GE Introduces 1.85-82.5 Wind Turbine for Brazil’s Promising Wind Energy Sector

Press release from General Electric:

30 August 2012

GE Introduces 1.85-82.5 Wind Turbine for Brazil’s Promising Wind Energy Sector

 

• Newest Wind Turbine is Latest Evolution of GE Technology, Proven in Applications Worldwide
• Key Features Make the Technology a Fit for Brazil’s Demanding Wind Regimes
• Offers 8 Percent Increase in Annual Energy Production

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL—August 30, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) is introducing a wind turbine designed to meet the wind conditions in Brazil, one of the world’s most promising markets for onshore wind energy development. GE, North America’s leading wind turbine supplier, is featuring its new 1.85-82.5 wind turbine at the Brazil Windpower Conference in Rio de Janeiro, August 29-31.

The 1.85-82.5 wind turbine, which is IEC-certified for higher wind speed sites or environments, is the latest evolution of GE’s wind turbine technology and builds upon the vast and diverse experience of GE’s installed fleet of 18,000 wind turbines worldwide. The new turbine offers an 8 percent increase in annual energy production (AEP) at 9 m/s, which drives improved project economics for wind developers in higher wind regime sites.

GE’s proprietary Advanced Loads Control allows siting of the 82.5-meter rotor in more aggressive wind regimes, combining drive train sensors and capabilities of the Mark* Vle controller to individually pitch blades and improve load-handling performance. A sophisticated set of grid-friendly features will enable operators to meet stringent grid requirements in 60-hertz regions.

“With the introduction of the 1.85-82.5 wind turbine, we continue to advance our 1.5-megawatt class wind turbine product line, which has been proven in a wide range of wind regimes worldwide,” said Victor Abate, vice president of renewable energy at GE. “Focusing on performance, reliability, efficiency and multi-generational product evolution, the 1.85-82.5 is designed for Brazil’s growing wind energy requirements.”

GE technology already is well established in Brazil, with 300 GE wind turbines now installed in the country. Last year, GE secured agreements to supply wind and gas turbines for projects in Brazil that will produce 1.4 gigawatts of electricity—40 percent of the total amount awarded in energy auctions conducted by Brazil’s National Electric Power Agency. At AWEA Windpower 2012, GE announced that the Miassaba 2 and Aratua 1 wind farms, developed and implemented by Bioenergy, a pioneer in clean energy in Brazil, were the first projects in Latin America to enter operation with GE wind turbines.

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.

GE Celebrates 300 Wind Turbines Installed in Brazil

Press release from General Electric:

30 August 2012

GE Celebrates 300 Wind Turbines Installed in Brazil

 

• Brazil Installations Projected to Double over next Two Years
• GE Service Centers to Open in Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia, Employing 100 Technicians
• Best Producing Fleet in the Industry Exceeds Performance Expectations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL—August 30, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE), which this year is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in the wind industry, today announced that it has installed 300 wind turbines in Brazil. Over the next two years, GE will install more than 600 additional units in Brazil as it continues to grow in the region, the company reported at the Brazil Windpower Conference in Rio de Janeiro.

As the GE fleet expands, the company also is announcing its plans to open two local service centers by 2014, representing a $1.5 million investment in Brazil. The service centers will employ more than 100 service technicians and be located in Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia.

GE’s commitment to quality execution is its number one priority. “Execution is a differentiator for GE,” says Jean-Claude Robert, general manager of Latin America for GE’s renewable energy business. “We have delivered all of our projects on schedule, which allows our customers to meet their PPA requirements.”

Designing a product specifically for Brazil’s wind speeds has been a key investment for the region, and today GE announces its 1.85-82.5 turbine, which is based on GE’s proven 1.5-megawatt (MW) platform. Part of its $2 billion investment in renewable energy, GE’s 1.85-82.5 is designed to meet or exceed the historic 98.5 percent availability of the 1.5-MW platform and help improve project economics in higher wind regime sites by requiring fewer turbines per wind farm.

Wind power is the fastest growing source of power generation in Brazil.The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that the Brazilian wind sector installed 583 MW in 2011, bringing the country’s installed capacity up to more than 1,500 MW, an increase of 63 percent. The GWEC has identified Brazil as one of the world’s most promising onshore markets for wind energy for at least the next five years.

GE has been active in Brazil for more than 90 years and opened its wind energy office in Sao Paulo in 2009. The local team leverages GE’s global expertise of engineers, field service technicians and logistics excellence to ensure the highest quality and strongest execution is on point for customers in Brazil.

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’s renewable energy business on Twitter @GErenewables.

