSET THE

tedium of their daily routine by listening to their favorite music or podcast. My thing is cheesy movies. I tend to burn through several cinematic “soundtracks” that run in the background while I work. Recently, I stumbled upon a gem of a television disaster movie. IMDB.com describes the 1974 film Hurricane thusly: “A relaxing weekend by the sea becomes a battle for survival when a killer hurricane strikes. Tidal waves over thirty feet high and thunderous, destructive winds batter the coastline. An all-star cast fight overwhelming odds to escape the incredible destructive power of the hurricane. Using actual footage of hurricane "Camille" and a plethora of special effects, "Hurricane" is a pulse pounding vision of nature's savage fury!” (Spoiler alert: 1974-era special effects include what appears to be a child’s toy valiantly trying to escape the wrath of the bathtub drain). As always with these movies, I was more concerned for the plight of the dog than of any of the one-dimensional Love Boat-esque cast of characters, but it got me thinking about how we react to natural disasters. Specifically, as it relates to the advancement of renewables. Anyone under the age of 30 may be surprised to learn that we humans have weathered quite a few storms over the decades. Then, as now, the most pressing concern was the potential for loss of life. Thanks to the ubiquity of cell phones and real time news alerts, today’s would-be victims can expect to enjoy a much higher rate of survival. So thoroughly connected are we that neglecting a fellow human in need may seem to border on criminality, which explains the lawsuit Texans brought against ERCOT (the ironically named Electric Reliability Council of Texans). Proponents of decentralized, clean energy microgrids might cheer the prospect of dissolving the major players in the energy landscape, but let’s not ignore the reason for those wide-cast safety nets. Life would be so much easier if we all thought alike. If we all made good decisions and prepared for the unexpected. But that’s not human nature. Think about it – February’s tragedy seems like a lifetime ago. Much like the pain of childbirth, the immediate pain and suffering of the moment is gradually forgotten, coloring our perception of the next “great apocalypse”. Every big storm is the worst storm ever until it isn’t. Clean energy cheerleaders convince themselves that the key to successful change is education: armed with all the facts, you’ll make the right decision. In theory, this makes sense.

But it doesn’t explain the ridiculously lucrative weight loss industry that flourishes on the hopes of millions of people who know exactly what to do to lose weight, yet continue to do the opposite. Nor does it explain the chain smokers. Or the drunk drivers. No matter how hard you try to point someone in the right direction, there will always be individuals who choose to ignore what the majority of us see as common sense. Some people call for more government mandates, but you can’t force someone to do something unless they want to. (That approach often leads to outright rejection of the behavior you seek - ask any parent of a teenager). Pushing mandates on the adoption of clean energy risks alienating those who cheer the free market and, more importantly, their personal freedom to choose. When the next “killer hurricane strikes”, our frustration with those less prepared might make us wonder why we don’t just cull the herd and let the idiots suffer the consequences of their poor choices. The distinctly human part of us, however, compels us to help those in distress, regardless of the fact that their sheer stubbornness got them in trouble in the first place: Time and time again, we muster teams of heroes to rescue a single person who needs help, whether it’s a medivac crew rushing an accident victim to the hospital or the Coast Guard deploying all hands to save someone stranded at sea. We would no sooner deny life support to the obese nicotine addict than we would refuse to rescue the stalwart survivalist who refused to evacuate before a deadly storm surge. By promoting the modernization of our national grid and exploring creative ways to support those communities that tend to fall through the cracks, we can advance a sensible clean energy agenda on a much larger scale, where positive changes will be intuitively and gradually incorporated into everyday life. Until then, until we get to the point where people choose clean energy because it makes common sense to them, we must resist disparaging (and continue to provide for) the diehards.

For a neat-o glimpse into the present from the past: https://archive.org/details/Century21964

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Modern homesteading is a lifestyle focused on living lightly on the land and increasing self-sufficiency. It doesn’t matter whether “home” is 50 acres in the country, a suburban corner lot, or an apartment in the city; the only thing needed is a desire to live more sustainably. It is possible to live a more sufficient lifestyle within the demands of modern life, and millions are interested in learning how. An easy first-step towards greater self-sufficiency is growing fruits and vegetables at home. Gary Pilarchik, of The Rusted Garden, walks readers step-by-step through the process of building a homestead garden, from laying out the planting beds, nurturing the soil, and starting seeds, straight through to cooking and preserving the harvest. With Gary’s guidance, readers will move at their own pace, learn, share, and enjoy the journey as they slowly transform their home into an edible landscape

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top story

Coping with Texas-Sized Weather How localized generation can alleviate future problems by Michael Longo

In mid-February, two severe winter storms crippled Texas’ utility infrastructure and left 4.3 million people without power. Notwithstanding partisan efforts to blame a single resource (Democrats – it was the fossil plants! Republicans – it was the frozen wind turbines!), the main culprit for this catastrophe turned out to be the state’s centralized energy infrastructure. Basically, a more localized energy system would have gone a long way to mitigate the disaster. Texas’ power grid regulator – known as ERCOT – broke away from federal oversight in 1970 to manage the state’s electricity infrastructure (but not its oil and gas industry). To this day, there are three major grids in the US: one for the Eastern States, one for the Western States, and ERCOT for Texas. ERCOT personifies Texas’ independent spirit by keeping the state’s electrical infrastructure – from power plants to distribution lines – entirely within the state, rather than sharing power with its neighbors. This arrangement effectively makes Texas a self-sufficient energy island by balancing competitive prices and grid reliability (in other words, no blackouts). Despite its independent roots, ERCOT relies on a centralized infrastructure where less than 100 power plants provide almost all of Texas’ base load power (solar and wind are not considered ‘base load’ because the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow). This typically stable structure created the environment whereby February’s cold snap left millions of Texans without power. To avoid future emergencies, ERCOT must empower small, localized generating resources, so its small communities no longer suffer from failures at the state level. While centralization is common among America’s grid operators, small, localized power plants promote a more efficient, responsive grid. Unlike large power plants, localized energy resources are located closer to end-users. That means more flexibility to respond to local supply/demand conditions, and fewer losses associated with the transmission of electrons (losses occur as electricity moves through power lines). Relying on a few centralized power plants magnifies the consequences of a trivial failure. During the February freeze, the South Texas Project – a 2,708 MW nuclear power plant in Southeast Texas – lost 1,354 MW of generating capacity because its supply water froze and damaged two pumps. This water source became a single point of failure for 1,354 MW of capacity, enough to power over 1.1 million average American households. Imagine if individual communities could switch to a local power source to avoid centrally imposed blackouts. Rather than buying power from ERCOT at prices that reached $9,000 per megawatt hour (up from an average of $21.18 in 2020), communities would enjoy more consistent power delivery and lower prices. Like other utilities, adding localized generation to ERCOT is an onerous process for businesses and municipalities. According to ERCOT, ‘utility scale distributed generation’ (all localized generating resources, excluding residential rooftop solar) makes up just under 990 MW or about 1.2% of the state’s installed capacity.1 Regulatory red tape discourages these projects, increasing the likelihood of another energy catastrophe.

What does the localized energy grid of the future look like? For localized, distributed generation to work, ERCOT must incentivize an array of distributed energy resources – known as DERs. Batteries are one of the most wellknown DERs, and some states offer financial incentives for customers to install energy storage systems in their homes. These programs can help save utilities millions by discharging the batteries when their grids face peak monthly demand. In addition to the financial benefits, these programs encourage energy independence for households and stabilize the grid by providing backup during outages, as shown in Figure 1. In addition to batteries, heat is another resource that can help ERCOT immediately improve reliability and reduce its carbon footprint. Geothermal and waste heat solutions provide ample opportunity for heat-to-energy applications. While waste heat is only available at certain locations, geothermal opportunities abound, as you can see in Figure 2. Geothermal plants as small as 1MW are capable of powering several hundred homes, which is ideal for a small town. Figure 2

Geothermal power is fueled by heat from the Earth’s core, so it is impervious to extreme weather events. Similarly, home batteries and other storage technology do not rely on the grid during a crisis since they’ve already been charged. ERCOT should work towards incentivizing these innovative, safe solutions without burdensome regulatory obstacles. While there is no silver-bullet to protect Texas from future weather disasters, ERCOT can improve its reliability by replacing centralized, single points of failure with DERs to increase redundancy. If ERCOT succeeds, it will serve as an example of how to create a more reliable electric grid that can be replicated by California, Louisiana, and a growing number of locations where grid reliability is jeopardized by extreme weather events. In the wake of February’s disaster, Texas Gov. Abbott declared ERCOT reform as an emergency item in the state’s next legislative session. Wouldn’t it be great if that reform exemplified the spirit of Texas individualism?

Michael Longo is Head of Business Development for Anax Power, a New Jersey-based clean energy technology company that builds, markets, and develops projects around the 500kW Anax Turboexpander. Anax is headquartered in Wharton, New Jersey, one of the state’s economic opportunity zones.

Anax Power /// www.anaxpower.com Figure 1: Image courtesy of Green Mountain Power

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

http://www.ercot.com/content/wcm/lists/200196/DG_and_DR_in_ERCOT_FINAL2.pdf

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energy.industry.maritime. North American Clean Energy

wind power

Heading Into Choppy Seas

Is the workboat sector prepared for the changing nature of offshore wind? by Chris Huxley Reynard

AS OFFSHORE WIND HAS EVOLVED, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW

projects continues to change dramatically. And there’s no shortage of maturity in the sector; by the end of 2019, global offshore wind capacity was 29GW, a figure expected to multiply eight-fold by the end of this decade to 234GW (GWEC). Much of this development is set to take place far from the shore, in depths far greater than the 40-50 meters of traditional offshore turbine structures. Wind isn’t just growing, it’s changing. Its supporting workforce – inclusive of turbine technicians, engineers, and vessel operators and their crew - will need to expand and adapt accordingly. Wind is an inherently intermittent resource. Therefore, developers must focus on optimizing the variables that they can control - whether it’s the curvature of a fiberglass turbine blade or the sky-scraping tip of a 15MW machine. And they don’t stop at turbine technology: All variables, from design to delivery and ongoing operations and maintenance throughout the project lifetime, must be optimized to increase electricity output, regardless of wind conditions. In an effort to take advantage of sites with the highest wind resource, and increase power generation, developers are expanding their footprint into deeper waters and new markets – many of which feature new challenges for operations. Critically, the most consistently windy regions are also prone to extreme weather conditions. Take Taiwan or Vietnam; these two markets are poised to lead the south-East Asian wind revolution, targeted to reach 27GW and 11.6GW, respectively, by 2025. A feature of both of these markets are periods of rough seas, intense monsoons, and typhoons – potentially harrowing conditions that make the role of crew transfer vessel (CTV) crews, and turbine technicians tasked with maintaining these projects, particularly challenging. Even in traditional markets like Europe, developers are gradually building wind farms further away from the coast. For example, the latest Danish innovation is a 10GW island project 80KM out at sea, due to feature 200 giant turbines. To construct and carry out maintenance on this project, crews will need to transport engineers and technicians to site over the course of a day (not hours) and house them safely on site until their work is done. Leaving in the morning and returning the same day simply isn’t possible. Offshore wind vessel operators must rise to the challenge and ensure their technicians are safe, healthy, and ready to provide effective offshore support to a wind farm Supplier to OEMs, aftermarket, and wind farm owners. regardless of sea conditions or distance from shore. Scaling the side of a 200-meter wind turbine is hard at the best of times; if you’ve spent a night without sleep owing to sea sickness, it’s impossible. Rising to this challenge requires comprehensive vessel and sea state data. Under extreme weather conditions, adapting vessel operations to take the smoothest route and speed, or choosing the right vessel for the conditions, will be critical to ensuring technicians arrive at the project fit to work. The offshore fleet must be equipped with monitoring and reporting systems that collate ◊ Reverse-engineering capabilities motion, speed, sea state and crew comfort data – without this, it is impossible to make ◊ Slip Ring Assemblies (brass and steel rings) informed decisions about how to reduce crew sickness and discomfort, preparing teams ◊ Copper busbar to carry out already challenging work to the best of their ability. ◊ Copper earthing clamps/cable clamps CTVs must be at the heart of offshore wind operations and maintenance strategies. It is as ◊ Copper and copper-alloy extrusions, important as (if not more important) to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of the people castings, and forgings working on these projects as it is to boost the projects themselves. After all, the most powerful ◊ AC rotors, DC commutators, and turbine in existence is not worth much if technicians are unable to access it and safely In-house DC busbar systems carryout any maintenance required to keep it online – regardless of the distance to shore. engineering, quality, ◊ CNC machining and plating to In an industry striving to optimize everything, let’s not forgot our people.

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North American Clean Energy

wind power

Challenging Logistics of New Terrain Four best practices for the wind industry

by Mihir Patel

The wind industry is constantly changing and creating new “rules of the road” as we move forward in this ever-evolving business. Not only must wind energy professionals keep up with government regulations, workforce changes, and an influx of new projects; they are also shifting the way they do business in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. One such challenge that has endured a large shift in the last two to three years has been navigating difficult terrain at project sites. As the industry grows at exponential rates, project developers are getting creative and looking even harder at challenging locations. While some of these project sites may be less than ideal, presenting complex terrain issues and varying atmospheric conditions, they still involve the use of extremely large components being set up on similar footprints as traditional arrangements. The varying terrains, coupled with the setup of enormous turbines on difficult to reach turbine pad sites, pose great challenges to the industry. In an effort to allow wind project developers and companies to execute economic, efficient, and innovative set ups, four best practices have emerged.

Economical Approach

Wind projects across the country are planned for sites far less traditional than those of past projects (close to shore lines and flat plains). New locations, including the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, feature hills, mountains, and sharp grades in elevation. Additionally, the increase in component size means greater OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Turbine Civil Specification Requirements are needed on the new project sites; maximum grade allowances and the k-value gets reduced drastically with larger turbine blades based on updated civil specifications. For the most part, blade beam trailers have not changed much

since the inception of the first blades - the newer mega blades have a large rear tip overhanging, which raises turbine tip drag concerns on these difficult project sites. Simply getting to these locations can be a challenge, requiring an innovative mixture of services from a transport and logistical mindset that sees beyond an engineering outlook. Creative solutions entail securing custom trailers (which are non-wind specific designs) and unique engineering designs to ensure safe passage of the turbine components, as well as not overbuilding the access roads. For example, a logistics firm has the capability to design and build access roads through dense forests (dealing with DEC requirements around streams) and up ridgelines with over 15 percent grades, while allowing the 3+mw turbine components easy access up to the pad sites.

Off-Road Packages

Another important consideration is the type of trailer configuration used for transportation; most OEM’s do not allow delivery vehicles to be pulled or pushed due to the potential for damage. When someone envisions transporting a turbine, they picture a giant trailer pulling a huge wind blade. While this may be the case for an easier transport through the flat plains of Texas, when you are trying to tackle a trip through the Pacific Northwest ridgelines, the trailer can look vastly different. These special configurations consist of blade lifters and heavy-duty steel trailers meant to be pushed and pulled in every direction. The development of an off-road package has allowed trailers to be pushed or towed up grades, and can drastically reduce the civil specifications due to their smaller size.

Innovative Approach

The movement of a giant turbine is no easy feat. It requires months of planning and execution. When looking at the transportation plan, it’s important to challenge what the trailer holding the turbine can do, versus what the OEM specifications are requesting.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

OEM’s build their specifications around ALL trailer combinations that they might utilize to deliver to ANY project site regardless of terrain. Why build a site in New York like you would build in Iowa? Project firms will hone in on the geographical location and source to a particular trailer set up, allowing reduction in the civil requirement and, ultimately, saving civil build-out costs.

On-Site Delivery Lay Down

One final best practice to utilize when citing wind projects on challenging terrain is a service model called “on-site delivery laydown”. This service delivers the components at the bottom of the hill. While it is a larger upfront cost verses a typical OEM direct-to-pad-site model, it usually results in a cost savings when taking into consideration a ‘Just in Time’ delivery to pad (in terms of crane and truck demurrage). Site design data has proven that this method of delivery assists projects developers in their proposal to lenders. As developers race to set up new wind energy sites all across the United States, they must consider the various terrain of newly identified regions. Once the site is chosen and the decision is made to move forward with the investment, it is time to plan out the transportation of the massive components to these difficult to reach locations. Thinking outside of the box and being innovative in the approach of delivering the components is key to a successful project that not only meets budget requirements, but does it efficiently and safely.

Mihir Patel is Partner and Vice President of Government Affairs and Planning at Logisticus Group, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Logisticus Group is a transportation logistics, engineering, project management and technology company. You can reach Mihir at mihir.patel@logisticusgroup.com.

Logisticus Group /// www.logisticusgroup.com

North American Clean Energy

wind power

Survival of the Fittest

Protect your power source with a turbine retrofit by Nic Waters and Katy Huckle

IN FEBRUARY 2021, TEXAS WAS HIT BY A 100-YEAR STORM

that nearly crippled the state and left millions of Texans without electricity. Overwhelmed by the sudden, extreme drop in temperature, and without an appropriate contingency plan, one third of the state’s energy providers went offline. The catastrophic grid failure caused by storm Uri has now been recorded as the worst forced blackout in US history. As the crisis worsened, and pictures began to circulate of icicle-coated wind turbines, many were quick to lay blame on the limitations of wind power. With only around 20 percent of electricity in Texas generated from wind, frozen turbines were not solely responsible for the disaster; over 50 percent of the state’s power is supplied by natural gas - as pipeline compressor stations froze, so did the gas supply. Nuclear, coal, and solar providers were equally unable to generate power during the storms. In short, Texas was let down by a lack of preparation and failure to protect equipment from cold conditions. From the Canadian Northwest Territories to the deserts of Oman and the North Sea, properly equipped wind turbines operate year-round in all weather conditions across the globe. But without the right protection, continuous operation under challenging conditions is by no means guaranteed, as many Texans sadly discovered.

Breaking the Ice

When it comes to cold weather, one of the biggest challenges facing turbines is ice. A build-up of ice can significantly reduce power production, damage turbine blades, drivetrains or towers, create imbalances, and lead to unsafe conditions for maintenance teams. A turbine or park that can’t deliver energy isn’t just a problem for its owner, it also spells major trouble for consumers - especially when it’s cold outside. New turbines are typically delivered with built-in defenses including lightning protection and, if required, extreme weather packages such as blade heaters, coatings or low temperature hardware. However, older turbines are often missing this critical level of protection.

Why a Retrofit?

Retrofit solutions replace or update outdated technology while utilizing modern design features such as cold climate protection. As part of the retrofit process, turbines can be equipped with a complete Condition Monitoring System (CMS) to monitor the drivetrain, blades, and tower, in order to predict faults before they occur. The efficiency of the retrofit process is constantly improving. Modular retrofit solutions are becoming increasingly competitive, providing a means to modernize technology so the original design life can be reached or even extended. When compared to repowering with a new turbine, a retrofit can be implemented for a fraction of the price and with a 3-5-year return on investment. This makes turbine retrofits, which are eligible for the Production Tax Credit, a highly competitive option, especially for turbines that can operate for another decade. What are the components of a retrofit? What do legacy turbine owners need to pay attention to? The following is a short guide to protecting turbines from cold conditions through updates to the automation system. P R OJ E C T S O F A N Y S I Z E .

M A K E A L L T H E R I G H T M OV E S . FULL SERVICE TRANSPORT FOR

Breathing New Life into Older Turbines

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

When preparing older turbines for cold weather, the most important component is the automation hardware itself. Modern CPUs can be treated with cold climate protection to remain fully functional at temperatures down to -40°F. They feature additional IO channels and higher overall availability, leading to a longer mean time between failures and reducing maintenance requirements. Contemporary systems are designed for long-term availability, making it easier to acquire spare parts. This

lowers the overall cost of replacement components and makes it much easier to schedule maintenance, resulting in a reduction of unplanned downtime. The latest CPUs are future-orientated and support developments such as SCADA upgrades, increased data access, security, and cutting-edge sensor technologies. Another component of an effective cold weather retrofit is the integration of a Condition Monitoring System (CMS). CMS delivers crucial diagnostic data from sensors designed to monitor the health of the drivetrain, with some CMS units also capable of monitoring the blades, tower, and foundation. Modern CMS services often include remote monitoring and software add-ons for additional functions such as ice detection, rotor unbalance, and Structural Health Monitoring. Some CMS providers also interface with thirdparty hardware, integrating data from multiple vendors into one holistic system. Turbine retrofits typically offer upgrades to a modern SCADA platform, providing enhanced visualization options such as a summary CMS overview, increased data access, and enhanced security. New SCADA systems allow more customization and higher flexibility, catering to owner operators who wish to establish or maintain independent operation of their fleet. If there is no need to update existing CPU hardware, the turbine can be upgraded via a control software retrofit, which can significantly improve performance during challenging conditions. Control retrofits are carried out with minimal downtime; they have been shown to extend turbine life, improve data access, and tighten cyber security measures. This opens the door to new features including the automation of manual maintenance procedures like cold weather start-up, which reduces the number of labor-hours required to start turbines in low temperatures. Aside from avoiding shutdowns and extreme weather damage, there are further benefits to turbine retrofits, particularly when it comes to improving efficiency and yield. A reduction in turbine faults increases overall reliability, and limiting operation torque can extend

component lifetime. Open software and site data improve overall turbine operation and management, bringing turbines closer to the originally advertised power curve. All of this information will better prepare wind owners to make the right decision for their equipment and investors.

Nic Waters is a Key Account Manager for Bachmann electronic and is responsible for supporting the automation needs of the North, South, and Central American markets. With a diverse technical background in R&D and engineering experience at the start-up level, he serves the wind industry by identifying market needs and translating them into commercially viable products in the areas of turbine control/automation, SCADA, and condition monitoring. Based out of Northern California, Nic works out of one of Bachmann’s remote office locations. Katy Huckle is a Content Manager for Bachmann electronic and specializes in Condition Monitoring. She holds an MBA from the University of St Gallen and is based at Bachmann’s Austrian headquarters.

Bachmann electronic GmbH /// www.bachmann.info

Don’t be let down by a lift. Installation and preventative maintenance by IUEC elevator mechanics will keep your elevators moving SAFELY and more EFFICIENTLY. We have more than 450 elevator companies ready to serve your elevator lift needs. Contact us today.

Carisa Barrett cbarrett@eiwpf.org 253-561-4902

North American Clean Energy

wind power

Winding Our Way Up a Mountainside by Tyler Poulsen

Ridgeline Wind was a project like no other our team had ever encountered. Erecting wind turbines on flat terrain and hills is one thing, but there was a reason the project was named “Ridgeline” - this job was literally on the side of a mountain that had no roads. The number one obstacle in those early stages of planning was the steep terrain; not only did roads have to be built, but they had to be able to handle massive equipment. And they had to hold up in every weather element you can imagine. Our team was up for the challenge. Working closely with the customer, we went to work in the spring of 2019. The engineers, wind experts, and heavy haul teams had to make several trips to the site just to plan and evaluate what would be needed. Civil teams were brought in to create the roadways to each potential turbine site. Because of the conditions, many of the roads could only be one lane, which involved another element of planning: alternate routes. Not only would these provide a traffic solution, but they would also allow us to work through weather issues on a certain roadway. Simply maintaining the roads and the equipment was a daily process that lasted throughout the project; mixing heavy machinery with rocky roads meant both the equipment and roads took a beating! Our full-time maintenance crew spent a good majority of their time replacing tires on the massive equipment. 15 to 20 blown tires per day can halt a job in its tracks, and put a real damper on progress. One day, while making the trek to T-13, the transmission on one semi gave out about seven miles into the climb up the mountain. In order to recover the downed semi, the team had to carefully disconnect the truck from the trailer (without incident or injury) and continue the load to T-13. Getting the unit off the mountain without power was a huge safety concern. Using winches and taking advantage of the

steep grade helped us get the truck on one of our M1000 trailers to get it off the mountain and to our mechanic. Fortunately, a new tractor was brought up the mountain to take its place, so it didn’t slow the progress of the project. One of the biggest variables on any construction site is the weather, and it was no different for our situation. Even in ideal weather conditions, the steep slopes and soft shoulders of the roads posed a real danger. Once conditions became muddy and slippery, staying in the middle of those one-lane roads was absolutely critical. The mountain elevation created intense fog, which, combined with the dust, could quickly turn into a zerovisibility situation. One potentially lifesaving and oft repeated rule included, “if you can’t see your trailer… STOP!” Working in the Pacific Northwest meant battling every type of weather, from extreme heat and torrential rain to fog and whiteout snow conditions. Monitoring the forecasted weather was an important aspect of the job. When extreme weather posed a safety risk for certain tasks, we had to plan ahead to advance the project and keep crews busy with other items. While stacking one of the first towers on the job, we had a small wind window to get the top stacked on the can. After that, high winds came in and we couldn’t set the nacelle. Meanwhile, the sleet and snow blew in to where

Where Engineering Meets Passion

SAFETY STRONG!

LED Technology Dimming Capability GPS Synchronization Solar Powered Temporary Lighting ADLS/Aircraft Detection Lighting System Infrared NVIS/Night Vision Imaging Systems Compatibility www.itl-llc.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

we had over 3 inches of ice built up on the boom. The data logger clocked the high winds at 90 miles per hour. Ultimately, we had to leave the crane tied off the top section for 8 days. We made sure to observe all safety precautions in inspecting the crane and rigging to ensure that it was ready to perform the rest of the work. We couldn’t have worked in these conditions without the right equipment: there’s nothing like seeing a caravan of massive wind components climbing a mountain. Watching the M1070 tuggers, rock trucks, semis, and goldhofer trailers carefully take the turns and successfully summit the mountain was extremely gratifying. Not only did the team exercise extreme caution, but - let’s be honest - it took major guts and grit to climb those mountains day in and day out. Using the blade lifter was an amazing sight - it raises the blade vertically so it can climb the slope and take the tight turns. Watching its progress, you couldn’t help but hear the Jaws theme running through your head as you saw a white "fin” poking up through the trees and moving slowly toward you! In the end, working closely with our customer, 38 turbines were constructed from the ground up. There is no question the crew became a tight knit group after the daily challenges and risks encountered together. Bringing your whole crew safety home and providing an excellent product for your customer after completing a job of this scope is incredibly gratifying.

Tyler Poulsen is a project manager for Mountain Crane. After 16 years in general construction, Tyler joined the Mountain team in 2012. With a high safety standard and a focus on long term special projects, Tyler played a key role in the success of the Ridgeline Wind Project. CONNECT WITH ITL

Mountain Crane

/// www.mountaincrane.com

WIND WHATEVER YOU DO WE HAVE YOU COVERED

The centrally-located Port of Stockton keeps your business process smooth. We can easily adapt to your evolving needs like changing vessel schedules and shifting pick-up and delivery times. We have 500 near dock acres for development so that you can build and grow – more than any other Port. We are jointly served by the BN and UP railroads to get you where you need to go. The Port of Stockton: we keep your

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North American Clean Energy

wind power

Reaching Extreme Heights

by Lucas Llado

WIND POWER CONTINUES TO BE A

Whether you need a system for wind blade production or repairs, contact us today to learn how Mankiewicz can provide your complete coatings solutions.

dominant player in the global energy markets. According to recent analysis by BloombergNEF, the wind market had a record setting year in 2020, commissioning nearly 100 gigawatts (GW) of new projects. As installed capacity of wind power continues to grow globally, the warranty period of a large number of wind turbines is coming to an end, making wind farm maintenance and repair a key component to maintaining the growing industry. For all you wind operators looking to service and repair your wind farms for optimal performance, it’s important to understand there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to servicing your towers and blades. There is a menu of access methods available to perform at-height services like blade repairs, warranty, periodic and one-off inspections, mechanical services, as well as tower cleaning, and coating repairs. Each service plays a critical role in keeping your wind farm fully operational. Here are some key considerations when determining the access method most suitable for your project work:

Size matters:

As the industry grows, wind turbines continue to scale as well. While technicians have built up great experience over the last 20 years performing increasingly larger repairs on ropes, it’s important to acknowledge how the physics of rope repairs become increasingly challenging beyond certain damage sizes. When ropes are not the most efficient approach, technicians must be prepared to alternatively service these projects with blade access cable platforms or aerial lift trucks.

