TRACK F: RENEWABLE ENERGY, UTILITY WILDFIRES, RESIDENTIAL DEMAND, PV, SOLAR, GREEN HYDROGEN, SUSTAINABLITY, SMART GRID
F1
LIGHTENING PROTECTION |UTILITY WILDFIRE SAFETY | DEMAND RESPONSE | RESIDENTIAL EFFICIENCY
Oct 6, 2022
7:30 to 9:30 am
Benjamin Ellis
F 1.1 Software Designs for Grounding Remediation of Lighting Transient Problems for Solar Fields
F1.1 Software Designs for Grounding Remediation of Lightning Transient Problems for Solar Fields
Benjamin Ellis – Dehn Inc
Many solar farms have been constructed that suffer from a fundamental flaw in the earthing system.
Although the earthing is safe for DC power generation and 60Hz power transmission, these plants do not endure the transient environment.
The symptoms appear as unrelated inverter tripping or similar faults that cause disruptions or reduction of generation capacity.
But the actual problem is not in the inverter at all, it is a fundamental flaw in the earthing connections that directs all fault and transient energy directly into the inverter.
Earthing Modeling Software is used to simulate the problem and design the solution to meet IEEE 80 requirements. Actual field installations have shown 80 to 90% reduction of events as per design goals
Aaron Berndt
F 1.2 How Residential Demand Response Programs Help Alleviate Grid Strain
F1.4 How Residential Demand Response Programs Help Alleviate Grid Strain
Aaron Berndt – Antenna Group
As severe weather events and increasing demand disrupts grid reliability, smart technologies are crucial in regulating energy consumption and keeping the power on.
Residential Demand Response (DR) programs provide extra capacity to the grid as needed, while ensuring that homes are safe and comfortable for occupants. Google’s Nest Renew program allows homeowners to automatically adjust their energy consumption when more clean energy is available.
Google currently supports over 70 different demand response programs and partners with 7 utilities for its Nest Renew program — making the switch to clean energy accessible for homeowners while reducing grid strain nationwide.
Chloe Mayhew
F 1.3 Integrated Home Decarbonized Future — Efficiency, Flexibility
F1.5 An Integrated Home for A Decarbonized Future -- Efficiency, Flexibility, Amenity, and Security
Alice Rosenberg – Consortium for Energy Efficiency
Developed by the consortium of energy efficiency program administrators across the United States and Canada to accelerate the development and availability of connected and efficient solutions for lasting public benefit, the CEESM Integrated Home Initiative establishes whole house principles and minimum requirements for devices to seamlessly communicate, optimizing value for consumers. The Initiative espouses the critical obligations of utilities to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy service while advancing a decarbonized future and emerging societal objectives. A complimentary Integrated Home Competition is administered annually to identify innovative products coming to market each year across the full portfolio of residential categories.
Ming Zhu
F 1.4 Integration of Landfill Closure Solution with Solar Power Generation Technology
F2.2 Integration of Landfill Closure Solution with Solar Power Generation Technology
Ming Zhu – Watershed Geo
A final cover system isolates the underlying waste (e.g., municipal solid waste, coal combustion residuals or CCR) to protect the environment and is the most critical component of closure of waste containment facilities, such as landfills and CCR impoundments. As an alternative to traditional soil covers, the engineered turf final cover system provides a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable solution that overcomes long-standing challenges associated with traditional soil covers, including availability of soil materials, erosion and sedimentation, and geotechnical instability of soil slopes. After the waste containment facility is closed, the large space can be beneficially reused for development of a solar farm to provide a clean source of green energy. The engineered turf final cover makes a preferred foundation for the solar farm, because it requires minimal post-closure maintenance (e.g., no soil erosion repairs or grass cutting). An innovative solar power generation system is custom-designed for direct installation on the engineered turf final cover, which does not require penetration through or mechanical connections to final cover. In addition, the non-racking design makes it faster and easier to install than traditional solar systems supported using a ballasted racking system. The presentation provides an overview of the engineered turf landfill closure solution and the solar power generation technology.