ARPA-E Announces $43 Million for Transformational Energy Storage Projects to Advance Electric Vehicle and Grid Technologies

Press release from the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

ARPA-E Announces $43 Million for Transformational Energy Storage Projects to Advance Electric Vehicle and Grid Technologies

August 2, 2012 - 10:34am

News Media Contact

• (202) 586-4940

WASHINGTON – The Department of Energy today announced that 19 transformative new projects will receive a total of $43 million in funding from the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to leverage the nation’s brightest scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to develop breakthrough energy storage technologies and support promising small businesses. These projects are supported through two new ARPA-E programs -- Advanced Management and Protection of Energy Storage Devices (AMPED) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) – and will focus on innovations in battery management and storage to advance electric vehicle technologies, help improve the efficiency and reliability of the electrical grid and provide important energy security benefits to America’s armed forces.

“This latest round of ARPA-E projects seek to address the remaining challenges in energy storage technologies, which could revolutionize the way Americans store and use energy in electric vehicles, the grid and beyond, while also potentially improving the access to energy for the U.S. military at forward operating bases in remote areas,” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. “These cutting-edge projects could transform our energy infrastructure, dramatically reduce our reliance on imported oil and increase American energy security.”

Twelve research projects are receiving $30 million in funding under the AMPED program, which aims to develop advanced sensing and control technologies that could dramatically improve and provide new innovations in safety, performance, and lifetime for grid-scale and vehicle batteries. Unlike other Department of Energy efforts to push the frontiers of battery chemistry, AMPED is focused on maximizing the potential of existing battery chemistries. These innovations will help reduce costs and improve the performance of next generation storage technologies, which could be applied in both plug-in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles. For example, Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, will develop an optical sensor to monitor the internal environment of a lithium-ion battery in real-time. 

ARPA-E is also announcing a total of $13 million for seven projects to enterprising small businesses to pursue cutting-edge energy storage developments for stationary power and electric vehicles.  These projects will develop new innovative battery chemistries and battery designs, continuing ARPA-E’s funding for storage technologies.  These awards are part of the larger Department-wide Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. For example, Energy Storage Systems, Inc., in Portland, Oregon, will construct a flow battery for grid scale storage using an advanced cell design and electrolyte materials composed of low cost iron.  The flow battery will have a target storage cost of less than $100/kWh, which could enable deployment of renewable energy technologies throughout the grid.

Information on all of the new AMPED and SBIR projects announced today is available HERE.


ARPA-E’s Principal Deputy Director Eric Toone announced the selected projects at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s event, the “New Age of Discovery: Government’s Role in Transformative Innovation,” in Washington, DC, where he spoke alongside former ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar.  

ARPA-E was launched in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment but have the potential to translate science into quantum leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. Prior to today’s announcement, ARPA-E has attracted over 5,000 applications from research teams, which have resulted in approximately 180 groundbreaking projects worth nearly $500 million.  More information on the program is available at www.arpa-e.energy.gov. 

CA Technologies Extends Leadership of Energy and Sustainability Management Market with New CA ecoSoftware Capabilities

Press Releases

CA Technologies Extends Leadership of Energy and Sustainability Management Market with New CA ecoSoftware Capabilities

Latest Release of CA ecoGovernance Leverages Advanced Functionality, Flexible Configuration and Global Scalability

ISLANDIA, N.Y., July 2, 2012 – CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) today announced CA ecoGovernance 3.0, a key offering in the CA ecoSoftwaresuite that is designed to help customers with corporate energy and sustainability management.

CA ecoGovernance is designed to enable organizations to accelerate energy and sustainability business performance with automated data management, analysis and reporting. It features project planning and management, scenario planning, portfolio management and supply chain management capabilities that help enable corporate energy and sustainability transformation.

The new version provides a wide range of enhancements driven by the feedback of customers actively engaged in forward-thinking energy and sustainability best practices. These include:

• Real time key performance indicators (KPIs) that leverage automatic metrics management to monitor data streams for increased visibility, and better alignment of energy and resource performance with major business objectives.

• Enhanced analytics in multiple areas, including facility performance normalized to weather data, business travel analysis, and project and portfolio cost benefit analysis specialized for energy, carbon, water and waste reduction initiatives.

• Out-of-the-box survey templates for supply chain and building assessments to quickly gather and process data from external suppliers, or from staff who manage different facilities.

• Enhancements to the GRI reporting functionality, including role-based GRI program management.

• Enhanced support for EPA ENERGY STAR® integration – which has been available in CA ecoSoftware since 2010 – that includes new benchmark trending and site type efficiency analysis designed to help organizations get more from their ENERGY STAR® benchmarks.

• Mobile energy and sustainability interfaces for people on-the-go, which range from survey data capture for roaming field staff to interactive dashboards for executives’ mobile devices.

