NREL News Release:

NREL Connects EVs and Grid Integration

January 31, 2013

Enlarge image

NREL scientist Michael Kuss of the NREL Electric Vehicle Grid Integration Team reads data from test electric vehicles at the Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF).
Credit: Dennis Schroeder

Engineers working at the Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF) enjoy a stunning view of the Denver skyline. However, some days the view includes Denver's 'brown cloud' — air pollution caused in part by vehicle emissions. While disheartening, the brown cloud helps the engineers focus on future technologies that will drastically reduce — and ultimately eliminate — those emissions.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are advancing a more sustainable transportation future by incorporating advanced electric vehicle technology, expanded use of renewable energy resources for vehicle charging, and grid integration.

"Our goal is to target the key innovations necessary to accelerate the rate of adoption for electric drive vehicles," said Bob Rehn, group manager for testing and analysis at NREL's Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems (CTTS). "In addition, our efforts are focused on scenarios that will incorporate expanded use of renewable energy resources to charge those vehicles."

The Right Tool for the Job

Enlarge image

Denver's 'brown cloud' (seen here in the background) is motivation and inspiration for the NREL researchers working on cleaner vehicle technology at the VTIF.
Credit: Dennis Schroeder

The VTIF, which has been in operation for just over a year, was built with a specific focus on testing electric vehicles, charging options, and grid integration, all of which are critical for expanded transportation infrastructure around plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).

"There are a lot of entities investigating components of electric vehicles, grid integration, or infrastructure," said NREL Vehicle Systems Engineer Mike Simpson. "There are very few places looking at how they all come together as a much larger, connected system. This facility was designed from the ground up to specifically address that intersection point."

Capabilities at the VTIF include vehicle energy management within smart grids, vehicle charge integration with renewable energy resources, bi-directional vehicle charge testing and demonstration, and vehicle thermal management. Four test bays at the facility allow for multiple tests to be conducted at once in controlled environments and can accommodate a wide variety of vehicles, including one test bay built specifically to conduct testing on heavy-duty vehicles. An upcoming addition to the facility is an 18-kilowatt solar array, which will be tied directly to vehicle charging and will allow researchers to do expanded work around the use of solar energy to charge electric vehicles within microgrids.

Better Charges and Better Grids

Further advances in how electric vehicles charge — and how they interact with power grids while charging — is critical to the future deployment of PEV technology. Much of the work being done at the VTIF is centered on this effort and is being done in collaboration with efforts at NREL's new Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF).

"We're bringing together systems that have never had a reason to talk to one another before," Simpson said. "There are enormous opportunities to bring value to this intersection of vehicle and grid, which will increase adoption of these technologies."

Key VTIF research is focused around smart charging. Smart charging involves direct communication between a vehicle and a charging station, bringing information that allows grid operators, charging stations, and potentially the vehicles themselves to decide when and how to charge the vehicle. The average electric vehicle sits, undriven, for 20 to 22 hours out of a day, but only takes 2 to 4 hours to charge using current technology. This makes an electric vehicle a very flexible load on the power grid.

This flexibility creates opportunities for NREL researchers focused on smart charging applications that will leverage the most economical and environmentally sustainable charging options — all while still allowing for on-demand use of the vehicle by the driver.

A four-hour fill up doesn't quite compete with gasoline engines for on-the-road demand, so engineers are exploring scenarios for fast charging. A fast charge can potentially recharge an electric vehicle in 15 to 25 minutes if the battery is close to empty. This technology employs the conversion of alternating current (AC) grid power to direct current (DC) power, which can be delivered directly to the battery pack. This method allows for faster charges using smaller charging equipment.

Additionally, VTIF researchers are exploring opportunities for bi-directional charging. Bi-directional, or vehicle-to-grid (V2G), charging employs smart charging capabilities but also allows for the vehicle to discharge back to the grid, which turns the vehicle battery into a grid storage device. This capability is of particular interest when combined with microgrids. A microgrid is a potentially self-sufficient segment of the grid that is connected to the power grid at large but has the ability to provide and manage its own energy. In a future scenario where there may be variable production from intermittent renewable sources, readily available storage could buffer that variability. With bi-directional charging, electric vehicles have the potential to play that role, and the vehicle becomes an asset in a smart grid or microgrid. Particular areas of interest for this technology emerge around emergency backup power or the use of vehicle fleets for this purpose.

"We need to be exploring all of the different value streams to enable wider electric vehicle adoption and improved interaction with the grid," Simpson said. "We can implement all of these different tactics in harmony with one another here at the VTIF. It's a very exciting opportunity."