Tony Pan
F 4.6 Decarbonizing heat with distributed hydrogen (Virtual)
F4.5 Decarbonizing heat with distributed hydrogen production
Tony Pan – Modern Electron
Heat is 50% of all final energy use, yet most of our decarbonization efforts are electricity centric. Furthermore, existing renewable electrification technologies struggle to produce steam and high grade process heat that are ubiquitous in the buildings and industrial sector. We propose a new solution for distributed hydrogen generation leveraging existing infrastructure, that can be used to remove CO2 emissions in everything from steam for heating, cleaning/sterilization, and humidification, to process heat in manufacturing cement, metals, chemicals, and even food and paper.
F2
SOLAR POWER | BATTERY | ENERGY STORAGE
Oct 6, 2022
10 am to 12 pm
Aerel Rankin
F 2.1 Disruptive Industrial Stand-Alone Power Technologies for Utilities and Environment
F2.1 Disruptive Industrial Stand-Alone Power Technologies for Utilities and Environment
Aerel Rankin – SunWise Power and Battery
Next-generation distributed energy technologies (solar, batteries, fuel cells), accessibility of wireless communication networks, the ever-increasing need for data to drive decisions, government emission policies, and the sheer speed at which these changes are happening are pushing utilities, policymakers, and businesses into project arenas that require cutting-edge knowledge, new partners, and novel approaches. This presentation will cover key market technology milestones and our insights as an integrator designing and delivering these solutions to leading utility, government, and business clients across North America and beyond for almost 40 years. Fuel cell commercialization, lithium batteries, remote monitoring, plummeting solar costs, and widely available wireless data are some of the things that are synergizing to rapidly change how we collect, transmit, and analyze key data parameters across the energy, water, and environmental landscapes – from emission tracking at point of generation, to safety monitoring across the transmission line, to smart energy meters at point of consumption. Leaving this presentation, you’ll understand many of the key considerations, benefits, pitfalls, and questions to ask when considering stand-alone power as part of your next industrial project solution.
Grace Greenberg
F 2.3 Health and Env Considerations in Large Battery Storage
F2.3 Health and Environmental Considerations of Lithium used in Large Battery Storage
Grace Greenberg – Gradient
Understanding the chemicals and exposure pathways associated with the lithium-ion battery (LIBs) lifecycle—mining, manufacturing, in-use, recycling, and disposal—is an important part of building a sustainable technology. This presentation provides an overview of what’s known, and importantly what is not known, about the potential chemical risks associated with LIBs. Our experiences evaluating the human health and ecological risk from industrial legacy contamination can help the lithium-ion battery industry proactively think through chemical risk issues to workers, the general, public, and the environment. This will help the industry promote sustainable practices and avoid potentially harmful and costly consequences.
Bradley Lanka
F 2.4 Innovative Battery Tech for Resiliency, Risk & Cost Benefits
F2.4 Utilizing Innovative Battery Technologies for Resiliency Solutions, Risk & Cost Reduction Benefits
Brad Lanka – BlackStarTech
Francesca Jones
F 2.5 Optimizing fleet dispatch to integrate intermittent generation and storage
F2.5 Optimizing fleet dispatch to integrate intermittent generation and storage
Francesca Jones – Fluence
| For electric utilities operating outside wholesale markets, growing integration of renewable generation is creating new challenges in reliably and economically balancing generation and load. New technologies like battery storage can only help if co-optimized within dispatch decision-making. Fluence is investigating the benefits of leveraging AI-enabled software for optimizing unit commitment and economic dispatch for fleets of renewable, fossil fuel, and battery storage resources. In this session, Francesca Jones, Director – New Markets at Fluence Digital will share initial insights on the benefits such an optimization could provide, including impacts on dispatch reliability, system costs, and emissions. |
Andy Flavin
F 2.6 State Siting Regulation of Energy Storage Resources
F2.6 State Siting Regulation of Energy Storage Resources
Andy Flavin – Troutman Pepper
Many states are setting aggressive mandates to transition away from fossil fuel-based electric generation. Wind and solar are popular candidates to replace traditional coal- and gas-fired turbines, but on their own are generally intermittent and non-dispatchable resources. Deployment of utility-scale energy storage resources will be a critical component of any plan to facilitate this transition.