Timing matters:

North America: +1 (843) 654 7755 Europe: +49 (0) 40 / 75 10 30

www.mankiewicz.com

18 MW_third.indd 1

It’s important to consider timing on two fronts. First, how quickly does your repair or maintenance need to occur? For quick repairs to avert costly downtimes, rope access maintenance can be deployed both quickly and efficiently. A second important time consideration is how long the work can take. Cable platforms can be optimal when deployed in very large, multi-day repairs. This tends to be a lower-cost-per-hour approach when compared with the aerial lift trucks, but cable platforms take longer to rig and unrig; they also usually need a 3rd person for safety and operational reasons. Aerial lift trucks can make more sense when there is lighter or less work per blade with a lot of blades/turbines to cover. Aerial lifts are higher cost/hour than cable platforms but are very

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com 10/18/2018 11:23:36 AM

quick and easy to deploy technicians on and off blade, and thus effective for larger, repetitive scopes. It’s also important to note any weather standby sensitivities in addition to mobilization cost considerations when weighting project budgets and selecting the optimal access method for a particular service.

Location matters:

Your scope of work and the services required are not the only consideration when determining the best access approach. Wind projects are developed and deployed where the wind blows, which means technicians need to be trained to deploy to service projects in different types of terrain, in different weather and geographic locations that require different approaches to access the blades. Some projects are sited in locations where bringing in an aerial lift truck or rigging platforms just isn’t feasible given remote locations, terrain, or access roads. In these instances, rope access technicians can be deployed both quickly and safely to ensure your turbines keep turning. Additionally, as the U.S. offshore wind industry picks up, servicing a fleet of turbines offshore requires boats, careful timing both in terms of weather and tides, and additional safety measures to work over water At the end of the day, it’s critical to remember that properly maintaining the more than 60,000 wind turbines across the country that are generating clean, reliable power is essential. Wind power capacity totals 122,468 MW, making it the third-largest source of electricity generation capacity in the country. Keeping these wind farms generating power to energize the equivalent of 34 million American homes is no small task, so it’s important to consider allaccess approaches to proportionately meet the challenge.

Lucas Llado is VP of Business Development at Rope Partner, which utilizes various at height access approaches to perform wind turbine blade maintenance, inspection, and performance enhancement services that require specialized access methods.

Rope Partner

/// www.ropepartner.com

OVER 100,000 MWs CHOOSE CASTROL OPTIGEAR SYNTHETIC CT 320. WE HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.

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North American Clean Energy

wind power

Saving Land and Money Through Repowering by Kimberlee Centera

Wind farm repowering encompasses anything from completely decommissioning aging wind turbines and replacing them with newer (larger, more efficient turbines) at the same site, to partial repowering by replacing key components in existing wind turbines to improve generating capacity and reliability. Repowering may also modernize interconnection infrastructure, including designing new roads or adding more turbines. The goal is to have a wind farm with a greater and more efficient generating capacity than before. While repowering can help avoid the prospect of scouring an ever-shrinking inventory of ideal locations, policies, permitting and other key cost factors must be considered prior to investing in the repowering of a project. Critical aspects to examine before moving forward include the following: • Regional and local laws and jurisdictions: Projects that were developed in the late 80’s and early 90’s may be subject to changes in laws and regulations affecting local and regional jurisdictions. In the past, a developer may have had to consult with various agencies at the federal, county or city level for permitting. A thorough review of current regulations in local and regional jurisdictions is critical to ensure that repowering plans comply with prevailing laws, and to understand any costs or delays that could result from legal changes, particularly if a developer wants to take advantage of tax credits. • Structure of real property agreements: A comprehensive review of the original site control documents will identify whether limiting factors or real property tax and assessment implications could affect repowering. For tax purposes, many local tax authorities consider the initial term of the lease from its inception; something that cannot easily be altered with the extension of a lease to accommodate the repower of the project for financing.

Got TechLock? Contact us to find out more… Call 281-227-5130 or send an email to us at info@windcomservices.com or visit WindComServices.com/request-for-proposal

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

• Environmental and permitting considerations: Depending upon the location and ownership of the project property, agencies including federal, state, county, water authorities, and Bureau of Indian Affairs, may have the right to exercise jurisdiction. Turbine size may also affect the permitting regimes. It is important to prepare a pre-submittal of the proposed turbine locations to the FAA for clearance prior to (or concurrently with) permitting and environmental review of the project. Because the Department of Defense (DOD) also imposes jurisdictional requirements, it is wise to engage in a preliminary discussion with the local office during initial review of the wind project and turbine locations. • Power Purchase Agreements or PPAs: PPA is the document that underscores the underlying revenue stream and financial security for the project. Wind projects were typically developed with 15 to 20-year PPA terms. Repower projects are often at the end of their initial power purchase agreement. Careful review and implementation of a viable strategy is necessary for operating the wind project through the expiration of its PPA term. Redevelopment of the wind farm, which may require a new design or decommissioning of existing wind turbines, means new negotiations or agreements. Feasibility modeling is highly recommended to rigorously evaluate the economic impact of early decommissioning of wind turbines vs. running the turbines through the entirety of the PPA term. Along with the expiring PPA, the negotiation of a PPA with the existing off-taker or a new off-taker must be undertaken. Many alternatives are available for PPAs including hedge arrangements and corporate PPAs, which provide financial certainty, thus removing a significant roadblock to financing.

Checklist for wind repowering:

• New wind-turbine technology: Turbine technology has dramatically improved within the last ten years. Average capacity factor and efficiency has increased while costs have decreased, providing key incentives for developers in monetizing repowered projects. • Integration of hybrid technologies: As projects are re-engineered, the option of adding batteries and/or solar will be of interest to many developers. One of the obvious benefits of co-locating wind, solar and/or storage is the ability to maximize existing grid infrastructure. Storage is likely to become a key consideration for developers seeking to maximize revenues when repowering wind farms. • Financing: There has been a dramatic shift in the financing environment for wind projects, including title insurance pertaining to a severance of the mineral and surface estate. In the past, developers did not have to be concerned with a severance of the minerals evidenced in title reports for purposes of obtaining ALTA coverage, because it was believed that the spacing of the wind turbines across the property allowed for other uses. The risk environment has significantly changed, so that wind projects now face constraints in addressing the rights of third-party mineral holders. Title must be carefully examined to identify potential rights of other parties to exploit the project property for oil, gas, and coal development. Accommodation agreements or other affirmative documentation may be required to control the rights of these parties to access the property.

1. Identify local and regional zoning and permitting requirements including restrictions on property, public right-of-way, as well as visual and safety setbacks. 2. Assess new turbine technology, determine which technology will conform to the proposed site. 3. Model the feasibility and suitability of combining technologies. 4. Model the legacy operating wind data. 5. Confer with the Department of Defense. 6. Submit wind turbine coordinates to Federal Aviation Administration. 7. Undertake Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. 8. Evaluate the feasibility of operating the project through the remaining PPA term to compare the results to repowering the current wind turbines. 9. Review real estate agreements to determine suitability for repower and economic impact of regeneration or extension. 10. Identify potential off-takers and negotiate a new Power Purchase Agreement. 11. Perform an early and detailed review of the title work to address the potential of third-party mineral holders to allow for negotiation of affirmative agreements. A tremendous advantage of a wind repower project is that it is typically safe or “de-risked” from community and jurisdictional concerns because the wind farm already exists. In addition to creating a viable investment, repowering means that legacy operating and existing wind data can mitigate many of the challenges that face developers in building on a new site.

Kimberlee Centera is a risk management expert for the development and financing of large-scale generator energy projects for public utilities and community development. She possesses the expertise to identify, manage and mitigate risk. Kimberlee works on complex high-value projects, such as a wind farm development that powers a JP Morgan Chase property. A leading renewable energy expert, Kimberlee has been a guest on numerous radio programs including National Public Radio’s Marketplace. She frequently serves as a speaker and educator at wind and solar conferences. Kimberlee Centera Email: kcentera@terraprosolutions.com

TerraPro Solutions /// terraprosolutions.com 800.231.6074 • REEFINDUSTRIES.COM

TRANSPORTATION,

MAINTENANCE STORAGE & CONSTRUCTION

GRIFFOLYN® DIVISION OF REEF INDUSTRIES, INC.

STOCK ROLLS READILY AVAILABLE VOLATILE CORROSION INHIBITOR CUSTOMIZATION AVAILABLE CONTINUOUS PROTECTION PUNCTURE RESISTANCE WATER RESISTANT HEAT SHRINKABLE UV STABILIZED

APPLICATIONS TURBINE COVERS | GENERATOR COVERS TRANSFORMER BAGS | ON-SITE STORAGE BLADE COVERS | OUTDOOR TRANSPORTATION WIND FARM CONSTRUCTION | TRANSPORT CONTAINER COVERS

North American Clean Energy

wind power

Mobile testing of dynamic performance

WindGuard Certification now offers a complete package of electrical characteristic measurements in a mobile test unit for power generating units, such as wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, energy storage facilities, and internal combustion engines. WindGuard Certification offers manufacturers not only the certification of prototypes, but also all measurements necessary to obtain the required proofs according to VDE-AR-N 4105, VDEAR-N 4110, VDE-AR-N 4120 and IEC 61400-21-1. The new test unit allows fault-ride-through (FRT) test procedures to verify dynamic grid support according to applicable guidelines such as FGW TR3, IEC61400-21-1, and the latest revision of DIN VDE V 0124-100 published in June 2020. This test standard requires a proof of grid stabilizing abilities even on smaller power generating units intended to be connected to the low-voltage grid. The unit allows the configuration of a wide range of fault conditions – for example, the undervoltage drop depth and the overvoltage excess are variably adjustable. Even two-phase faults are possible. The new evaluation software developed by WindGuard Certification provides real-time feedback and the entire dynamic performance tests can be completed in just a few days. The new mobile test unit allows verifying the dynamic performance ability of power generating units up to a nominal capacity of 1MW in accordance with all current guidelines and standards.

WindGuard Certification /// www.windguard.de

Heavy duty safety rope pull switches

High tonnage cylinders

Altech Corporation /// www.altechcorp.com

Enerpac /// www.enerpac.com

Altech Corporation’s SRM Series of safety rope pull switches provide an e-stop capability over the entire length of the rope, up to 250ft. They have a metal housing for use in applications requiring a rugged switch. The SRM Series safety features include a latching-style reset switch that must be physically reset after the rope is pulled or loses tension, in accordance with IEC 947-5-5, DIN EN 60947-5-5, and ISO 13850. Some models offer an emergency stop button as well. Versions are available with 2 normally closed and 2 normally open contacts or 3 normally closed and 1 normally open contact. These devices can switch signal and power. The Series also includes a viewing window for users to see the position of the switch. Proper tension must be maintained on the rope to set or reset the contacts. Significant temperature changes can affect the tension of any rope, and SRM Series switches have a second inspection window to view the tension to aid periodic adjustments if needed. A quick-fix rope mounting system is included that saves time and hassle in attaching the switch and adjusting rope tension. The SRM Series can be ordered with a tension warning output that is triggered when the rope slackens and before the switch changes state, so that unnecessary machine shut-downs can be avoided. Mechanical life is 100,000 cycles and SRM Series switches are sealed against incursion of dust and water to IP67.

Large Inventory Fast Shipping Low Minimums Custom Parts MTO Technical Support

Pittsburgh, PA 412.462.6300

PEI Slot Liners & Wedges (DMD, NKN)

3M Wind Products

Shell Lubricants & Greases

Saint-Gobain Tapes

Marmon Electrical Wire & Cable

Elantas Wire Enamels, Resins, & Varnishes

sales@peipittsburgh.com

Proud Member & Supporter of:

Specialists in Electrical Insulation Since 1947

www.peipittsburgh.com / 1.800.462.4734

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Brownsville, TX 956.554.3690

espanol@peipittsburgh.com

Enerpac is adding higher tonnage cylinders to its RARH double-acting hollow aluminum cylinder line. The new 100- and 150-ton models are available with a stroke choice of 2" (50mm), 6" (150mm), 10" (250mm). The RARH cylinders include tough aluminum construction which provides a low weight solution. Performance and durability are not compromised by their reduced weight, with each cylinder meeting the ASME B30.1 standard and incorporating a built-in safety valve to prevent over-pressurization. Getting the cylinders into position and into smaller spaces is assisted by the integral handles on each model and their low collapsed height. The RARH cylinders are doubleacting, which means heavy loads can be lifted and lowered with precise control. A double-acting cylinder outputs force both in and out, creating a high control level for the retraction that is reliable, fast, and easy to control.

Front view articulating imager

The new 36" Front View Articulating Imager from Snap-on Industrial rotates 180° to provide technicians with highdefinition views from tight spots. The 36" Front View Articulating Imager (BKIMG55ART) pairs with three Snapon borescopes (BK8500; BK6500 and BK5600) to give detailed and up-close views of applications. Features of the 36" Front View Articulating Imager include its 3ft long reach and high-definition camera outfitted with six bright, mini-LED lights. The imager can navigate around a tight 31mm turning radius, enabling it to twist and turn around corners. The imager features a 5.5mm head and is water resistant at a depth of up to 10ft (3m).

Snap-on Industrial /// www.b2b.snapon.com

Hi-vis safety vest

Pyramex introduced its Heavy-Duty Utility Vest (RVZT44B Series), a highly functional ultra-lightweight vest built tough to withstand day in and day out use. The back features a D-Ring pass through slot for ease of use with a fall protection harness. It also has a reach through pocket with a zipper closure on the back for access to construction plans, a clipboard, or tablet. The vest has a solid black front bottom that includes an inner microfiber towel making cleaning eyewear a breeze. The vest also includes metal front grommets, accessory loops, mic tabs, and plenty of pockets including two large expandable waist pockets with hook and loop closure. The Heavy-Duty Utility Vest is created with safety and durability in mind. The hi-vis lightweight vest is made from 120 gsm polyester mesh and has 2" silver reflective material with .5" contrasting trim. It meets ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 Type R Class 2 standards. Built to last, all of the seams on the vest are reinforced. Comfort and ease of use were not left out of the equation either with a padded collar and easy to use zipper front closure. The vest comes in sizes small through 5XL.

Pyramex Safety /// www.pyramexsafety.com

Extended run time and thermal cycling

Valley Forge & Bolt’s new High Temp Maxbolt is able to operate in temperatures up to 650°F for near limitless applications and performance in extended high temperature run times and thermal cycling. The new High Temp Maxbolt helps to reduce downtime, premature wear, and catastrophic joint failures in critical industries. Maxbolt products feature a built-in analog gauge, which allows installation technicians know when proper load is achieved. During operation, technicians literally see if load ever falls out of spec on any bolt, addressing the need immediately instead of waiting for critical equipment failure. With an accuracy of +/- 5%, compliant with ASTM F2482, the High Temp Maxbolt provides real-time tension indication where process and environment may result in elevated temperatures. Employing all similar materials, a high-temperature lens, and easy-to-read gauge, High Temp Maxbolt operates both in rapid thermal cycle applications and in prolonged high-temp situations.

Send in the reinforcements

Brass Knuckle SmartCut BKCR3520 is a cut-resistant glove offering high dexterity that features a reinforced thumb crotch for high-abrasion applications. The glove’s shell is a lightweight 15-gauge highperformance polyethylene (HPPE) fiber that provides ANSI cut level A2 protection. This high-performance composite yarn is optimized for fit, function, and cut-protection performance. Nitrile foam coating on fingers and palm adds excellent abrasion resistance while channeling water, oil, or other liquids away from the surface, providing excellent wet-grip performance. Brass Knuckle SmartCut BKCR3520, with its reinforced thumb crotch, extends glove life and saves money on re-orders. It stands up to applications with a high degree of deep-in-the-hand abrasion that can cause premature wear-and-tear to gloves.

Brass Knuckle /// www.brassknuckleprotection.com

Valley Forge & Bolt Mfg. Co. /// www.vfbolts.com

The journey to a clean energy future goes through the Port of Lake Charles. America’s vital energy cargoes—like petroleum products and LNG—have flowed through the Port of Lake Charles for decades. Today, we’re delivering America’s energy future. The Port of Lake Charles has handled more than 1,000 of the huge blades that are assembled into wind turbines to generate clean, renewable energy nationwide. The Port of Lake Charles offers the capacity, capability and on-site rail system to get these massive blades offloaded and rolled out efficiently to their destination. We help energy’s future ride like the wind.

R T OF

E C ARL H

PORTOF LAKE CHARLES LAKE CHARLES HARBOR & TERMINAL DISTRICT

Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

portlc.com

A cargo ship arrives at the Port of Lake Charles carrying a load of 144-foot-long (44 m) wind turbine blades. North American Clean Energy

wind power

Intuitive digital solutions

Eye protection workers won’t want to take off

GE Power Conversion /// www.gepowerconversion.com

Brass Knuckle /// www.brassknuckleprotection.com

GE Power Conversion’s Connectix brings together its intuitive digital solutions and expert services into one easy-to-navigate suite of tools. GE’s software applications are simplified under three core Connectix modules: Operations+, Maintenance+, and Services+. Customers identify with where they want to make most impact and select a custom mix of tools and applications. This simple but effective formula is flexible for all sizes of organization, whatever their current level of digital transformation, start with one app, or a range of advanced solutions. Easy to install and user-friendly, Connectix is about connecting people with their equipment through useful, actionable intelligence and real results. Its flexibility includes ‘on-prem’ (on-site) and cloud-based data options which, together with expert service solutions, help to optimize operations and energy, and enable predictive maintenance and cyber-secure service solutions.

Brass Knuckle Spectrum (BKFLEX-4040N) brings together flexible comfort and peak anti-fog protection for safety eyewear wearers never want to take off. Spectrum helps prevent lens fogging with N-FOG anti-fog lens protection. It permanently bonds to the lens and will not wear or wash off. Its anti-fog protection exceeds European EN 166/168. For comfort, Spectrum features bowed, super-flex rubber temples that ratchet for custom fit. They touch the wearer only behind the ears, eliminating all pressure points. These ratcheting flexible temples offer a true face-hugging design that inspires compliance. Capping it off, the second-generation PivotEase nosepiece slides up and down and pivots on a hinge for added secure fit. Spectrum brings all this to bear while also retaining its anti-scratch, anti-static, and UV protection properties. Each lens color in the family sports a unique, corresponding temple color.

GLOBAL SUPPLIER OF SAFETY CRITICAL THREADED FASTENERS

We have serviced the wind turbine market for more than 25 years, long before it became an integral part of the global energy supply.

The manufacture and provision of high quality, safety critical wind energy fasteners with the ability to operate in some of the most hostile environments in the world has gained us an unrivalled reputation in the wind turbine marketplace.

Our in-house manufacturing product capabilities include: ■ hex-bolting M 12 to M 100 for tower and nacelle applications ■ waisted shank studs together with mating barrel nuts for blade installation ■ double ended studs for nacelle and hub/rotor assembly ■ double ended anchor studs for foundation cages ■ M72 Transition Piece bolts & studs All of this is backed by tangible quality and an extensive industry accredited product range.

CltQuality is our Hallmarl<

For enquiries please contact David Wilkes, Global Head of Sales & Marketing T: +01 (720) 458-8030 x 220 E: david.wilkes@cooperandturner.com

MOVING ENERGY

Cooper Turner Beck

FASTENERSFORSAFETYrnmCALAPPUCAnONs

Light when you need it Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems

FORWARD

Find out more:

contact@detect-inc.com

SERVICES • remote operating center • full service lay down yards • complete turbine transportation • bop infrastructure services

Night when you don’t Radar-Activated Obstruction Lighting

we’re one of the largest Independent Service Providers in the United States, supporting the wind industry. We currently provide services for all major OEM’S and top 25 asset owners in the USa.

TAKKION.COM • tpandl.com • gsswy.com • renewenergy.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Tool tethering kits

Pure Safety Group’s (PSG) Stronghold announces all-in-one tool tether kits for use by workers at height. The kits include a full suite of products, available in three neatly bundled designs exclusively for specific trades, to prevent tool drops from at-height work locations, onto people and infrastructure below. The kits feature Stronghold’s tethers that connect tools to wrists, belts, and other anchors, to eliminate drop hazards. Coils, bungees, and swiveling premium tethers that prevent tangles while handling tools while working, no matter which tool attachment is used, are featured in the kits. Other kit items include drill boots, tape measure sleeves, webbing with D-rings, tether cinch loops, vibrant orange tool tether attachment tape, antivibration tool tether shackles, wire core swivel screw gates, synching wrist straps, and PPE caddy glove holders. The kits incorporate the new ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 for Dropped Objects Prevention Solutions wherever the standard applies and are aimed at eliminating the guesswork of purchasing proper tool tethering supplies. Three Stronghold tool tether kits are available covering more than 15 different common industry trades.

Pure Safety Group (PSG) /// www.puresafetygroup.com

www.detect-inc.com

Ratchet strap tensioner

FallTech announces the introduction of its new SteelGrip Plus Cable Horizontal Lifeline (HLL) System. This system is provides time savings by enabling the rapid set-up and take down of HLL Systems throughout the workday. FallTech’s new ratchet strap tensioner for SteelGrip Plus Horizontal Lifeline Systems allows workers to effortlessly setup and take down the HLL system multiple times a day reducing what once took many man hours down to mere minutes. This system combines the desirable elements of low fall clearance performance, the durability of steel cable horizontal lifelines, and the quick and easy installation of synthetic rope systems.

Blade bending sensor

Bachmann Monitoring’s Cantilever Sensor (CLS), is a blade bending measurement technology, and a cost effective and accurate measure of rotor blade strain in real time. The robust CLS provides a wide range of values. Easy to install, the sensor facilitates optimized pitch control with early ice and fault detection to improve predictive maintenance of turbine blades both on- and offshore. An application of proven displacement measurement technologies, the CLS delivers precise measurements with very low tolerances (+/-0.5μm). Results are unaffected by local material inconsistencies due to a sample area over 12 times longer than existing gauges, and the titanium cantilever guarantees stability. Designed for harsh environments, the sensor’s non-contacting measurement technique increases longterm repeatability and durability over conventional strain gauges, making it a robust solution for modern wind farms.

FallTech /// www.falltech.com

SMART CHECK 2017

Bachmann electronic GmbH /// www.bachmann.info/en/bachmann

ACCURATE AND INCREDIBLY VERSATILE. SmartCheck

Compact, accurate, versatile – the new SmartCheck torque wrench tester gets right to the point. Experience the »Made in Germany« difference.

Split-flow manifolds

Enerpac introduces new split-flow manifolds that offer improved safety, precision, and control in multi-point lifting operations. The Enerpac SFM-Series splitflow manifolds splits the flow of a pump into up to four lines with a difference accuracy below 10%. The SFM-Series split-flow manifold automates the lifting and lowering operation with a reasonable accuracy. By using pressure-compensated flow valves, the oil flow directed to each cylinder can be controlled regardless of the load on the cylinder. The new split-flow manifolds from Enerpac are easy to use no matter the skill level of the operator. By turning all the knobs to the same position, the cylinders will advance equally within a 10% difference. This significantly reduces the monitoring needed by the operator, reducing the training period for operators while improving safety. The built-in pressure gauges provide information about the load on each cylinder. The SFMSeries split-flow manifolds plug the gap between simple manifolds and split-flow pump systems. They provide easy and accurate control for multiple lifting points without the need to invest in more costly split-flow pump systems.

Tel.:(+1) 262-583-4060 | info@stahlwille-americas.com

VDH/GSMI 34.5 kV Vacuum Circuit Breaker and High Speed Grounding Switch of Wind and Solar Power Substations Ema Electromechanics is the designer and manufacturer of model VDH/GSMI combined 34.5 kV vacuum circuit breaker and high speed, mechanically interlocked grounding switch (aka “grounding breaker”), a unique and patented system speciﬁcally designed for switching and grounding of wind and solar feeder circuits.

16 Industrial Drive, Sweetwater, TX 79556 Email: contact@emaeletromechanics.com Tel: 325 235 8000 www.emaelectromechanics.com

Enerpac /// www.enerpac.com North American Clean Energy

wind product spotlight: lighting

Lighting

The marking and lighting of wind turbines is primarily intended to provide high visibility and to assist pilots identify and avoid the structures. The FAA recommends wind turbines be lit with red or white lights which flash simultaneously. Listed below are some of the options available on the market today.

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Einpart

DeTect, Inc.

Product Name: FAA Obstruction Light

Cable/Connection: Pre-wired cable

Effective intensity: 2000cd

Warranty: 5-year warranty

Product Name: Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS)

Cable/Connection: TCPIP Key Features:

Vertical beam: 3°

Ratings/Certifications: FAA AC 150/5345-43J & ICAO Annex 14, 5th edition

Effective intensity: High

Expected LED life: 20-years

Key Features:

Vertical beam: 10 miles

Horizontal coverage: 360°

Input voltage: 24Vdc or 230Vac, 50/60Hz Overvoltage protection: Class III according to IEC61643-11 Frequency: 50/60Hz Power consumption: 1.6W / 8.2W Operating temperature: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C) Weight: 9.7lbs (4.4kg) Dimensions: 4.9" x 11" x 11" (12.4cm x 28cm x 28cm)

Horizontal coverage: 20 miles

• Approved FAA beacon with synchronized flashing;

Operating voltage: 110/220VC, 60/30A

• ADLS compatible;

Frequency: Radar

• Integrated brightness sensor, day/ night modes;

Power consumption: 10 to 20 days, 24-7

• Built-in overvoltage protection;

Operating temperature: Operates in extreme temperatures

• Corrosion resistant materials and maintenance free.

Overvoltage protection: UPS backup

• Long range detection provides great safety margin; • Advanced solid-state Doppler radar technology; • Meets or exceeds all FAA, Transport Canada, CASA (Australia), and European requirements; • Fully compatible with all SCADA systems and turbines. www.detect-inc.com

www.einpart.com

Unimar, Inc.

Technostrobe

Product Name: FAA Obstruction Lighting

Product Name: LED-RED-Standard

Effective intensity: 2000, 20,2000, 270,000

Horizontal Coverage: 360°

Horizontal coverage: 360°

With more than 17,000 installations, Flash Technology’s wind turbine and MET tower lights protect wind farm assets around the world.

Vertical beam: 3° Expected LED life: 5-years

Input Voltage: 24Vdc or 90-250Vac

Frequency: 50/60hz

Overvoltage protection: Yes

Power Consumption: Beacon is 9W, at 30 FPM, 16% duty cycle

Power consumption: 0.5W to 90W

ì Mounting brackets

Operating temperature: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C)

ì Surge protection systems

Weight: 1lbs to 25lbs (0.5kg to 11kg)

ì Solar-powered solutions

Dimensions: 6'' to 16'' (2.4cm to 6.3cm) Cable/Connection: Cable Warranty: 5-year warranty

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Expected LED Life: 10 years minimum

Operating voltage: 140Vdc

ì ADLS integration

ﬂashtechnology.com/wind

Vertical Beam: Infrared 3°

Overvoltage Protection: In both the Beacon and the Control enclosure

Frequency: 50/60

DOWNLOAD OUR 2021 BUYER’S GUIDE TODAY.

Effective Intensity: Infrared >700mW/sr

Input voltage: 120 to 240Vac

ì FAA and ICAO compliant

Warranty: Yes

Ratings/Certifications: FAA certified www.unimar.com

Operating Temperature: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C) Weight: Beacon 7.05lb (3.2kg) Dimensions: 6.69" x 4.92" (17cm x 12.5cm) Cable/Connection: 16AWG, 2 conductors Warranty: 5-year warranty Rating/Certifications: Compliant with TC, FAA and ULc www.technostrobe.com

wind product spotlight: lighting

SEE AD ON PAGE 26

SEE AD ON PAGE 16

ITL Product Name: IFH-1910-0IR Effective intensity: 2000 ± effective candelas Horizontal coverage: 360° Vertical beam: ≥3° Input voltage: 120 to 240Vac, 50Hz or 60Hz Power consumption: 30VA average power, night mode

Flash Technology Product Name: FTS 350i Wind Turbine Obstruction Light Effective intensity: 2000cd Horizontal coverage: 360° Vertical beam: 10° Expected LED life: >100,000hrs Input voltage: 120 to 240Vac Operating voltage: 120 to 240Vac Overvoltage protection: >10 kA, optional OVP to add existing protection Frequency: 50 to 60Hz Power consumption: 9W @ 30fpm Operating temperature: -40°F to 130°F (-40°C to 55°C) Weight: 2.9lbs. (1.3kg) Dimensions: 4.4'' x 7.88'' (111.8mm x 200.2 mm) diameter base Cable/Connection: Prewired with 50' cable, longer options available

Weight: 28lbs (13kg) Warranty: 2-year replacement warranty Ratings/Certifications: FAA L-864 (43J), ICAO Medium Intensity Type B (Annex 14 8th Edition), Transport Canada CAR 621 CL-864 Key Features: • Fully integrated system, no external controller; • Easy to carry and install on turbines due to low weight; • Infrared (IR) LEDs for compatibility with NVG and NVIS per FAA AC 150/5345-43J and FAA AC 70/74601M;

Dimensions: 7.9'' high x 15'' diameter (20cm high x 38.1cm diameter) Ratings/Certifications: ETL Certified to FAA AC 150/5345-43J Key Features: • Infrared (IR) emitters for Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS) compatibility per FAA EB-98; • Dimming support for Vaisala and Biral visibility sensors; • Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) support via Ethernet or Local input. www.itl.llc.com

• Fresnel optics minimize ground scatter, making the light more community-friendly;

Phoenix Contact Product Name: TL-180

Power consumption: +/- 10W

• 10kA surge protection, two times the FAA-specified minimum.