Expanding the Use of Renewables with the Green Signal

Enlarge image

NREL Vehicle Systems Engineer Mike Simpson connects a direct current (DC) battery from an electric vehicle to a grid charging system that supplements the grid with stored electricity from the vehicle.
Credit: Dennis Schroeder

The next big step for PEVs is expanding the use of renewable energy as a resource for charging. This involves utilizing enhanced smart charging technology to charge vehicles when the most renewable resources are available on the grid — often at the lowest possible cost to consumers. NREL has developed a specific technique for integrating detailed real-time data into a charge management algorithm, referred to as the 'Green Signal.'

The Green Signal would monitor the availability of renewable resources, as well as utility market prices. It would charge the vehicle when the renewable resources are most available and at the lowest possible cost per kilowatt hour. This gives consumers the opportunity to 'buy low' when their electricity cost is low while at the same time maximizing the use of renewables. The technology also monitors vehicle use times to ensure that the vehicle is fully charged when needed.

NREL will be exploring the Green Signal in the coming years using a fleet of electric vehicles plugged into onsite vehicle charging stations, which have been equipped with modified software to add this functionality.

"It's an exciting opportunity to bring more renewables into the equation in a cost-competitive way," Rehn said. "This software will allow us to enhance charging with solar or wind when it is at a cost that is equivalent to, or less than, that of conventional sources. By having a fleet of vehicles, we will be able to investigate doing this at a reasonable scale, being able to control individual chargers and vehicles at different times as the available resource is available, and we'll be able to develop the algorithms needed to evaluate when and how it makes the most sense to utilize this charging method."

Expanding Vehicle Range with Enhanced Thermal Management

Enlarge image

A car undergoes climate control analysis at NREL's VTIF.
Credit: Dennis Schroeder

Once an electric vehicle is charged and disconnected from the grid, the next important step involves maximizing the vehicle's range between charges. PEV range can be reduced 30% to 45% due to heating and cooling, so NREL engineers are investigating opportunities to change this dynamic and increase range via vehicle thermal testing and analysis.

"Our focus is on improving the thermal efficiency of efficient electric vehicles, with specific emphasis on climate control," said NREL Senior Engineer John Rugh, who serves as task leader for the vehicle thermal management work taking place at the VTIF. "The impact of climate control on an electric vehicle can be huge, and we are working with industry partners to conduct these tests and assess technologies that will reduce climate control loads for both heating and cooling of the vehicles."

These tests, which take place outside on the VTIF's test pad, involve two heavily instrumented electric vehicles. The instruments measure temperatures on the interior and exterior of the vehicles during a 'thermal soak' when the vehicle is sitting in a parking lot or during a cool-down cycle after the vehicle has been powered. The temperatures are fed into a data acquisition system and recorded for future analysis. In addition, an onsite weather station immediately adjacent to the vehicles provides accurate weather data.

"One of the biggest concerns with electric vehicles is range," said Rugh. "The battery of an electric vehicle is a finite energy source at the beginning of a drive, so reducing loads related to climate control allows more of the battery capacity to go toward vehicle range. If we can accomplish that while at the same time maintaining or improving occupant comfort, it can go a long way toward increasing the range of the vehicles and hopefully lead to expanded adoption of these vehicles by consumers."

Plugging Into our Transportation Future

NREL researchers are keeping their eyes on the future and how the VTIF's increased capabilities could impact how we power transportation.

"We're very proud of this new facility and the potential impact that it can have," Rehn said. "It gives us an opportunity, working in collaboration with our industry partners and DOE, to better understand how all of these issues work together. This will lead to putting more electric vehicles on the street with a reduced cost of ownership and will allow them to be charged using the maximum possible amount of sustainable energy resources."

Learn more about NREL's Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems and VTIF.

— David Glickson

Another Angle on Transportation Fuels Reduction — Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Enlarge image

Tractor-trailer trucks undergoing thermal analysis at NREL's VTIF. The focus is on idle reduction for long-haul trucks, which use approximately 685 million gallons of diesel fuel in the United States each year for rest-period idling.
Credit: Dennis Schroeder

