The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has developed an analytical tool that quantifies the value and assesses the cost-effectiveness of energy storage. The software enables utilities, regulators and other stakeholders to determine the economics of energy storage and better assess its viability and role in their systems. The tool was recently demonstrated in an analysis …Continue Reading
Semiconductor manufacturer Soitec is to integrate Maxwell Technologies’ ultracapacitor-based energy storage system into its concentrated photovoltaic system at UC San Diego. The project, made possible with a $1.39 million contract awarded to Maxwell by the California Energy Commission’s Research and Development, aims to improve the integration of solar power into the electric grid. Ultracapacitors are …Continue Reading
Anticipated reserves of electric capacity above and beyond supply are expected to be below targeted levels in Texas for the second summer in a row, according to North American Electric Reliability Corporation data. Meanwhile, despite an overall improvement in its reserve picture, California’s reserves may be a concern under extreme weather and adverse supply conditions this summer, according to NAERC’s 2013 …Continue Reading
Urban Electric Power (UEP) partnered with the City University of New York (CUNY), Con Edison and the New York State Energy Research & Development Agency (NYSERDA) to develop a 100 kW zinc-nickel oxide, lead-free battery system that can undergo 5,000 deep discharge cycles while retaining 80 percent of their capacity. The GreenCat Zn-NiO battery can …Continue Reading
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Energy Commission unveiled a battery energy storage system pilot project in San Jose, Calif., to better balance power needs of the electric grid. The Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage System Pilot Project charges batteries when demand is low and then sends reserved power to the grid …Continue Reading
Shanghai ISSON Power Quality installed 126 of Maxwell Technologies’ 125V heavy transportation modules in a power system that operates 26 ship-to-shore cranes for loading and unloading container ships at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port. The ultracapacitor installation stabilizes voltage and smooths the fluctuation of the power output for the electric cranes, allowing for uninterrupted operations. Simultaneous …Continue Reading
The US Army and Lockheed Martin commissioned the first Department of Defense (DoD) grid-tied microgrid integrating both renewable resources and energy storage at Fort Bliss, Texas. The project was funded by the DoD’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, and Lockheed Martin received the contract in 2010. The Fort Bliss grid-tied microgrid is designed to reduce …Continue Reading
Ideal Power Converters debuted a hybrid converter that can reduce costs and improve efficiency in systems that integrate solar energy with grid storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, at the National Innovation Conference in Washington, DC, last week. The 30kW, 3-port converter will hit the market later this year. The hybrid converter, which won the …Continue Reading
The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), along with the Army science and technology community, is pursuing technology for the Army’s Operational Energy Strategy, which is aiming for net-zero energy use. There are a number of technology areas enabling operational energy, such as energy storage, alternative energy sources, high-density power converters and micro grids that the …Continue Reading
Johnson Controls won a 2013 Edison Gold Award for its recent collaboration with the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM) for their work in the area of energy storage. Johnson Controls was presented with the gold award in the Living, Working and Learning Environments Category for its Energy Advancement and Research Lab and Showcase on …Continue Reading