Effective intensity: 1.200lm /5.000k

Operating temperature: -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C)

Horizontal coverage: Yes

Weight: 2.82oz (800g)

Vertical beam: Yes

Dimensions: 10.2" x 3.9" x 2.4" (26cm x 10cm x 6cm)

www.flashtechnology.com/wind

Expected LED life: 50,000 hours Input voltage: 120 to 230V Operating voltage: 100 to 264V ac/dc Frequency: 50/60Hz

Hughey & Phillips

TWR Lighting

Product Name: HORIZON 2000/3000

Product Name: REDSTAR

Effective Intensity: Day White 20000cd; Night White 2000cd; Night Red 2,000cd

Effective intensity: 2000cd

Horizontal Coverage: 360°

Vertical beam: 3

Vertical Beam: 3°

Expected LED life: 15 to 20 years of operation

Expected LED Life: 10 years

Input voltage: 120 to 230Vac, 24/48Vdc available

Input Voltage: 120 to 240Vac 50/60Hz, +/48Vdc Operating Voltage: 120 to 240Vac 50/60Hz, +/-48Vdc

Horizontal coverage: 360°

Operating voltage: 120/230Vac, 24/48Vdc available

Overvoltage Protection: H&P patented design

Overvoltage protection: Transient protection per IEEE C62.41-1991

Frequency: 50/60Hz

Frequency: 50 to 60Hz

Power Consumption: <25W

Power consumption: 15W

Operating Temperature: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C)

Operating temperature: -67°F to 130°F (-55°C to 55°C)

Weight: 17lbs (7.71kg)

Weight: 13lbs (5.9kg)

Dimensions: 14" x 9.5" (35.6cm x 24.1cm)

Dimensions: 11" x 11" x 8.5" (280mm x 280mm x 216mm)

Cable/Connection: 20ft Pigtail of #18-8C Tray Cable Warranty: 5-year warranty

Cable/Connection: Connection terminal and cable gland for individual installation (standard)

Rating/Certifications: FAA Type L-864, L-865, L-864/865

Warranty: 5-year warranty

www.hugheyandphillips.com

www.twrlighting.com

Cable/Connection: QPD connector Ratings/Certifications: CE www.phoenixcontact.com

Obstruction Light Key Features: FAA L-864 approved beacon per AC 150/5345-43J Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) compatible, FAA AC 70/7460-1L Chapter 14 UTC/GPS synchronized ﬂashing using GNSS with global coverage Day and Night operation modes 24 red LEDs + 4 infrared LEDs Integrated brightness sensors Integrated logbook records on/oﬀ timestamps, events, and statistics for 20+ years Maintenance free Corrosion resistant materials for all surfaces UV and ozone resistant optical units and seals Pre-wired cable Overvoltage protection Class III, IEC 61643-11 Supply voltage: either 24V DC or 230V AC 50/60Hz Weight: 9 lbs. (4.4 kg) 5-year warranty

Einpart: Supplier of FAA Lights, Tools, Lifting Bags, Consumables, Spare Parts, PPE & Climbing Gear for the Wind Industry

Ratings/Certifications: FAA AC 70/7460-1M

North American Clean Energy

clean energy service spotlight: project developers & epc

Project Developers & EPC

Building a large scale renewable energy facility can be a daunting task, so finding the right team to provide all the necessary tools to complete the project is imperative. From planning, engineering, logistics, construction, to testing and commissioning, these companies can provide everything you need to get your renewable energy project up and running successfully.

SEE AD ON PAGE 29

SEE AD ON PAGE IBC

Pfister Energy, Inc. Industries served: Solar, energy storage Regions served: USA (NJ, NY, PA, CT, MD, Northeast Coast)

Blattner Energy Certifications/Associations: SEIA, US Green Build Council, NABCEP-certified, MSEIA, American Solar Energy Society

Industries served: Solar, wind, energy storage Regions served: USA

Additional services offered:

• Engineering;

Primary service: Project management, construction, pre-construction

• Material procurement and management.

Primary service: Solar EPC, Project Management, Project Development MW installed: 500MW

• Project financing; • Energy efficiency.

• Project feasibility;

www.blattnerenergy.com

www.pfisterenergy.com

Featured Projects:

Canandaigua Solar Array Location: Canandaigua, NY Size: 4.1MW

Additional services offered:

Featured Projects:

John Hopkins University Location: Baltimore, MD Size: 2.0MW

Pep Boys Location: Chester, NY Size: 2.5MW

Kern County Wind Location: Kern County, CA Size: 1547MW

Albany Solar Project Location: Albany, NY Size: 173MW

New Orleans BESS Location: New Orleans, LA Size: 500kW

RES (Renewable Energy Systems)

GP JOULE North America

Sentry Electrical Group. Inc.

Industries served: Solar, wind, energy storage, other

Industries served: Solar

Industries served: Wind, solar, industrial

Regions served: USA, Canada

Primary service: Full EPC, Asset Management, Operations & Maintenance

Primary service: Turnkey EPC services, solar PV racking solutions

Primary service: HV construction, tower wiring, turbine maintenance

MW installed: 15,587MW developed and constructed

MW installed: 76MW installed, 106MW under construction

MW installed: 16.5GW turbines wired in 2020

Certifications/Associations: SEIA, ESA

Certifications/Associations: CanREA, MnSEIA, NYSEIA, SEIA, Solar Alberta

Certifications/Associations: ISN, Avetta, Vero, Procore, Oracle, TradeApp, SmartBid, ComplyWorks, Comptroller.Texas. Gov, SAP Ariba, Compass, Veriforce

www.res-group.com

www.gp-joule.com

www.sentryelec.com

Strata Clean Energy

RP Construction Services (RPCS)

Knobelsdorff Energy

Industries served: Solar, energy storage

Industries served: Solar

Industries served: Solar, energy storage, EV installation

Regions served: USA

Primary service: Utility-scale solar, solar + storage, standalone storage

Primary service: Design/structural engineering, supply/ procurement, mechanical installation

Primary service: Full EPC, O&M, start-up, commissioning

MW installed: 2070MW

MW installed: 2300MW

www.stratacleanenergy.com

Certifications/Associations: SEIA Member, ASES Member

Certifications/Associations: SEIA, MEA, ABC, Top Solar Contractors, NFPA, Master electricians

www.rpcs.com

www.keway.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

MW installed: 400MW total

clean energy service spotlight: project developers & epc SEE AD ON PAGE 42

SEE AD ON PAGE 59

Green Source EPC, LLC. Industries served: Solar, energy storage Regions served: USA, Canada, Central America Primary service: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction

Invaleon Solar Certifications/Associations: B general contractors license, C10 general electrical contractors license, North American Board of Clean Energy Providers (NABCEP) Certified. www.greensourceepc.com

MW installed: 100MW+

Featured Projects:

Nationwide Auto Recycling Location: Lancaster, MA Size: 5MW+

Industries served: Solar, energy storage

Additional services offered: • Project Development;

Regions served: USA (MA, NH, ME)

• Project Management;

Primary service: Engineering, procurement, construction (EPC)

• Operations & Maintenance. www.invaleonsolar.com

MW installed: 50MW

Featured Projects:

Massachusetts Bio Tech Lab Location: Pepperell, MA Size: 547.73kw

Florida Government Building Location: Plantation, FL Size: 455.5kw

Location: Holyoke, MA Size: 667kW

Location: Springfield, MA Size: 217kW

Location: Wilmington, MA Size: 2.2MW

SOLON Corporation

Inovateus Solar

Pine Gate Renewables

GRS

Industries served: Solar, energy storage

Industries served: Solar

Industries served: Solar, energy storage

Industries served: Solar

Regions served: Southwest USA (CA, AZ, NV, CO, TX)

Regions served: USA

Primary service: Solar development EPC services, finance solutions

Primary service: Project development, financing, asset management

Regions served: USA, Europe, Latam, Australia, Africa

MW installed: 500MW

MW installed: 770MW

Primary service: Development Construction O&M

www.inovateus.com

www.pinegaterenewables.com

www.grs.energy

Primary service: Project development, design, construction, financing, operation MW installed: 134MW Certifications/Associations: NABCEP Installation Professional, AriSEIA, SEIA www.solonamerica.com

“ Your hardest working Solar EPC Contractor ”

COMMERCIAL. INDUSTRIAL. UTILITY. SOLAR + STORAGE SYSTEMS

Pfister Energy has successfully designed and built over 500 MW of projects, and is dedicated to provide customized solar photovoltaic system designs.

In-House Services: Experienced System Designers & Engineers • Professional Installation Crews • Best-In-Class Project Management • Committed to Customer Satisfaction •

Stronghold Engineering, Inc. Industries served: Solar, wind, energy storage, other Regions served: USA

833.ENERGY2 | 833.363.7492

Primary service: General contracting, electrical, renewable energy ™

Certifications/Associations: MBE, WBE

letsgo@pfisterenergy.com www.pfisterenergy.com

www.strongholdengineering.com Lucy-Pfister Ad.indd 1

4/23/21 North American Clean Energy

2:06 PM

solar energy

Lessons from the Texas Blackout by Shaheen Pasarya and Scott Nguyen

Photo by David Brearley

MY PHONE WAS ON THE BRINK OF DEATH.

My toes were painfully numb. The USB port inside my frozen car represented my only hope for power and warmth. Just 24 hours earlier, I was absolutely elated at this extremely rare opportunity to stomp around in the snow, create snow angels and snowmen, and perhaps even find a steep hill to sled down. In Texas of all places! Over the course of Sunday evening the flurries fell and gradually picked up speed, and by 11:00 p.m. had deposited a thick layer of fresh powder on the ground. I wasted no time suiting up in my Breckenridge gear (from past travels) to experience the truest sense of a winter wonderland Austin had seen in decades. Had I the foresight to know what was to come in just a few short hours, I would have somehow bottled up all the warmth I could. At 2:07 a.m. Monday, my power was shut off with zero warning. I woke up frigid - the temperature in my home dropped to 53° over the span of 5 hours. The outage map was riddled with all shapes and sizes of red and orange, varying with the severity and impact of each outage. It turned out I was far from the only one left in the dark. According to everything I had read online up to this point, wasn’t “the plan” to execute rolling blackouts throughout the city? 40-minute cycles of no power would have been a mere inconvenience compared to my current situation, at which point the temperature in my home was down to the mid-40°s. This was uninhabitable and unsafe if it continued for an extended period of time, yet there was no ballpark estimate as to how long the blackout would last. The emails I received from the power company advising me to “conserve power now” were in poor taste -- salt in the wound, really. I didn’t have a choice to do anything other than “conserve power now” because I didn’t have any! I rounded up all the candles gathering dust in my bedroom and hunkered down for a chilly night in by candlelight. My memory foam mattress was so cold it hardened to a near-cardboard texture. The temperature inside was now below 40°. After 49 hours of darkness - in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, as I curled up next to my fireplace, the last of my firewood reduced to ashy coals - I heard a sudden click. Noises I never used to acknowledge started drowning out the silence -- the refrigerator was humming, and the ceiling fan I’d forgotten to turn off in my room sounded so loud as the blades started racing at full speed. Yet, I didn't have much time to process my emotional shock; I was now conditioned to believe that electricity was a scarcity which only consumers could control, so my guilt had me immediately dashing to my room to turn off the fan. Irrational as it sounds, I didn’t want to somehow be singlehandedly responsible for shutting down power to all of Texas.

Insight into Public Perceptions

A month after the tragic event that left over 110 Texans dead and cost the state over $200 billion dollars, most of us were still unsure who to hold accountable or how to prevent the next disaster. Over the first couple of weeks of March, our survey sought to understand Texan’s perception of Winter Storm Uri and the resulting blackout.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

The survey consisted of three main questions: 1. How were you impacted by the storm? 2. Who do you think was primarily responsible for the Texas electricity blackouts? 3. How would you prioritize proposed solutions to address future issues? The results are shown in Figure 1. The blame for the blackouts was spread primarily

Figure 1

If companies can listen to customers’ fears and hopes, they’re more likely to trust professional assurances, guidance, and expertise. More importantly, they will embrace a way to take control of their energy generation, ensuring them the safety, well-being, and peace of mind when the next storm hits.

The authors are Scott Nguyen and Shaheen Pasarya of Bodhi. Solar, a solar customer experience platform. Both native Texans, Scott is a co-founder of Bodhi and holds 18 USPTO patents. Shaheen is Head of Product where she leads the way to providing solar consumers with the digital experience they expect.

Bodhi /// www.bodhi.solar Figure 2: Melting snow for water between ERCOT, State lawmakers, and State regulatory agencies. The preferred solutions to prevent another blackout centered around more mandates and more regulation, in stark contrast to the independent, self-reliant reputation of Texans. Surprisingly, adding power generation and backup power at the home (for example solar + storage) came in 4th.

Opportunity for Solar + Storage

soltec.com

YOUR SOLAR PLANT ALL-IN-ONE

The survey results also illustrate the lack of general public awareness of solar + storage as a viable option, either at the personal level to ensure backup power or at the scale of the grid to help maintain grid-level resiliency. There are, however, promising signs. People that know about solar (from a friend or neighbor) did inquire about it. EnergySage reported a 200 percent increase in interest in solar and storage in Texas since late February. Solar installers in Texas have reported that the percentage of solar inquiries that include storage is up 80 percent from solar-only inquiries. Before the blackout, conversations about storage ended quickly as soon as the sales consultant informed the consumer that adding storage “doesn’t pencil out.” However, for consumers, storage was never really about the economics of loadshifting. Solar + storage is booming in California because of the brownouts. In Vermont, it's about reliability through their own winter storms. And now, 60+ hours left in the cold and dark and a barrage of burst pipes have left Texans with a new relationship with energy. It is no longer abstract. It is no longer an afterthought. Texans intimately understand that energy equals the warmth to fall asleep, clean drinking water, and life-saving medical devices.

DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

ALL-IN-ONE

UP TO 12MWP

READY TO DEPLOY

Figure 3: Indoor temperature 40 degrees North American Clean Energy

solar energy

Why PV Modules Love Cold Weather by Jeff Juger and Mike Amati

WHEN THE AVERAGE CONSUMER THINKS

about solar, one thinks about hot locations with copious amounts of sun, like Hawaii, Florida, California, or the desert Southwest. While those regions do have a lot of solar, it’s important to remember that solar generates electricity from the sun’s light, not its heat. Accordingly, over the years, states in colder climates have flourished with an increase in solar installations; in fact, of the top solar states, several are located in areas which deal consistently with cold weather, snow, ice, and hail. Snow and hail, in particular, appear to be increasing over time. While a bit counterintuitive, it seems that warmer air holds more

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

moisture, so snow volume actually is increasing in cold climates that still experience freezing temperatures. Similarly, some researchers suspect that this retained moisture may be creating larger and more dangerous hail. While these trends impact productivity and project risk for both rooftop and ground-mount solar projects, innovative module design focused on extended durability can mitigate some of these threats. Not all aspects of cold weather are negative for solar. In fact, cold weather improves the performance of modules. Solar module production can vary based on ambient temperature; as temperatures rise, the voltage of the module will decrease. Similarly, as temperatures decrease, voltage will increase. Solar production will increase as the ambient temperature decreases. The reflectivity of snow also helps increase production, especially with bifacial modules, as it presents more irradiance to the module. It is also true that snow, ice, and hail can decrease solar productivity or even destroy the module. Snow buildup is similar to the accumulation of soiling, like dust and dirt, so productivity decreases or even ceases when the module is covered in snow. In utility projects where modules are installed on fixed racks using a single pier, the buildup of snow can lead to excessive loading of the structure, causing it to become misaligned. Accumulated ice also impacts module performance. The main concern with ice accumulation is known as the ice dam effect; ice dam effect is when snow melts during

the day, and the runoff drips to the lower edge of the module. When that cold water hits the air blowing at the bottom edge, it turns into ice. This process can repeat over time, causing an ice dam to form and grow larger at the bottom of the module. This unevenly distributed weight creates stress on the module. Ultimately, if enough ice forms, the weight can cause the lower edge of the module to fail, essentially shearing off the lower edge and causing the glass to shatter. Hailstorms with sizable hailstones, as they accelerate to earth, can effectively destroy modules. A recent event astonishingly destroyed hundreds of thousands of modules in a single ground-mount project. Project owners can mitigate some of these risks by selecting durable modules and maintaining their projects during these weather events. All modules come with snow load ratings. Even the relatively standard 5400 Pascal rating for snow loads is equivalent to roughly 113 pounds per square foot. One inch of packed snow can vary by weight per square foot, so you would need multiple feet of packed, wet snow piled on top of the module to create major structural issues. Some timely maintenance to prevent snow accumulation or the ice dam effect may be helpful. Companies specialized in operations and maintenance help keep larger ground-mount projects operating effectively, while homeowners can use brushes or “sleds” to remove the snow. However, using snow rakes or anything with teeth is not a good idea, as rakes can scratch the surface of the glass, leading to module damage. Of course, for homeowners, this may involve the risk of trying to climb onto a roof during wet and slippery conditions. Given that many homes in cold climates already have sharply pitched roofs, it may be safer to wait for gravity and the sun to do their jobs. Also, the melting snow has a secondary benefit, which is washing away any underlying dirt and debris as it rolls off the module. There are also heating elements homeowners can purchase that can be installed on the lower edge of the roof to help melt snow more quickly. In recent years, the prevalence of dual glass bifacial solar modules has made them more susceptible to hail damage. While some manufacturers continue to use robust 3.2mm tempered solar glass, some have resorted to untempered glass - as thin as 2mm - in order to reduce the weight of the module. Owners should carefully select modules with thick front side glass and strong hail ratings. Durable modules with thicker front side glass can withstand hailstones up to 45mm at speeds up to 29 meters per second. The number of solar projects will continue to grow throughout the United States, including the colder regions. While the upside continues to outweigh the downside, customers and project insurers

alike are beginning to take notice of the risks of operating solar projects in these environments. Thoughtful module selection and timely maintenance can make all the difference.

Jeff Juger is the Director of Business Development, and Mike Amati is the Sr. Sales Application Engineer for Jinko Solar, which manufactures and distributes solar panels as part of a sustainable product lifecycle.

Jinko Solar /// jinkosolar.us

Ditch the Goop Using BoltSeal ™ The solar industry has gone through many generations of technological development, especially in the last decade. One technology in particular – BoltSeal™ by QuickBOLT – has changed the way solar is installed since its introduction to the market 9 years ago. QuickBOLT’s innovative solutions have led the growing effort to move away from the practice of lifting shingles and the use of traditional sheet metal flashing as much as possible. So what is BoltSeal™? It’s QuickBOLT’s patented technology which creates a mechanical compression-seal between Microflashings® and the roof. You can see and feel the flashing concave to seal the penetration. The newest version of the QuickBOLT, QB2, utilizes BoltSeal™ so well that you can install the bolt without using any chemical sealant, a.k.a. ‘goop’. Intertek Lab testing confirms QB2 prevents water from entering roof penetrations when BoltSealed™ properly. So why ditch the goop? It has its limitations. Some goop can’t be used in extreme weather, which is a hindrance to half of the US when it comes to the Winter months. Come Summertime, extreme heat threatens some goops by making them too elastic to use practically. Cost is also a factor. While individual tubes are easily affordable, the total materials cost adds up when you’re a growing installer. Smaller installation companies spend $15k - $90k annually on roofing sealants, while some of the largest companies in the country have reported spending nearly $2 million on chemical roofing sealant alone. Those are numbers that could pay for a badly needed work truck or two, or a few new employees’ wages.

Patent #8448407

Now we know you may still use goop, you may be a die hard fan. The point is you no longer have to rely on it. That’s where BoltSeal™ comes into the picture. BoltSeal™ powered Top Mounts don’t rely on chemical sealants to keep water from entering the roof penetration. When it comes to choosing a mounting solution for your next job, why choose a solution that relies on goop when a better sealing method exists? With BoltSeal™ you can rely on a solution where goop is just one of many layers of protection, not the first and last.

FL #35022

APPROVED IN FLORIDA! QuickBOLT’s QB2 has been officially approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

ORDER TODAY BY CALLING

(888) 567-0832 QUICKBOLT.COM

North American Clean Energy

solar energy

Rating Extreme Loads by Alex Vanasse

All solar panels have load ratings. These are usually presented as a positive value (snow rating) followed by a negative value (wind rating), and often vary based on mounting method (clamping vs bolting, position and width of the clamp, etc.). Load ratings are a key driver of total module price: a thicker frame with thicker glass will allow more loading, but will also cost more in aluminum or glass. For a long time, typical loads on solar panels could be as high as 5,400Pa/-4,300Pa, which was sufficiently elevated not to cause a problem as long as proper racking was used. Over the last decade, however, the industry refined its understanding of microfragmentation (fractures and other “degradation mechanisms”) of silicon solar cells, and its effect on long-term power degradation of solar panels. As is common with any maturing industry, solar is evolving from “fast and cheap” to “safe and durable”. Solar panels testing certification evolved in much the same way: from a pure “safety” testing, to a more long-term reliability and performance testing. In November 2019, the decades-old UL1703 certification gave way to a new norm: IEC/UL 61730, in line with the stricter European Standard IEC 61730. This new IEC/UL standard does not allow for degradation of solar panels after mechanical load testing of more than 5 percent, even if during those tests up to 2000 pounds of weight can be hauled on them, and they may bend (at the center) several inches for extended durations. If a module manufacturer chooses a load rating that is too high, the cells inside its solar panel may bend under stress testing and break - if this causes degrade more than 5 percent, the IEC/UL 61730 test will fail. For a long time, it was customary to clamp 72 cells solar panels on their short side, making the panel’s glass laminate and cells crystal bear thousands of pounds of wind, snow, and ice pressure without inquiring seriously about cells degradation. Gradually, only smaller 60 cells panels would be clamped on their short side. Eventually some manufacturers started removing clamping on the short side, even as a possibility, in their installation manual. Let’s say, for instance, that 1,600Pa is allowed when clamping on the short side of 72 cells modules without rails, but this “test load” incorporates a 1.5X security factor; when a panel is tested under IEC/UL 61730 to 1600 Pa, the actual panel loading cannot go above 1,066 Pa of combined wind or snow load, under ASCE-7-16. Over the last decade, solar panels manufacturers have been actively engaged in reducing their module’s manufacturing costs, which is also leading to a reduction of the frame’s thickness and the robustness of the panel build. To maintain these low costs, solar panels manufacturers have thus been forced to test their panels at lower load ratings in order to pass the new IEC/UL standard and its dreaded 5 percent max degradation. Newer installation manuals now bear significantly lower design loads than before. What was 5,400/-4,300 a few years ago is now 2,400/-2400 Pa. But even a 2,400 Pa design load is not much: under ASCE-7-16 (applying SEAOC PV2 recommendations) any simple ground-mounted system over 30 degrees tilt in a 110MPH wind region (exposure C, Risk III) will have natural

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

combined loads on panels above the 2400 Pa design loads. This will apply almost anywhere in the USA. In hurricane regions such as the Caribbean, there may not be a single panel that can take the load under the IEC 61730 standard, the same with the highest snow loads in northern USA or Canada! Solar panels manufacturers rely on racking manufacturers and project engineers to check applied loads on panels, but what if racking manufacturers do not raise the red flag for fear of losing a contract? Is the Engineer of Record for the racking system responsible for allowing the use of a solar panel that will degrade more than 5 percent under snow and wind loads? In the past, several solar panel manufacturers allowed different clamping methods (namely using 3 rails, or 6 panel clamping locations per solar panel). While this achieved higher design loads, the practice was rarely promoted in modern module manufacturer’s installation manuals. Another solution may come from stronger PV panels being developed by manufacturers, namely glass-glass laminates with as thick aluminum frame. In high wind and snow areas, such as on high-rise buildings, using stronger solar panels should be considered regardless of any cost premium, because it will help to maintain warranty and avoid early degradation. Thinner glass will be more fragile in hailstorms, but thicker glass may be too heavy for construction; a dual 3.2mm glass laminate solar panel can weigh as much as 75 lbs (45kg). Under the new IEC 61730, the key for solar panels manufacturers will be to seek the right combination of glass and frame thickness. With the right panel and racking solution, no climatic loads or conditions will prevent solar to flourish everywhere on the planet (including areas with the strongest winds and the heaviest snow loads). With so many uncertainties around load rating, solar developers should pay

extra attention to design loads, and be on the lookout for tougher, higher quality systems (thicker glass, thicker frames, solid, corrosion resistant racking, added sun protection for the electronics, etc.). Success will come to those that build strong, tough, properly engineered solar PV systems once, rather than build a cheap, low-cost system, and end up rebuilding it over and over again in the coming decades.

Alex Vanasse is VP of Business Development at Opsun, which engineers, designs, and manufacturers bifacial racking for solar panels.

Opsun /// opsun.com

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(310) 800-1396 www.chiliconpower.com North American Clean Energy 35

solar energy

Tough Projects Need the Right Racking Hardware by Josh Von Deylen

THREE NATURAL PROBLEMS

that can have a major impact on any prospective solar project are unfavorable soil conditions, extreme topography, and a harsh climate. These three site conditions affect the design of a project and can drastically increase project costs. Previously, many developers walked away from difficult projects due to added costs from addressing disparaging conditions; in recent years, however, challenging sites have become prime candidates for solar projects. For developers and EPC’s, the keys to efficiently developing challenging projects include choosing the right racking manufacturer and collaborating effectively. First and foremost, the largest exposure to potential increases in a project’s cost is the soil and subsurface conditions. While a geotech can give you information to start the development process, this is only a tool for determining the right foundation, and will give only a small glimpse of what truly lies beneath. Foundation options should be discussed and priced out in the initial quoting process so that both parties are aware of the quoted cost and implicated refusals after construction. Before a Purchase Order is placed, the racking venders should be required to do onsite pull testing and check the foundation drivability. There is no way to know exactly how many refusals or subsurface items will be encountered, but testing clears up the ambiguity and mitigates construction risk and total project cost. Regions with good, stiff, clean soils, are desirable, but it is more likely that glacial till, cobble, bedrock, sand, or soft soils will be present. A driven pile or a micro helical would be the solution for ideal soil conditions. For areas loaded with rocks, cobble, or glacial till, a threaded ground screw with pre-drilled pilot holes is the best option. For sites that have small amounts of rock and cobble, but dense soils, a directly driven ground screw is preferred. Solid bedrock appears daunting, but it is no different than predrilling glacial till and driving in a ground screw. If a project has

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

clean, soft soils, a high water table, and a deep frost line, a micro helical foundation is the best choice. The second difficult site condition is erratic topography. Every solar developer dreams of a nice, flat area to build on. Unfortunately, the reality is that more curves are present than what one can see from a Google Earth image. Site walks are crucial to help reveal what the true topography is like. If it has steep rolling or north facing slopes, a topographical survey map should be completed to accurately portray the contours. Long rolling hills (5-10 percent grade) may not need special attention, but a site with smaller rolling hills (10-15 percent grade) may need some additional row breaks to accommodate the transitions. Adding extra foundation length and opening up the required tolerance for the front lip height is also a commonly overlooked item. For example, a flat site may have a 30" front lip height (±2"), where a high topography project calls for 36" (±8") to be substituted in; this gives an installer 17" of extra room to roll with the grade. It sounds obvious while reading, but the hidden point is that this information needs to be baked into the plan before any racking is purchased. With a few extra dollars, extra row breaks, or longer foundation posts, you can save installers an extreme amount of time, and time is money! The final conditions that a racking supplier can assist with are projects with varying climates. Developers today are no longer exclusively working in their backyards; they are developing projects coast-to-coast, from sun and sand to mud and snow. There are drastic

developers to the right solution. As the solar industry continues to rapidly expand, ever more challenging sites will need innovative parties to collaborate effectively to complete more projects. Designing a project with the right foundation and racking in the early stages of development will guarantee the project is designed for buildability and budgeted accordingly. Partnering with a racking manufacturer with tested experience and multiple foundation offerings will provide the right foundation and racking systems to conquer any site. differences between working in states with little snow or frost loads and working in states that have the opposite. High snow loads add an extreme amount of loading to the racking and foundation. This force demands more foundations to support the racking and distribute the extra load into the ground. Extra foundations mean extra costs (the difference in cost is shocking from 5psf to 80psf snow load designs) so it’s extremely important to work with a racking manufacturer early in the process to establish an accurate budget. Another cost driver, called frost depth, refers to the depth at which the ground is frozen during winter. Every county has a frost depth, or frost line, that must be taken into consideration for a foundation design. Deep frost lines are considered to be 30" to 42", and all lines over 42" deep are considered extreme. Frozen ground will freeze to steel foundations and swell, pulling the foundation upward, which is why the design must account for it beforehand. For example, a driven pile in a 20" frost line may only need to be 6' deep. The same foundation in a 42" frost line will have drastically larger loads requiring a depth of 8' to 12' or more. The best foundation option for deep frost lines is a micro helical anchor, because they can be driven under the frost line and easily resist the extra frost jacking loads. Rocky soil conditions prevent helicals from pushing past, but a rock screw is more than able; the industry standard is with two-thirds of the screw threads going past the frost line. Every solar project offers unique challenges that demand engagement with racking vendors to guide

Josh Von Deylen is Chief Executive Officer for APA Solar Racking, a fixed-tilt, ground mount solar racking manufacturer and installer in business since 2008.