Research at NREL's Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF) will have a significant impact on the reduction of fuel use and vehicle emissions in another arena — heavy-duty vehicles.
The focus is on idle reduction for long-haul trucks, which use approximately 685 million gallons of diesel fuel in the United States each year for rest-period idling. This is about 6% to 7% of their total fuel use. One of the primary reasons for this idling is operating climate control and cabin comfort systems when the truck is not being driven.
"We're helping the heavy-duty vehicle industry reduce their fuel use," said NREL Senior Research Engineer Jason Lustbader, task leader for the heavy-duty vehicle climate control work taking place at the VTIF. "Our goal is to achieve at least a 30% reduction in climate control loads for these trucks with a three-year or better payback period for the industry by 2015."
Using test truck cabs located on the VTIF outdoor test pad, researchers are investigating a wide variety of cab thermal management technologies in collaboration with their industry partners. Electronically powered idle-reduction climate control systems in the cabs allow the engineers to look at the impacts of different technologies on the climate control loads.
A specific area of interest is paint. Research has shown a significant reduction in power needed for rest-period climate control just by switching the cab color from black to white. Engineers are investigating advanced paints that may look one color but behave and perform thermally like a different color. This could potentially allow trucking companies more flexibility when selecting paint colors — without sacrificing efficiency. This advanced paint work is currently being quantified through modeling and additional testing.
Another focus of this work is advanced insulation for truck cabs. Working with industry partners, researchers have shown a 34% reduction in the electrical power required for air conditioning by using advanced insulation materials.
"The VTIF is a perfect location to do this work," Lustbader said. "The south-facing test pad has no obstruction or shading and was designed specifically to facilitate this type of cab thermal management research."
The opportunities for consumer benefit by reducing costs of long-haul trucking are significant. Almost everything we purchase, from groceries to office supplies to fuel for our own vehicles, arrives via truck. So reducing the transport costs in any significant way will have an impact on the cost of those goods.
"We have an opportunity to make a real impact with these projects, an opportunity to reduce our national level fuel use and impact how we're using that fuel, in a way that can have a direct positive impact for industry and consumers," Lustbader said. "And we get to do some really fun engineering, too, solving complicated problems and helping move solutions forward to the point where it makes good sense for them to be used in the real world. That's what this type of research is all about."

C.H. Robinson Matches $20,000 in Donations to Cascade Sierra Solutions - C.H. Robinson

C.H. Robinson Matches $20,000 in Donations to Cascade Sierra Solutions - C.H. Robinson

GE Press Release:

First-of-its-Kind Home Showcase Offers an Innovative Experience for Seeing and Selecting GE Appliances

Downloads

January 31, 2013

• MainStreet America® is first venue of its kind to include show homes in addition to dining, retail, entertainment and educational opportunities for consumers
• GE appliances are included in several of the venue’s show homes, allowing visitors to see and shop within completely decorated and functional homes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jan. 31, 2013 — (NYSE: GE) — GE appliances are featured in four homes in the newMainStreet America® shopping and entertainment destination in Spring, Texas. MainStreet America is a first-of-its-kind educational, shopping and entertainment destination centered on the home, where consumers, designers and builders, among others, can shop and get new ideas.

Operating as showrooms, the homes offer visitors the unique opportunity to shop for furnishings and products within the full context of a completely decorated and functional home. The 12 homes in the Park feature a wide range of architectural styles, interior décor and square footage.

“One of the unique highlights of the Park is that guests can access instant information on desired products in each showcase home through their use of our specially designed, hand-held Technological Education Device we call TED,” states Mike Feigin, owner of MainStreet America and Design Tech Homes.

Utilizing the latest in scanning technology, the TED device will allow users to wave over a programmed product tag to initiate audio and/or visual feedback. If visitors are interested in a particular GE appliance, TED will access its list of features, provide buying information and create a virtual shopping list that will be emailed to the visitor.

“MainStreet America offers visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand how appliances would suit their own home,” says Steve Anderson, marketing manager at GE Appliances. “Designers and consumers can envision how appliances would enhance their designs and lives, and the revolutionary setting will make the experience even more enjoyable and valuable.”

GE has outfitted the homes with a variety of appliances, some of which include:

• 42” Monogram® Outdoor Cooking Center combines 25,000 BTU stainless steel burners that offer precise control across a wide spectrum of temperature settings, and Gourmet Radiant™ trays that ensure even heat distribution and reduce flare-ups.
• Profile™ Built-In Gas Cooktop features a 20,000 BTU tri-ring burner that offers the flexibility of three different burners and an interchangeable griddle that creates instant expanded cook space.
• GeoSpring™ Hybrid Water Heater combines energy-saving heat-pump technology with traditional electric heating systems and saves the average consumer $325 every year on their utility bills.*
• GE® Café™ 24.6 Cu. Ft. Counter-Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator makes it possible to have the look of a built-in refrigerator without the added expense. Stainless steel sides and modern touches complement your contemporary kitchen from every angle.
• GE Profile Dishwasher with SmartDispense™ Technology features a DeepClean™ cycle with Steam Prewash to remove tough, baked-on soils like egg, rice and oatmeal. Also offers five-stage filtration with Piranha™ hard food disposer, ensuring clean dishes.
• Monogram Built-In Oven with Advantium®, boasting speedcook, convection, microwave and warming capabilities, delivers oven-quality results up to eight times faster than conventional cooking methods with no preheating.

