Press release:

Alliance to continue management of National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will extend the contract for management of its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. In a letter to the Alliance, DOE said it was providing preliminary notice that the Department will exercise the option to extend Alliance's contract to manage and operate NREL beyond the current five-year contract period. The Department did not specify the extension period in its notice to the Alliance.

Alliance is a limited liability company that is equally owned and governed by Battelle and MRIGlobal. It was awarded the contract to manage and operate the Laboratory on July 29, 2008. The original contract period was from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2013. It was valued at $1.1 billion over the five years, and could be extended up to an additional five years.

 

Dr. Dan Arvizu serves as Alliance president and director of NREL. He has led NREL for seven years.

 

"This announcement is a positive indication of the value Alliance brings to DOE in the management of NREL," Arvizu said. 

 

The Alliance leadership team is comprised of Dr. Dana Christensen, deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology; Ken Powers, deputy laboratory director and chief operating officer; and Bobi Garrett, deputy laboratory director for Strategic Planning and Partnerships.  

 

Under the Alliance's leadership, NREL has grown from about 1,000 employees to about 2,300 and has built a campus that is a living model for architects and builders on what is possible in energy-efficient laboratories and office parks. The lab's newest buildings – the Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility and the Energy Systems Integration Facility will continue NREL's tradition of offering one-of-a-kind capacities for industry partners. 

 

NREL has earned 12 R&D 100 Awards since 2008, for innovations from a utility-scale solar power generator to a revolutionary new kind of air conditioning.

 

NREL's annual submissions of inventions have increased 276 percent and patent application filings have risen by 192 percent in the last five years.  This focus on intellectual property commercialization has resulted in doubling the number of NREL commercial intellectual property licenses. The lab currently holds 262 patents.

 

With 260 active technology partnership agreements, Alliance has made it a priority to work with industry partners to increase the speed and scale of technology deployment.   In 2011, NREL had more cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) activity than any other DOE labora­tory and was respon­sible for one-quarter of all CRADAs in the DOE system.

 

The Alliance is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors composed of five executives each from MRIGlobal and Battelle, as well as representatives from five key collaborating universities: Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

 

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

 

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GE Opens New $40 Million Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Centre in Markham, Ontario

Press release:

02 October 2012

GE Opens New $40 Million Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Centre in Markham, Ontario

 

• The Grid IQ Centre Will Add Approximately 146 New Jobs in Ontario
• The Centre Will Develop and Manufacture Efficient, Reliable Global Energy Solutions to Modernize the Electric Grids

MARKHAM, ONTARIO—OCTOBER 2, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) today announced the opening of its newly constructed Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Centre in Markham, Ontario. The state-of-the-art, 200,000-square-foot facility is designed to foster innovation and global collaboration to improve the efficiency, reliability and security of the world’s electrical grids. The $40 million project is supported by a grant of $7.9 million from the Government of Ontario.

The new facility includes 100,000 square feet of production space and will help GE meet both current and future product demands as utilities around the world continue to look for ways to improve their energy infrastructures. To support that growth, the facility also incorporates on-site research, test and simulation laboratories giving GE engineers easy access to the tools needed to help utility and industrial customers solve their toughest energy challenges. The building includes a technical training centre providing both on-site and distance learning offerings for GE employees, partners and customers.

“Markham is a great place for GE to locate this new facility,” said Juan Macias, general manager, Grid Automation. “We are investing in innovation, and this new facility demonstrates our commitment to ongoing research and development in substation and distribution automation as well as electrical grid protection and control. As the global centre of excellence for grid automation, we will be collaborating on innovative solutions with customers, partners and academics around the world.”

“Today, we’ve reached another milestone in making Ontario a smart grid leader as we celebrate innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and invention. Companies like GE are taking bold steps to make the smart grid a reality and enhance reliability of our energy system,” said Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy.

“The Ontario government is proud to support this significant investment in our province. We applaud GE for recognizing that Ontario is well positioned to help it innovate the next generation of energy solutions,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation.

One of the most innovative areas of the facility is the Grid IQ Customer Experience Centre and application showcase, which allows customers to take an interactive, immersive look at GE’s full suite of energy management tools on a 60-foot video wall.