APA Solar Racking /// www.apalternatives.com

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19/02/2020 North American Clean Energy

15:53

solar energy

Solar Needs Comprehensive Federal PV Recycling Legislation by Otto Gunderson

While solar has experienced an exponential growth over the last decade, there is a consistent failure by individual states to prepare for PV panel End of Life (EOL).

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Currently, only Washington state has passed comprehensive legislation mandating responsible PV end-of-life treatment by manufacturers; several other states are in the process of drafting this legislation, but change is frustratingly slow. Solar recyclers in the United States are seeing the shipment of decommissioned panels across state lines and national borders to avoid high recycling costs. Clearly, the federal government is overdue in passing legislation that will prohibit the dumping of EOL solar panels in landfills, penalize the shipping of decommissioned panels to developing countries for unregulated use, mandate a producer-sponsored takeback system, and encourage a circular economic approach to solar recycling. Solar waste in the United State is expected to grow from 94,000 US tons of solar waste in 2020 (roughly 4.2 million PV panels), to 1.1 million US tons (roughly 48.9 million PV panels) by 2030, reaching 11 million US tons (roughly 489 million PV panels) by 2050. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of these decommissioned panels are properly recycled. This is primarily due to lack of awareness and high cost; on average, the cost to recycle a single panel can range between 20-30 dollars. The majority of EOL PV panels stack up in landfills, which often deny recyclers and manufacturers access to the valuable materials found within those discarded components. While materials like silicon and silver can be salvaged and reused in the production of new solar panels, potentially hazardous materials (lead, indium, cadmium, etc.) can enter into the waste stream without oversight. In March of 2020, the state of Washington passed comprehensive PV EOL legislation that enacted photovoltaic module stewardship and takeback programs. Manufacturers are responsible for financing the takeback and recycling of the PV systems. Additionally, manufacturers must submit a stewardship plan that includes an outline for financing recycling, collection, and management of decommissioned panels. Beginning in 2024, manufacturers will be required to provide an annual report that reviews the plan and the achievement. By 2023, there will be no manufacturer,

vehicle batteries and more.” Not only would the responsible handling of EOL panels support environmental progress and lessen the effects of climate change, but it could stimulate the green economy. A comprehensive national plan for EOL panels would result in $10.1 billion in market value by 2050, and reintroduce the necessary raw materials to create 2 billion new PV panels. While sweeping PV recycling legislation would prevent resource waste, contribute to a circular economy, and grow the solar industry, it must be put into place long before we reach overwhelming levels of decommissioning.

Otto Gunderson is a third-year student at the University of Virginia, studying History and Economics. He has been a research associate at Recycle PV Solar for the past year and hopes to enter the clean energy sector upon graduating. Recycle PV Solar, based in Reno, Nevada, is a full-service solar recycling company that captures over 90 percent of available materials from decommissioned PV panels.

Recycle PV Solar /// recyclepv.solar

distributor, retailer, or installer who can sell panels in Washington without a Department of Ecology approved plan. Arizona has also begun drafting legislation. The Arizona bill outlines steps to reduce solar waste and re-enter critical materials into the U.S. market. It creates a landfill ban on both solar panels and electric vehicle batteries, as well as requiring recycling at an approved site. Secondly, it includes a $5/panel fee on the seller unless the manufacturer of the panel will process the panel at end-of-life. This legislation also imposes a penalty on all panels not properly treated at EOL; this money will be used for the creation and running of PV Recycling Facilities. North Carolina passed legislation that requires the responsible decommissioning of utility scale installations and prohibits landfilling of EOL PV Panels. Additionally, California has altered the categorization of EOL PV panels from toxic waste to universal waste, in hopes that the reduced rules on transportation and storage will encourage recycling. California’s lack of comprehensive PV recycling legislature is particularly concerning as California is responsible for approximately one third of all solar energy produced in the U.S. However, state-by-state legislation is unlikely to create a recycling infrastructure capable of handling the level of PV waste by 2030, and will do little to stop the landfilling of panels in other areas. The benefits of properly recycling solar panels can be found in environmental protection and in economic growth. Fatima Ahmad, Senior Counsel with the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, comments “…one of the recommendations in the Climate Crisis Action Plan is to develop a circular economy roadmap for the United States building on existing efforts at the Department of Energy. I expect to see growing interest in strategies to expand recycling across several climate solutions, from solar energy components to electric

North American Clean Energy

solar energy

Risk Ready Solar Systems thinking key to tackling Mother Nature’s worst

Figure 3: Terratrak (credit TerraSmart)

by Ashton Vandemark, Chase Anderson, and Mike Slack

RISK. EVERY PV PROJECT HAS IT. RENEWABLE ENERGY

developers face a myriad of decisions throughout a project’s lifecycle to balance risks and costs for the best returns. Now add the complexity and uncertainty brought on by the rising tide of extreme weather events that have devastated infrastructures in recent years. Whether you’re building utility-scale solar to withstand heavy snow in the northeast, or carports on storm-battered islands, mitigating risks posed by extreme conditions is top-of-mind for developers and EPCs nationwide. Taking a systems’ view across the entire PV development lifecycle offers unique benefits. Integrated partners with experience mitigating risk throughout system design, component manufacturing, and turnkey installation, can help developers build for increasingly challenging environments - without sacrificing profitability.

Before the storm: Factoring weather and terrain into your project risk models

From the start, developers can optimize for weather and terrain in the initial phases of the project cycle. Intelligent project modeling software can help you explore project complexity using hundreds of layouts, component variables, performance goals, and detailed financial models to optimize system design. Designed to maximize project value, some of these tools have increased internal rates of return 5 to 15 percent.

Figure 1: topography view of SIFT (credit Sunfig)

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MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Monthly albedo, soiling, and performance inputs can be used to account for volatile weather, including extreme snow events. High-temperatures that affect module performance and derate inverters can be factored into a project’s model to calculate accurate losses. Evaluating these options with easy-to-use tools can put you on the right path early in the project. If challenging terrain is your issue, opt for software programs that include advanced options for topographic evaluations, grading estimates, and automated slope analysis. Use systems that import topography from the United States Geological Survey or Google to generate slope and grade analyses to ensure accurate and optimal layouts for best returns in hilly terrain.

When conditions blow hot and cold, performance depends on the right foundation

The key to ensuring systems reliability starts below ground. High wind speeds require foundations with adequate uplift and lateral capacity. Frost heave can also wreak havoc, raising entire racks and resulting in exorbitant reframing costs. Foundations like ground screws are a cost-effective means of resisting frost heave. The screws mobilize more tension with a smaller foundation because the threaded portion is embedded below the frost depth line. Unlike piles, screws can be embedded without ground modification. They drill past cobble and buried rocks without refusal--reducing upfront construction costs and eliminating subsurface risks. For clay and other extremely soft soils, helical piles are a common choice since a large single flight helps secure the ground anchor.

Flexible design so racks can really take it

In some cases, reliability in extreme climates requires going beyond industry standards. There are two main factors when assessing a racking system for tough weather: structural/mechanical integrity and material longevity. Select a partner that analyzes its racking design to account for misalignments in the field. Structural analyses must include true field tolerances to ensure the system can handle the load even when it's not built perfectly. It’s also important to conduct structural wind-tunnel studies that provide accurate aerodynamic information about the system. From a materials perspective, while most racking companies use galvanized steel, some manufacturers can special order additional galvanization for projects that require extra protection from highly corrosive environments like salt spray. Additional design measures can be incorporated when facing heavy snow and wind loads. For high snow, common design adjustments include increasing clearance height and tilt angle, shortening foundation-pile spacing, and increasing pile depth. The increased height keeps the lowest module clear when snow accumulates; increasing tilt angles ensures more complete snow shedding; shortening foundation-pile spacing provides extra support; and increased pile depth protects against uplifting wind forces.

Safeguard returns with trackers that outsmart the weather As “perfect sites'' come at a higher price premium, installing PV in rugged, weatherchallenged terrains can be more profitable to developers. Selecting trackers designed for extremes can open new markets while safeguarding investments. Consider tracker designs that combine industrial-strength materials with foundations suited to rugged slopes and rock-strewn terrain. When mounted to ground-screw foundations, unique A-frame designs can double the strength of traditional pile foundations by redirecting loads onto the ground screws. By allowing slope tolerances up to 20 percent north/south, this can eliminate refusal risk and save significantly on grading. Figure 2: Turquoise Solar in Sparks, NV

Make sure your tracking partner has completed all of the required certifications and is backed by third-party bankability studies. Look for trackers that have undergone wind-tunnel analyses for static, dynamic, and aeroelastic instability to get more accurate information. Again, when combined with adapted groundscrew based A-frame foundations, trackers can better distribute wind load across all foundation elements for greater stability during weather events. Some trackers offer advanced control systems to ensure fast stowing when Mother Nature strikes. Developers and EPCs have a lot to gain from smart systems that use bi-directional communications and real-time performance monitoring. Automated weather-stow functionality backed by onsite wind and snow monitoring is key to directing automatic stowing when needed. Look for systems that integrate weather applications to forecast bad weather and stow sites quickly. The best solutions come with user-friendly dashboards that monitor all assets in operation and push email/text notifications when issues arise.

Ashton Vandemark is the Founder of Sunfig; Chase Anderson is Director of Product Development for TerraSmart; Mike Slack, P.E. is the carport division manager for RBI Solar. Gibraltar Industries has acquired established solar companies to build a complete end-to-end solution. Merging capabilities

from TerraSmart, RBI Solar and SolarBOS, combined with new project design software from Sunfig -- Gibraltar's Renewable Energy Group serves growing utility, community, and C&I markets allowing any type of project to be built anywhere, and on any terrain.

Gibraltar Industries /// gibraltar1.com Sunfig /// sunfig.com TerraSmart /// terrasmart.com RBI Solar /// rbisolar.com Solar BOS /// solarbos.com

Helping C&I customers laugh at the weather

Booming demand from businesses and industrial facilities is putting more C&I systems in storm-lashed locations. From heavy snow loads in Maine to gusty winds in Hawaii, canopies, carports, rooftop systems, and other C&I applications must be engineered and installed for harsh weather. Select an experienced C&I partner that can adapt its mounting systems for high wind and snow conditions by: • Increasing depth by a few feet when the foundation is a drilled-out concrete pier. • Increasing footing depth and width in poor soils to create a strong, heavy base. • Increasing the number of columns and narrowing spacing to equalize wind pressure. • Building with thicker steel columns and top beams that are less affected by heavy winds.

Clear skies and lower risks with an integrated end-toend partner

PV plants across the country are being pummeled by extreme weather events that destroy in minutes what had been designed to last decades. An integrated partner with a complete portfolio of design, foundation, racking, tracking and BOS solutions can help developers dial in appropriate risk profiles across projects from start-to-finish. Combined with expert, turnkey installation, an end-to-end solution is the smartest way to optimize returns while safeguarding assets.

North American Clean Energy

solar energy

Free solar training courses

GreenSourceEPC.com

Green Source EPC is a leading provider of Engineering,

GameChange Solar has partnered with Texas-based Workrise in supporting free, hands-on training for students interested in joining the growing renewable energy industry. The free, two-day training course will be offered by Lone Star College with classes taking place both online and inperson. Students will learn the basics of installing utility-scale solar racking and modular equipment as well as earn OSHA 10 certification. As part of the curriculum, students will specifically learn GameChange Solar’s Genius Tracker system. Upon completion of the program, students will be equipped to work in the solar industry to construct, assemble, and maintain commercial solar systems.

Workrise /// www.workrise.com GameChange Solar /// www.gamechangesolar.com

Procurement and Construction services for commercial

Next generation safety sneakers

KEEN Utility’s Vista Energy is a work shoe built to perform in rigorous and fast paced environments where speed, agility, and comfort are key. The Vista Energy mimics the athletic style and comfort of a sneaker, without sacrificing critical safety features. For men and women who work long hours standing and walking on hard surfaces, safety footwear offering cushioning support is a top priority. KEEN Utility’s Vista Energy series features KEEN.ReGEN, a lightweight performance cushioning midsole that returns 50% energy with every step. To combat the risk of accidentally bumping toes, or falling objects, this work sneaker features asymmetrical carbon-fiber toes that are 15% lighter than steel. Its custom carbon-fiber safety toes also offer an unobtrusive, comfortable, and roomy fit. Vista Energy is completely non-metallic for workers who require entrance through a metal detector on the job. The Vista Energy series is constructed with a non-marring, two-layer mesh upper to increase breathability and air flow within the shoe. The KEEN. KonnectFit heel capture system offers a locked-in feel for better fit and footing on the job. An oil- and slip-resistant outsole with water-diverting channels maximizes surface area contact and improves traction to reduce the risk of slips and falls. Because fit is critical to performance, the Vista Energy series is available in both men’s and women’s silhouettes. For men, the Vista energy is available in low, low ESD, and mid-height options, while low and low ESD versions are available for female workers.

KEEN Utility /// www.keenutility.com

renewable energy projects in North America. Green Source EPC works closely with developers, finance companies and owners from design through installation to produce custom, highly efficient and state-of-the-art solar installations.

Phone: (714) 455-1281 Email: info@gs-epc.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Isolating converter

With their new PNP/NPN converter, WAGO helps increase machine functionality providing one part for 4 different conversions. The 2000 Series isolating converter can be used to accommodate four signal types: PNP to NPN, NPN to PNP, PNP to PNP isolation, and NPN to NPN isolation. Its 7mm design saves valuable DIN rail space allowing for other necessary components. This converter also comes equipped with easy to read color printed wiring diagram reducing error, signal isolation providing extra protection for signal conversion, the ability to stand alone or integrate with other WAGO TOPJOBS sensor/actuator terminals, and extra terminals allowing for sensor power rather than power from a separate device. This PNP to NPN converters is able to be configured. It also has an operating temperature of 0°F to 104°F for use in a wide variety of applications.

Powerful residential solar panels

WAGO /// www.wago.us

Silfab Solar /// www.silfabsolar.com

Silfab Solar has announced the launch of “Silfab Elite,” the next generation of back contact modules manufactured exclusively in the US. The Elite line, SIL 370-380 BK, has an efficiency rating of up to 21.4%. Silfab already has secured premier distribution partners for this sleek new model. Silfab’s back contact modules are durable and reliable. The Silfab Elite series is an integration of Silfab’s latest technology, its decades of global engineering expertise, and precision manufacturing processes, using high-quality materials and strict quality-control measures. Silfab Solar backs its products a long warranty program. Silfab’s new Elite series will be the highest efficiency and most durable solar panel ever produced by the company. The panel operates at lower temperatures in concert with superior low-light performance, which together increase energy yield by as much as 6% on a kWh/kWp basis. The advanced back-contact technology reduces front cell metallization minimizing shading losses while simultaneously alleviating locked-in mechanical stress in the electrical contacts resulting in improved performance, long-term reliability, and high efficiency.

Solar tracker designed for high power modules

End-of-warranty plant and equipment assessment

Solar Support now offers independent plant and equipment end-of-warranty assessment services for utility-PV asset owners. The services include onsite review of system and equipment performance as well as detailed documentation owners can use to secure support before EPC and manufacturer warranties lapse. Throughout the inspection process, Solar Support works closely with EPCs, manufacturers and asset owners to provide constructive and actionable recommendations that help all of the parties involved get the highest quality and production out of these valuable assets. The new end-of-warranty services draw on Solar Support’s reliability expertise, which includes helping owners future-proof their plants and equipment against extreme weather events. The objective inspections also help owners document the health of their systems and components when securing or renewing insurance.

PVH’s Monoline+ is a new solar tracker redesigned specifically to be compatible with large format modules. Its two configurations, in 1P and 2P, are optimized for bifacial modules, making it compatible with a wide variety of modules from different manufacturers. Monoline+, developed with CPP in specific static and 3D aeroelastic wind tunnels, and tested at the company's innovation centre in Cheste, is a robust solar tracking system, which offers a significant improvement in production and greater adaptability in different terrains and conditions, especially in its 2P configuration, thanks to its shorter rows.

PV Hardware (PVH) /// www.pvhardware.es

Solar Support /// www.solar-support.com

The recyclable backsheet

DSM Advanced Solar’s Endurance backsheet D15 delivers excellent protection and durability performance. The Endurance backsheet D15 is an all-purpose backsheet for mainstream applications, and has received the integrated stress sequence accelerated aging certificate from TÜV SÜD. The Endurance backsheet D15 is co-extruded in a single-step process with no adhesives needed. The result is a strong multimaterial product that features strong core layer, made from polyolefin. This enables the D15 backsheet to deliver excellent moisture protection and sand abrasion resistance coupled with outstanding mechanical, UV, and chemical resistance. The Endurance backsheet D15 is completely fluorine free and is fully recyclable with no production waste.

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DSM Advanced Solar /// www.dsm.com North American Clean Energy Not affiliated with or endorsed by Ridge Tool Company or RIGID, Inc.

solar energy

Solar thermal software

With the new version T*SOL 2021, the design software for solar thermal systems from Valentin Software has been adapted to the latest guidelines and expanded to reflect market changes. Each component (collectors, pipes, storage tanks, heat generators, etc.) can be parameterized individually from pre-configured solar thermal system variants. Several simulations, both to optimize the system and to verify funding applications, can be carried out simultaneously using the parameter variation, e.g. to automatically dimension collector areas and storage volumes. A variety of tools are available for evaluating the results. Graphs with a wide range of temperatures and energy flows can be created for a more in-depth analysis. Anyone who requires an energy label in accordance with EU guidelines can also create this with T*SOL. The extensive databases have been supplemented with additional storage tanks and heat generators, including heat pumps from leading manufacturers. User-defined collectors, storage tanks, and boilers can also be created in the program. A comprehensive project report can be created for evaluation with individually definable modules such as system parameters, economic efficiency, and simulation results graphics.

Power station for large-scale solar plants and battery storage systems

Ingeteam designed its new INGECON SUN FSK power station for large-scale solar plants and battery energy storage systems, since its nominal power allows it to reach 7.2MW of medium-voltage output power. This new design is supplied with all the elements connected at the factory, making installation and connection work in the field easy. In addition, this solution can be transported both by land and by sea, being placed directly on the trailer of a truck or inside a 40ft container, allowing it to be installed anywhere in the world. Flexibility is another advantage of this solution, since it can integrate from one to four solar or battery inverters (1500Vdc or 1000Vdc), so its output power range varies from 1MW to 7.2MW, which allows Ingeteam to adapt to all types of project configurations and sizes. Apart from the inverters, this power station also integrates the LV/MV power transformer, the transformer oil tank, the medium voltage switchgear, the auxiliary services panel, and the auxiliary services transformer, thus optimizing as much as possible the use of the available space.

Managed switches for network security

WAGO introduces two new Media Access Control Security (MACSec) industrial managed switches, offering solutions for network security. These new switches allow users to easily implement network encryption in their building or on their plant floor. The 852-1322 switch comes with eight RJ45- 1GB ports. Six of the ports are not encrypted for local communication with 2 of the ports being MACSec encrypted for communication throughout the building or plant floor. The 852-1328 switch also comes with six RJ45- 1GB ports that are not encrypted but have two SPF ports for fiber optic MACSec encrypted communication. Both devices provide point-to-point network security that protects against numerous threats. They are also hardware based, so MACSec encryption will not slow down the network.

WAGO /// www.wago.us

Ingeteam /// www.ingeteam.com

Valentin Software /// www.valentin-software.com

All-in-one solar kit for distributed generation

Soltec’s Solarfighter is a product designed for photovoltaic distributed generation projects of up to 12MW. The Solarfighter kit comprises of all equipment required to build a photovoltaic tracking plant. Solarfighter also includes plant installation and maintenance services provided by certified Soltec installers, as well as customer service and product warranty offered directly by the manufacturer. This combined package is designed to maximize compatibility and competitiveness. The kit includes solar trackers, modules adapted to specific project requirements, inverter, cabling, BoP systems and communications, as well as batteries in the case of storage projects. It is also designed to be integrated within upcoming hydrogen storage projects. With this kit, Soltec offers its SF7 tracker technology, adaptable to multiple climate and terrain characteristics with the aim to optimize plant performance. These trackers favor utmost power generation within a small space, using optimized tracking algorithms and simplifying photovoltaic plant installation and maintenance activities.

Soltec Power Holdings /// www.soltec.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

PV system management and monitoring

Wind resistance solution for metal roofing

S-5!’s newest addition to its line of WindClamps is designed to increase wind resistance for standing seam and other concealed-fastened metal roofs. The new WindClamp2X, is a small aluminum clamp placed over the roof’s seam at designated intervals to prevent male-to-female seam separation and/ or seam separation from the roof’s mounting clip. S-5! WindClamps are a cost-compelling alternative for new construction and can also be used in retrofit applications to bring older roofs into compliance with current codes and wind standards. Attaching these simple clamps to a roof’s seams improves wind uplift performance. S-5! WindClamps increase wind resistance, preventing multiple modes of failure, including seam separation and clip disengagement when used at roof clip locations. This clamp-toseam technology has been a cost-effective solution to preserve rooftops in some geographic regions and/or roof “zones” with an increased probability of extreme wind uplift conditions.

Fronius offers the Solar.web app in addition to the Solar.web energy management and monitoring tool. The energy flows and the yield and consumption of the system owner’s solar power plant are presented clearly and comprehensibly for them to follow. They can see their self-consumption and degree of self-sufficiency, or discover how much money and CO2 they are saving. With the Solar.web app, PV system owners literally hold 24 hours of sun in their hands.

Fronius Solar Energy /// www.fronius.com

S-5! /// www.s-5.com

Flexible power supply units

WAGO’s three new COMPACT power supplies offer 12Vdc, making them efficient and economical for standard applications, and offering offer the same space-saving COMPACT housing with pluggable picoMAX connectors. The 787-1201, 787-1211, and 787-1221 are equipped with their fast, vibration-proof, maintenance-free Push-in CAGE CLAMP connection technology with push buttons. They have flexible mounting options, including placement on a DIN rail (suitable for DIN 35 rail) or secured on a chassis mount. The removable front panel provides for better cooling and reduced derating in alternative mounting situations. Each power supply comes with worldwide approvals including UL 508 and EN 60335-1.

WAGO /// www.wago.us North American Clean Energy

solar energy

Non metallic enclosure

Fibox Enclosures’ TEMPO series of injection-molded products are made from polycarbonate thermoplastic and have been available since 2020. Fibox is expanding the series with two new sizes: TPC 342912 (13.5" x11.4" x 4.6") and TPC 292411 (11.4" x 9.4" x 4.2"). These new sizes are being offered with the same features as the existing TEMPO product family. TEMPO is a UL-listed NEMA 4X polycarbonate enclosure featuring nonmetallic polyamide cover screws, a formed-in-place PUR gasket, numerous mounting pods for back panels or DIN-Rails, and select sizes are available with a knockout base variant. A clear polycarbonate cover option is also available for instrumental applications where electronic equipment must be visible and protected from the elements. The TEMPO has an IK 07 rating for high impact resistance and an IP 65 ingress protection rating; and is radio transparent, eliminating the need for an external antenna.

Fibox /// www.fibox.usa.com/tempo

BUILT to LAST AFTER the STORMS PASS TM

SNAP, SLIDE & SECURE ®

Terminal blocks with pushin connection technology

Altech Corporation introduces the CP Series of DIN Rail terminal blocks. It features push-in technology for tool-less wiring of solid wires and flexible wires with ferrules. The CP Series features a 3.5mm wide terminal block and by increasing wiring density over wider blocks, applications that are space-constrained become more viable. Other key capabilities of the CP Series include stainless steel push-in springs, no special tool needed for pushbutton release of wires. A wide range of blocks are available to accommodate many designs and applications. These include blocks that are single level, feedthrough, double level, and multiple level. Block uses include grounding, sensor, and actuator as well as marshaling and potential distribution. More features that enable users to save time and space compared to traditional wiring methods are a universal jumper system with 2-jumper channels and step-down jumpers, standard test plugs, and a large marking area.

Altech Corporation /// www.altechcorp.com

SNAP, SLIDE & SECURE ® patent pending

SNAP, SLIDE & SECURE ®

Withstands HVHZ winds up to Cat 5 (depending on roof type) Designed for island style roofs, SSMR, single-ply and asphalt 860-773-4150

Monitoring software

AlsoEnergy’s PowerTrack Platform 3.0 (PT3.0) covers the full functionality of PowerTrack Web while providing users with a new interface design, new features, and enhanced performance. PT3.0 will be available to users in parallel to the legacy PowerTrack software versions for an extended transition period. PT3.0 retains the familiar look and feel of the current PowerTrack Web interface, but with improvements to site navigation and a more streamlined user experience. These advances will improve both user and process efficiency, empowering faster and more collaborative workflows, and results across the enterprise. The intuitive design also provides an easier onboarding experience for future hires and comes complete with unlimited free training.

AlsoEnergy /// www.alsoenergy.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Work shorts for solar installers

Truewerk has leveraged the soft-shell fabric of its full-length WerkPants into the T2 WerkShort. The four-way stretch fabric moves with the wearer without adding bulk, and the gusseted crotch improves mobility and durability. The fabric’s durable water repellant (DWR) repels stains, rain, snow, and wind for installers working in various climates and environments. Double-stitch seams and riveted pocket corners reinforce stress points, adding durability for the wearer, and for convenience, there are seven (7) pockets including zippered enclosures, a top-opening cell phone pocket, as well as hip and thigh stash pockets. T2 WerkShorts are available with 11" and 9" inseam and two (2) color options.

Truewerk /// www.truewerk.com

Off-grid solar infrastructure containers

ROXBOX Containers’ HELIOS, 100% off-grid solar infrastructure containers, utilize solar technology to empower individuals, businesses, and communities to “go green” with their solar refrigerators, solar freezers, and solar renewable generators. The technology suite provides a sustainably derived ROI and is completely energy independent from the grid and reliable. HELIOS containers can be deployed within an existing cold supply chain to provide increased cold storage availability. In response to natural disasters, HELIOS containers can be rapidly deployed around the world by land, sea, and air, supplying first responders with refrigeration and site power. The renewable solar-powered generators are reliable replacements for diesel generators. Each mobile solarpowered generator can operate fully independent from grid power and with an uninterrupted power supply (UPS). Power is supplied by the ‘Smart Switch’ energy management system, the deployed solar array, battery storage, and the backup generator, all protected inside a securable container that is both weather and vandal-proof. Units only need to be set down and the solar panels deployed and are fully operational in under 30 minutes with a simple push-button operation. Real-time analytics of energy usage patterns logged and analyzed and remote monitoring allows the units to be calibrated for optimal performance, providing the ability to report savings and contributions up the line. Allowing for aligned reporting in carbon emission reductions for Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSR) and United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals.

