Optimizing Grid Investments for the Grid of the Future

grid operators grid edge grid of the future

US administration: Energy storage and other grid investments vital to security and resilience Energy Storage News, January 9, 2017 Energy storage should be properly valued and supported at federal level in the United States, according to a government document analysing and evaluating energy policy released by officials of the outgoing Obama administration. The Quadrennial Energy … Read more

Has Commercial Energy Storage Reached the Tipping Point?

Jesse Remillard, ERS, for Zondits There are strong signs that commercial, or behind-the-meter, energy storage has turned a corner in regards technical maturity, commercial value, and ultimately, financial credibility. A report issued by Sandia National Laboratories in August says that many sources believe that the commercial energy storage market is currently at the “tipping point,” … Read more

New England’s Largest Battery Project Aids Grid Stabilization

electrification

Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits New England’s largest state is also home to its largest battery storage project, which began operation in December 2016 at the Wyman Energy Center in Yarmouth, Maine. This supersized battery, which consists of eight individual battery units (each the size of a freight container), holds a total of 1,300 lithium … Read more

Quidnet Energy’s Plans to Store Energy Underground

A Texas startup’s big energy idea: storing electricity underground The Guardian, August 25, 2016 In a field in Central Texas, Aaron Mandell and his crew are running pumping equipment to bring a former oil and gas well back to life. But they’re not trying to extract black gold. Instead, they are developing a way to … Read more

4 New Bills in California Encourage Energy Storage Deployment

Energy Storage Association Conference with distributed energy resources energy storage deployment technology

California accelerates energy storage deployment with new legislation Energy Storage News, September 28, 2016 California state legislature and governor Jerry Brown have signed into law four key new energy bills that are set to accelerate energy storage deployment in the Golden State. Bill AB 1637 follows up on the previous victory that storage experienced with recent Self … Read more

Storage Battery to Power an Electricity Evolution in Los Angeles

A Zondits Rundown: AES Corporation to Power an Electricity Evolution in Los Angeles By 2021 the Los Angeles “peaker,” a natural gas-burning power plant in Long Beach, will be replaced by the world’s largest storage battery, capable of holding and delivering over 100 megawatts of power an hour for four hours.  For reference, the output of 100 … Read more

Renewables and the Grid: What Happens Beyond 40%?

renewables

German electricity transmission CEO: ‘80% renewables is no problem’ Euractiv, June 8, 2016 When it comes to Germany’s switch to renewables, the speed at which it is happening is often said to be too fast. Is that right? We see ourselves as the Energiewende‘s guinea pigs. Our network in the north-east covers about a third … Read more

ENGIE Acquires Stake in Energy Storage Maker Green Charge Networks

ENGIE

A Zondits Rundown: French Electricity Utility, ENGIE, Acquires an 80% Stake in Californian Battery Maker Green Charge Networks ENGIE and Green Charge Networks were introduced through ENGIE subsidiaries Ecova and OpTerra Energy Services. In 2014, ENGIE (known as GDF Suez prior to April 2015) purchased Ecova to reinforce their expertise in energy data management combined with their multi-technical … Read more

California’s Pursuit for More Clean Grid Technologies

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How California Blackouts Will Make Solar and Batteries A National Story Triple Pundit, April 18, 2016. Image credit: Life-Of-Pix Imagine islands of light fueled by solar connected to batteries Here’s how solar and distributed generation could become national news this summer. It is 7 p.m., and Los Angeles is blacked out. It’s the third day of … Read more

Energy Storage Is Getting Simpler With ARES

ARES

Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits. April 27, 2016. Image credit: Foundry Energy storage is getting simpler, and Advanced Rail Energy Storage (ARES) is well on the way to its first full-scale deployment. The most basic energy storage system thus far is probably pumped hydro storage: push water uphill to “charge the battery,” and let it flow … Read more