MainStreet America opens to the public the first week of February 2013. More information on the attraction, including hours and visitor rates, can be found at http://www.mainstreetamerica.com/.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or check out our website for more information Friend GE Appliances on Facebook to view how-to videos, learn about new GE appliances and join in the discussion with other GE appliance owners. Join today and follow @GE_Appliances on Twitter or just locate detailed information about our products at www.geappliances.com.

About GE AppliancesGE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. In 2012, GE was named the preferred appliance brand with builders by Builder magazine, and the preferred appliance brand with new-home shoppers by Lifestory Research. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

About MainStreet America®MainStreet America® is a year-round showcase of homes where people will be inspired, informed and empowered to build or remodel their home. Positioned as a truly innovative concept in shopping for new homes and related services, MainStreet America is the only venue of its kind in the country with dining, retail, entertainment and educational opportunities added to the blend of activities. MainStreet America is located in Houston, Texas, one of the nation’s healthiest housing markets making Houston perhaps the perfect locale for unveiling a new beacon of hope symbolic of the promise that the American dream is alive and well. For more information on MainStreet America, visit its Facebook page or follow @MainStAmerica1 on Twitter.

*Based on DOE test procedure and comparison of a 50-gallon standard electric tank water heater using 4879 kWh every year vs. the GeoSpring hybrid water heater using 1830 kWh every year.

GE Press Release:

GE Introduces 2.5-120, the World’s Most Efficient High-Output Wind Turbine—the First Brilliant Wind Turbine

Downloads

January 31, 2013

• Combines World-Class Efficiency and Power Output at Low Wind Speed Sites, Delivering Lower Cost of Electricity for Customers
• The 2.5-120 is GE’s First Brilliant Wind Turbine Integrating Energy Storage, Advanced Controls and Forecasting Algorithms
• Analyzing and Communicating Tens of Thousands of Data Points a Second, Driving Higher Wind Farm Output, Services Productivity and New Revenue Streams for Customers

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—January 31, 2013—Today, GE (NYSE: GE) announced the 2.5-120, the world’s most efficient high-output and the first brilliant wind turbine. The 2.5-120 is the first wind turbine to bring together world-class efficiency and power output at low wind speed sites, capturing a 25 percent increase in efficiency and a 15 percent increase in power output compared to GE’s current model.

The turbine’s high efficiency and high output unlock higher returns for wind farm operators at low wind speed sites. The turbine’s advanced controls enable its 120-meter rotor, resulting in increased energy capture and greater power output in low-wind areas. The taller tower, which has a maximum hub height of 139 meters, makes it ideal for heavily forested regions in places like Europe and Canada.

“Our 2.5-120 is the first wind turbine that utilizes the Industrial Internet to help manage the intermittency of wind, providing smooth, predictable power to the world regardless of what Mother Nature throws its way,” said Vic Abate, vice president of GE’s renewable energy business. ”Analyzing tens of thousands of data points every second, the 2.5-120 integrates energy storage and advanced forecasting algorithms while communicating seamlessly with neighboring turbines, service technicians and customers.”

This advanced technology drives higher wind farm output than GE’s current offerings, improves services productivity and creates new revenue streams for customers.

Over the past year, GE has successfully demonstrated the integration of wind power and energy storage at its facility in California, delivering predictable power to the grid. The first prototype of the 2.5-120 will be installed in the Netherlands next month.

The 2.5-120 also minimizes sound emissions to meet the strictest noise requirements through advanced controls technology. In addition, the new wind turbine is optimized for IEC Wind Class III and DIBT WZ2 standards. The 2.5-120 is available for 50 and 60 Hz applications.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

About GE Power & Water

GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar, biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Services, Renewable Energy, Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.

Follow GE Power & Water and GE’s renewables business on Twitter @GE_PowerWater and @GErenewables.