RoxBox Containers /// www.roxboxcontainers.com

1500 Volt 30 Amp I-V Curves Solmetric PV Analyzer Now shipping V3!

Highest accuracy and throughput Largest display with best array troubleshooong features Database of 50,000 PV modules Measures up to 1500V at 30A 3000 wireless sensor range Sophisscated Data Analysis Sophi Sooware Expert tools Beeer solar

www.solmetric.com North American Clean Energy

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Battery & Energy Storage Systems

The energy storage market is growing larger by the year and will soon enable renewables to become a mainstream source of power. A reliable battery is a key component to any efficient and sustainable renewable energy system. Here are some of the more popular choices in the industry today…

SEE AD ON PAGE 54

SEE AD ON PAGE 55

Fortress Power

U.S. Battery Product: US RE L-16XC2 Description: Design optimized for maximum performance and life in stationary (non-vehicular) applications, including solar power and renewable energy installations, the OSP battery design and insulating DEFENDER “moss shields” increases life expectancy and performance. Chemistry: Flooded lead acid Capacity: 401Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 6V Energy: 2.41kWh Cycle life: 675 cycles at 80% DoD, and 1150 cycles at 50% DoD

AIMS Power

Operating temperature range: 0°F to 120°F (-17°C to 49°C)

Product: eFlex

Weight: 114lbs (51.7kg)

Description: The eFlex 5.4 is a safe lithium technology with IP65 waterproof design and 98% efficiency. It is a robust battery with a 10-year warranty.

Warranty: 5-year warranty

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Key Features:

Capacity: 105Ah @ 20hr rate

Dimensions: 11.875" x 7.125" x 16.75"

• OSP outside positive plate;

Voltage: 44V to 58.4V

• Higher peak capacity and increased initial capacity;

Energy: 5.4kWh

• Lower acquisition and per-cycle cost than lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, or other rechargeable battery systems.

Peak power: 6.5kW Cycle life: 6000 cycles

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 113°F (0°C to 55°C) Dimensions: 21.5" x 17.5" x 7.3" Weight: 108lbs (48.9kg) Warranty: 10-year warranty Certifications: UL1973, UL1642(cells) Key Features: • Closed-loop communication; • Low cost per cycle; • Versatile applications; • High durability and long lasting; • Waterproof and saltwater resistant.

www.usbattery.com

www.fortresspower.com

BAE Batteries USA

Battery Systems, Inc.

Sol-Ark

Product: Lithium Battery

Product: Energy Storage Stationary Battery

Product: PCC-230

Description: This battery from AIMS Power provides >3500 cycles and no memory problems. Replaces up to 96 lead, GEL, or AGM batteries over battery life span. Loaded with safety features.

Description: Low carbon, deep cycling, and high reliability advanced lead-acid batteries for demand response or frequency regulation for renewable and energy storage applications.

Product: Centennial CB6-400 AGM Deep Cycle

Chemistry: Lead-acid

Chemistry: Lead-acid AGM (Absorbed glass matt)

Chemistry: Lithium iron phosphate

Capacity: 67Ah to >4000Ah @ 20hr rate

Capacity: 416Ah @ 20hr rate

Chemistry: Carbon Absorbant Glass Mat (AGM)

Capacity: 300Ah or 150Ah @ 20hr rate

Voltage: 2Vdc to >1000Vdc

Voltage: 6V, nominal voltage

Capacity: 230Ah @ 20hr rate

Voltage: 24V or 48V

Energy: Depends upon application

Energy: 2.49kWh

Voltage: 12V

Cycle life: 3500 cycles

Peak power: Depends upon application

Peak power: 24kW

Energy: 2.8kWh

Weight: 184lbs (83.4kg)

Cycle life: 2000 to >5000 depending upon discharge parameters

Cycle life: 500 cycles @ 80% DoD, 1200 cycles @ 50% DoD, 3000 cycles @ 20% DoD

Cycle life: 3000 @ 50% DoD, 5800 @ 20% DoD

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C)

Operating temperature range: 23°F to 77°F (-5°C to 25°C)

Operating temperature range: -40°F to 160°F (-40°C to 60°C)

Warranty: 5-year full warranty, 10-year warranty on post/post-seal

Dimensions: 11.61" x 7" x 15.91"

Dimensions: 12.7" x 22" x 6.1"

Weight: 126.76lbs (57.5kg)

Weight: 161lbs (73kg)

Certifications: ISO, IEEE 535 (Europe), IEC Testing Requirements

Warranty: 7-year limited solar/RE warranty (2-years free + 5-years pro-rated)

Warranty: 3-5-year warranty

www.baebatteriesusa.com

www.batterysystems.net

www.sol-ark.com

Warranty: 10-year prorated warranty Certifications: RoHS www.aimscorp.net

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Description: L16 group size, large valve regulated lead-acid AGM deep cycle battery

Description: Cost effective alternative to lithium with similar cycles and partial SOC. Built for battery backup, time of use, and long term off-grid applications.

Certifications: UL1989

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Exponential Power, Inc. Product: STT Series Tubular Flooded Batteries

Chemistry: Lead Selenium / Low Antimony

Description: STT battery technology uses positive tubular, Lead Selenium / low Antimony plates that lower the rate of corrosion over the life of the battery and provide reliable performance for high cycle applications.

Voltage: 2V, 6V, 12V Cycle life: 1500 cycles @ 80% DoD Warranty: 1-year full warranty with balance prorated based on prices at the time of replacement www.exponentialpower.com

Lithium Werks Product: LFP Nanophosphate lithium cells Description: 18650 and 26650 LFP Nanophosphate power cells, for power, safety, and life applications. UPS, frequency regulation, high-rate discharges, safe, fastcharging, with long cycle life. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 1.1Ah and 2.5Ah @ 20hr rate cells Voltage: 3.3Vdc /cell Energy: 3.6Wh and 8.25Wh cells Cycle life: > 4000 cycles at 1C/1C, 100% DoD Operating temperature range: -22°F to 140°F (-30°C to 60°C) Dimensions: 3.9" x 5.9" x 2.5" Weight: 1.46oz and 2.68oz (41.5g and 76g) Certifications: UL, IATF, ROHS, IEC, REACH, ISO www.lithiumwerks.com

Generac Product: Generac PWRcell Description: The Generac PWRcell battery is powerful, scalable, and flexible to meet any homeowner’s backup needs. When coupled with PWRcell load management, a single PWRcell battery can provide backup power for the whole home. If more capacity is needed, a second unit may be installed for up to 9kW continuous backup power and 36kWh of battery storage per PWRcell inverter.

THINK

RUGGED EXCEPTIONAL DEPENDABLE Our distinctive red cases are well-recognized around the world and represent our longstanding commitment to deliver products with exceptional quality, reliability and support. Flooded models include Advanced NAM carbon additive for quicker, more efﬁcient charging; improving performance and cycle life in traditional off-grid applications. Just one more reason to choose Rolls batteries.

Chemistry: Lithium-ion Voltage: 380Vdc Energy: 18kWh Peak power: 9kW (continuous) Operating temperature range: 14°F to 122°F (-10°C to 50°C) Dimensions: 22" x 10" x 68" Weight: 287lbs to 459lbs (130kg to 208kg) installed weight (≤75lbs component weight) Warranty: 10-year limited warranty www.generac.com

Rolls offers board-certified technical training for PV Industry Professionals at the annual NABCEP Continuing Education Conference Registration at www.nabcep.org

ROLLSBATTERY.COM North American Clean Energy

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

SEE AD ON PAGE 65

SEE AD ON PAGE 53

MK Battery Product: Deka Unigy II

Key Features:

Description: The DEKA Unigy II line features two module designs with a wide range of capacities and sizes to fit the requirements of renewable energy applications. These modules are constructed using quality materials and manufacturing techniques which enhance their performance in these demanding applications. Chemistry: Lead-acid Capacity: 100Ah to 3000Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 2V

• IPF Technology optimizes power capacity, cell consistency, and long-term reliability; • Advanced AGM technology eliminates periodic watering, corrosive acid fumes, and spills; • Microcat Catalyst lowers float current, decreases internal temperatures, and the risk of dry-out to ensure long battery life; • Modules can be configured to meet space constraints, meet seismic codes, and allow for termination on either side or top. www.mkbattery.com

Crown Battery Manufacturing Company Product: 6CRP430 Description: The 6-Volt 6CRP430 rugged construction manufactured in a highly automated production process delivers electrical efficiency and durability. The low maintenance design ensures reduced preventative maintenance frequency, lower service costs, and best-available user ROI Chemistry: Lead-acid Capacity: 430Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 6V Energy: 2.85kWh (100hr) 2.50kWh (20 hr) Cycle life: 525 cycles @ 100% DoD; 2100 cycles @ 30% DoD Operating temperature range: -40°F to 120°F (-40°C to 49°C) Dimensions: 12.38" x 7.19" x 16.13" Weight: 122lbs (55.3kg) Certifications: Conforms with BCI and IEC Test Standards

Key Features: • Rugged internal construction with SolidCast plate, cast-on strap, and terminal-post components, which deliver strong performance and durability; • Posi-Wrap Plate Protection ensures active material retention, protecting from internal short circuits to deliver ROI for customers; • Low-maintenance design features reduced frequency of preventative maintenance to lower service costs and total cost of ownership; • Include fixed handles to enable safe and easy handling as well as the flexibility to be installed with or without battery racks; • Lead-acid batteries are 99% recyclable. www.crownbattery.com

SOLAX POWER Product: Triple Power LFP Battery Chemistry: LiFePO4

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 131°F (0°C to 55°C)

Voltage: 115.2V

Dimensions: 18.6" x 7.6" x 27.8"

Energy: 5.8kWh to 23kWh in one hybrid system

Weight: 72lbs (32.65kg)

Peak power: 4.0kW

Certifications: CE, RCM, TUV(IEC), UL1973, ROHS, REACH

Cycle life: 6000

Warranty: 10-year warranty

www.solaxpower.com

EnerSys

Falcon Electric

Product: Genesis G200EP battery

Product: SL LiFePO4 UPS Battery Backup Solution

Description: The Genesis G200EP battery, the largest amp-hour battery in the Genesis EP line, is a high-performance 12V battery that features Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) technology, making it suitable for grid-tied solar power applications. Chemistry: Lead-acid Capacity: 200Ah @10hr rate Voltage: 12V Cycle life: Up to 400 cycles at 80% DoD Operating temperature range: -40°F to 176°F (-40°C to 80°C) Dimensions: 22.87" x 4.92" x 12.46" Weight: 132.3lbs (59.9kg) Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 www.enersys.com

Description: Falcon’s 1 to 3kVA SL UPS features lithium iron phosphate batteries that provide reliability and long service life. Falcon’s LiFePO4 batteries are safe as the lithium iron phosphate cathode material is a very stable chemistry that is not subject to thermal runaway, making them virtually incombustible even in high-temperature environments. Chemistry: LiFePO4 Capacity: 10.2Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 24Vdc Operating temperature range: 32°F to 104°F (O°C to 40°C) Dimensions: 3.5" x 17.2" x 16.5" Weight: 20lbs (9kg) Warranty: 10-year service life Certifications: ETL Listed, UL1778, CSA C22.2 No. 107.3 www.falconups.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Electriq Power Product: PowerPod 2 Description: The Electriq PowerPod 2 is a fullyintegrated home energy storage, management, and monitoring system powered by LFP batteries. The high-performance, cobalt-free product includes a hybrid solar/battery inverter controlled by intelligent software. The PowerPod 2 provides backup power and can self-consume or export excess power back to the grid. Chemistry: Lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) Voltage: 100V to 200V Energy: 10kWh, 15kWh, 20kWh Peak power: 9.12kW

Panasonic Life Solutions Company of North America Product: Panasonic EverVolt Home Battery Storage Description: EverVolt is Panasonic's residential energy storage system powered by the same lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles. With EverVolt, users can store their excess solar power for when it is needed most or sell the surplus energy back to local utilities. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 11kWh to 102kWh Voltage: 46.2V Energy: 11.4kWh useable Standard, 17.1kWh usable Plus Peak power: 5.5kW off-grid, 7.0kW grid-tied

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 122°F (0°C to 50°C)

Operating temperature range: -41°F to 131°F (-40.5°C to 55°C) charging, -32°F to 122°F (-35.5°C to 50°C) discharging

Dimensions: 60" x 50" x 9" battery, 18” x 33.7” x 6" inverter

Dimensions: 39" x 17.6" x 5.9" DC coupled, 33.7" x 18" x 6" AC coupled, 24.2" x 65.5" x 10" battery cabinet

Weight: 460 lbs (208 kg)

Weight: 86.85lbs (39.4kg) DC coupled, 74lbs (33.6kg) AC coupled, 106lbs (48kg) battery cabinet, 55lbs (25kg) each battery module

Warranty: 10-year warranty Certifications: UL1741 SA, UL9540, CA Rule 21, HECO Rule 14, IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547.1, CSA 22.2 www.electriqpower.com

Warranty: 10-year full system warranty Certifications: UL 1741SA, UL 1973, UL 1642, UL 9540, CSA C22.2, IEEE 1547A, IEEE 1547.1, FCC Class B na.panasonic.com/us/evervolt

SimpliPhi Power

Discover Battery

Product: AmpliPHI 3.8

Product: AES Lithium LiFePO4 Batteries

Description: SimpliPhi Power’s AmpliPHI 3.8 Battery with communications utilizes Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) chemistry. By eliminating cobalt, the risk of thermal runaway, fire propagation, operating temperature constraints, and toxic coolants are reduced.

Description: Discover Advanced Energy System (AES) LiFePO4 Lithium solar batteries offer bankable performance and a low cost of energy storage per kWh. AES LiFePO4 Lithium batteries are manufactured with high-grade LiFePO4 cells and feature a proprietary high peak surge and transient voltage hardened BMS that delivers high peak power, fast charge and discharge rates, and LYNK Solar Gateway functionality for plug-and-play closed-loop integration with common off-grid inverters and chargers.

Chemistry: Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) Capacity: 75Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 51.2Vdc Energy: 3.8kWh Peak power: 5.1kW dc Cycle life: 10,000+ cycles Operating temperature range: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C) Dimensions: 13.5" x 14" x 8" Weight: 86lbs (39kg) Warranty: 10-year warranty Certifications: UL, CE, UN/DOT, RoHS compliant components, UL Certified www.simpliphipower.com

Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 130Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 51.2V Energy: 7.39kWh Peak power: 15.4kW Operating temperature range: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C) Dimensions: 18.5" x 13.7" x 14.7" Weight: 192lb (87kg) Warranty: 10-year warranty, 38MWh energy throughput Certifications: IEC 62133, UL 1973, UL 2271, CE, UN 38.3 www.discoverbattery.com/solar

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

SEE AD ON PAGE 49

SEE AD ON PAGE 51

Go Power! Rolls Battery Engineering Product: Rolls S6 L16-HC

Dimensions: 12.5 "x 7.13" x1 6.75"

Description: Designed to deliver reliable energy storage in a compact and portable case design, Rolls 4000 Series 6-volt S6 L16-HC are scalable for use in a wide range of residential and commercial applications. Rolls flooded deep cycle lead-acid models now include a proprietary Advanced NAM carbon additive for improved charge efficiency and extended cycle life.

Weight: 122.5lbs (55.5kg)

Chemistry: Lead acid Capacity: 445Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 6V

Warranty: 3-year warranty Key Features: • Advanced NAM carbon additive for improved charge efficiency;

Product: Sun Cycle Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

Weight: 80lbs (36kg)

Description: Go Power! 250Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Solar Battery is a deep cycle battery built specifically for mobile applications.

Certifications: CE, UN38.3, UL1642 (cells)

Chemistry: Lithium Iron Phosphate Capacity: 250Ah @ 20hr rate

Warranty: 10-year warranty Key Features: • UNDOT Certified; • Shock and vibration resistant, making it suitable for mobile applications; • Internal BMS, provides high performance and long life through constant monitoring;

• Lower charging temperatures and extended cycle life;

Voltage: 12V

• Improved PSOC operation;

Peak power: 1200kW

• Standard L16 BCI size;

Cycle life: 1500 @ 100% DoD

• LiFePO4 chemistry makes the battery less prone to failure;

• 3-year full replacement warranty.

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 131°F (0°C to 55°C)

• 25Ah cells helps reduce resistance and increases overall performance.

www.rollsbattery.com

Cycle life: 1995 @ 50% DoD

Energy: 3kWh

Dimensions: 20.5" x 9.5" x 8.8"

www.gpelectric.com

Sun Xtender Batteries

Natron Energy

Paladin Power, Inc.

LEOCH Battery Corporation

Product: AGM Deep Cycle Sealed Lead Acid Renewable Energy Batteries

Product: BlueTray 4000

Product: SB28-20, SB57-20, SB86-20 Description: Stackable battery capacity and stackable inverter capacity

Product: PLC+C180FT Pure Lead + Carbon Battery

Chemistry: Lead acid

Description: Natron’s batteries are UL1973 recognized and have passed UL9540A fire testing, offer high power density, fast recharge, and long cycle life. Natron builds its batteries using commodity materials on existing cell manufacturing lines.

Capacity: 1215Ah @ 24hr rate

Chemistry: Sodium-ion

Energy: 20kWh, 28kWh, 57kWh, 86kWh

Voltage: 2V

Voltage: 48V

Energy: 2.4kWh

Energy: 0.3kWh

Peak power: 20KW nominal, 40KW peak, scalable power from 5KW to 40KW

Peak power: >1.6kW

Peak power: 8kW

Cycle life: 1000 cycles @ 50% DoD

Cycle life: >50,000 cycles

Operating temperature range: -40°F to 160°F (-40°C to 71°C)

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 104°F (-20°C to 40°C)

Dimensions: 11.64" x 6.95" x 15.73"

Dimensions: 23.7" x 19" x 1.7"

Weight: 124lbs (56.2kg)

Weight: 48.5lbs (22kg)

Certifications: UL 1989 (File Number MH17983)

Warranty: 3-year warranty Certifications: UL 1973, UL 9540A

Certifications: UL 1741, UL 1642, IEEE, CEC, UL 1973 Pending

Dimensions: 22" x 4.92" x 12.6"

www.sunxtender.com

www.natron.energy

www.paladinpower.com

Warranty: 5-year full replacement limited warranty

Description: Sun Xtender Deep Cycle AGM renewable energy lead acid batteries reduce environmental footprints with a 99% recyclable rate.

Chemistry: LiFePO4/LiSiC Capacity: Varies by system size and model Voltage: 48Vdc, 100Vdc

Description: LEOCH’s Advanced Pure Lead + Carbon batteries have been specifically engineered to support energy storage applications. These high power, energy dense batteries offer high PSoC performance, fast charging from 0% to 90% in 1 hour, and a long deep cycle life of 3000 cycles at 50% DoD. Chemistry: Lead acid

Cycle life: 20,000 cycles

Capacity: 180Ah @ 20hr rate

Operating temperature range: -20°F to 150°F (-29°C to 65.5°C)

Voltage: 12V

Dimensions: 74" x 49" x 36" (86kWh, 115kWh) 68" x 28" x 17" (57kWh and below)

Cycle life: 3000 cycles to 50% DoD, 5200 cycles @ 30% DoD

Weight: 67lbs (30kg)

Operating temperature range: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C)

Warranty: 20-year warranty

Energy: 2.43kWh (100hr), 2.19kWh (20hr)

Weight: 127 lbs (57.6kg)

Certifications: Conforms to IEC 60896 Test Standards www.leoch.us

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Renogy

Fullriver Battery

Phocos

Product: Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery (RBT100LFP12S-G1)

Product: DC400-6

Product: Phocos ECO-N-T Series, Solar Charge Controller

Description: The Renogy Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery enables auto-balance among parallel-connections and provides a long life cycle and discharge performance. The integrated smart battery management system (BMS) not only protects the battery from various abnormal conditions but monitors and manages the charging/discharging process. Lightweight and safe for off-grid applications.

Description: Fullriver DC Series Deep-Cycle AGM batteries are specifically built for cyclic use in demanding solar applications. The thick plate design and AGM construction combine for a robust battery delivering optimal performance in both fair weather and extreme climate conditions, all in a spill-proof, nonhazardous, and maintenance-free package.

Description: Rugged housing and easy installation with corrosion-resistant screw terminals, makes this product suitable for SCADA systems and other off-grid applications. Versatile unit offers flexibility to operate a 12 or 24Vdc battery bank. HAZLOC UL certification for Class 1 Div 2.

Chemistry: Lead-acid suspension (Absorbed glass mat)

Chemistry: Charge controller compatible with lead acid batteries

Chemistry: Lithium-iron phosphate

Capacity: 415Ah @ 20hr rate

Voltage: 12Vdc or 24Vdc (auto recognition)

Capacity: 100Ah @ 20hr rate

Voltage: 6V

Voltage: 12.8V

Energy: 2.4kWh

Operating temperature range: -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C)

Energy: 1.28kWh

Cycle life: 1700 cycles to 50% DoD

Dimensions: 4" x 2.4" x 0.8"

Peak power: 1.28kW

Operating temperature range: 5°F to 104°F (-15°C to 40°C) recommended, -40°F to 159.8°F (-40°C to 71°C) maximum

Weight: 0.35lbs (0.16kg)

Cycle life: ≥4000 Cycles @ 80% DoD Operating temperature range: -4 to 122°F (-20 to 50°C )

Dimensions: 7.0" x 11.6" x 16.7"

Dimensions: 11.38" x 6.77" x 7.38"

Weight: 123lbs (55.8kg)

Weight: 26 lb (11.8 kg) Warranty: 5-year prorated warranty

Warranty: 7-year warranty in approved solar applications

Certifications: UN38.3, MSDS, UL1642 (Lithium Cell)

Certifications: ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO18001, UL, CE, TUV

www.renogy.com

www.fullriverbattery.com

Invinity Energy Systems Product: Vanadium Flow Batteries Description: The VS3-022 uses vanadium redox flow technology to store energy in an aqueous solution that never degrades, is nonflammable, and requires little maintenance and upkeep.

Warranty: 5-year warranty Certifications: CE compliant, RoHS compliant, UL1741 listed, ANSI/ISA 12.21.01 listed

Iron Edison Battery Company Product: RE-VOLT Lithium Battery Description: Iron Edison’s 5th generation Lithium Iron Phosphate RE-Volt battery is a solution for new solar projects or upgrading an existing solar system. It hangs on the wall, so installation is easy. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 200Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 51.2V Energy: 10kWh Cycle life: 8000 cycles @ 80% DoD (20+ years) Operating temperature range: 32°F to 150°F (0°C to 66°C) Dimensions: 26.7" x 18.9" x 8.7" Weight: 212lbs (96.5kg) Warranty: 10-year warranty www.ironedison.com

www.phocos.com

WHEN YOU RELY ON RENEWABLE ENERGY, THERE’S NO ALTERNATIVE TO

PROVEN ENERGY STORAGE

Chemistry: Flow Voltage: 1000Vdc Energy: 220kWh Peak power: 78kW Cycle life: 20,000 cycles Operating temperature range: 25°F to 110°F (-5°C to 45°C) Dimensions: 19.87' x 8.042' x 7.87' Weight: 54,200lbs (24,584kg) Warranty: Up to 20-year warranty www.invinity.com

95 YEARS. 100% PERFORMANCE. ON GRID OR OFF.

Those who count on wind or solar power systems to run their businesses, homes − and lifestyles − turn to Crown for renewable power storage solutions. We’ve been at the forefront of energy storage innovation since 1926 and offer tough, earth-friendly and budget-wise batteries to meet the needs of today’s RE system owners. Check out our new RE Battery Basics video series and contact us for your energy storage needs. Visit www.crownbattery.com/webinars.

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

SEE AD ON PAGE 57

SEE AD ON PAGE 58

e-On Batteries

Go Electric, Inc. Product: Battery-enabled microgrid system Description: Go Electric's microgrid solution combines robust and resilient uninterruptible power with automated energy efficiency functions as well as demand response capability in a turnkey system. With Go Electric's "microgrid in a box," customers have the energy resiliency to operate business "as-is" during power outages, brown outs, and off-grid scenarios. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 100A to 1600A @ 20hr rate Voltage: 480Vac Energy: 250kWh to 6MWh

Dimensions: Up to 176" x 66" x 85" for a 1MW system Weight: 11,000lbs (5000kg) Warranty: 3- to 10-year warranty Certifications: IEEE 1547.1, UL 1741.1, CSA C22.2 Key Features:

Cycle life: 3600 cycles Operating temperature range: -4°F to 122°F(-20°C to 50°C), cold-weather packages available

Description: The EB48125 LFP module delivers safe and reliable energy storage in an easily stackable 6.4kWh format. Scalable from 12.8kWh residential applications to multi megawatt utility scale projects, the EB48125 offers proven safety to a wide range of applications.

Warranty: 10-year product warranty. Performance based kWh production warranty also available Certifications: UL1642 and 1973 listed, UL9540 Compliant, UN38.1. IEC Test Standard Compliant Key Features: • Officially UL1973 Listed (Not tested to the standard via an independent lab.);

• Ability to ride through any three phase grid faults;

Chemistry: Lithium iron

• kVAR control allowing BESS to run against a generator;

Voltage: 51.2V

• Ability to grid form and charge simultaneously;

Energy: 6.4kWh

• 580°F UL thermal safety rated LFP cells eliminate cell propagated thermal runaway;

Peak power: 6.4kW

• Internal cell pack BMS monitoring;

Cycle life: 5000 @ 90% DoD/C2

• California Energy Commission approved;

• Compact and streamlined footprint for ease of installation in days;

Peak power: 75kW to 3MW

Product: EB48125 6.4kWh Energy Storage Module

• Open protocol able to integrate with any DER and BESS. www.goelectricinc.com

Capacity: 125Ah @ 20hr rate

Operating temperature range: 0°F to 95°F (-17°C to 35°C) Dimensions: 26" x 19" x 8"

• Self Generation Incentive Program compliant. www.e-onbatteries.com

Weight: 165lbs (75kg)

Newfound Energies, Inc. Product: L-16 deep cycle battery Description: L-16-true deep cycle, maintenance free, gel storage battery, manufactured by C S Power Battery Co. Ltd. Chemistry: Gel

NEW!

ENHANCED U.S. BATTERY’S NEW AGM DEEP CYCLE

batteries feature a CARBON-ENHANCED negative active material that improves charge acceptance and cycling performance.

/// www.nacleanenergy.com

Voltage: 6V Energy: 2.52kWh Peak power: 3kW varies Cycle life: 1600 Operating temperature range: -40°F to 149F° (-40°C to 65°C) Dimensions: 11.8" x 7.12" x 16.96" Weight: 125.4lbs (57kg) Warranty: 5-year warranty Certifications: IEC 60896-21/22, IEC61427, JIS C8704, GB/T 19638, CE/IOS www.nfenergies.com

WWW.USBATTERY.COM USBattery_420.indd 1 MAY• JUNE 2021 54

Capacity: 420Ah @ 20hr rate

4/20/21 10:47 AM

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Power Sonic

Q CELLS

ESS Inc.

Blue Solutions

Product: BESS - Battery Energy Storage Systems

Product: Q.HOME+ ESS HYB-G1

Product: Energy Center

Product: LMP 250 and LMP 40

Description: The Q.HOME+ ESS HYB-G1 energy storage solution offers scalable storage capacity from 4.5kWh up to 18.9kWh.The system can connect up to three batteries in series using only one inverter and battery management system (BMS) while offering remote monitoring using the Q.HOME+ web portal or Q.HOME+ ESS mobile app.

Description: The Energy Center (EC) is a flexible utility-scale energy storage system designed for front-side-of-the-meter use cases and large commercial and industrial facilities. Based on their 12+hour duration flow battery power module, the EC delivers increased power density and long durations tailored to accommodate specific projects.