These enhanced features build on CA ecoGovernance’s existing capabilities such as out-of-the-box support for multiple languages, the agility to adapt to complex customer needs via a highly powerful configuration engine which enables mapping to existing processes, SaaS and on-premise delivery options, and its proven ability to integrate with other enterprise systems.

CA ecoGovernance 3.0 is complemented by CA ecoMeter  for real-time operational energy management and CA ecoDesktop for PC power management.  

Global Scalability and Flexibility Support Sustainability Initiatives

The CA ecoSoftware suite helps customers to more successfully address strategic concerns such as sustainability program execution, corporate energy management, ISO 50001, and the management of portfolios of key sustainability initiatives. By improving program management and addressing tactical needs such as operational reporting, voluntary disclosure, data management, measurement and verification, and the efficiency of physical assets, customers can be better positioned to achieve high-value business benefits. These benefits include improved operational performance, reduced spend on energy and other resources, better compliance, and enhanced brand perception among their customers and other stakeholders.

“Energy and sustainability are growing corporate concerns with increasing implications for bottom-line corporate performance,” said Terrence Clark, general manager, Energy and Sustainability Solutions, CA Technologies. “CA Technologies continues to work with many of the world’s leading companies to provide advanced software that uniquely supports excellence and innovation in these increasingly critical disciplines.”

Major corporations around the world use CA ecoSoftware and have found the solution’s ability to scale from the detailed asset level to the entire enterprise and the benefits of using software rather than manual approaches to be considerable.

“As a global sustainability leader, effective metrics and analytics are important in enabling our continued efforts towards greater sustainability,” said Alison Rowe, global executive director sustainability, Fujitsu Global Business Group. “We selected CA ecoSoftware to help us report in areas including energy, fuel and business travel and in the future, water and waste in our Australian operations. We benefited from the valuable assistance of the sustainability software experts at CA Technologies in applying this innovative software to meet the needs of our business, such as mandatory reporting to NGERS.”

“Sustainability is of great importance to us and therefore, reliable information about our performance in areas such as energy, carbon and water is very important too” said Linda Good, executive vice president and director of Corporate Services, BBVA Compass. “Prior to deploying CA ecoSoftware, this information was time consuming and complex to manage and analyze. We now have a centralized automated system which has made tasks such as analysis, verification and reporting for our sustainability program faster, more accurate, more effective and more efficient.”

“CA ecoSoftware delivers leading capabilities that can help organizations better manage energy and sustainability from the asset to the enterprise level,” said David Metcalfe, CEO, Verdantix. “CA Technologies has also demonstrated the capacity, skills, strategy and partnerships to deliver large and complex deployments successfully at major corporations.”

CA Technologies maintains a Customer Advisory Council for energy and sustainability comprised of executives and professionals drawn from around the world. The company also works with implementation and industry partners including Capgemini, ICF, Jones Lang LaSalle, Siemens and Wipro.

CA Technologies is an accredited Gold Carbon Calculation Partner of the Carbon Disclosure Project, an official ENERGY STAR Service and Product Provider Partner, and a certified GRI solutions provider.

For more information on CA ecoSoftware, visit:

• CA Technologies Named a Leader in Energy Management Software
• Brochures and White Papers• Product Demonstration• Energy and Sustainability Blog
• @CAecoSoftware on Twitter

About CA Technologies

CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) is an IT management software and solutions company with expertise across all IT environments – from mainframe and distributed, to virtual and cloud. CA Technologies manages and secures IT environments and enables customers to deliver more flexible IT services. CA Technologies innovative products and services provide the insight and control essential for IT organizations to power business agility. The majority of the Global Fortune 500 relies on CA Technologies to manage evolving IT ecosystems. For additional information, visit CA Technologies at www.ca.com.