GE Press Release:

GE’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure Improves Metering and Asset Monitoring Capabilities for Electrical Distributors Globally

Downloads

January 31, 2013

• Grid IQ Advanced Metering Infrastructure Point-to-Multipoint Solution Provides Secure, Scalable, High-Capacity and Long-Range Wireless Coverage of a Utility’s Complete Service Territory
• Utilizes Wireless Platform from On-Ramp Wireless Inc. to Monitor Multiple Applications on a Single Network
• Includes GE’s Smart Metering Operations Suite to Help Utilities Collect, Process and Analyze Metering Data and Help Consumers Understand Their Energy Usage

SAN DIEGO—January 31, 2013—Expanding on its growing line of grid modernization solutions to help global utilities solve real-world challenges, GE’s (NYSE: GE) Digital Energy business has introduced its Grid IQ^(TM)advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) Point-to-Multipoint (P2MP) solution, which provides secure, scalable, high-capacity and long-range wireless coverage of a utility’s complete service territory and assets—rural, urban, suburban and underground.

The wide-range metering capabilities of the Grid IQ AMI P2MP solution enable a utility to capture meter data across expansive geographical territories—from urban to rural areas—with minimal network infrastructure. In rural Minnesota, East Central Energy (ECE) has launched a Grid IQ AMI P2MP pilot to assess the solution’s ability to capture meter readings over ECE’s 4,800 square miles of territory, requiring only 34 Grid IQ AMI P2MP access points.

“Without a long-range AMI solution like GE’s Grid IQ P2MP, comparable levels of coverage could cost ECE millions of dollars in network infrastructure,” said Linda LaTourelle, IT manager, East Central Energy. “The Grid IQ AMI P2MP solution, when fully deployed, would provide the coverage and metering capabilities necessary to maintain a reliable, efficient electrical grid for our members, while greatly reducing the time it takes to realize a return on our initial investment.”

Built on On-Ramp Wireless Inc.’s next generation wireless technology, the Grid IQ AMI P2MP also can monitor multiple distribution-sensing applications, such as smart meters, transformers, fault circuit indicators and other grid assets, under one unified network, accelerating the utility return on investment. By gathering data from all of these devices, a utility can use its back-end applications to monitor and analyze the data to improve grid reliability and outage prevention, while reducing costs associated with installing additional infrastructure and performing routine maintenance on networks for multiple, different applications.

The Grid IQ P2MP AMI solution includes GE’s Smart Metering Operations Suite (SMOS), a complete meter, data and transaction management system for smart metering operations. Designed to deliver industry leading scalability, performance, security and extensibility, SMOS collects data, which enables consumers to stay informed on how they are using energy, allowing them to make smarter future energy decisions. Insights into consumer energy usage provided by the software may encourage users to shift their time of high-energy usage to off-peak hours or to reduce the amount of energy they are using all together.

In addition, the system meets or exceeds all grid modernization communication requirements, including those recommended by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. These requirements include specific security guarantees, reliable data delivery, redundancy, availability, remote upgradeability, logging, event alarms, a greater-than 20-year battery life for certain applications and complete network management capabilities.

Grid IQ AMI P2MP solution and SMOS are part of GE’s comprehensive advanced metering infrastructure solution portfolio, which includes smart meters, communication solutions and software applications.

GE’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visit http://www.gedigitalenergy.com.

This announcement was made at the DistribuTECH 2013 trade show, which runs from January 29-31. For additional information on GE announcements, please visit the GE Digital Energy Press Room.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Energy Management and its Digital Energy business on Twitter @GE_EnergyMgmt and@YourSmartGrid.

GE Press Release:

Southern California Edison Chooses GE-Led Collaboration for Transmission System Protection

Downloads

January 30, 2013

• Centralized Remedial Action Scheme Project to Coordinate Operations, Improve Grid Reliability
• System Minimizes Risk of System-Wide Outages
• Cisco, Instep Software and Systems Integration Specialists Company, Inc. (SISCO) Provide Key Technologies

SAN DIEGO—January 30, 2013—Southern California Edison (SCE), electric service provider for Southern, Central and Coastal California, has called on GE (NYSE: GE) to provide a centralized remedial action scheme (CRAS) solution to facilitate the operation of multiple remedial action schemes. Operating in conjunction with the previously installed XA/21 energy management system from GE, the CRAS will detect abnormal conditions on the power grid and automatically select and initiate the appropriate high-speed control action in order to preserve grid stability and protect key elements of SCE’s transmission network.

