Category Archives: Microgrids

Resilience comes alive in Andover microgrid

March 25, 2020 / Jill Feblowitz / Data and Analytics, Microgrids, Start-ups

A microgrid is an electrical distribution network with underground wires that serves two or more buildings in a local area. Microgrids can enter ‘island mode’ and separate from the larger electrical grid when there is a major outage – self supplying with locally generated energy. You may have seen the recent announcement regarding the activation […]

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Resilience comes alive at Andover microgrid

February 4, 2019 / Jill Feblowitz / Microgrids

You may have seen the recent announcement regarding the activation of two microgrids built through a private public partnership – a public safety headquarters and correctional facility in Montgomery County, MD. These microgrids were built to be resilient in the event of grid outages and to reduce emissions, with no upfront costs for the County […]

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Analytics are at the core of NWA projects

February 4, 2019 / Jill Feblowitz / Data and Analytics, Demand Response, Distributed Energy Resources, Microgrids, Non-wires Alternatives

Non-wires alternatives (NWA) are gaining popularity in utilities, so much so that E4theFuture funded a study by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and the Peak Load Management Association (PLMA) on the topic.  The study investigates 10 case studies utilities where utilities have planned and/or implemented NWA in their service territories. According to Non-Wires Alternatives: Case […]

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ARPA-E Dodges a Bullet

September 5, 2018 / Jill Feblowitz / Distributed Energy Resources, DOE Programs, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Integrating Renewables, Microgrids, Virtual Power Plants

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) was created to provide access to funding for energy industry innovation. With the signing of the U.S. spending bill, ARPA-E dodged a bullet. This is a good thing for utilities. Despite the common misconception that the agency is about only renewable companies, utilities and manufacturers also have benefited from ARPA-E. […]

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The Utility/Smart City Connection

December 6, 2017 / Jill Feblowitz / Electric Vehicles, Microgrids, Smart Cities

More and more cities are deciding to “get smart”.  According to Navigant Research’s Smart City Tracker Q1 2017, there are “250 smart city initiatives in more than 178 cities around the world with the majority focusing on government and energy initiatives, followed by transport, buildings, and water goals”. Still, participation in these initiatives requires investment […]

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Next-Gen Flexibility is The Mantra for Grid 3.0

July 7, 2017 / Jill Feblowitz / Demand Response, Distributed Energy Resources, Distribution Markets, DOE Programs, Energy Storage, Integrating Renewables, Microgrids, New Business Models, Regulation

For most veterans of the utility industry, discussions about the next generation distribution grid hearken back to the 1990s with the introduction of deregulation and wholesale markets. Today’s “future” represents an even greater departure. What’s new is the rapidly rising penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) and the presence of variable renewable generation. Then too, there […]

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Microgrids: The New Shape of Electricity at Greentown Labs

November 21, 2016 / Jill Feblowitz / Distributed Energy Resources, Microgrids

What’s the prognosis for the growth of the market for microgrids?  That is a pertinent question for entrepreneurial types in Cleantech.  There’s a slew of new ideas developed by creative scientists and engineers, but the timing might not be right from a business perspective.  There are even some old ideas that previously didn’t fly, but […]

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Securing the Future of Microgrids

October 4, 2016 / Jill Feblowitz / Microgrids, Security

Ever since Hurricane Sandy, interest in the development of microgrids for resiliency has increased.  The whole point of resiliency is to maintain power when there are serious disruptions in traditional central station power supply, such as severe weather or security breaches.   But what about the security of the microgrid itself?  In a smart move, S&C […]

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DistribuTECH 2016: “The Future Isn’t/Ain’t What it Used to Be”

February 17, 2016 / Jill Feblowitz / Conferences, Distributed Energy Resources, Microgrids, New Business Models

“Focused on the Future” was the theme of DistribuTECH 2016 and the conference lived up to that promise.  In the words of Yogi Berra (maybe) and others, the concept was demonstrated in Orlando.  The buzz words this year were “grid modernization”, with mention of transmission and an emphasis on the distribution grid, notably a distribution […]

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