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Chemistry: Flow

Description: An air-tight outdoor metal enclosure that integrates the battery modules and electronic safety components. Does not need cooling systems. Will not self-ignite or explode. Product includes both Battery Management System (BMS) and Thermal Management System (TMS). No warranty provision on operating temperature range or depth of discharge.

Capacity: 4500Ah or 6300Ah @ 20hr rate

Capacity: Bend

Chemistry: Solid state

Voltage: 84V to 354V

Voltage: 821V, 958V

Energy: Up to 18.9kWh

Voltage: 850 Vdc +/- 10%, up to 1000 Vdc open circuit voltage

Peak power: 7.5kW

Energy: Custom

Peak power: 125kW, 200kW

Cycle life: 6000 cycles

Peak power: Custom

Cycle life: 4000+

Operating temperature range: 32°F to113°F (0°C to 45°C)

Cycle life: >20,000 cycles

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 149°F (-20°C to 65°C)

Description: Power Sonic manufacture and supply innovative Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) from 100KW to 50MW. Fully scalable and modular designs. Chemistry: Lead acid, lithium-ion Capacity: Battery solutions from 0.8Ah to 3000Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: Battery solutions from 2V to 900V Cycle life: Over 4000 at 80% DoD Dimensions: 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft containerized solutions www.power-sonic.com

Dimensions: Inverter: 36" x 22" x 10.9" Battery: 18.3" x 7.6" x 23.1"

EnergyStorage Solutions (E22) Product: Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Description: This electrical energy storage system is delivered in complete containers and includes remote diagnostic and continuous monitoring of all parameters, including the State of Charge (SOC).

Weight: Inverter: 130lbs (58.9kg), 4.5kWh Battery: 124.8lbs (56.6kg), 6.3kWh Battery: 148.4lbs (67.5kg) Warranty: 10-year product warranty, 10-year performance warranty

Chemistry: Flow

Certifications: Inverter: UL 1741, UL 1741. SA, UL 9540, IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547.1, CSA - C 22.2N.107.1-01, UL 1998, UL 1699B, FCC part 15 Class B; Battery: UL 1642, UL 1973, UL 9540, CE, RCM, TUV (IEC 62619), UN 3480, Class 9, UN 38.3

Peak power: 250 kW to 330kW

www.q-cells.us

Operating temperature range: 40°F to 122°F (-40°C to 50°C) Dimensions: Building customized to site conditions Weight: Building customized to site conditions Warranty: 10-year battery module (underwritten by Munich Re), extended warranty to 25-years available

Energy: 252kWh, 392kWh

Dimensions: 78.5" x 90.9" x 40.4", 86.6" x 113" x 40.4" Warranty: Based on number of cycles; 2-year equipment warranty, can be extended Certifications: CE, UL, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 www.blue-storage.com

Certifications: UL 9540A, IP54 (pending) www.essinc.com

www.energystoragesolutions.com

GS Yuasa Energy Solutions, Inc. Product: SLR1000 Description: GS Yuasa’s SLR Family of Super Long Cycle Life, Valve Regulated, Advanced (Nanocarbon enhanced) lead-acid batteries feature excellent cycle life performance with 5000 cycles at 70% DoD. Chemistry: Lead-acid Capacity: 1218Ah @ 10hr rate Voltage: 48V Energy: 48kWh Peak power: 12kW Cycle life: 5000 cycles @ 70% DoD, 4000 cycles @ 80% DoD Operating temperature range: 5°F to 113°F (-15°C to 45°C) Dimensions: 29.74" x 23.15" x 79.86" Weight: 3845lbs (1744kg) Warranty: 10-year limited warranty Certifications: UL 1989, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 www.gsyuasa-es.com

North American Clean Energy

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

SEE AD ON PAGE 70

SEE AD ON PAGE 50

MPINarada Product: Energy Storage Systems Description: The Narada Energy Storage Power (NESP) Series LFP High Capacity Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are designed for a broad range of BESS solutions providing a wide operating temperature range, while delivering warranty, safety, and long life. Whether used in cabinet, container, or building applications, NESP Series batteries will meet any ESS need. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Voltage: 633Vdc to 1296Vdc Energy: 90kWh to 6624kWh

Operating temperature range: -40°F to 131°F (-40°C to 55°C) Warranty: Flexible Certifications: UL9540, UL9540A, UL1973, UL1642, IEC62619 Key Features: • Features of Module and Rack Design; • 0.5C to 2.0C options available; • High LFP Energy Density; • Passive and Active Thermal Ventilation; • Designed for Containerized, Cabinet, and Building Solutions.

Bioenno Power Product: BLF- Series of LiFePO4 Batteries Description: Bioenno Power LiFePO4 batteries provide up to 3000 charge cycle, 10 to 12 year service life, and are lightweight. Chemistry: LiFePO4 Capacity: 6000Ah @ 20Ah rate

Operating temperature range: 160°F (71°C) Warranty: 5-year warranty Certifications: UN38.3, UL1642 Key Features: • 2000 to 3000 charge life cycles;

Energy: 72kWh

• Built in circuit protection against overcharging, overdischarge, overcurrent, and overvoltage;

Peak power: 72kW

• Lightweight;

Cycle life: 3000

• Up to 70% less total cost of ownership;

Voltage: 12V

www.mpinarada.com

• 95% Depth of Discharge. www.bioennopower.com

Atlas ESS, Inc.

Kronus Engineering

Product: 5KWHCA100

Product: DOLOMITE

Description: High power, high current, long cycle life. Rack mount or stackable. This LFP battery can be repaired on site after suffering physical damage or lightening strike. Self managed BMS with full reporting.

Voltage: 48V

Description: Kronus’s DOLOMITE battery storage system leverages lithium-ion battery technology to provide scalable, robust backup power for commercial buildings. Whether running standalone or connected to renewable power or the grid, the adaptable, highperformance solution helps save energy, reduce utility bills, and provides reliable energy security for thousands of cycles.

Energy: 5.1kWh

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Peak power: 10kW

Voltage: 480V

Cycle life: 10,000 cycles

Energy: 70kWh

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 113°F (0°C to 45°C)

Peak power: 40kW to 80kW

Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 100Ah @ 20hr rate

Dimensions: 24.75" x 13.5" x 9.5"

Cycle life: 4000 cycles

Weight: 135lbs (61.23kg)

Operating temperature range: 23°F to 113°F (-5°C to 45°C)

Warranty: 15-year warranty

Dimensions: 32" x 24" x 79"

Certifications: UL

Weight: 1500lbs (680kg)

www.atlas-ess.com

www.kronusengineering.com

Atlantic Clean Energy Supply (ACES)

BMZ USA

Product: P series BESS System

Chemistry: Lead acid, lithium-ion

Description: A modular, li-ion based energy storage system, which stores the surplus of collected solar energy for later use. Energy can either be used as backup for on-grid systems or used daily for off-grid applications via an inverter. Up to 12 ESS can be connected in parallel for increased storage capacity.

Voltage: 400Vdc, 120/240Vac split phase

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Energy: 20kWh

Capacity: 6.48A for 20 hours, total usable capacity 129.6Ah to >1550Ah

Description: P series BESS system offers hybrid solar system ready plus battery backup. The system can switch between on/off grid within 20ms. Can connect to generator as a backup power source.

Peak power: 17kVA Cycle life: >6000 cycles Operating temperature range: -13°F to 140°F (-25°C to 60°C)

Product: ESS Z

Voltage: 54.75V Nominal Energy: 8.87kWh Nominal, 7.1kWh Usable Peak Power: 18kW

Dimensions: 25.6" x 10.2" x 79.5"

Cycle life: 5000 cycles

Weight: 530lbs (240.4kg)

Operating temperature range: 35.6°F to 113°F (2°C to 45°C)

Warranty: 10-year or 6000 cycles warranty Certifications: UL9540, UL1973, UL1642, UL1998, CEC listed, DOH2030.5 CSIP SunSpec www.atlanticces.com

Dimensions: 19.2" x 25.1" x 16.6" Weight: 216lbs (98kg) Warranty: 10-year, 5000 cycle warranty Certifications: CE, UN 38.3, IP21 www.bmz-group.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

Lithium Power, Inc.

Darfon America Corp.

Highview Power

Atlas Energy Solutions, LLC

Product: Solar Energy Storage Battery Solution

Product: B09ULF LFP Battery

Product: The CRYOBattery

Product: Energy Storage System

Description: The Darfon B09ULF can be installed floor-standing or wall-mounted and two can be stacked for 19.2kWh. The enclosure installs empty so one person can easily install. All wiring are quick disconnects, to speed up installation. Since the B09ULF uses LiFePO4 chemistry, it has a long lifespan and is safe.

Description: Highview Power’s CRYOBattery takes ambient air, which is cooled and stored as a liquid and then converted back into a pressurized gas that drives turbines to produce electricity. Just as pumped hydro harnesses the power of water, the CRYOBattery unleashes the power of air. Highview Power’s liquid air long duration energy storage systems offer multiple gigawatt hours of storage, are scalable with no size limitations or geographic constraints, and produce zero emissions. They deliver a low-cost clean energy storage solution for large scale, long duration applications. Liquid air energy storage plants are being developed in the US, UK, Europe, Latin America, and other markets.

Description: Atlas Energy Solutions’ affordable energy storage system incorporates a battery and built-in hybrid inverter with two 500V MPPT charge controllers, along with a multiple setting for time of day use, and distribution it can work on- and off-grid. It’s also suitable for single phase and small commercial 3-phase application.

Description: High energy density, slim rooftop design, solar energy storage with DC/ AC and AC/DC conversion. Built-in over/ under voltage, temperature, current, and short circuit protection. Battery conditions constantly monitored and available through various communication protocols or saved in history data log. Battery pack allows parallel connection. Safety regulations such as UL/IEC are available.

Chemistry: Lithium-ion Capacity: 200Ah @ 20hr rate Voltage: 48V

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Energy: 9.6kWh

Capacity: 42Ah @ 20hr rate

Peak power: 9.6kW

Voltage: 48V

Cycle life: 6000 cycles @ 80% DoD @ 77°F (25°C)

Energy: 2.016kWh Cycle life: 2000+ Operating temperature range: -4°F to 131°F (-20°C to 55°C) Dimensions: 21" x 16.07” x 3.28" Weight: <55lbs (<25kg) Warranty: 5-year warranty Certifications: UL, IEC, UN www.lithiumpowerinc.com

Operating temperature range: 14°F to 113°F (-10°C to 45°C)

Description: Blue Planet Energy’s energy storage solution, Blue Ion HI provides versatile configuration options and intuitive integration with renewable energy sources. This solution allows users to effortlessly store energy from a range of sources from solar panels, the electrical grid, generators, and beyond.

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Voltage: 48V

Voltage: 957V to 1231V Energy: 14.3MWh (AC)

Energy: 8kWh, 12kWh, or 16kWh configurations

Peak power: 3.5MVA

Cycle life: 8000 cycles at 100% DoD

Cycle life: 365 cycles/year, up to 2 cycles/day

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C)

www.csisolar.com/na

www.highviewpower.com

www.darfonsolar.com

Description: Canadian Solar‘s Energy Station (CSES) is an all-in-one energy storage system optimized for cost, performance, and bankability. This 3.5MVA, 14MWh BESS solution provides a direct medium voltage AC interface, and includes MV switchgear (RMU), MV transformer, inverter, batteries, thermal management, and controls

Certifications: UL9540, UL9540a, UL1741sa, UL1973, UN38.3, UL1642

Chemistry: Liquid air energy storage

Certifications: UL1642, UN38.3, IEC62619, UL1973

Product: Blue Planet Energy Blue Ion HI

Warranty: 5-year warranty, extendable to 20-years

www.atlaspowersolutions.com

Warranty: 5-year warranty

Product: Energy Station (CSES351-B6)

Weight: 41,1868lbs (186,820kg)

Peak power: Stackable up to 24kW

Weight: 275.6lbs (125kg)

Blue Planet Energy

Dimensions: 48.1ft x 3.4ft x 2.7ft

Capacity: Up to 3000Ah @ 20hr rate

Dimensions: 22.4" x 11.2" x 45.3"

Canadian Solar

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C) rated power

Chemistry: LiFePO4

Chemistry: Lithium-ion

Dimensions: 31.5" x 24" x 38", optional casters increase height Weight: 454lbs (206kg), 573lbs (260 kg), or 692lbs (314 kg), enclosure 216lbs (98kg) Warranty: 15-year warranty or 8000 cycles at 100% DoD Certifications: UL 9540, UL 9540A, UL 1642, UL 1973, UN 38.3, cETLus www.blueplanetenergy.com

North American Clean Energy

solar & energy storage spotlight: battery & energy storage systems

SEE AD ON PAGE 45

SINEXCEL, Inc. Product: Pre-engineered container ESS for EV charging buffer

Dimensions: 10ft

Description: A 10ft pre-engineered modular container ESS used for powering fast EV charging during peak hours to reduce the impact to the local grid. The energy can easily be compensated by small power during off-peak time or renewable energy. Additional features include demand charge management, backup during power outage, local grid support, and load-shifting.

Warranty: 3-year warranty, can be extended

Chemistry: Lead-acid, lithium-ion

Weight: 5 to 7 tons

Certifications: EU/UK/US/AU certificates, such as UL9540, UL1741, IEEE1547, IEC62477, IEC61000, AS4777, G99 Key Features: • Modular design makes it easy to ship, easy to install, easy to maintain, flexible to configure and expand;

Peak power: 62.5kW to 500kW

• High compatibility, independent power module, and independent energy, single PMU and simple controls, low BOS cost, long battery life;

Cycle life: ≥3000 cycles

• Reliable, flexible. and compatible;

Operating temperature range: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C) derating over 113°F (45°C)

• AC or DC coupled EV charger compatible.

Voltage: 600Vdc to 900Vdc / 480Vac Energy: Up to 430kWh

www.sinexcel.us

VRB Energy

Dynapower

Product: Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS)

Product: CPS-i Utility-Scale Energy Storage System

Description: VRB-ESS is scalable to any size from 250kW/1MWh to multi-megawatt size with four to eight hours of energy storage for utility-scale solar and wind timeshifting, peaking power applications, and microgrids. Components and electrolyte can be nearly 100% recycled at end-of-life, dramatically improving lifecycle economics and environmental benefits.

Description: The CPS-i is a fully-integrated, front of the meter energy storage system that combines Dynapower’s UL 1741 SA listed CPS-1500 or CPS-3000 with Li-Ion batteries in a temperature controlled NEMA UL 3R / IP 54 (outdoor) rated battery enclosure with all associated controls.

Chemistry: Flow Voltage: 400/480Vac Energy: 1000kWh Peak Power: 250kW ac Cycle life: >25,000 cycles

Chemistry: Lithium-ion Voltage: 480 - 600Vac 3 Phase Peak power: 2400kW @ 480V, 3000kW @600V Operating temperature range: -31°F to 122°F (-35°C to 50°C) De-rated from 113°F to 122°F (45°C to 50°C)

Operating temperature range: 32°F to 122°F (0°C to 50°C)

Dimensions: 108.25" x 245" x 80"

Dimensions: 80m

www.dynapower.com

Certifications: IEEE 1547, UL 1741

Warranty: 10-year parts and labor warranty with zero capacity fade www.vrbenergy.com

Powr2 Product: POWRBANK Renewable Power Systems Description: POWRBANKs integrate energy storage with diesel generators, maximizing the use of battery power for the electrical load. The POWRBANK ECM will switch the load between the generator and stored energy as is most efficient. Usually the load is powered from stored energy for the majority of the time while the generator remains off. Once depleted, the stored energy is quickly recharged by the generator. Chemistry: Lithium-ion Voltage: 120V, 240V, 208V, 480V Energy: Up to 1MWh Peak power: Up to 1MW Cycle life: 10,000 cycles Operating temperature range: 10°F to 122°F (-12°C to 50°C) Certifications: UL www.powr2.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE NORTHEAST June 9th-10th, 2021 Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel Boston, MA

show in print

Solar and Energy Storage Northeast returns in 2021 ready to help advance your business goals. Join us for the in-person expo in Boston (June 9-10) and for virtual education sessions (June 2-3). Don't miss this opportunity to safely participate in this premier forum. It's your chance to meet face-to-face with industry buyers, www.events.solar/northeast suppliers, distributors, consultants, and more to explore solutions, exchange ideas, and discover new technologies. Online education provides policy and market trends, updates, and analysis from influential panelists dedicated to the integration of solar, storage, and additional renewable energy assets like microgrids and electric vehicle infrastructure in the northeastern United States. Features just some of the companies and technologies attendees will see at this year’s show.

Racking with liberal slope tolerances

APA’s TITAN Duo was designed specifically for the northeast. It is a dual screw system to accommodate the rock, cobble, and ledge found in the region. The system features telescoping posts to adjust for topography and has some of the most liberal slope tolerances available. Rock screws mitigate foundation risk and are designed to combat frost heave. Pre-drilling, if necessary, is done with standard equipment and can streamline the installation. The asymmetrical 3-rail design is suitable for bifacial modules and is 2 High Portrait to maximize split cell module production. Offering a low part count per MW, integrated wire management, and a patented gravity clip that reduces module install time by 30%, APA’s TITAN Duo is also available as a driven pile.

Modular solar carports

PLP’s durable and ready-made structures are engineered and optimized to sitespecific applications and PV solar installations. The modular structures feature a simplified design and integrated PV module mounting system designed to provide fast assembly rates and labor savings on every project. These solar support structures feature tilt angles that offer 0°, 5°, and 10° positions and an optional gasket sealing solution. PLP’s unique module clamping system offers 50% fewer components than traditional systems and has built-in ¾" spacing. This system offers 4-high or 7-high in portrait module mounting for single row or double row car parking with built-in wire management channels.

Module mounted wire management clip

Self-standing, twist-andlock fastener

Nine Fasteners

Unirac, Inc.

Nine Fasteners, Inc. is pleased to introduce their newest module mounted wire management clip, NFI-180DWC. As the name suggests, this clip is a 180° wire clip, capable of holding 1 or 2 PV wires mounted in either standard orientation or 180° orientation. As with the majority of Nine’s current wire management clips, the NFI-180DWC is constructed of 410 Stainless Steel. Like all of Nine’s wire management clips, the NFI-180DWC is produced in the U.S. with a rolled outer edge for maximum wire safety, and is UL Listed to scope 1565. www.ninefasteners.com

Unirac’s Universal Aesthetic Fastener(Universal AF) accommodates every module between 30-46mm without extra spacers. It also has a self-standing, twist-and-lock technology, guaranteed T-bolt engagement, integrated bonding mid and end clamps, and a one-tool installation, providing a fast, intuitive install experience. Its low-profile hardware, ½" module gap end caps, and the optionality to cut rail flush provides refined aesthetics. In addition to all these features, Universal AF is covered by Unirac’s 25-year system warranty. www.unirac.com

Preformed Line Products www.preformed.com

APA Solar Racking

www.apalternatives.com

Renewable energy project insurance

Scirocco Group specializes in and works hand in hand with insurance companies to provide General Liability, Pollution, Cyber, Shortfall, Builders Risk, E&O, Umbrella/ Excess, and Workers Comp to their clients.

Scirocco Group

www.solarindustryinsurance.com

(857) 360-4906 www.invaleonsolar.com info@invaleontech.com ENGINEERING | PROCUREMENT | CONSTRUCTION

Leading the charge in creating a brighter future for New England and beyond!

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS North American Clean Energy

Solar and Energy Storage Northeast 2021

Self-flashing rail-less mounting system

Secure cable management solution

Roof-Tech

CAB Solar

Roof-Tech engineered the RT-APEX to bring innovation to rail-less PV mounting systems. The RT-APEX has many advantages, such as fastening to rafters or direct to roof deck (7/16 OSB minimum) or a combination of both. Chalk lines are needed to plot the location of the bases. It eliminates the need to break the seal of asphalt shingles as it is a self-flashing system certified by the International Code Council. The RT-APEX installs on EPDM, TPO, and metal roofs. The selfflashing mounting made of proprietary butyl rubber (RT-Butyl) has a service temperature between -40°F to 250°F. In the case of an asphalt roofing (shingles) install, this method speeds up the installation time since it eliminates the need to undo the seal of existing shingles. www.roof-tech.us

CAB Solar has developed several hangers designed to fit onto the torque tubes of several different tracker systems. These hangers offer a secure cable management solution for cabling under panels and will never need to be replaced so will save on O&M costs over the life of the project. CAB has also added to their integrated grounding cable management system. There is a new #3 equivalent grounding messenger wire that is approximately 10% lower cost than the current one. In addition, as project layouts have begun to need larger grounding conductors on occasion, CAB now has a #2 equivalent grounding messenger wire available. Updated engineering reports, installation guides, and safety listing are available now. www.cabproducts.com/solar

EPC and solar racking solutions

GP JOULE North America services markets in the U.S. and Canada with turnkey solar EPC services and a full range of solar PV racking technology solutions. Their proprietary PHLEGON racking for commercial and utilityscale sectors includes a single access tracker and fixed, which when combined with their in-house EPC delivers longterm, low cost of energy. Their tailormade systems maximize reliability and performance, even in extreme environments. PHLEGON is designed to handle challenging climates, exceptional topographies, high wind and snow loads, and other tough conditions. PHLEGON package features advanced engineering and foundation design that reduces material cost, supply, install, and dedicated project management. It includes a 20-year design life. GP JOULE has installed over 76MW of solar PV across North America, with 105MW under construction and another 100MW in its pipeline. Globally, they installed over 800MW of solar and wind energy projects.

GP JOULE North America www.gp-joule.com

Compression-sealed top mounts

The newest version of the QuickBOLT, QB2 (link QB2 to https://www. quickbolt.com/product/17662?utm_ source=nacleanenergy&utm_ medium=ad&utm_campaign=solar_ and_energy_storage_northeast&utm_ term=hyperlink&utm_content=17662_ product_page), only has 3 components and can be installed in less than 30 seconds. The Microflashing is installed without lifting shingles or removing nails. QuickBOLT Top Mounts use BoltSeal (link BoltSeal to https://www. quickbolt.com/boltseal-infographic?utm_ source=nacleanenergy&utm_ medium=ad&utm_campaign=solar_ and_energy_storage_northeast&utm_ term=hyperlink&utm_content=boltseal_ infographic) technology, which allow them to be mounted on a variety of asphalt shingle, EPDM, and TPO roofs. BoltSeal is QuickBOLT’s patented technology which creates a mechanical compression-seal between Microflashing and the roof. Installers can see and feel the flashing concave to seal the penetration. Intertek Labs has confirmed that QB2 can also be installed with or without sealant when BoltSealed properly, saving time and money. The installation is simple. Locate the rafter and drive the screw until the L-Foot is secure and the Microflashing is BoltSealed.

QuickBOLT

www.quickbolt.com

Power multiple residential loads for a long duration

Fortress Power’s eVault 18.5kWh lithium battery offers a safe, efficient lithium battery chemistry and has the capacity to back up critical loads with an average-size solar power system as it can be scaled up to 220kWh. The eVault is rated for 180A, which virtually eliminates undersizing concerns. There is one cable that runs from the battery to the inverter without the need for multiple DC combiner boxes. As a result, the eVault battery bank can be installed in an hour.

Fortress Power

www.fortresspower.com

Maneuverability and efficiency for ground screw installation

WORD Rock Drills’ Skid Steer Attachment is a solution for ground screw and helical anchor installation. Their Rock Drill attaches to an existing skid steer, providing enhanced maneuverability and efficiency on the job site. Additionally, the WORD Skid Steer Attachment can easily tackle resistance holes and keep a project on track. With quick delivery times, this attachment can be on the job site in as little as three weeks.

WORD Rock Drills

www.wordrockdrills.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

American made modules

Mission Solar Energy has upgraded its product line once again. The powerful and durable MSE380SX5K is the latest in their sleek, reliable series. Mission Solar modules are always US made and built strong for harsh environments. Their panels are an investment that comes with a full frame-to-frame 25/25-year warranty. All of Mission Solar Energy’s panels are BAA Compliant for government projects and suitable for all applications.

Mission Solar Energy www.missionsolar.com

Commercial carport design and installation

Family-owned and operated, M Bar C Construction specializes in commercial solar and non-solar carport design and installation services throughout the nation. Established in 1975, M Bar C provides heavy-gauge steel, sturdy carport installation and design for all applications, meeting their client’s site specifications.

M Bar C Construction

www.mbarconline.com/east-coast

Solar racking solutions

OMCO Solar’s Field-Fast Slide and Stay solar mounting solution, benefits from a nationwide manufacturing footprint and leveraging steel procurement expertise to scale manufacturing in the US. OMCO’s offers another Fixed-Tilt solution, the CHOICE Direct-Bolt Mounting System, a racking structure designed for large utility-scale projects. The OMCO Origin Factory-Direct Tracker. This single-axis tracker can span up to 120 modules per row, has multiple preassembled components, proven auxiliary features (drive, motor, dampers, and controller), all with the added benefits of the structural components being manufactured in the US by OMCO. They are also able to accommodate bifacial modules with their Origin Tracker.

Ground screw based racking system

GLIDE is a ground screw-based racking system designed to work in any soil condition for utility-scale solar projects. Infused with bifacial module compatibility, GLIDE’s landscape mounting orientation offers a shadow free backside and integrated electrical bonding. Structurally, GLIDE consists of minimal hardware and is a stiff, yet agile racking system that increases the speed of install, resulting in maximum field efficiency. GLIDE's simplified connections and lightweight parts result in reduced labor hours in the field, which aid in a significant reduction in price per watt.

Commercial solar carports

Quest Renewables offers design, engineering, and fabrication of solar carports for the commercial and industrial sector. Their QuadPod solar carports are architecturally distinct, and their on-the-ground assembly and construction method is straightforward. All system components are manufactured in the USA, and they have developed projects across the country.

Full in-house EPC services

Celebrating 10 years in business, Invaleon has installed more than 50MW of solar in New England and takes solar projects from the initial planning stages through commissioning. Invaleon in-houses all services, providing full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC).

Invaleon Solar

www.invaleonsolar.com

Quest Renewables

www.questrenewables.com

TerraSmart

www.terrasmart.com

OMCO Solar

www.omcosolar.com

ANSI certified back-up fall arrester

Easy to install, affordable mounting system

Made in Italy, the KONG BACK-UP ANSI/ ASSE Z359.15-2014 is an ANSI certified version back-up fall arrester. Safe and simple to use with only one hand. The KONG BACK-UP is a fall arrester that follows the operator in both directions. Shifting the special button to lock mode, the BACK-UP can be used as a positioning device. The KONG BACKUP supports the strongest stress in a semi dynamic way, avoiding the shock effects on the rope caused by traditional self-locking devices with toothed cams. Connector/lanyard included.

SunModo's newest solar mounting innovation, NanoMount, is an easy, affordable solution. The mount eliminates the need for lifting shingles, thus significantly cutting down the installation time. This versatile mounting system includes a direct-to-deck option for fast installation. The NanoMount has an Integrated Ultra Soft Weather Sealing gasket on the bottom that conforms to the roof. All materials are compatible with pitched roof shingles and flat roof coverings. The NanoMount is highvelocity hurricane zone approved, and passed TAS 100 (a) wind-driven rain test.

Kong USA , LLC

SunModo Corp.

www.kongusa.com

www.sunmodo.com

North American Clean Energy

energy storage

The Next Energy Wave

Clean energy opportunities through dynamic energy management by Jacqueline DeSouza

Foothill Transit's Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure

AS WE SEE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES CAUSED

by more frequent weather and natural disasters, it’s evident something needs to change. Relying on a century-old grid design, characterized by energy produced at a distance from consumption, is no longer viable. By 2030, energy systems will have to look very different from today to keep up with population and the demand for electricity, as well as to be more resilient. Distributed generation through solar and storage must be increased to firm access to electricity across all infrastructure. Dynamic energy management uses sophisticated communications and control data aggregation systems to match the mix of available energy (grid, solar, fuel cell, storage) in all waveforms to meet demand. The global energy management system market is projected to grow from $10.55 billion in 2020, to $30.15 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.37 percent. Dynamically managed clean energy systems meet the urgency of business and government shift to carbon-neutral policies to reduce costs and greenhouse gases, and improve energy reliability and resilience.