Honeywell Opens New Interactive Technology Experience Center In China

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5/8/2012

Honeywell Opens New Interactive Technology Experience Center In China

Visitors to Learn How Honeywell's Technologies Are Helping to Solve Some of The World’s Biggest Challenges such as Energy Efficiency, Energy Generation, Safety and Security  SHANGHAI, May 8, 2012 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today opened its largest technology experience center, an immersive experience for customers and visitors to interact with technologies that make communities in China safer and more secure, more comfortable and energy efficient, more innovative and productive. Located in Honeywell's Asia Pacific headquarters at Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, the Honeywell Technology Experience underscores the company's commitment to China, its fastest growing market. Honeywell’s total sales revenue in China reached approximately U.S. $1.9 billion in 2011, or a 20% growth over 2010. The Honeywell Technology Experience features a flight simulator, an interactive cityscape, and a modern home equipped with smart home technologies. Visitors can take the controls of a modern jet and perform a virtual take-off, hold a 3-D turbocharger, watch how an industrial control room manages an emergency, enter a modern home to see Honeywell controls that manage everything from lighting and water systems, to intrusion detection and temperature. A “barrel of oil” exhibit demonstrates how to squeeze more high value products from crude oil and how to produce green energy using Honeywell’s refining technologies. The Center is divided into six neighborhoods: transportation; industry; commercial; home; energy, and a community area where visitors can see how Honeywell is connecting directly with its local hometowns, through its science and math education; housing and shelter; family safety and security; habitat and conservation; and humanitarian relief efforts as part of its Honeywell Hometown Solutions corporate social responsibilities. “Globalization, especially in High Growth Regions like China, has been key to our Growth for the past decade. Today, about 55% of our sales come from outside the U.S., making Honeywell a truly global company. China represents a significant share of our global growth story, and I see this new Honeywell Technology Experience as a symbol of our commitment to China, one of our biggest and fastest growing markets,” said Shane Tedjarati, president and CEO of Honeywell High Growth Regions at the grand opening ceremony. “With this new center, we’ve created a powerful tool to help our China team engage our customers and partners in China and in high growth regions like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and others,” continued Tedjarati. “We look forward to innovating and implementing new technologies to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges, such as energy efficiency, clean energy generation, safety and security.” “We take great pride that Honeywell has been part of China’s extraordinary growth and transformation. Through our East-for-East and East-to-West strategies, we have enabled a growing number of Chinese customers to achieve success both at home and abroad,” said Stephen Shang, president of Honeywell China. “I’m confident that the new center will bring us closer to our customers, and elevate public awareness of technologies that can be leveraged to help China cope with energy and safety challenges brought by its fast economic growth and massive urbanization.” The 1,500-square-meter Honeywell Technology Experience center is Honeywell’s second and largest technology experience center. The company opened its first center in Washington, D.C. in 2005. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Honeywell has a long history in China that goes back to 1935 when it established the first franchise in Shanghai. Today, all of Honeywell’s four Strategic Business Groups are represented in China, and all of them have relocated their Asia Pacific headquarters to China. Over the years, Honeywell has set up subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 20 cities across the country. Honeywell employs approximately 12,000 people in China. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com.cn.

GE PulsePOINT* Technology Helps Wind Operators Reduce Costs and Achieve Optimal Energy Production

25 April 2012

GE PulsePOINT* Technology Helps Wind Operators Reduce Costs and Achieve Optimal Energy Production

 

• New Service Detects Turbine Anomalies, Offers Corrective Actions
• Key Benefits Include Reduced Turbine Operating Costs, Increased Output
• Capability Included as Part of All Existing GE Wind Service Operations and Maintenance Agreements
• Latest Expansion of GE’s Suite of Wind Services

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—April 25, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) today announced a new technology that can help give wind farm operators a competitive edge by identifying problems with wind turbines before they can cause downtime or major failures. Using advanced software, GE’s innovative PulsePOINT* Advanced Monitoring and Diagnostic Services help operators reduce costs and achieve optimal energy production by increasing wind turbine reliability and availability.

PulsePOINT incorporates advanced GE-proprietary anomaly detection algorithms with SCADA data and GE Bently Nevada condition monitoring equipment (if installed on the turbine). The system collects wind farm and fleet data from hundreds of turbine sensors and key SCADA control parameters. Currently running more than 150 unique rules and algorithms 24 hours a day, PulsePOINT detects and prioritizes anomalies in wind turbine operations and identifies the proper course of corrective action. This includes identifying wind turbines that are underproducing to ensure customers are achieving optimal energy production.

“PulsePOINT is just the latest example of how GE continues to expand our suite of service offerings, to provide even stronger support for our customers in the wind industry,” said Andy Holt, Wind Services general manager for GE Power & Water. “We are committed to developing new technologies that will further enhance the reliability and productivity of our wind turbines worldwide.”

This technology was developed over the past several years, with an investment of more than $3 million. PulsePOINT is currently operating on data from more than 12,000 wind turbines worldwide in GE’s fleet. Warrantied owners, operations and maintenance, full-service agreement and Bently Nevada condition monitoring customers receive the full capabilities of the services.

With years of experience in monitoring and prognostics of jet engines, helicopters, locomotives and oil and gas rotating equipment, GE wind customers benefit from the expertise and synergies across a number of GE businesses. PulsePOINT technology applies proprietary algorithms developed through a joint effort between GE’s wind business and GE Aviation Systems, using a combination of SCADA data, Bently Nevada ADAPT.wind condition monitoring equipment (if installed on the turbine) and other key inputs to monitor and prioritize turbine health. Further capabilities are planned to optimize maintenance.