Energy storage developers should carefully assess whether their project requires approval from state siting regulators. Many state siting laws were originally implemented decades ago to address siting of “traditional” utility infrastructure like power plants, electric transmission lines, and intrastate gas pipelines. Few have been sufficiently updated to reflect recent developments in energy infrastructure and public policy priorities. This begs an important question: are energy storage systems subject to state siting requirements as generation or transmission assets?
This presentation will also discuss the importance of considering interconnection facilities when evaluating whether an energy storage project triggers state siting approvals.
F3
DECARBONIZATION & SUSTAINABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
Oct 6, 2022
2 pm to 4 pm
Rakesh Radhakrishnan
F 3.1 Aviation Sector Decarbonization
F3.1 Aviation Sector Decarbonization
Rakesh Radhakrishnan – U.S. Department of Energy
The purpose of this presentation will be to discuss some of the challenges associated with the decarbonization of aviation. Technologies that are being considered to achieve this objective will be discussed with a specific focus on ARPA-E funded activities.
CHAIR
Alison Wise
F 3.2 Innovation Infrastructure- Biomicry and Resilience in Innovation
F3.2 Innovation Infrastructure- Biomicry and Resilience in Innovation
Alison Wise – Wise Strategies
Synergy and biomimicry- IIoT and Mycelium models for clean economic growth
How public-private partnerships can accelerate IIoT and innovation infrastructure build-out, and cutting edge technology to achieve climate goals
Role of private sector in innovation infrastructure build-out; i.e. clean energy/distributed finance/rapid transportation retrofits
Best practice for identifying clean, profitable energy investments for mitigating cryptocurrency hashing power usage.
Kelly Rondinelli
F 3.3 Perfect Union: Superfund Sites and Renewable Energy Development
F3.3 A More Perfect Union: Superfund Sites and Renewable Energy Development
Kelly Rondinelli – Vinson & Elkins
“Superfund” and “renewable energy” are two terms not often considered together. One lends itself to prospects of potential responsibility, high costs, and lengthy timelines. The other is future facing, lauded as an integral part of combatting climate change, with immense investments available to continue building requisite infrastructure and developing necessary technology. Seemingly disconnected, there is, however, an opportunity for marriage between renewable energy and Superfund sites—low-cost areas with sufficient acreage to deploy solar or wind farms or develop battery storage projects. With a number of legal protections available to renewable energy developers that make Superfund sites more attractive, environmental risks can be managed. Developers can obtain bona fide prospective purchaser protection under the Superfund statute or build in a number of contractual safeguards and risk mitigations with respect to structuring purchase transactions. Now, more than ever, there are increasing incentives for renewable energy development. The signing of the Infrastructure Bill and, if passed, the reconciliation package, provides numerous funding opportunities for the expansion of renewables and clean energy. Renewable energy development is also critical in meeting global greenhouse gas emission reduction commitment. Superfund sites provide attractive opportunities to aid development of renewable energy, bolstered by legal protections to mitigate and manage environmental risks.
Brian Keane
F 3.4 Preparing for The Virtual Power Plant: Solarizing At Work
F3.5 Preparing for The Virtual Power Plant: Solarizing At Work
Brian F Keane – President – Smart Power
Across the country utility companies are already experimenting with Virtual Power Plants (VPP’s). From EverSource in Connecticut to Southern Cal Edison in Los Angeles, utility’s are engaging with their customers, experimenting with Solar+Battery and adding capacity to the grid.
The perfect VPP model is a long way from being created. But two things are for sure: VPP’s are coming. And Solar+Storage are critical pieces of the puzzle.
SmartPower, the nation’s leading non-profit focused on engaging residential consumers on rooftop solar has been working with utilities and major corporations on how to ensure rooftop solar+batter. SmartPower’s program in Connecticut is already focused on a VPP model. And its Solarize at Work program is engaging employees of major companies to buy solar at their “home offices” — helping companies with employee retention and company ESG. And all in a way to assist utilities with their VPP efforts.
Brian Keane and Heather Lamm will present an engaging, insightful presentation that will give a unique overview for this audience.