SCE’s current distributed remedial action schemes (RAS) manage the operation of its electrical grid following the loss of one or more transmission lines. The CRAS project improves the efficiency of SCE’s transmission grid operations by centralizing the control logic for the various RAS in one location, resulting in reduced commissioning costs, maintenance efficiencies and more effective processing of generation interconnect requests designed to meet renewable energy portfolio targets. As the remedial action scheme framework is built out, the reliability of SCE’s grid operations also will be improved by coordinating operations, eliminating greater than necessary generation and/or load tripping and broadening the effectiveness of the protection logic for any given RAS.

The project, spearheaded by GE, will utilize a SISCO controller to carry out algorithms for the RAS and will feature an advanced communications network from Cisco capable of meeting the needs of Southern California Edison’s electrical grid. These two components work hand-in-hand with GE’s XA/21 system to create a real-time control framework capable of meeting SCE’s stringent requirement of 50 msec control response.

“GE’s centralized remedial action scheme will enhance the stability and reliability of Southern California Edison’s electrical grid,” said Michael Carlson, general manager—software solutions for GE’s Digital Energy business. “The new CRAS is a prime example of GE’s company-wide commitment to innovatively solving our customers’ toughest challenges with efficient, reliable and sustainable energy solutions.”

The centralized remedial action scheme will utilize state-of-the-art protection, control and data transmission technologies over an extensive high-speed telecommunication network to enhance grid reliability. In addition to supplying Southern California Edison with a highly available production environment for CRAS, GE also will provide development and quality assurance/test environments to support ongoing CRAS operation.

This announcement was made at the DistribuTECH 2013 trade show, which runs from January 29-31. For additional information on GE announcements, please visit the GE Digital Energy Press Room.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Energy Management and its Digital Energy business on Twitter @GE_EnergyMgmt@YourSmartGrid.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

GE Press Release:

GE Grid Automation—Multilin and Systems Control Sign a Letter of Intent to Offer a Packaged Substation Solution

Downloads

January 30, 2013

• Provides Customers with a One-Stop Solution for Drop-in Packaged Solutions for Distribution Applications—from Engineering, Design to Building and Supply of Complete Hardware, Ready for Site Installation and Commissioning
• Delivers a Complete, Customized Solution for Utility and Industrial Customers Looking for a Total Protection and Control Package
• Creates a New, Highly Competitive Strategic Alliance in North American Transmission and Distribution Industry

SAN DIEGO—January 30, 2013—GE (NYSE: GE) Grid Automation and Systems Control, a GE customer, announced that they have signed a letter of intent to form a strategic relationship designed to provide utility and industrial customers in North America with a complete, modular packaged solution that can be “dropped in” to new or existing distribution electrical grid infrastructures. By purchasing this “dropped in” solution, customers no longer need to work with multiple vendors to build, engineer and integrate a new substation and control package—helping them to better control costs and make implementation easier.

“By working with GE Grid Automation—Multilin to offer their modular solutions, along with our own customized substation control houses, we can remove a layer of complexity for our customers,” said Al Bloniarz, senior vice president, Systems Control. “With this new Drop-in Protection & Control Packaged Solution, our customers will no longer need to coordinate the construction of their substation with multiple vendors. Instead, we will be able to deliver a fully functional, high-quality, factory-tested substation protection and control solution quickly.”

By using GE’s Packaged Solutions—a fully integrated, quickly deployable, modular set of solutions and services for the protection, control and automation of power systems applications—combined with Systems Control’s extensive capability in drop-in control houses, engineering and integration services, customers will be able to order a complete substation protection and control package and have it pre-fabricated, delivered and ready to be installed at their site. By utilizing a packaged solution, customers can take advantage of cost-effective, repetitive solutions to optimize their designs and installations, as well as the associated need for operation and maintenance.

“We are pleased to announce this broader relationship with Systems Control which builds on our already successful relationship with them as a highly valued GE customer,” said Juan Macias, general manger, Grid Automation. “We design our Packaged Solutions offerings to make them convenient for our customers and this solution further simplifies the process of introducing a substation protection and control system into the infrastructure of a utility or industrial customer.”

The GE and Systems Control Drop-in Protection & Control Packaged Solution for utility and industrial distribution applications will be available starting in the beginning of the second quarter 2013.

GE Grid Automation, part of GE’s Digital Energy business, is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visithttp://www.gedigitalenergy.com/.

Systems Control, with a well-respected reputation for its experience and capability in the T&D segments, brings an extensive value to this alliance. Systems Control is one of the North America’s largest Control Houses, Control & Relay Panel solutions and engineering integration companies with broad experience of working with large North American utilities. For more information, visit http://www.systemscontrol.com.