“The opening of the Grid IQ Innovation Centre in Markham is our third centre for innovation in Canada this year,” said Elyse Allan, president and CEO, GE Canada. “Executing and commercializing innovation is essential to driving economic growth and productivity. We appreciate the support and leadership from the Province of Ontario to make today’s opening a reality.”

The Grid IQ Innovation Centre builds on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) GE signed with the Ontario government in September 2009 to partner and invest long term within the province to establish new or expanded centres of technology and advanced manufacturing. Under the MOU, GE has opened the company’s first Digital Pathology Centre of Excellence in Toronto and has made investments for advanced manufacturing and training in the GE Motors, Peterborough facility.

GE’s other Canadian innovation centres include a recently opened Customer Innovation Centre in Calgary, Alberta; the Aircraft Engine Testing Research and Development Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and a new Aviation robotics facility in Bromont, Quebec, which will open in early 2013.

GE in Canada
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.

In Canada, GE has operations across the country, including major manufacturing, sales and service locations with 7,000 employees. For more information on the Canadian results of the GE Global Innovation Barometer, please visit www.ge.com/ca.

Follow GE Canada on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/GE_Canada (use the hashtag #GEGridIQ for the opening event) and YouTube athttp://www.youtube.com/user/GECanada.

DECC press notice: Power station consent turns waste to energy

DECC press notice: Power station consent turns waste to energy

Two Bay Area Companies Receive U.S. EPA Energy Awards

Press release:

Two Bay Area Companies Receive U.S. EPA Energy Awards

Intel Corporation and The North Face named renewable energy “leaders”

SAN FRANCISCO – Two S.F. Bay Area-based companies—Intel Corporation and The North Face—won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 12^th annual Green Power Leadership Awards.

Intel Corporation received the first-ever “Sustained Excellence in Green Power” award for its long-standing leadership in advancing green power development. The North Face was honored with the “Green Power Purchasing” award for its purchase of renewable energy credits.

“We commend our award winners for making sound business decisions that lead to smaller environmental footprints,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Through efforts like these, the Bay Area can reduce air emissions and develop sustainable energy industries.”

Both companies are considered EPA “Green Power Partners” because of their voluntary commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. In total, Green Power Partners use more than 23 billion kWh of green power annually.

The S.F. Bay Area award recipients were two of 27 award winners nationwide. Winners of the Green Power Leadership Awards were chosen from more than 1,300 partner organizations.  

For additional information on the Green Power Leadership Awards, visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards

For additional information on the Green Power Community Challenge, visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/gpcchallenge.htm

For additional information on the Green Power Partnership, visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower

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Press release from IBM:

IBM Teams With ESB to Develop an Electric Vehicle Smart Charging IT System in Ireland

Adds Flexibility to Smart Grid Operations during Mass-Scale EV Charging across Ireland

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ARMONK, N.Y. and DUBLIN - 01 Oct 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it has teamed with ESB ecars to implement a fully integrated smarter charging IT system that will help manage electric vehicle public charge points, which are being rolled out across Ireland by ESB ecars. Together the companies will add a layer of intelligence and convenience to the charging process, allowing EV drivers to access, charge and pay, using an identification card. Additionally, this project will provide utilities with access to energy usage data that can help improve smart grid operations, reduce power strain during peak charging times, and ensure reliable energy distribution to customers.

With approximately 1,000 public charging-points currently available, ESB Networks is on track to deliver one of the largest integrated and operational electric vehicle infrastructures in Europe. ESB Networks will use IBM's Intelligent Electric Vehicle Enablement Platform to provide the services needed to operate and manage the charge-points installed throughout Ireland.

This project is bolstered by Ireland's energy policy to increase sustainable energy use in the transportation sector by 2020. Today, the goal is to produce 40 percent of the country's current electricity consumption from renewable energy and have electric vehicles represent every tenth car on Irish roads. Already on the renewable fast track, this integrated EV charging network will allow Ireland to also contribute to the European Union legislation to reduce greenhouse gas pollution levels by approximately nine million tones before 2020.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: "Green energy and cloud computing are key sectors being targeted by the Government as part of our Action Plan for Jobs. This innovative partnership between an Irish energy company and a global IT leader puts Ireland at the forefront of global developments in the electric vehicle sector by using cutting edge cloud technologies, and represents a clear demonstration of what is possible in this area. Ireland will now be the first country globally to put in place this system on a national basis, and I am determined to ensure that through continued implementation of our plan we will see further examples of leadership in these areas."