Jin Jo
F 3.5 Sustainability of Utility-Scale Solar PV Systems (VIRTUAL)
F3.4 Sustainability Assessment of Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Jin Jo – Illinois State University
This presentation is proposed to discuss the need for a transformative multi-dimensional assessment framework to evaluate the sustainability of utility scale solar photovoltaic systems by determining the relative weighting factors of items to be evaluated and establishing the scoring rubrics. The authors have identified the relevant indicators in the four sustainability dimensions that can be applied to evaluate utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects through extensive literature reviews and stakeholder surveys.
F4
GREEN HYDROGEN | SUSTAINABILITY | DECARBONIZATION | WORKPLACE ERRORS
Oct 7, 2022
10 am to 12 pm
Brian Petermann
Chair
F 4.1 Hydrogen Hubs: Green Energy – Brown Infrastructure?
F4.1 Hydrogen Hubs: Green Energy - Brown Infrastructure?
Brian Petermann – Power Engineers
Green Hydrogen is shaping up to be a key building block for substantial GHG reduction efforts world-wide despite some of the technical and economic challenges at this point. Though the “Green” name was assigned as a result of its 100% renewable source of electricity to produce hydrogen, there will also be environmental approval hurdles associated with the development of a Green Hydrogen Infrastructure in the US. This infrastructure is far-reaching and includes water use, hydraulic salt mining, water, hydrogen, and natural gas pipelines, solar/wind farms, transmission lines, and hydrogen production and “Green” power generation facilities. This presentation will include a quick background of Hydrogen Hubs, then identify the major Green Hydrogen Infrastructure elements along with environmental hurdles with their associated studies which may be required before a project’s infrastructure construction begins.
Krish Vijayaraghavan
F 4.2 Power-to-X and Green Hydrogen Implications in USA
F4.2 Power-to-X and Green Hydrogen Implications in the United States
Krish Vijayaraghavan – Ramboll
| Power-to-X, the principle of converting renewable electrical power into a gas or liquid fuel, offers tremendous potential for accelerating the green energy transition – particularly in sectors that are otherwise hard to electrify. This paper focuses on how green hydrogen produced from the electrolysis of water using renewable energy, can be an important driver for reaching a low-carbon economy by leveraging appropriate regulatory incentives in the United States. We will outline the pros and cons of using green hydrogen as an energy carrier and explain when and how it can provide significant net benefit. We will discuss recent policy initiatives in states such as California and Texas and proposed nationwide incentives for green hydrogen production in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Co-author: Eva Ravn Nielsen, Ramboll |
Bill Leighty
F 4.3 Hydrogen or Grid? Optimizing Policy Allocating Markets and CAPEX for Global GHG-neutral 2050
F4.3 Hydrogen or Grid ? Optimizing Policy Allocating Markets and CAPEX for Global GHG-neutral 2050
Bill Leighty – The Leighty Foundation
How shall we prevent over-dependence upon, and over-investment in, the electricity system, The Grid, vis-a-vis Hydrogen systems ? Renewables transmission from off- or on-Grid sources costs less via gaseous hydrogen (GH2) underground pipelines than via Grid. Annual-scale firming storage of GH2 costs < $ 1.00 / kWh CAPEX. As we discover more potential roles and value for “clean”, GHG-emission-free hydrogen, we realize we’ll need a continental-scale pipeline system, of repurposed extant pipelines and new-builds for hundreds of annual TWh of hydrogen for transport and CHP fuel and for industrial feedstocks. We cannot profitably achieve C- and GHG-neutrality via Grid, alone. Thus, we should now start a multi-decade, multi-disciplinary techo-economic analysis to optimize our urgent R&D&D and CAPEX progress.
Jake Mazulewicz
F4.4 The $37 Billion Problem — How to Address Workplace Errors
F4.4 The $37 Billion Problem -- How to Address Workplace Errors
Jake Mazulewicz – JMA Human Reliability Strategies, LLC
Preventable errors in electric utilities can change lives, end careers, and ruin years of environmental progress overnight. Some utilities address workplace errors far more effectively than others. What works? What doesn’t? Join us to learn the fundamentals of seven key steps taken by high-hazard industries like: aviation, health care, emergency services, the military, and of course some electric utilities. You’ll walk away with practical techniques you can apply to your team immediately, plus eye-opening insights to help you improve reliability and safety in your workplace for years to come.
Bobby Ruiz
F4.5 Updates to explosion hazards for large scale battery storage systems