This announcement was made at the DistribuTECH 2013 trade show, which runs from January 29-31. For additional information on GE announcements, please visit the GE Digital Energy Press Room.

About Systems Control
Systems Control, a division of Northern Star Industries, is the leader in North America for providing engineering and integrated solutions for over 50 years to the Utility, Oil, Gas and Petrochem markets. Whatever the complexity? Whatever the parameters? Systems Control provides the total solution – the completely integrated turnkey engineered to perform solution. For more information, visit the company’s website atwww.systemscontrol.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Energy Management and its Digital Energy business on Twitter @GE_EnergyMgmt and@YourSmartGrid.

Coca-Cola/Hickory Ridge and Watauga County Landfill Projects Recognized for Transforming Waste into a Green Community Asset

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:January 30, 2013
Coca-Cola/Hickory Ridge and Watauga County Landfill Projects Recognized for Transforming Waste into a Green Community Asset

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized two regional landfills for generating renewable energy from a local source while protecting the climate, providing energy savings and strengthening the economy.

 Regional awardees include:

Coca-Cola and Hickory Ridge Landfill Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Project, Conley, Ga.: Mas Energy, the Coca-Cola Company, and Republic Services developed a project that provides Coca-Cola’s Atlanta Syrup Plant with a continuous supply of green electricity, steam, and chilled water. This project, the first landfill gas energy project for Coca-Cola, supplies nearly all of the plant’s energy needs and results in real energy savings for the company.

 Watauga County Landfill Small Electricity Project, Boone, N.C.: Watauga County developed this model 186 kilowatt (kW) project at a small, unlined landfill closed for 18 years by creatively employing modified automotive engines and the assistance of the Appalachian State University (ASU) Energy Center. The project provides economic benefits for the county and one-of-a-kind research opportunities for ASU students and faculty.

 In total, eight landfill methane utilization projects and partners from across the U.S. will be recognized at the 16^th Annual Landfill Methane Outreach Program Conference in Baltimore, Md. on January 30, 2013.

 This year's eight winning projects and partners will avoid the emissions equal to the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from more than 52,000 passenger vehicles. The seven electricity-generating projects total approximately 50 megawatts of generation capacity, and the direct-use project uses 50 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas.

 The remaining six awardees include: Gundersen Health System and La Crosse County Landfill Combined Heat and Power Project (Wis.), Landfill Energy Systems (Mich.), Lycoming County Landfill Dual Cogeneration and Electricity Project (Pa.), Millersville Landfill Electricity Project (Md.), Olinda Alpha Landfill Combined Cycle Project (Calif.), and St. Landry Parish Landfill Compressed Natural Gas Project (La.).

EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that reduces GHG emissions by supporting landfill gas energy project development. The program has assisted with more than 560 landfill gas energy projects over the past 18 years, transforming waste into a green community asset. The U.S. currently has about 600 operational landfill gas energy projects.

 More information: http://www.epa.gov/lmop

###

NREL News Release:

NREL Seeks Leaders for National Executive Energy Academy

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Applications are currently being accepted for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) 2013 Executive Energy Leadership Academy. NREL's Executive Energy Leadership Academy, also known as Energy Execs, is a leadership program for non-technical decision-makers throughout the country to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools and financing. Leaders in government, communities, non-profits and the private sector are eligible.

There are two Energy Execs learning opportunities, including the Leadership Program and the Leadership Institute. Both programs are designed to provide executive decision-makers with information and tools to guide their organizations and communities in energy-related planning.

"Private industry, higher education and government rely on leaders with vision and drive to make the transition to sustainable, secure, clean electricity and fuel," NREL Director Dan Arvizu said. "NREL's Energy Execs programs play an important role in bringing those leaders together to learn about what is possible and to strategize about market-viable solutions."

Representatives from 150 industry, government, and non-profit organizations have completed the program since 2007. Participants are selected from a national pool of candidates.

Candidates can apply for one of two programs. NREL's Leadership Program is a traditional, comprehensive program for executives with an interest in an in-depth exploration of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, applications, and issues. It requires travel to Golden, Colo., and attendance once a month for five months. It includes five three-day sessions completed May through September.

NREL's Leadership Institute is a shorter, condensed program that includes one three-day workshop session in May.