Real-Time Energy Data Communications and Control

Significant drivers are forcing the energy market to optimize supply and demand. With President Biden focusing on the environment and infrastructure, particularly clean energy adoption, a national effort now joins the growing state and local efforts to mainstream clean energy. Simultaneously, financial markets have recognized that the current carbon-dependent energy model (where over-generation of energy is produced away from demand) is unsustainable. Forward-thinking companies are looking for ESG opportunities to deploy net-zero initiatives in all market segments, and capture higher returns on investments. The key to transforming energy infrastructure is to integrate new market segments into the new electric economy through dynamic energy management. Knowing where and what energy is being produced and used allows consumers to optimize energy generation at individual sites, peer-to-peer networks, and microgrids. Data enables the energy market to fill gaps in supply based on demand, without overhauling the entire grid system. This is the most significant short- to mid-term step towards adapting clean energy generation to meet demand.

Increasing Utility Adoption of Dynamic Energy Resources Dynamic energy management enables the adoption of DERs by integrating consumer generation with utilities, while reducing overall demand and improving power quality. By generating data about consumer energy generation and use, dynamic energy management gives utilities access to new real-time markets encompassing the use of consumer generating systems across all population demographics, while opening new markets for frequency regulation, spinning reserve, reactive regulation, renewable transients, black start, and capacity.

Evolving Peer-to-Peer Dynamic Energy Grids

Microgrids are a common example of the concept of peer-to-peer energy transactions. Microgrids can be deployed at any subdivision, corporate park, or urban center. For example, the 27 smart homes in Basalt Vista, near Denver, are part of a pilot for a new approach to the power grid; the entire neighborhood is interconnected through a microgrid that, in turn, connects to the primary grid.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Within each home, every smart appliance and energy resource — such as a storage battery bank, a water heater, or a solar photovoltaic (PV) system — is controlled to maximize energy efficiency. On a broader scale, houses within the Basalt Vista neighborhood can rapidly share power, creating reliable electricity for everyone. Solar energy generated at one house can be used to charge the EV next door. If a snowstorm or wildfire knocked out power lines to the neighborhood, residents would still be able to generate and store electricity locally for the neighborhood’s use.

Dynamic Energy Management for EVs

One of the markets to benefit most from dynamic energy management will be EVs and e-transportation. Biden's team plans to accelerate zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption, including developing an integrated ZEV vehicle charging system with franchised stations. Charging EVs increases electricity demand to levels that can cause brownouts and blackouts. Charging vehicles requires a high reactive load that must be managed to avoid interruptions in service. This demands real-time aggregation of data and the ability to act upon that data by delivering the waveform of energy needed. To support this growth, we need effective and widespread charging infrastructure and related energy management technology to manage all charging facets - from the utility substation to the power source.

Keys to and of Dynamic Energy Management for 2021

The keys to opening these new clean energy opportunities include: - The ability to detect energy generation and use. This must evolve beyond the installation of simple sampling at meters, to sophisticated tracking of actual kw and kvar generation and demand in all waveforms and quadrants. - Real-time data gathered from sensing must mean ‘real time’ collection of data in sub-seconds, not seconds or minutes. - The ability to act upon the data must enable a response in all energy waveforms and quadrants in the time needed to meet demand. - Development of rates enabling consumers to participate in utility and distribution energy markets, with the same technical requirements as traditional generation. - Developing new market rates for peer-to-peer and standby capacity markets for DERs to transform energy from a commodity to an asset. Given the changes in climate and weather emergencies, the need for improvements in how energy is generated, transmitted, and used is clear. The same improvements that will bring resilience to energy infrastructure will also reduce costs and improve reliability. Dynamic energy management can improve and integrate distributed generation with the grid to support the adoption of clean energy and EVs, without a costly overhaul of grid infrastructure.

Jacqueline DeSouza is the President at Apparent, Inc. Previously, she worked at a private legal and consulting firm she founded working with pre-IPO emerging companies. She received a Bachelor of Science in International Economics and Mathematics from George Mason University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California Hastings’ College of the Law.

Apparent, Inc. /// www.apparent.com

North American Clean Energy

energy storage

Charging the Kings of the Road

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification and the utility grid by Mike Heumann and Joseph Gottlieb

When most people think about vehicle electrification, they invariably think about electric cars. This shouldn’t be surprising – the most popular brand of electric automobiles shipped nearly half a million vehicles in 2020. However, when looking at ways to improve air quality, electrifying medium- and heavyduty (M/HD) vehicles is an obvious place to start. Even though they make up only 4.6 percent of the total vehicles, M/HD vehicles (gross vehicle weights of over 10,000 lbs.) produce nearly 40 percent of transportation sector air pollution. The number of M/HD vehicles is also climbing, even as the number of light-duty (L/D) vehicles such as passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), and light trucks, is declining. L/D vs M/HD and their effect on charging requirements Besides the amount of air pollution they produce, L/D and M/HD vehicles differ in several other ways that are critical to their electrification. These differences include: • Amount of miles driven per day: While the average passenger car is driven less than 26 miles per day, the average M/HD vehicle drives between 50 and 150 miles per day. • Weight: The weight of an average passenger car is roughly 4,000 lbs. In contrast, the weight of an M/HD vehicle starts at 10,000 lbs and can easily go over 30,000 lbs. For example, an average school bus weighs in at around 20,000 lbs, while a refuse truck or public transit bus can weigh 30,000 lbs or more. • Use: Most passenger cars are, by definition, used by consumers. If a passenger car breaks down, the owner can take a taxi/rideshare, drive their spouse’s car, or use public transportation. M/HD vehicles are overwhelmingly utilized for commercial uses; if they don’t operate, money is lost. These differences are reflected in the energy storage and charging needs of these classes of vehicles when they are electrified. The typical passenger electric vehicle (EV) seldom exceeds 100kWh of battery capacity; the average battery for an electrified school bus has 150kWh of storage - and some public transit electric buses can have battery capacities as high as 600kWh. The difference in the amount of energy utilized per day by these types of vehicles is even more stark: the average passenger EV only utilizes roughly 10kWh of power per day, while an electric school bus uses 6 to 12 times that amount (between 60kWh and 120kWh of energy per day). Other heavy vehicles like public transit buses can use over 400kWh of energy per day.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

These differences drive the requirements for M/HD EV charging infrastructure. While a Level 2 AC charger (up to 18kW) is more than adequate for most passenger EVs, a typical M/HD EV charger starts at 60kW, and goes up to 500kW. Charging times (and charger duty cycles) are also very different – an 18kW Level 2 AC charger can charge a passenger EV in about 35 minutes (assuming the average power consumption of 10kW). A 60kW charger, on the other hand, would take between 1 to 2 hours to charge an electric school bus, and nearly 7 hours to charge a public transit bus. Given the use cases of M/HD EVs, it also becomes critical for their chargers to have high reliability, even if forced to operate on a continuous basis.

whose software coordinate putting power back onto the grid while ensuring vehicles are adequately charged), and charging equipment manufacturers are all working on the standards needed to commercialize V2G. This model will allow everyone to gain from a more resilient power grid, lower vehicle operating costs, and cleaner transportation.

Mike Heumann is VP of Marketing, and Joseph Gottlieb is CTO at Rhombus Energy Solutions. Rhombus Energy Solutions designs and develops products for electrical energy conversion and control.

Rhombus Energy Solutions /// rhombusenergysolutions.com

M/HD EV chargers, V2G and the utility grid – a silver lining

The impact of M/HD EVs on the grid is equally pronounced. The average number of cars per household is 1.88. This generally doesn’t pose an issue for power availability at the home level, but an M/HD electric school bus yard with 100 buses would need between 6MWh and 12MWh of power each day to charge its fleet. If these buses sare charged across an 8-hour window, the power feed into the bus yard would need a capacity of 0.75MW and 1.5MW, which is at the edge of a standard commercial power feed size in most cities. Electrifying a high percentage of M/ HD vehicles would make a significant and cumulative impact. There were nearly 4 million M/HD vehicles in the US in 2019, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. If all of these vehicles were electrified and each consumed 100kWh of power per day, it would add 400 million kWh of daily power consumption to the US electrical grid (a grid that has a daily energy generation capacity of roughly 11,000 million kWh, including small-scale PV solar generation). These M/HD EVs would increase US energy consumption by nearly 4 percent - much of which would be consumed between 6PM and 6AM, which includes electrical consumption peak hours (typically 5PM to 9PM in most metropolitan areas). The silver lining is battery capacity. M/HD EV batteries represent a storage capacity of roughly 600 million kWh (about 6 percent of daily energy consumption). In other words, these electrified M/HDs represent a significant amount of energy storage that could mitigate power emergencies (and if you lived in Texas during February, you get this). This technology is called “vehicle-to-everything” (V2X), and includes vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-building (V2G). While V2G is only recently starting to be commercialized in the US, it’s important not only for its ability to stabilize the grid, but also reduce energy costs by allowing fleet operators to sell back their energy to utilities during peak demand hours. The best part of this equation is that vehicle OEMs, utilities, state governments, aggregators (the vendors North American Clean Energy

energy storage

Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle and Energy Storage Developments and Commercialization by Timothy Held, Ph.D.

Power generation systems that use supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as the working fluid are relatively new, but show great promise as solutions for two critical areas of the clean energy revolution: more efficient conversion of thermal energy to electricity, and long-duration electrical energy storage. Thermal energy conversion is strategically vital, and encompasses applications as diverse as fossil fuel combustion, nuclear power, concentrating solar power (CSP), and industrial waste heat. Supercritical CO2 power cycles have been proposed as far back as the late 1800’s, but only in the last 10 to 15 years has substantial progress been made in the development and commercialization of practical systems. In fact, the first commercial deployment of an operable sCO2 power system was only recently announced. Because of the lengthy development timeline in nuclear and CSP applications, initial commercialization efforts have been focused on industrial waste heat recovery and sCO2-based combined cycle gas turbines. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 280,000 MW discharged annually in the U.S. as waste heat could be recycled as usable energy to provide 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs, as well as slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, and saving USD $70-150B per year on energy costs. The term “waste heat,” refers to the thermal energy produced by machines, electrical equipment, and industrial processes that escapes into the environment, unused. Often this waste heat can be recovered and used to generate power with no combustion and no emissions. The most common uses for waste heat are: • Recycling heat back into the existing manufacturing process • Transferring the waste heat from one process to another within the facility • Converting heat into electrical (or mechanical) power [Waste Heat to Power (WHP) or Waste heat to Mechanical Drive (WH2MD)] The first two options are generally economical, but require a local use for the recovered heat. The third option creates a product - electrical power - which can be consumed onsite or easily transmitted and has high economic value.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

How waste heat to power works

Waste Heat to Power (WHP) creates electricity by heating a fluid at high pressure, then expanding the fluid through a turbine to power an electric generator. In a classic steam Rankine waste heat system, the turbine is turned by a pressurized water vapor (steam), which has been boiled by the waste heat stream. The steam is then cooled off and condensed to liquid water, pumped back to high pressure, and begins the process again. Most WHP systems today are adaptations of the original Rankine design – a system that takes heat from an external source and converts it to power (work) through a closed-loop thermodynamic system.

sCO2 is a superior power cycle fluid

At high pressure, many fluids become “supercritical”—a state where no distinction can be made between liquid and vapor states. Due to its thermophysical properties, sCO2 offers significant advantages over steam and organic fluid-based Rankine cycles. Compared with steam, sCO2 provides higher output power with lower installed cost and lower operation and maintenance costs, which can reduce the levelized cost of

energy (LCOE) by up to a 10 to 20 percent. Compared with organic fluids, sCO2 is more thermally stable, lower-cost, less hazardous and more efficient in converting mid- to high-grade heat to power. In addition, sCO2 systems use no water, and can thus operate in cold climates without risk of freezing, and without the significant operations and maintenance expense of water treatment systems. For industrial applications, the self-contained nature of sCO2 heat engines allow autonomous operation without interfering with plant operations.

Usable (waste) heat to power – the existing market opportunity

The greatest potential source for WHP generation is in the industrial sector. In 2009, this sector consumed the largest amount of energy in the United States, accounting for more than 30 percent of all domestic energy consumption. Roughly one-third of this energy consumed by industry is discharged as thermal losses due to inefficiencies. In the United States alone, it is currently estimated that 6,000 to 8,000 megawatts [MW] of electric generating capacity is available for recovery from industrial operations each year. Non-industrial applications, including exhaust from natural gas pipeline compressor drives and landfill gas engines, represent another 1,000 to 2,000 MW of power capacity, for a total of 7 to 10 gigawatts Repurposing usable (waste) heat to power represents a critical component of addressing global energy stability and security. The recent introduction of a 26 percent Investment Tax Credit in the US 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act also provides significant additional economic incentive to implement WHP solutions such as sCO2 power systems.

sCO2 for energy storage

Long-duration (6-100 hours) electrical energy storage will be critical in achieving largescale implementation of intermittent renewable energy, such as solar PV and wind power. The same characteristics that make sCO2 an excellent power cycle fluid also can be used in a closed-loop energy storage system. During times when power generation exceeds demand, an electrically-driven sCO2 heat pump transfers thermal energy from a low-temperature heat reservoir to a higher temperature reservoir. At times of

low electrical generation capacity, the stored thermal energy can be converted back to electrical power with an sCO2 heat engine. By taking advantage of the thermophysical properties of sCO2, ultra-low-cost thermal reservoirs can be used while maintaining high round-trip efficiency. Although still under development, this sCO2 “electrothermal” energy storage technology offers great promise in this critical application.

Based in Akron, Ohio, Dr. Timothy Held is Chief Technology Officer of Echogen Power Systems, a waste-heat recovery and energy-storage technology company. He can be reached at: theld@echogen.com.

Echogen Power Systems /// www.echogen.com

North American Clean Energy

energy storage

How to Design Off-Grid Solar Systems to Deal with Extreme Weather Challenges by Dr. George S. Cheng

Figure 1

MOST INSTALLED SOLAR SYSTEMS

in the US are on-grid systems, which send power to the grid but must shutdown immediately when the grid goes down to keep the grid safe. It does not matter if the system has battery storage. In other words, if you have a regular on-grid solar system, when the grid goes down due to extreme weather, you still need to find ways to generate backup power to heat water and stay warm (by using a power generator or burning firewood). Can solar be used to help deal with extreme weather conditions? The answer is yes. This article presents the design of off-grid solar systems that can continue to run regardless of the power grid condition.

NO DESIGN IDEAS

Figure 2

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Table 1

Take major loads off the grid.

Electric water heaters and air conditioners consume most of the power in a home. Running these loads with solar power can save most of the electricity bill.

No need to do whole house backup.

A whole house backup off-grid system can be costly. When the grid goes down, we would like to have hot water and run critical loads. Since LED lights, TV, computers, and phone chargers do not consume a lot of power, one or multiple small 1KW to 2.5KW off-grid solar system could be all you need when the grid goes down.

Install a partial on-grid and partial off-grid solar system.

Even if you want to have an on-grid system to meet the California new home mandate, you can still have off-grid solar for PV water heating and off-grid power backup. You can install the same types of solar panels on the roof, and use on-grid inverters to send power to the grid and off-grid inverters for hot water and have backup power.

Either battery-less or battery enabled.

For a PV water heating system or when using an AC assisted off-grid inverter, no battery is needed. A smaller battery may be useful to provide power at night when the grid is down.

Install multiple off-grid circuits.

Having multiple off-grid circuits to distribute the loads and have redundant capability. For instance, you may want to have a PV water heating system, and a 120V off-grid circuit in the kitchen to run lights, fans, a mini-split IAC, and small appliances.

Install a larger AC assisted off-grid system for heavy loads.

A 240V AC assisted off-grid solar system connecting to a 30A branch circuit can power a central air-conditioner, EV charger, swimming pool pumps, etc., during the day with a timer switch achieving significant power savings.

Off-Grid Solar for Our Homes

When most people hear the term “off-grid solar”, they may think of a remote cabin deep in the woods. While many off-grid solar systems are used in areas where there is no electric grid, an off-grid solar system simply means that the electricity generated by solar never flows back to the grid and, therefore, can stay on when the grid goes down. So, why not install off-grid solar in our homes to deal with extreme weather challenges?

WHY AND HOW

Off-grid PV water heating

An electric water heater typically consumes a large portion of the electric bill. Thus, taking that load off the grid is a no brainer. As shown in Figure 1, an off-grid PV water heating system is quite simple, which includes multiple solar panels and an off-grid solar inverter designed for PV water heating. The inverter is connected to deliver solar energy to the lower heating element of the water heater. The temperature setpoint for the lower element can be purposely set much higher than the upper element; this way, the upper element that consumes grid power does not turn on unless a lot of hot water is used within a short period of time. Compared with thermal solar, PV water heating has many advantages: It is simple, clean, safe, cost-effective, and has no maintenance requirements. Packaged PV water heating systems are available on the market.

AC assisted off-grid solar systems

How do you operate an off-grid system with no batteries? Figure 2 shows an AC assisted off-grid solar system that can run 120V loads. With assisted AC input power, the system can run AC loads 24/7 with solar power, grid power, or combined power. It allows users to take major loads off the grid and avoid the cost and potential curtailment of an on-grid solar system.

important to understand the "small tricks" for implementing off-grid solar for homes. The key design points are summarized in Table 1. It’s not as complicated as it seems; most of these off-grid solar systems are simple and do not require batteries to operate. They are affordable and easy to install, allowing you to cut electricity bills and providing power and hot water regardless of the grid condition. Homeowners should consider off-grid solar as an important capability towards energy independence so that losing grid power will not cause major disruption and hardship in their lives.

Dr. George S. Cheng is the CTO of CyboEnergy, which focuses on the design, development, marketing, and servicing of the product lines in the clean energy field.

CyboEnergy /// www.cyboenergy.com

Electric vehicle charging stations and cable management solutions

You’re in control with true OCPP

Off-grid solar systems for electrification

Assuming you lost power for a week and have no gas stove, how can you get warm food without burning firewood? Using an off-grid inverter with a few solar panels can run a hot plate to do cooking as shown in Figure 3. A small 48V leadacid or Lithium type solar battery can be added in this system so that you can cook; you can also run the lights, fans, TV, and phone chargers after sunset. The battery can be charged by using solar or grid power when it comes back.

Key design points of off-grid solar for homes Compared with on-grid solar, an off-grid solar system does not require an on-grid solar permit or paying monthly fees. Most importantly, it can continue to operate when the grid goes down. Since most homes are wired with grid power, it is

Figure 3

BENEFITS •

Charge up to 8x faster with a level 2 charger

•

Custom configuration options: non-networked, WiFi, LTE cellular, and RFID

•

Local load management for maximum EV charge management

•

Industry leading EvoReel cable management for a safe and clean environment

•

Modern compact design that is easy to install

•

Robust NEMA 4-rated for indoor/outdoor applications

•

UL listed

evocharge.com North American Clean Energy

energy storage

Wall-mount energy storage system

KiloVault’s HAB series of wall-mount energy storage systems are designed for trouble-free mounting and provide a 7.5kWh battery in a single unit. Up to 14 units can be wired in parallel to provide up to 3.3mWh of storage per month. The HAB can sustain continuous charging at up to 120A, and continuous discharging up to 150A, with a peak discharge of 500A for up to 3 seconds. The HAB 7.5 can charge at temperatures between 32°F – 113°F, and discharge at an even greater range, from -4°F – 140°F. A HAB is safe to store in the home or garage, which is a cost-effective way to keep the batteries sheltered, and at operating temperature. In addition, a HAB does not require regular watering, desulphating, or equalizing, making for a safe and lowmaintenance battery. The HAB series is compatible with any 48V inverter, and can store power from a variety of sources. Each HAB contains a non-toxic, thermally stable LiFePO4 battery with UL1642certified cells. With built-in WiFi and the convenient HAB iT app on iOS and Android, monitoring the battery health and performance is easy. After 4000 cycles at 80% DoD, a HAB will retain 80% or more of its original 7.5kWh storage capacity. This means a lower cost/kWh cycle over the life of the system. KiloVault backs the HAB with a 7.5-year warranty.

KiloVault /// www.kilovault.com

Online matchmaking service for battery makers and utility companies

A new battery match service is set to help utility companies choose the most suitable batteries as partners for their energy storage schemes. CBI Battery Match has been designed and built by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) to help electricity providers and other energy storage projects find a battery system that best meets their requirements. The online service is targeted at systems specifiers and integrators for utility and renewable energy companies and presents them with a series of potential battery partners, before linking them directly with battery manufacturers. Just like human dating apps, users tap in information about themselves together with details of their expectations and requirements. Using an intelligent algorithm based on battery industry expertise, a range of battery solutions best suited to their needs are identified in real-time. With a user-friendly interface available on desktop and mobile, energy storage end-users can log on to the tool, input their system requirements, and the outcome is a direct match with the battery best suited for their project. CBI Battery Match will enable direct communication between the energy storage company and the battery manufacturer, a streamlined process where inputted information results in the output of a battery.

The Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) /// www.batteryinnovation.org

Back up battery solution for data centers

Saft’s Flex’ion Gen2 lithium-ion (Li-ion) backup battery solution provides up to 220kW per cabinet, boosting power performance by 40% compared with the first generation Flex’ion. Designed for data centers and other mission critical UPS applications such as hospitals and industrial processes, the Flex’ion Gen2 is a modular and scalable battery system that is compact, lightweight, and capable of operating continuously at high temperatures. Having passed rigorous testing under the UL 1973 and UL 9540A method, the Flex’ion Gen2 is certified as safe under the ICC International Fire Code (IFC 2018) and NFPA 855 standards. Its industrial design means that it is certified for use without a built-in fire suppression system or an air separation gap of 3ft between cabinets. By eliminating this air gap, operators can minimize the footprint of their UPS and dedicate more space to server racks and other services. This minimizes the space required and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the data center overall. Other factors that reduce the TCO are the long calendar life of over 20 years, the low maintenance, and the lightweight design. In addition, Flex’ion Li-ion battery technology can operate reliably at high temperatures (35ºC), which reduces the HVAC requirements, minimizing energy bills and carbon emissions. Its low-cobalt content of less than 1% and primary materials sourced from suppliers under the Responsible Materials Initiative (RMI) enables a highly sustainable and environmentally friendly system.

Smart charging solutions for electric vehicles

EVBox’s Level 2 commercial charging station, EVBox Iqon, has received UL-certification and is available for installation across North America. Designed specifically for the scalability needs of the North American market, Iqon alleviates many of the common problems faced at EV charging locations at shopping centers, hotels, parking facilities, or workplaces and improves the EV charging experience for drivers and operators alike. Designed to balance form and functionality, Iqon provides an accessible, intelligent, and reliable EV charging experience. It has also been recognized with a 2019 Red Dot Award, 2019 iF Design Award 2019, and as a 2019 CES Innovation Honoree. An important feature of Iqon is that it can be configured in Hub-Satellite clusters of up to 20 ports (10 stations) that act as a single entity, allowing the stations to communicate and ensure an efficient use of available energy. With a dedicated kWh meter inside every Iqon, the charger can track energy usage and schedule reductions in output with precision. The Iqon qualifies for numerous rebates and programs across the United States that can save thousands of dollars in hardware and installation costs, in some cases paying for the entire project.

EVBox /// www.evbox.com

Saft /// www.saftbatteries.com

RELIABLE ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Our Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is UL9540A test certified at the cell, module, and system level.

A leading choice for an energy dense, pre-populated, LFP, containerized solution.

www.MPINarada.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

DC disconnect switch product line

Littelfuse, Inc. has launched its DC Disconnect Switch product line. The Littelfuse LS6 (available in 1000V and 500V) and the LS6R (available in 1500V) series are energy-efficient, compact disconnect switches that quickly break or resume the flow of current safely. Offered in both 250A and 400A ratings, these switches prevent shock hazards when isolating circuits or repairing systems. The LS6R offers a patented operation system that minimizes damage caused by arcs upon disconnection to increase product reliability and longevity.

Littelfuse, Inc. /// www.littelfuse.com

100kW fast charger

Circontrol’s 100kW fast charger, the Raption 100, has been designed to meet the rapid charging needs of new electric vehicle models with larger batteries capable of offering greater range and features including modular power technology, elegant yet robust design, userfriendliness, and reliability. The Raption 100 is suitable for installation at restaurants, gas stations, shopping centers, airports, and intercity areas, settings where short charges of less than 20 minutes desired. The modular architecture of the Raption devices allows for power scalability of 25kW, 50kW or 100kW. It can also be adapted to the growing battery sizes of new EV models. This also guarantees high uptime as if one of the modules fails, the others will keep working. The Raption 100 retains the connector care concept with the connector locking feature and floating cable design, which makes the device safe and reduces maintenance costs. Also, the Raption 100 can function as a Master at multipoint installations, combining DC and AC charging. In addition to minimizing the initial investment (CAPEX) and maintenance costs (OPEX) when several chargers are required, this solution also results in considerable energy savings, as the Master device distributes the available power according to the number of charge points in use. Circontrol’s new fast charge station offers an easy and intuitive charging experience. Its 8" color touch screen, language selection, courtesy light, and integrated contactless card payment system are some of the aspects most highly-valued by EV drivers.

All-weather battery storage for private and commercial applications

BlueSky Energy developed a new battery storage for outdoor installation, Vigos, designed to operate in temperatures from -22°F - 122°F (-30°C - 50°C) and withstands rain, snow, and frost. The device is scalable from 18 to 96kWh and is delivered ready for connection. Vigos has a service life of up to 20,000 cycles. Due to its high performance and cycle stability one can charge and discharge it several times a day. BlueSky Energy offers a 10-year warranty. Vigos is compatible with the company's GREENROCK saltwater storage systems. The high charging and discharging performance with a C-rate of up to 2.0 allows Vigos to cut peak loads and charges electric vehicles out of the batteries within a very short time. Vigos is capable of emergency power, island operation, and black start. In the event of a power failure, the system automatically switches over to its own circuit in less than 20 milliseconds. If connected accordingly, the PV system simply continues to operate. Different energy sources including PV and wind power plants easily integrate with Vigos. An integrated energy management system (EMS) records relevant data such as surpluses from the PV system, optimizes self-consumption, and controls the energy sources, dynamic e-charging stations, or consumers integrated into the system. Due to dynamic load and charge management, it is possible to integrate several e-charging stations, independently of the manufacturer.

Battery for motive and industrial applications

Advanced battery systems developer and manufacturer, American Battery Solutions Inc. (ABS) introduced the Alliance E48-2.0 as the first product in the ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series of lithium-ion batteries for motive and industrial applications. It is the first in a series of products the company is preparing. The ALLIANCE series promises to provide high quality cells, automotive-grade electronics, and high quality US-based manufacturing in a robust IP67 waterproof package. The E48-2.0 is a 48V 2kWh module that offers an alternate energy solution for low-speed electric vehicles, utility vehicles, industrial machines, and more. Following the E48-2.0, the ALLIANCE family of products will quickly grow with the addition of an Industrial series of batteries based on the industry standard GC2 form factor. This Industrial series of Alliance Intelligent Batteries Series will include 24V, 48V, and 36V options all with 3kWh of energy. ABS’ ALLIANCE line of batteries offer a highly versatile, maintenance-free, and robust battery solution for the industrial motive market. The plug-and-play design integration allows for easy implementation across a range of vehicle sizes, enabling customers to support their entire portfolio with a single solution.

American Battery Solutions, Inc. /// www.americanbatterysolutions.com

BlueSky Energy /// www.bluesky-energy.eu

CIRCONTROL /// www.circontrol.com

More affordable residential energy storage

Schneider Electric Solar’s XW Pro solar hybrid inverter is now eligible for the California’s energy storage rebates. Customers can install the XW Pro at low cost through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which provides rebates to support homeowners and communities in acquiring affordable energy storage in California. Connect the XW Pro to Insight Energy Management, a simple yet powerful platform to manage energy systems. With InsightHome or InsightFacility and the Insight Mobile app, customers can monitor, report, and control their system performance right on their mobile device. Its advanced cybersecurity provides protection and security of all sensitive data. With the Insight Energy Management platform, installers can take advantage of multi-site management and remote firmware upgrades from anywhere at any time.