GE’s wind service solutions are supported by the company’s advanced technology, global resources and service facilities and a network of skilled, highly trained local technicians who are closely connected to GE’s engineering organization. GE full service agreements also give customers access to GE’s suite of turbine upgrades that are based on new product evolutions and the in-depth product knowledge that only an original equipment manufacturer can provide.

* Trademark of the General Electric Company.

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.

GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil & Gas—work together with more than 100,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.

IBM and Hydro One Team to Improve the Power Grid in Ontario

Smarter technologies to be tested on Hydro One's distribution power grid

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ARMONK, N.Y. and TORONTO - 27 Mar 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and its Business Partner Telvent announced that they have been selected by Hydro One, the largest distributor of electricity in Ontario (Canada), for a new smart grid project that will help transform the province's electrical system. Together, the companies will run simulations and tests to determine the smart grid technologies that have the potential to improve power efficiency and reliability.

Installed in the 1950s, many components of Ontario's current electricity distribution system have reached the end of their service life. More recently, technological advancements, provincial governmental policy, market forces and increased environmental awareness have added pressure to the demands on Ontario's electricity distribution system.

"As equipment on our distribution system ages, it needs to be replaced. This creates an opportunity to create a world-class network with new, intelligent and sophisticated technologies to meet the changing needs of our customers," Rick Stevens, Vice President, Asset Management, Hydro One. "Our collaboration with IBM and Telvent will help Hydro One assess the next generation of distribution equipment and make the right choices for our customers looking for more reliable electricity, particularly in rural areas."

The Advanced Distribution System (ADS) project will help the utility identify and assess equipment, test new delivery models for electricity, validate the costs and benefits anticipated with a new smart grid and recommend changes to cost effectively modernize Ontario's distribution system.

The project intends to enable an increased amount of Distributed Generation into the grid as well as help increase the reliability of the current distribution system and improve outage management during large scale situations. By taking advantage of the insights gained from new data sources based on analytics, Hydro One will be able to optimize energy utilization and management for greater efficiency while accommodating consumer demand.

"Utilities around the world are investigating new smart grid technologies to help solve complex challenges caused by an aging infrastructure and increasing demand," said Guido Bartels, General Manager of IBM's Energy & Utilities Industry and Chairman of the Global Smart Grid Federation. "Together with Hydro One, we are paving the way for transformation by testing new sophisticated monitoring and control technologies that will enable the integration of renewable energy in the distribution grid while improving its reliability and responsiveness, and ensuring customer satisfaction. This will prepare Hydro One and the province of Ontario for further growth and deliver more affordable and reliable renewable energy for Ontarians."

As the overall system integrator, IBM will provide expertise in smart grid technologies, planning and implementation to oversee the reliability of the network solution. Hydro One will use the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), from Telvent, a real-time solution that will provide complete functionality for planning, operation and analysis of its distribution system. This will allow Hydro One to more accurately manage and plan their grid investments.

According to Telvent's Chairman and CEO, Ignacio Gonzalez, "In addition to the ADMS solution, Hydro One will benefit from the strategic collaboration between Telvent and IBM. Over the years, we have provided solutions to several large utilities to help make mid-project technology adjustments while increasing the speed of the solution development."

The project is in line with the requirements of Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy 2009 Act ("GEGEA"), which fosters the growth of renewable and cleaner sources of energy while promoting a greener economy.

About Hydro One Hydro One provides services to 1.2 million residents of Ontario with the vast majority of its rural customers in low-density areas. Hydro One is the largest distributor of electricity with about 120,000 km of distribution lines over a rural service territory of about 640,000 square kilometers covering 75% of the province.

About IBM

IBM is involved in more than 150 smart grid engagements around the world, in both mature and emerging markets. IBM is the founding member of the Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition, a unique collaboration of utilities from around the globe who are working to accelerate the use of smart grid technologies and move the industry forward through its most challenging transformation. More about IBM's vision to bring a new level of intelligence to how the world works—how every person, business, organization, government, natural system, and man-made system interacts, can be found here: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet. 

For more information about Smarter Energy at IBM, please visit:www.ibm.com/press/smarterenergy. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

CA Technologies Named a "Vendor to Watch"

CA Technologies Named a “Vendor to Watch” in Groom Energy’s Buyer’s Guide for Energy Management Software

Groom Energy Names Vendor of CA ecoSoftware Among Those Companies Which “Stood Out From the Rest”

ISLANDIA, N.Y., March 22, 2012 – CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) today announced that it has earned the top designation of “vendor to watch” in the Groom Energy Solutions report, titled “The Enterprise Smart Grid – a Corporate Buyer’s Guide for Energy Management Software.”

In the report, Groom Energy focused its analysis on over 100 companies that market and deliver energy management software, highlighting 10 of these companies as “vendors to watch” based on their innovation, customer proof points, strong market momentum, aggressive product development and increased emphasis on enterprise-wide and multiple-site implementations. These companies were also mentioned consistently during the course of research interviews.