Learn more about Energy Execs and apply online at NREL's Executive Energy Leadership Academy. The application deadline is March 8, 2013.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

###

License will lead to faster-charging batteries for phones, electric vehicles

PNNL News Release:

License will lead to faster-charging batteries for phones, electric vehicles

January 30, 2013 

• Greg Koller, PNNL, (509) 372-4864
• Frances White, PNNL, (509) 375-6904

Cell phone batteries could be charged in minutes

• Download Original Image
  Vorbeck Materials has licensed an enhanced battery technology that was developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and could reduce the time it takes to charge cell phones and other battery-powered devices from hours to minutes. Pictured here is a PNNL lab test for lithium ion batteries.

RICHLAND, Wash. – An enhanced battery technology that can potentially reduce the time it takes to charge cell phones, electric vehicles and other battery-powered devices from hours to minutes is the subject of a commercial license agreement between Battelle andVorbeck Materials Corp. of Jessup, Md.  Battelle operates the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. 

The agreement will allow Vorbeck to bring lithium batteries incorporating Vor-X® graphene technology to market for use in consumer portable electronic and medical devices, tools and electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and are widely used in electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones, and to power electric cars and trucks.

"Today, a typical cell phone battery takes between two and five hours to fully recharge, and an electric vehicle has to be plugged in most of the night to recharge," explained John Lettow, president of Vorbeck Materials. "The pioneering work done by Vorbeck, Princeton University, and PNNL is leading to the development of batteries that recharge quickly, reducing the time it takes to charge a smartphone to minutes and an electric vehicle to just a couple of hours." 

Lettow noted the research effort also could lead to the development of batteries that are more stable, have a longer life and store larger amounts of energy.

"We are very pleased to add this substantial portfolio of graphene-based battery technologies, developed with PNNL and Princeton, to our already very strong graphene patent portfolios in conductive inks, printed electronics, composite materials, and energy storage," added Lettow.

"This license is the culmination of a substantial investment of laboratory-directed research and development funds, innovative work by our researchers and a proactive patenting strategy recently deployed at PNNL," said Cheryl Cejka, the national laboratory's director of technology commercialization. "PNNL is a leader in linking research to real-world impact, so we are thrilled to see a company like Vorbeck bring our technology to US consumers."

Electronics and auto manufacturers would like to develop the next generation of batteries using low-cost materials such as titanium dioxide to replace the more expensive materials used today. But titanium dioxide on its own doesn't perform well enough to serve as a replacement.

Recently, PNNL researchers collaborated with Vorbeck to develop a method for building tiny titanium oxide and carbon structures and then demonstrated that small quantities of Vor-X® graphene — a good electronic conductor made from ultra-thin sheets of carbon atoms — can dramatically improve the performance of the batteries, especially with respect to how rapidly the batteries can be charged. 

Structural analysis studies of the material were conducted with scientists at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE national user facility located at PNNL. When they compared how well the new combination of electrode materials charged and discharged electric current, the electrodes containing graphene outperformed the standard titanium dioxide by up to three times. 

Lettow noted the Vorbeck-PNNL team recently received a grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, to develop advanced battery chemistries, and has contracts with major manufacturers for graphene-based printed electronics and battery systems. "As a result, Vorbeck anticipates continued breakthroughs, new patents and rapid commercialization of the new technology in consumer goods," he said. "Prototypes of Vorbeck's battery technologies were already on display earlier this month at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas."

---

Vorbeck Materials Corp. is a U.S.-based technology and manufacturing company established in 2006 to develop products using Vor-x^®, Vorbeck's patented graphene technology, initially developed at Princeton University. Vorbeck launched the world's first commercial graphene product with the introduction of Vor-ink^TM, a graphene-based conductive ink for electronics applications. Vorbeck also develops and manufactures products using Vor-X graphene for use in elastomer and plastic composites, high-performance fibers, anti-corrosive coatings, and batteries. Vorbeck's aim is to use graphene as the basis for innovative technologies that break performance barriers and create higher-profit solutions for clients compared to conventional products.Vorbeck Materials is the first and only company to receive EPA approval for the commercial production and sale of graphene-based products.

Tags: Energy, Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Energy Efficiency, Energy Conservation, PHEVs, Batteries,Commercial Partnerships

EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, is a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Science.  Located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., EMSL offers an open, collaborative environment for scientific discovery to researchers around the world. Its integrated computational and experimental resources enable researchers to realize important scientific insights and create new technologies. Follow EMSL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science.  PNNL employs 4,500 staff, has an annual budget of nearly $1 billion, and has been managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by Ohio-based Battelle since the laboratory's inception in 1965. For more information, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, LinkedInand Twitter.