Schneider Electric /// www.se.com

Boosting access to EV homecharging networks

EV platforms designed to support a wide range of commercial EVs

Virtual Peaker /// www.virtual-peaker.com FLO | AddEnergie /// www.flo.com

REE Automotive /// www.ree.auto

Virtual Peaker is teaming up with FLO | AddEnergie to boost access to home-charging devices. The FLO network has deployed more than 35,000 charging stations in public, commercial, and residential settings. Now integrated for utilities by Virtual Peaker’s cloud-based residential energy demand response platform, the FLO Home X5 charging device is optimized for single-family residences and can be installed indoors or outdoors due to its aluminum casing and heavy-duty cables. The FLO Home X5 is a Level 2 charging station that’s capable of a full EV charge in 4-5 hours. It’s simple and safe to install, and customers can configure smart features and view usage data through Virtual Peaker’s secure online portal. FLO’s large and expanding network of home-charging stations provides reliability and durability, even in harsh climates, and is a choice for North American utilities with its high performance and low-maintenance costs. Through FLO’s roaming agreements, users also have access to a large network of public charging stations across the United States and Canada using the FLO app.

REE Automotive (REE) has 5 new and improved REEcorner architecture designs and the technology behind its EV platforms is designed to support a broad range of commercial electric vehicles. REE provides a comprehensive range of technical configurations to fulfill specific B2B customer needs, including EV platform size selection based on preferred length, width and vehicle height; front, rear or all-wheel-drive with peak motor power ranges of 35 to 200kW; front and all-wheel steer; advanced suspension capabilities; payload capacities of up to 5000kg and more. REE’s REEcorner technology packs critical vehicle components into a single compact module positioned between the chassis and the wheel, including steering, braking, suspension, powertrain, and control, resulting in a fully flat EV platform.REE’s fully flat EV platforms are designed with a low center of gravity are intended to carry more passengers, cargo, and batteries. REE’s small footprint and low center of gravity also allow for tall cabin designs and low step-in height, yielding more volumetric efficiency.

North American Clean Energy

energy storage product spotlight: ev charging

EV Charging

EV chargers are a necessity for EV owners. Without a gas tank to fill up, EV’s get their fuel from electric chargers. There are different levels of EV chargers and in this product spotlight, we highlight some of the available options on the market today...

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EvoCharge Product: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Communications: OCPP 1.6, WiFi, LTE, RFID, Ethernet

Communications: Wifi or Ethernet

Application: Residential, commercial

Authentification: OCPP1.6J and Rhombus VectorStat

AC input: 208Vac to 240Vac

Operating temperature: -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C)

Rhombus Energy Solutions Product: Rhombus RES-PCS and Dispenser Maximum output current per connector: ±200A

Operating temperature: -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C)

Maximum output current per connector: 40A

Humidity: 0% to 95%

Humidity: 0% to 95% (non-condensing)

Maximum output power per connector: 7.2kW to 7.7kW

Certificates and compliance: UL/cUL Listed, SAE J1772, UL 2594, UL 355, CSA, EVOREEL, ETL/cETL

Certificates and compliance: UL 2202, UL 2231, UL 1741 / UL 1741-SA, UL 9741

Connectors: SAE J1772

Key Features:

Cable length: 25ft (up to 8m) External enclosure: NEMA 3R

Key Features:

Maximum output power per connector: 60kW or 125kW Connectors: CCS 1

Dimensions: 16" x 23" x 75" (40.6cm x 58.4cm x 190.5cm), custom sizes available

• Bi-directional for V2G capability;

Protection: Insulation monitor

• Designed for continuous operation at rated loads.

Status indicator: Standard multi-color LED or LCD touchscreen

• High power;

www.rhombusenergy.com

• Compact design;

External enclosure: NEMA 4-rated

• Easy to install;

Dimensions: 11" x 7.5" x 3.2"

• Truly open OCPP;

Protection: UV protected display

• Rapid level 2 charging;

User interface: Display screen

• Adjustable current output settings. www.evocharge.com

Status indicator: Yes

FreeWire Technologies

Blink Charging

Paired Power

Product: Boost Charger

Product: Blink IQ 200

Product: SEVO SunStation - Solar EV Charging Station

AC input: 3Ø Y 208V, 1Ø 240V

Maximum output current per connector: 80A

AC input: DC input only from solar PV

Maximum output current per connector: 300A

Maximum output power per connector: 19.2kW

Maximum output current per connector: 40A

Connectors: SAE J1772

Maximum output power per connector: 16.8kW

Maximum output power per connector: 120kW

Cable length: 25ft (7.6m)

Connectors: 6

Connectors: Dual-port CHAdeMO and CCS

External enclosure: NEMA Type 3R Indoor/ Outdoor

Cable length: 13.1ft (4m)

Dimensions: 40" x 43" x 96" (101cm x 109cm x 243cm)

Dimensions: 13.95" × 10.65" × 5.23" (35.4m x 27.05m x 13.3m)

Dimensions: 41" x 35" x 9.8"

Protection: IP 54

User interface: 7" LCD, color, 800x480, with touch panel

User interface: Customer smartphone web app

User interface: 24" (61cm) ruggedized LCD touchscreen Communications: 4G LTE, Ethernet Operating temperature: -4°F to 131°F (-20°C to 55°C) Certificates and compliance: UL2202, UL2231-1, UL2231-2, UL991, UL1973 (battery pack) FCC part 15 Class A (U.S.) www.freewiretech.com

Cable length: 18ft, 25ft (5.8m, 7.62m)

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

Status indicator: LED and audio Operating temperature: -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C) Humidity: 0 to 95% relative humidity, noncondensing

External enclosure: Rain Proof / NEMA 4 Rating Protection: Isolation Monitoring Device (IMD) Status indicator: Customer smartphone web app or EV charge port LED indicator Communications: Cellular, WiFi optional Authentification: Cellular Operating temperature: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C)

Certificates and compliance: UL, cUL, NEC Article 625, RoHS, Norma Official Mexicana (NOM), ADA, Energy Star Certified

Humidity: 5% to 95%

www.blinkcharging.com

www.pairedpower.com

Certificates and compliance: UL 508A, FCC Compliant NFPA 70, National Electric Code (NEC), Art. 625

energy storage product spotlight: ev charging

EVBox

SemaConnect, Inc.

JuiceBar

Product: EVBox Iqon

Delta Electronics (Americas)

Product: Series 6 Smart EV Charging Station

Product: EV Charger

Application: Commercial

Product: DC City Charger

Application: Commercial

AC input: Power line input 2x 32A (max)

Application: Commercial AC input: 480Vac, 3-Phase, 50/60Hz, L1, L2, L3, N, PE L1, L2, L3, N, PE

AC input: Level II: 30A; Line 1, Line 2 and Earth (no neutral)

AC input: 208V to 240V

Maximum output current per connector: 30A Maximum output power per connector: 7.2kW

Maximum output current per connector: 200A

Connectors: Level 2 (UL2594), 2x SAE J1172 – fully sealed

Maximum output power per connector: 100kW

Cable length: 18ft (5.5m) External enclosure: UL 50E - 3R Dimensions: 16.3" x 74.6" x 10.8" (415mm x 1894mm x 275mm) on floor with base extension 2" (50 mm), 16.3" x 72.6" x 10.8" (415mm x 1844mm x 275mm) on curb

Cable length: 18ft (5.48m) External enclosure: Type 3R

Cable length: 13ft (4m) standard, 25ft (7.5m) optional

External enclosure: Aluminum

Dimensions: 36.5" x 16" x 12"

Dimensions: 20" x 6" x 6"

Protection: Fuses, circuit breakers

Protection: Safety, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt: 5mA CCID with auto retry (15 min delay, 3 tries). Surge Protection: 6kV@3000A

User interface: Ph, Mob, App, QR, RFID

External enclosure: IK10 according to IEC 62262

Protection: Ingress Protection: Type 3R, Enclosure Protection: NEMA 3R, IK10 User interface: ISO/IEC 14443 RFID Card Reader Status indicator: HMI touch screen LCD Communications: Ethernet, 4G, WiFi Authentification: RFID

Authentification: OCPP 1.6 J

Operating temperature: -22ºF to 122ºF (-30ºC to 50ºC), derating from 122ºF to 140ºF (50ºC to 60ºC)

Operating temperature: -22°F to 113°F (-30°C to 45°C)

Humidity: <95% relative humidity, noncondensing

Certificates and compliance: UL 2594, UL2231-2, UL 1998-3, UL 991, Energy Star pending, ADA compliant, CES Innovation award 2019, iF Design Award 2019, Red Dot Award 2019

Certificates and compliance: UL2202, UL 2231, CSA C22.2#107.1:2016 Ed.4, CSA C22.2#281.2 Issued: 2012/09/07 Ed:1

Application: Residential, commercial

Status indicator: Patented indicators on SAE J1772 Connector

AC input: 208/240Vac 60Hz single phase

Communications: Wi-Fi

Maximum output current per connector: 32A

Authentification: QR Code, through OCPP

Maximum output power per connector: 7.7kW Connectors: SAE J1772 Cable length: 25ft (7.6 m) External enclosure: Loadcenters, panelboards, wallbox enclosure, pedestals Protection: NEMA 3R - Outdoor rated User interface: OCPP 1.6J, Cloud APIs, Mobile App (iOS, Android)

User interface: Backlit LCD screen Status indicator: 270° visibility, multi-color visual status indication Communications: Cellular 4G LTE Authentification: Apple/Android app, RFID, NFC, automated phone system Operating temperature: -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C) ambient

Status indicator: Yes Communications: Ethernet, cellular Operating temperature: -13°F to 122°F (-25°C to 50°C) Humidity: Up to 95% at 122°F (50°C) noncondensing Certificates and compliance: Certified to UL Standards www.juicebarev.com

Humidity: Up to 95% non-condensing Certificates and compliance: UL Certified; CCID per UL 2231-1, -2; Meets UL2594; NEC Article 625 Compliant www.semaconnect.com

www.delta-americas.com

Eaton Product: EV charging circuit breaker

Connectors: J1772

Cable length: 18ft (5.5m)

User interface: 8" full color LCD IPS, 768x1024 pixels, capacitive touch, sunlight readable

www.evbox.com/us-en

Maximum output power per connector: 6.6kW to 19.2kW

Connectors: CCS1 & CHAdeMO or CCS1 & CCS1

Protection: 3-year warranty, extendable to 5-years

Communications: Dual band Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz, 4G LTE-FDD CAT1 (B2/4/12) / 3G WCDMA (Band 2/5), BT 4.0 for configuration, GPS, Wifi

Maximum output power per connector: 7.2 kW

Maximum output current per connector: 32A, 40A, 48A, 80A

Connectors: SAE J1772

Dimensions: 59.1" x 31.5" x 23.2" (1500mm x 800mm x 590mm)

Status indicator: Day-and-night mode, autoadjustable light intensity, automatic system wake-up

Maximum output current per connector: 240Vac@30A

PowerCharge

Beam Global

Product: PowerCharge Pro-Lightning EV Charging Station

Product: EV ARC 2020

Application: Commercial

AC input: (optional) 120V, 10A upgradable to 208V to 240V

Maximum output current per connector: 32A Maximum output power per connector: 7.6kW

Application: Commercial

Maximum output current per connector: 18A

Connectors: SAE J1772

Maximum output power per connector: 4.3kW

Cable length: 18ft (2.43m)

Connectors: 1-6 J-1772 ports

External enclosure: NEMA 4

Cable length: Up to 25ft (7.62m)

Humidity: 90% RH, noncondensing

Dimensions: 14.74" x 13.43" x 60"

Certificates and compliance: UL, cUL listed product per UL2594, UL2231, UL489, UL991, UL1998 NEC Article 625 compliant For Canada CSA:22.2 No. 280, No. 5-16, No 61010-1 (Part 1) FCC compliant, Part 15 (Some or all of these are planned certifications and are subject to change at Eaton’s sole discretion)

Status indicator: Standard color LED

Dimensions: 21ft x 10.6ft (array), max height 15.3ft, min clearance 9ft, base-pad footprint 18ft x 7.5ft

Operating temperature: -22°F to 104°F (-30°C to 40°C)

www.eaton.com/smartbreakers

Communications: Wi-Fi or LTE/CDMA/GSM Authentification: OCPP1.6J Operating temperature: -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C) Certificates and compliance: UL 354962, UL 50, UL 991, UL 1449, UL 1998, UL 2231, UL 2594, Energy Star #E354962 www.powerchargeev.com

Protection: Internal circuit protection Status indicator: Low battery indicator and EV charging light Communications: 4G LTE Operating temperature: -20°F to 130°F (-28.9°C to 54.4°C) Humidity: 0% to 100% www.beamforall.com

North American Clean Energy

energy efficiency

In Search of Emissionality

by Laura Zapata and Laura Corso

The world of corporate sustainability has commonly used the biggest and boldest terms to demonstrate commitment to climate action: Net zero, carbon negative, carbon neutral. How do we know that these climate pledges are more than just buzzwords? How can companies invest in climate solutions that will have lasting impacts beyond the shine of a press release? The task may seem daunting, but it is a great opportunity to apply the latest science and innovative technology to show tangible results in climate action. Companies and organizations can reduce the carbon impact of the products and services they provide by reassessing source materials, reconfiguring supply chains, and creating thoughtful end-of-life options for products outside of a landfill. Yet even significant efforts to mitigate climate impacts can leave a final carbon footprint. In order to truly achieve a net-zero goal, companies must reclaim that final carbon footprint by investing in a positive climate action that will have lasting impacts for generations to come. That climate action must be verifiable and accountable, so that consumers, investors, and the public at large know it’s legit. It’s in this realm of carbon offsetting where the industry has faced some hiccups. In the past, companies had limited options available to offset or reclaim their carbon footprint. Many carbon offsetting options have been outside the United States, making projects more difficult to track. Further, efforts such as reforestation have been found to overpromise and underdeliver, and in the worst cases, have caused local communities more harm than good. By investing in utility-scale renewable power here in the U.S., company executives have the assurance that they can visit their projects and ‘kick the tires.’ They can accelerate the greening of the electric grid, providing cascading benefits to local communities. And now, thanks to a recent partnership1,

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

companies can rely on the latest AI-powered insights and emissions research to track and verify the real-time impact of new renewable projects on the grid. This tech partnership builds on the concept of “emissionality.” Building new renewable projects in regions with disproportionately dirty grid regions that are oversaturated with fossil fuels achieves greater avoided emissions. Ensuring that new projects directly replace fossil fuels like coal and natural gas effectively clears carbon from the grid for the next 40 years, or the lifetime of a utility-scale project. Companies can access unparalleled insights into how much carbon emissions those renewable projects accrue over time, allowing insights well beyond the initial transaction. For example, Boston University used emissionality analysis to invest in a wind farm in South Dakota2, which will more than double their carbon emissions reduction impact based on location.

Traditionally, companies and organizations wanting to invest in renewable energy projects have had few options available3. It’s often only those in the upper echelon, such as Google, Apple, or P&G, who have the appetite to sign on to 1530-year agreements and the credit rating available for banks to agree to finance utility-scale solar projects through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Alternately, companies can purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to match their electricity demand. However, these RECs do not directly finance new renewable energy projects, drawing instead from renewable energy sources that may have been in operation for years. Companies of all sizes, from startup to local business to mid-sized, should be able to invest in renewable energy with the knowledge that their actions are directly financing new renewable projects in advance of, and in addition to, policy initiatives. For example, a sustainable corporate gifting agency based in Seattle, Washington recently announced an investment4 to reclaim over half a million pounds of carbon, building new utility-scale solar in Jackson, Tennessee. This company is reclaiming their carbon footprint by building clean energy in a community that currently draws less than one percent of their electricity from solar power, making an emissional impact and accelerating the greening of the grid. One outcome of the abovementioned partnership is that companies reclaiming their carbon footprint by investing in the grid will be able to see the direct, tangible impact of their dollars. By building new renewables in communities that would otherwise be left behind, companies are helping to lower pollution and provide environmental health benefits, create local jobs and tax revenue, and even help the community become more attractive for future job growth. Accelerating the greening of the grid everywhere can help us achieve sunnier days ahead. A goal of reclaiming a portfolio’s carbon footprint shouldn’t come with added worry as to whether the investment will achieve the desired results or create permanent positive change. Combining the worlds of voluntary corporate action and clean energy development offers a new way to take direct, immediate action to help the United States achieve its climate goals and stop climate change in its tracks. By relying on machine learning and AI-powered insights to demonstrate the impact of projects, companies and organizations can have confidence that they are providing positive, additional impact that will

expand clean energy for generations to come. After all, rising to the challenge of climate change will take all hands on deck.

Laura Zapata is co-founder of Clearloop, and Laura Corso is partnerships managing director of WattTime.

Clearloop /// clearloop.us WattTime /// www.watttime.org

https://clearloop.us/2021/03/02/watttime-partnership/ https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/wind-power/a-studyin-emissionality-why-boston-university-looked-beyond-newengland-for-its-first-wind-power-pu/ 3 https://clearloop.us/2021/02/16/clearloop-approach-toclimate-action/ 4 https://clearloop.us/2020/10/28/coolperx-carbon-neutralcorporate-gifts/ 1 2

Data-driven marketplace rewards

Created in partnership with Recurve, the Demand FLEXmarket provides tools to measure hourly reductions in energy use that will allow MCE to compensate businesses working locally with their customers for energy savings during peak demand hours. The Demand FLEXmarket was developed to address the twin challenges of decarbonization and climate adaptation in California by enabling the integration of a wide range of clean distributed energy resources, such as batteries, smart thermostats, or electric vehicle chargers, and ensuring that those resources are fully deployed to avoid or minimize crises. By offering a payment for energy reductions that values a range of resources equally, the Demand FLEXmarket ensures that incentives match the value of energy usage and that different solutions work together in a coordinated way. MCE’s Demand FLEXmarket focuses on reducing summer peak hours and increasing access to technologies beyond typical efficiency equipment, integrating efficiency and demand response into a truly flexible resource that meets grid needs and helps the customers who will benefit most. Using the marketplace model, MCE offers a set price to nearly any behind-themeter resource or partner for daily load shifting and a variable rate for a response to a day-ahead demand response signal. Interested vendors can expect a transparent and accountable payment structure, customer lead acquisition, and minimal barriers to participation. MCE offers a suite of customer programs in addition to the new Commercial Efficiency and Demand FLEXmarket, including residential and commercial energy efficiency services, battery storage and energy resiliency initiatives, and rebates for adoption of electric vehicles.

MCE /// www.mcecleanenergy.org

Virtual and in-home energy audit program

Franklin Energy’s Curist provides personalized participation paths designed to benefit both utilities and their customers. Curist is a customer-first energy audit program that combines technology, product delivery, and program implementation. Curist drives participation and customer satisfaction by allowing customers to choose their own journey via simple, intuitive participation options. Curist eliminates traditional residential audit barriers and streamlines the customer experience. Incentivized by the prospect of free, personalized energy-saving recommendations, customers begin with a fun and easy quiz regarding details about their home, preferences, and lifestyle. Curist delivers frictionless participation through a design that also prevents program disruptions. Curist allows for a self-serve approach with a kit of energy- and watersaving products delivered to the customer’s doorstep, a virtual audit with kit delivery, or a full in-home audit with direct install. A wider range of options enables the utility to better serve their diverse group of customers with varying rate classes, preferences, schedules, and comfort levels.

Rugged field transmitter

Endress+Hauser launched iTEMP TMT142B, new generation smart temperature transmitter with Bluetooth. The transmitter delivers accurate and reliable measurements, wireless communication via Bluetooth, and user-friendly operation, all packaged in a robust single-chamber field housing. The technology offers improvements in process efficiency and plant availability while reducing costs. The transmitter features a secure integrated Bluetooth interface that enables users to wirelessly visualize measured values, NAMUR NE 017 diagnostic information, as well as perform configuration tasks. The device is easy to operate using a phone or tablet and the Endress+Hauser SmartBlue app. No special tools required. Access to the device is password-protected, and Endress+Hauser security provisions for Bluetooth communication complies with industry standards. The newly developed backlit display provides readability under all environmental conditions, both in the dark and bright sunlight. Diagnostic messages are highlighted when the normally white background turns red. The configurable single-channel device transmits converted signals from resistance sensors (RTD), thermocouples (TC), resistances (Ω), and voltage transmitters (mV) via the 4 to 20mA signal or the HART 7 communication. iTEMP TMT142B temperature transmitter is designed for safe operation in hazardous areas as certified by international approvals (ATEX, CSA C/US, IECEx). Safe operation is enhanced by the incorporation of an integrated overvoltage protection that protects the device from damage and permits continued functionality after common upset events.

Endress+Hauser /// www.us.endress.com

Franklin Energy /// www.franklinenergy.com North American Clean Energy

energy efficiency

Striking a Decarbonization Balance to Prevent Future Blackouts Flexible, sustainable, and reliable solutions today can pave the path to a renewable energy future by Jussi Heikkinen

CALIFORNIA’S AMBITIOUS RENEWABLE ENERGY

goals have made them a national and global leader in the race to accelerate decarbonization. The Golden State’s goals include reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2045. However, decarbonizing the power sector requires a combination of innovation, agility, and ongoing commitment to decrease emissions and reduce costs. These aspirational goals require research, state-of-the-art power system modelling, collaboration, and innovation to improve processes and policies. When California’s blackouts took place in August 2020, the opportunity to learn from this crisis gained national and global interest as policymakers and industry leaders tried to determine what happened. This crisis became a case study to not only determine what happened, but how instability and unreliability in the power grids can be avoided in the future. In January of this year, California’s regulators released their final report, which explained how a historic heat wave pushed electricity demand past energy supply. The overburdened grid pushed the state into a stage 3 electrical emergency, forcing hundreds of thousands of Californians to lose power. During the blackouts, all power plants that California could operate - including thermal - were running. What does that tell us? It tells us California needs to have an adequate quantity of flexible power plants that can run on natural gas and, in the future, renewable fuels (hydrogen or carbon neutral, synthetic methane). These power plants act as long-term electricity storage (days to weeks, even seasonal shifting of solar power from summer to winter) by utilizing renewable fuels stored in existing underground gas storages. Having such firm generation capacity available will allow California to ride through periods of high demand and simultaneous low solar and wind generation, even during drought years-- while producing zero carbon emissions and allowing maximum utilization of renewable energy in all weather circumstances. In February, a polar vortex sent Texas into a widespread blackout that left millions without power. In both Texas and California, the blackouts reveal the need for updated policy and planning based on chronological and detailed power system expansion modelling, using supercomputers. The Texas emergency event revealed the need to have adequate, dispatchable (firm) power available for unusual weather events that are expected to increase in frequency due to climate change. Such capacity can be installed now provided that it can later be converted to use renewable fuels such as hydrogen or carbon-neutral methane, methanol or ammonia.

In order to reach 100 percent clean energy in California, the state needs to retire its old and inefficient fossil power plants that cannot balance the variability of solar and wind power (due to their incapability to go offline and restart in a reasonable time). An optimal plan includes replacing these plants with renewables, traditional energy storage, and strategic amounts of flexible, efficient gas plants capable of converting fully to renewable fuels in the future. Modelling several scenarios to research the optimal "Path to 100% Renewables for California1,” illustrates that decarbonization is possible, practical, and economically viable. The optimal path to sustainability, reliability, and affordability involves: • Expanding wind and solar generation, and battery storage • Retiring legacy gas plants • Adding fast-starting, flexible power plants to provide firm seasonal balancing power for odd weather management, and seasonal balancing Flexible plants have an important role to play in enabling rapid reduction of carbon, because this technology makes it possible to increase renewables rapidly without growing curtailment problems. These plants can turn “on” and “off” several times per day, seamlessly complementing variable wind and solar generation without burning fossil fuels unnecessarily. Converting these plants to operate on renewable fuels - when available - will complete the Californian decarbonization transition making 100 percent clean electricity realistic, affordable, and reliable. It is important to note that having gas power plants running on renewable fuels in the capacity mix as the seasonal storage enables major reduction of battery storage and solar capacities, which will save both money and land. The ongoing crisis has emphasized the need to focus on solutions that can be deployed today without dramatically increasing the cost of electricity. Rather than an either/or situation, California can choose both by continuing the state’s deployment of solar plus storage and updating its clean electricity mandates to formally recognize thermal power plants running on renewable fuels — including methane and hydrogen produced with excess solar and wind energy — as renewable and net-zero-carbon generation. By deploying optimal amounts of solar, wind, battery storage, and fast-start, flexible thermal generation, California can retire all of its once-through-cooling power plants by 2023, run on 100 percent clean electricity by 2040, all while saving land and money in the course of building a renewable energy future.

Jussi Heikkinen is the Director, Growth & Development at Wärtsilä’s Energy Business for Wärtsilä North America. The company’s energy storage business unit is based in the Bay Area. He can be reached at jussi.heikkinen@ wartsila.com, and is one of the lead architects of the company’s Path to 100% initiative2.

Wärtsilä North America /// www.wartsila.com/energy 1

Decarbonizing to meet ambitious renewable energy goals, while minimizing land use, emissions and cost,will require new approaches and ways of thinking. One promising approach is power-togas (PtG) technology.

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

https://www.pathto100.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ path-to-100-renewables-for-california.pdf 2 https://www.pathto100.org/

This year, we’re ready to host the renewable energy community safely and in-person.

SPI, ESI, and Smart Energy Week in-person & online

20-23 September | New Orleans, LA, USA (with virtual session & exhibition options) Registration now open www.smartenergyweek.com

North American Clean Energy

eventscalendar MAY 04-05

Transform USA 2021

Online & On-Demand; www.reutersevents.com

Solar Braindate

Virtual Event – 9am - 3pm; nergica.com/en/braindate-solaire/

13-14

Optimizing Renewable Supply Chains

Digital Access; infocastinc.com

18-20

Federation of NY Solid Waste Associations

Virtual Event; www.nyfederation.org

JUNE 02-03

Solar and Energy Storage Northeast

Virtual Education; events.solar/northeast/

07-10

CLEANPOWER 2021 Virtual Event

Virtual Event; www.cleanpower.org

09-10

Solar and Energy Storage Northeast

Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel – Boston, MA; events.solar/northeast/

15-16

ACORE Finance Forum

Virtual Event; www.acorefinanceforum.org

Canadian Energy Transition Event

Virtual Event – 1pm - 4pm; nergica.com/en/evenement-transition/

20-22

Siting and Environmental Compliance Virtual Summit 2021

Virtual Event; www.cleanpower.org

21-25

American Clean Power Week (ACPW)

TBD; www.cleanpower.org

21-25

Global Energy Transition

Digital Conference & Exhibition; reutersevents.com/events

JULY 14-15

ISNA and ESNA Digital Summit

Virtual Event; www.intersolar.us

AUGUST 25-26

O&M and Safety Conference 2021

Kalahari Resorts and Conventions – Round Rock, TX; www.cleanpower.org

SEPTEMBER 20-23

Solar Power International 2021

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – New Orleans, LA; www.solarpowerinternational.com

20-23

Energy Storage International

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – New Orleans, LA; www.solarpowerinternational.com

20-23

North America Smart Energy Week

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – New Orleans, LA; www.solarpowerinternational.com

27-30

Resource & Project Energy Assessment Virtual Summit 2021

Virtual Event; www.cleanpower.org

OCTOBER 11-12

Solar and Energy Storage Southeast

Georgia World Congress Center – Atlanta, GA; events.solar/southeast/

13-15

AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition 2021

Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport – Boston, MA; www.cleanpower.org

NOVEMBER 04

Connected Microgrid Event

Virtual Event – 9am - 12pm; nergica.com/en/evenement-microreseaux/

09-11

Solar Power Mexico

Centro Citibanamex – Mexico City, MX; www.hfmexico.mx/solarpowermexico/

DECEMBER 07-08

CLEANPOWER 2021 Conference & Exhibition

Salt Palace Convention Center – Salt Lake City, UT; www.cleanpower.org

JANUARY 13-15

Intersolar North America

Long Beach Convention Center – Long Beach, CA; www.intersolar.us

Send us your clean energy show and event listings. Email information to the editor at editor@nacleanenergy.com

MAY• JUNE2021 /// www.nacleanenergy.com

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North American Clean Energy

North American Clean Energy May/June 2021 Issue

Articles inside

Tough Projects Need the Right Racking Hardware

Risk Ready Solar: Systems thinking key to tackling Mother Nature’s worst

Charging the Kings of the Road: Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification and the utility grid

Survival of the Fittest: Protect your power source with a turbine retrofit

Coping with Texas-Sized Weather: How localized generation can alleviate future problems

In Search of Emissionality