“We believe Groom Energy Solutions’ evaluation of CA Technologies speaks to the strength of our CA ecoSoftware solution and our ability to address our customers’ energy and sustainability management needs,” said Terrence Clark, general manager, CA ecoSoftware, CA Technologies. “As companies are increasingly compelled to drive towards greater operational efficiency and improved margins, they need to measure, analyze, manage and control energy more effectively. That is exactly what CA ecoSoftware is designed to deliver.”

CA ecoSoftware is a powerful, flexible and scalable energy and sustainability management solution designed to help organizations monitor energy and resource use across the enterprise, and more effectively manage energy and sustainability programs. Attributes the report described as impressive included the solution’s sub-metering, carbon management and data center capabilities.

“Applying the principles of the Enterprise Smart Grid, large organizations can effectively drive energy efficiency performance across their operations,” said Paul Baier, report author and vice president of research for Groom Energy Solutions. “Through our research we were particularly impressed by a set of vendors that stood out from the rest. These vendors are bringing innovative products and approaches to the market and are backing up vendor claims with impressive customer wins and product roadmaps.”

According to Groom Energy Solutions, Enterprise Smart Grid helps companies to understand three key areas:
• Visibility: Where and when is energy is consumed?
• Control: How to control energy?
• Management Integration: How is energy pricing and consumption formulated into capital planning and operations?

The CA ecoSoftware solution is comprised of three offerings:

• CA ecoGovernance: helps organizations measure, assess, and report energy and environmental impacts, costs and performance, align energy and sustainability initiatives with business goals, and automate related processes across geographic and functional boundaries. It helps organizations use energy and sustainability management to manage costs, reduce risk and drive value.

• CA ecoMeter: an operational energy management product that is designed to help organizations capture real-time information on energy and other variables among assets, facilities and data centers, and then measure, trend, alert, and act to help increase efficiency, enhance service availability and reduce operational costs.

• CA ecoDesktop: a PC power management solution that helps organizations identify savings opportunities and implement profiles that increase efficiency while addressing the requirements of end users for uninterrupted access to their systems. It also delivers reporting to help organizations demonstrate energy cost savings and reductions in carbon emissions.

For more information on CA ecoSoftware, visit:

• CA Technologies Named a Worldwide Leader in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)• CA Technologies Named a Leader in Energy Management Software
• Brochures and White Papers• CA ecoSoftware Twitter

CA Technologies Named Official ENERGY STAR Provider Partner

CA Technologies Named Official ENERGY STAR® Service and Product Provider Partner

CA ecoSoftware Helps Customers Achieve Greater Energy Efficiency

ISLANDIA, N.Y., March, 19, 2012 – CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) today announced a commitment to promote energy efficiency and help protect the environment by becoming an official ENERGY STAR® Service and Product Provider Partner.

“CA Technologies partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program is further validation of our commitment to help our customers improve their energy efficiency and performance,” said Terrence Clark, general manager, CA ecoSoftware, CA Technologies. “We believe that the organization-wide energy and sustainability management approach offered in our CA ecoSoftware solution will help to promote greater energy efficiency, while also helping companies to meet their financial and sustainability goals.”

ENERGY STAR Service and Product Provider partners are required to submit evidence of customer-related ENERGY STAR activity, which is then verified by the U.S. EPA.

CA ecoSoftware is a powerful and scalable energy and sustainability management solution designed to help organizations measure, report, and take action on energy, water, waste, and carbon. It helps organizations monitor energy across their enterprise, and more effectively manage energy and sustainability programs. The solution is comprised of three offerings:

• CA ecoGovernance: helps organizations measure, assess, and report environmental impact and performance, align energy and sustainability initiatives with business goals, and automate relevant processes across geographic and functional boundaries. It also offers a bi-directional integration capability with EPA Portfolio Manager.
• CA ecoMeter: an operational energy management product that helps organizations capture real-time information on energy and other variables in facilities and data centers, and then measure, trend, alert, and act to increase efficiency, enhance service availability and reduce costs.
• CA ecoDesktop: a PC power management solution that helps organizations identify savings opportunities and implement profiles that increase efficiency while addressing the requirements of end users for uninterrupted access to their systems. It also delivers reporting to help organizations demonstrate energy cost savings and reductions in carbon emissions.