The platform will connect ESB Networks with the energy retailers and the charge-points, allowing all three to communicate energy usage and financial data directly. This will provide the analytics and intelligence needed to better forecast and balance the load on the power grid as well as help ESB Networks to monitor the health and status of the charge-points to ensure service reliability.

Additionally, the project will create a scalable payment transaction platform for utilities and consumers by combining financial, settlement, and management services. As the IBM Intelligent EV Enablement Platform is a cloud delivered service, it provides operators such as ESB Networks the flexibility and scalability to add charge-points, incorporate new functionality, and support more electric vehicles as the market grows.

ESB Networks will have the capabilities to securely maintain customer and charge point data such as energy consumption, charging location, and settlement data. This information can then be used to calculate and reconcile the energy market. With this level of financial insight, industry participants can manage regular and interruptible tariffs and calculate the appropriate billing costs.

ESB Chief Executive, Pat O'Doherty said, "ESB Networks is rolling out a smart recharging network nationwide and committed to offering a service that will benefit the consumer, electricity retailer as well as the electricity grid. This project has the potential to significantly improve efficiencies in EV charging, streamline management services and contribute to the overall reduction of CO2 emissions," he said.

The new system accommodates the needs of all EV owners. The IBM EV platform will enable EV drivers to select convenient payment options and access all charge-points using one ID card – a process that will aggregate usage costs and simplify billing. This smart charging capability allows consumers to charge anywhere at anytime, regardless of their electricity provider and without the need to carry multiple access cards. Additionally, drivers will also have the option to use a mobile device or browser to locate the nearest charge post, check its availability, and make a reservation if the post is available.

"Infrastructure readiness and consumer acceptance are and will continue to be imperatives to the success of electric vehicles, however the industry must now focus on the management aspect. It will be how we support EV market growth from an interoperable and scalable level," said Allan Schurr, Vice President, Strategy and Development of IBM's Global Energy and Utilities Industry. "For utilities, this project tackles both front and back office operations by addressing business services such as billing, yet at the same time, also provides continued access to real-time data needed to monitor and forecast the impact on the grid."

This initiative along with the recently announced Smarter Charging demonstration with American Honda Motor Co,. Inc. and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), as well as theEKZ Smartphone Application pilot, demonstrates IBM's ongoing focus to improve driver services, increase renewable generation, and intelligently manage electric vehicles.

About ESB

ESB Networks is responsible for the roll out of electric vehicle infrastructure in Ireland and the operation of supporting IT/communications systems. A comprehensive network of charge-points is being developed, with open systems and platforms, so they are accessible to all electricity supply companies, and all types of electric cars. The primary activities of ESB and its subsidiaries are the ownership and of the electricity distribution and transmission networks and operation of the distribution system in Ireland and Northern Ireland and the generation and supply of electricity in Ireland and internationally.

For more information visit http://www.esb.ie/ecars, http://www.facebook.com/ESBecars

IBM and Smart Grid

IBM is involved in more than 150 smart grid engagements around the world, in both mature and emerging markets. 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.

News release from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory:

GridLAB-D: A one-of-a-kind energy grid simulator

October 01, 2012

• Annie Hass, PNNL, (404) 210-1349
• Frances White, PNNL, (509) 375-6904

White House gets a look into PNNL's open-source tool for modeling 21st Century electric systems

Contact PNNL for Image Release PNNL Scientist Jason Fuller (seated) is at the White House today to demonstrate how PNNL's GridLAB-D™ tool works to simulate all aspects of the energy grid from generation to end use, including markets, in unprecedented detail. Also pictured is David Chassin, project manager for GridLAB-D and a PNNL scientist.

WASHINGTON – A one-of-a-kind, high-tech modeling tool designed to simulate different situations on the electric power grid will be on display at the White House today. The result of a multi-year funding effort by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers will join Energy Secretary Steven Chu to demonstrate how GridLAB-D™ can help power system operators, industry, innovators and entrepreneurs understand how making a change to one part of the power system impacts other parts of the grid.