For more information on CA ecoSoftware, visit:

• CA Technologies Named a Leader in Energy Management Software
• CA Technologies Named a Worldwide Leader in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)
• Brochures and White Papers
• Product Demonstration
• Energy and Sustainability Blog
• @CAecoSoftware on Twitter

News release from Burns & McDonnell:

Burns & McDonnell dedicates new Smart Grid Laboratory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Burns & McDonnell has significantly expanded and upgraded its Smart Grid Laboratory as a result of a move into a new larger testing and development facility equipped with more than $1 million in state-of-the-art diagnostics and testing equipment. The new facility was formally dedicated during a Jan. 27 open house for employee-owners and clients. The new testing facility is now open and available for the exclusive use of Burns & McDonnell clients.

Located in a 600-square-foot space within the Burns & McDonnell World Headquarters, the lab incorporates the technologies clients are using to modernize the power grid. These include:

• IEC 61850 - GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values messaging for both control and process bus implementations
• DNP 3.0
• Protective relaying over packet networks
• Network technologies including SONET, Ethernet, IP, and MPLS
• Fiber and wireless communications technologies
• Substation automation logic controllers
• SCADA Remote Terminals
• Data Concentrators
• Fault Recorders
• Metering equipment measuring power quality and harmonics
• GPS and IEEE 1588 time synchronization.

The laboratory is intended to demonstrate how advanced information technologies can be integrated with power delivery equipment as the industry moves toward highly automated, "self-healing" distribution systems. The lab allows Burns & McDonnell engineers to work with clients to configure and test solutions during design and installation, therefore improving project success and speed of deployment.

The Burns & McDonnell Smart Grid Laboratory was first built in 2007 as testing facility for select clients who were interested in demonstrating interoperability of software, two-way communications equipment and other automation equipment in preparation for deployments of Smart Grid projects. In addition to the latest technologies and devices, the lab is capable of simulating two complete substations and varying power conditions. It has the equipment many utilities have been deploying, enabling testing of interoperability between multiple vendors and vintages of equipment.

Equipment and systems in the lab can test advanced substation and distribution feeder automation using IEC 61850 and DNP 3.0 testing applications between multiple vendors and relay types. It can also stage demonstrations of high speed tripping using GOOSE messaging, HMI interoperability, substation visualization and automation systems. Communications with deployment of Ethernet, IP, and MPLS technology can focus on a converged networking platform for security, automation and protection.

Another issue facing Smart Grid deployment is interoperability of legacy and advanced equipment. By demonstrating how legacy and advanced equipment can be integrated together in a unified design, investments in IED relaying incorporating the latest technologies can be justified. The lab has successfully demonstrated solutions such as tying IEC-61850 to the power line carrier and integrating advanced protection and control systems with legacy equipment using RS-232 and DNP interfaces.

Additionally, security tests can be implemented through firewalls and gateway devices with card access and physical security sharing a converged network. These tests have been helpful in showing how to integrate security into substation design.

Turbines Off NYC East River

Post from the blog of the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Turbines Off NYC East River Will Create Enough Energy to Power 9,500 Homes

February 6, 2012 

Free Flow System turbine being installed in East River, New York, NY (Dec 2006). | Image Credit: Kris Unger/Verdant Power, Inc.

Hoyt Battey

Water Power Market Acceleration and Deployment Team Lead, Wind and Water Power Program

What does this project do?

• The 30 turbines will generate 1,050 kilowatts of electricity -- enough to power 9,500 New York homes.

As part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project, 30 turbines are being installed along the strait that connects the Long Island Sound with the Atlantic Ocean in the New York Harbor. The project, led by Verdant Power, Inc., is the first ever commercially licensed tidal energy project in the United States.

The turbines are scheduled to be fully installed by 2015 and will use the flow of the river and tides to generate 1,050 kilowatts of electricity -- enough to power 9,500 New York homes.

The turbines will also collect important data about environmental impacts on fish and river sediment and provide jobs to a team of technicians who will maintain and monitor the equipment.

The Energy Department helps advance water power technologies by funding research to determine the size of the water resource and by developing innovative technologies to unleash its energy potential. The Department began providing Verdant Power with funding in 2008 to improve the turbines’ blade design. Verdant had been successfully developing and testing turbine prototypes in the East River since 2002, but those turbine rotors were not durable enough to be scaled up for commercialization. With the Department’s assistance, Verdant designed and tested new blades, which are stronger and more reliable -- allowing them to capture more energy from faster currents at greater depths and at a lower cost.

This technological improvement represents progress for the entire tidal energy industry.

Department funding for innovative water power technologies is helping the United States to take advantage of its vast water power resources to generate clean energy and to bolster the renewable energy economy. As advanced marine and hydrokinetic technologies are responsibly deployed and new hydropower opportunities are seized, water resources could deliver 15 percent of our nation’s electricity supply by 2030. Visit the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Water Power Program to learn more about how marine and hydrokinetic technologies are generating renewable, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective electricity from water resources.

Top Draft Picks to Engineer Solar Championships

Post from the blog of the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Tapping Top University Draft Picks to Engineer Solar Championships

February 2, 2012 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy offers a variety of internships, fellowships, and scholarships in addition to the postdoctoral research awards. Current SunShot fellows pose in front of the Apollo Lunar Module at the National Air and Space Museum. | Energy Department file photo.

Ramamoorthy Ramesh

Director, SunShot Initiative & Solar Energy Technologies Program

As football fans buzzed yesterday about national signing day for college football prospects, excitement also builds for picks from a different higher education talent pool.

On January 20th, the Energy Department announced two university research opportunities to advance the SunShot Initiative, a program which aims to dramatically decrease the total costs of U.S. solar energy.

Like football, research is a team sport, no matter how high-powered any individual player may be. In that spirit, the Energy Department is offering up to $10 million to partners in university-based projects to develop and demonstrate heat transfer fluids. The Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative: High Operating Temperature Fluids solicitation seeks applicants to develop innovative fluids that are more stable than current technologies at temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius. The goal is to improve the efficiency of concentrating solar power technologies and cut solar power costs.

The second opportunity is a second round for the SunShot Initiative postdoctoral research awards. The awards, administered by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, provide an annual stipend as well as other benefits. Scientists from the program’s first round are working on some impressive feats:

• Neil P. Dasgupta, a Stanford Ph.D., is researching nanowire photovoltaics based on abundant, low-cost materials;
• Brandon Q. Mercado, a University of California, Davis Ph.D., is investigating the design of high performance semiconductor materials; and
• Sarah R. Cowan, a University of California, Santa Barbara, Ph.D., is working on research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

So as others prepare for the pro ranks and shots at the Super Bowl, another crop of university stars can look forward to entering the big leagues of solar energy research. There, they'll be rubbing shoulders with top scientists at national laboratories and institutions. And across the country, university teams will line up to help tackle some of the biggest energy challenges facing the nation. That should give everyone something to cheer about. 

America's Next Top Energy Innovator, Round 2

News release from the U.S. Department of Energy:

Secretary Chu Announces Second Round of “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” on One Year Anniversary of the White House Startup America Initiative

January 31, 2012 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the one year anniversary of the Obama Administration’s Startup America Initiative, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) is kicking off a second year of “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator,” a program that allows startup companies to license groundbreaking technologies developed by DOE’s 17 national laboratories for $1,000 and build successful businesses. As part of this effort, the Department reduces both the cost and paperwork requirements for startup companies to obtain an option agreement to license some of the 15,000 patents and patent applications held by the national laboratories.

The White House Startup America Initiative is a multiagency effort across the Obama Administration to promote high-growth entrepreneurship by expanding access to capital, cutting red tape, and accelerating innovation through agency action.  Additional information on the program’s one year anniversary and new steps the Obama Administration is taking to support job-creating small businesses is available HERE.

“America's future competitiveness depends on our ability to innovate and advance American products and businesses,” said Energy Secretary Chu. “Through America’s Next Top Energy Innovator, we are allowing brilliant ideas to fully develop and giving startup companies the opportunity to bring inventions from our national laboratories to the market.”

Under the previous round of America’s Next Top Energy Innovator, thirty-six companies in total signed option agreements with the national laboratories.  An online contest for the top picks is currently underway, where Americans can vote online for the most innovative and promising technologies supported by the program by visiting www.energy.gov/topinnovator. The top startup companies– based on the public vote and an expert review – will be invited to be featured at the premier annual gathering of clean energy investors and innovators around the country, the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit at the end of February.

Under the next round of the “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” program:

1.      Wednesday, February 1, 2011, the Department will kick off the second round of the competition.  Entrepreneurs and start-ups must identify the technology of interest and submit a business plan to be considered for the program. Participants will have until December 10, 2012 to make their submission to the laboratory.
2.      Any of the 15,000 unlicensed patents and patent applications held by the national laboratories will be available for licensing by startup companies.
3.      From February 1 to December 10, the Department will reduce the total upfront cost of licensing DOE patents in a specific technology to a $1,000 upfront fee for portfolios of up to three patents from a single laboratory. This represents a savings of $10,000 to $50,000 on average in upfront fees.
4.      Other license terms, such as equity and royalties, will be negotiated on a case by case basis and will typically be due once the company grows and achieves commercial sales. These fees help support the Department's continuing research activities to develop new technologies.
5.      The Department has simplified the option and licensing process and has established a standard set of terms for start-ups, who generally lack the resources, time or expertise to negotiate individual licensing agreements.
6.      In early 2013, the Department will give Americans the chance to vote online for the most innovative and promising technologies supported by the program.

Learn more about DOE’s America’s Next Top Energy Innovator program HERE. Learn more about the Obama Administration’s Startup America initiative HERE.