"GridLAB-D provides first-of-its-kind analysis and simulation of all aspects of grid operations, from generation to consumption, in unprecedented detail. Using this open source, freely available tool, we can understand how making changes to one part of the electric system, such as incorporating more solar or wind power, impacts other parts of the system, and in different types of situations, such as inclement weather, record heat or even drought," said Carl Imhoff, PNNL's Electricity Infrastructure Market Sector lead. "In a sense, GridLAB-D lets users see the future of the grid like never before," he said.

The GridLAB-D research team joins other teams of researchers from government, industry and academia as part of "Datapalooza," an event sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's designed to showcase various ways in which data analysis can be used to improve the nation's power system. PNNL researchers will be demonstrating how GridLAB-D allows users to see how solar panels in various community scenarios can impact the performance of the power system. From there, utilities can understand what investments should be made to ensure the solar power can come online in a safe and effective manner.

How it works

The smart grid is often referred to as the merger of the internet and the electric grid. It includes information technology that identifies how much power is being used. It also generates a lot of data, which must be analyzed in real time to enable optimal energy resource usage. GridLAB-D has been in development at PNNL for nearly 10 years and is made available as an open-source tool for utilities, universities, researchers, consultants, and government and defense agencies.

"GridLAB-D is a powerful tool capable of pulling together and simultaneously considering the effects of multiple technologies on the electric grid over periods of time that can range from seconds to decades," said David Chassin, project manager for GridLAB-D and a PNNL scientist. "It's a power systems simulator, market simulator, communication simulator and building simulator, all tied into one. Every piece shares information with every other piece to build a clearer picture of how the electric grid will evolve over time."
"For example, GridLAB-D allows us to drill down to see how changing prices or weather conditions impact voltage levels and communications loads on a minute-to-minute basis," said Chassin. "It has also been used to study whether different utility rate designs make sense when new demand response technology becomes more widely available."

Seeing solar at the White House

For the Datapalooza event, PNNL researchers are using GridLAB-D to simulate what would happen if a large numbers of solar panels were incorporated into a typical southern California distribution system. They worked with colleagues from PNNL's National Visualization and Analytics Center in Richland to develop an animation that shows what may occur as more homes and businesses install solar panels. The PNNL team used building design parameters for southern California and weather data from Bakersfield, Calif., to represent a typical southern, inland-California energy usage model, where utilities are currently experiencing a rapid rise in solar power on their systems.

"We've found that as clouds move through neighborhoods, the voltage can rise or fall outside allowable ranges, depending on conditions," said Kevin Schneider, a PNNL lead power engineer on the project. "Utilities may be required to manage voltage differently depending on how much solar power is found in various parts of their systems."

GridLAB-D is one component of PNNL's smart grid research and development program, under which researchers have been applying capabilities and expertise for more than 20 years to shape and deliver an electricity grid that is more resilient, secure and efficient.

Funding for GridLAB-D was provided by U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. More information about GridLAB-D is available at www.gridlabd.org.

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 4,700 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, visit the PNNL's News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Electric Vehicles’ Weak Sales Have Automakers Thinking Twice

The following is an excerpt from an article in The New York Times.  Not an article about renewable energy or energy efficiency, strictly speaking, but still of possible interest:


The New York Times
Monday, October 01, 2012

Electric Vehicles’ Weak Sales Have Automakers Thinking Twice

By JACK EWING

PARIS — Many auto executives were not that enthusiastic about battery-powered cars at their outset, and now that sales of electric vehicles made by Tesla and Renault have been disappointing, some carmakers are playing down the technology.

Martin Winterkorn, the chief executive of Volkswagen, said last week, on the eve of the Paris Motor Show, that the company would instead focus on plug-in hybrids, which can travel short distances on battery power alone and switch to gasoline or diesel fuel for longer trips.

“We had a realistic view of the technology all along,” Mr. Winterkorn said at a company event held here last week in conjunction with the motor show, which runs through Oct. 14. “There will be, for a long time to come, no alternative to the internal combustion engine.”

Volkswagen is the largest carmaker in Europe by far, so its decisions about technology are likely to greatly influence the industry’s direction. While VW has not completely scrapped plans to introduce all-electric cars, Mr. Winterkorn and other executives made it clear that they expected plug-in hybrids to be the more realistic way to reduce automobile emissions.

Renault, which bet heavily on electric vehicles along with its partner Nissan, said it had not given up on battery power. But the company concedes that sales have been below expectations, reaching about 15,000 units so far.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.