Upcoming
Event
POWERGEN, DISTRIBUTECH
PowerGen International
May 23-25, 2022
Upcoming
Event
BIOGAS AMERICAS
American Biogas Council
May 23-26
BIOGAS AMERICAS is organized by the American Biogas Council – the only trade association championing the entire biogas industry, working across America to grow the biogas market for the benefit of everyone involved. Whether you are a project developer, equipment supplier, service provider, operator, investor, utility, policymaker, or anyone whose success depends on the growth and profitability of biogas as a resource, there is no better way to build your business and stay informed of the latest developments in the industry.
Partner
News
Energetyka Cieplna Chooses Eneria Poland to Supply Cogeneration System from Caterpillar
POWERinfo Today
May 13, 2022
Eneria Poland will deliver the key components of the system, which includes four Cat G3516H gas generator sets, heat recovery components, controls, silencers, and exhaust components. Scheduled to begin operating in early 2022, the new system upgrades the current district heating system, which delivers over a half million gigajoules of heat annually to more than 24,000 customers. Power will be sold to the local distribution network operator. Poland’s National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management supplied a portion of the project financing.
The new system helps to modernize the heating capabilities and improve the environmental impact of Energetyka Cieplna, which used coal for more than 97% of its district heat production in 2019. Through the cogeneration system, officials expect to reduce the heat produced from coal by about 136 gigajoules per year while decreasing annual emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 52 tons. The plant is expected to exceed 86% efficiency and was selected on the basis of several performance factors, including unit availability and total life cycle costs.
Eneria Poland will also provide ongoing support to help the managers of Energetyka Cieplna achieve the maximum long-term value from the system and focus on running their enterprise. Through a tailored customer value agreement (CVA), Eneria Poland will assume responsibility for on-site maintenance and service, which includes scheduled inspections and oil changes, technical support 24 hours a day, remote monitoring and control, dealer replacement of maintenance parts, and Cat S•O•SSM fluid analysis.
“Energetyka Cieplna has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment while continuing to serve its customers,” said Sven Buehler, territory manager for gas product sales at Caterpillar. “Caterpillar and Eneria Poland have the portfolio of advanced power solutions and deep technical expertise needed to help Energetyka Cieplna achieve its sustainability goals.”
Cogeneration Capabilities from Caterpillar
Facilities can reduce operating costs by implementing a Cat cogeneration combined heat and power (CHP) system or a cogeneration system incorporating cooling. This enables the units to simultaneously provide power for electrical loads as well as heat and cooling energy for a facility’s requirements. Any gas-fueled Cat engine can be configured to support facility processes or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements.
Caterpillar delivers innovative power systems engineered for durability, reliability and value. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat authorized service and dealer network. In addition, dealer technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.
News
NASEO, NARUC publish report examining the role of microgrids in resilient grids
Daily Energy Insider
May 11, 2022
With more and more natural and man-made events impacting the energy system — including winter storms, cyberattacks, and drought — state energy offices and public utility commissions are critical players in developing policy and regulatory actions that help enhance the resilience of the electric grid. One way is through microgrids.
The report, released by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), offers some specific recommendations on how states can use microgrids to meet their resilience objectives. Some of the considerations include gathering data on microgrid performance, convening stakeholders to share how they value resilience, and monitoring the release of tools in development by the National Labs and other researchers.
Converge Strategies assisted NASEO and NARUC with the development of the report called “Valuing Resilience for Microgrids: Challenges, Innovative Approaches, and State Needs.”
Resilience — an electricity system’s response to a disruption — is a key consideration to guide electricity spending, whether from utilities, customers, or taxpayers. Developing tools and methods to accurately assess the costs and benefits of resilience investments is critical to mitigating the impacts of outages, the report said.
“Although no universally accepted valuation tool for resilience exists, National Laboratories, utilities, researchers, and state and federal agencies have collaborated to develop, apply, and improve a number of approaches to quantify resilience, several of which are still in progress at the time this report is published. This report seeks to share these important advances by discussing current definitions of resilience, how microgrids are defined and used to meet resilience objectives, new approaches to valuing resilience, steps State Energy Offices and PUCs have taken to further resilience valuation efforts, and finally, considerations and suggested next steps for State Energy Offices and PUCs,” the executive summary of the report reads.
Examples of specific microgrid projects and resilience valuation efforts are included throughout the report. While it is written specifically for NASEO and NARUC members, it may be useful for utilities, local governments, and individual customers interested in improving the way public and private dollars are spent to achieve resilience outcomes.
Partner
News
Caterpillar Inc. has acquired Tangent Energy Solutions
Caterpillar
May 10, 2022
"Tangent Energy has developed a suite of intelligent energy solutions that leverages advanced analytics to provide value to customers," said Jason Kaiser, vice president of Caterpillar Electric Power. "Tangent's EaaS offerings complement Caterpillar's broad portfolio of electric power products, enabling us to better serve customers for reliable, efficient, sustainable and connected power solutions that support business operations while generating new revenue streams."
Tangent Energy's proprietary software solutions monitor patterns from grid and client facilities, analyze opportunities in energy markets, and then dispatch resources to maximize return without disrupting normal business operations.
"Caterpillar is at the forefront of the industry in delivering robust and efficient power solutions supported by advanced digital offerings," said Dean Musser, president and chief executive officer of Tangent Energy Solutions. "Customers select Cat® power solutions for the long-term return on investment, and we look forward to working together to help deliver additional value through the compelling combination of our cutting-edge technologies with the customer relationships established by Caterpillar and the Cat dealer network."
Tangent Energy Solutions will continue to offer services under the Tangent Energy brand and operate under Caterpillar's Electric Power Division.
News
Biden Administration Launches $2.3 Billion Program to Strengthen and Modernize America's Power Grid
U.S. DOE
May 4, 2022
“There is no question that a modernized grid is the linchpin to President Biden’s goal of a nation powered by reliable, renewable clean energy,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grid investments will help provide the American people with resilient electricity generation regardless of a lightning strike or an extreme weather event.”
Power outages from severe weather have doubled over the past two decades across the U.S. and the frequency and length of power failures reached their highest levels since reliability tracking began in 2013 — with U.S. customers on average experiencing more than eight hours of outages in 2020.
Infrastructure investments will help address these concerns by improving grid reliability and increasing resilience in the face of extreme weather events and natural disasters. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s program, Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid, will provide grants based on a formula that includes, among other things, population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts.
Grid modernization activities could include:
Utility pole upkeep and removal of trees and other vegetation affecting grid performance
Undergrounding electrical equipment
Relocating or reconductoring powerlines
Improvements to make the grid resistant to extreme weather
Increasing fire resistant components
Implementing monitoring, controls, and advanced modeling for real-time situational awareness
Integrating distributed energy resources like microgrids and energy storage
The new program will ask applicants to describe the concrete outcomes they intend to seek and commit to specific progress metrics like reducing or shortening outages from severe events or by reducing risks to health and safety from such outages. Applicants will also be asked to present objectives and metrics for workforce engagement, high labor standards, and quality job creation. Furthermore, the program will award funding to a diverse set of populations, including underserved and disadvantaged communities, following through on the Biden Administration’s Justice40 commitment to provide 40% of the benefits from climate investments to frontline communities.
The Request for Information seeks feedback from States and Tribal Nations to inform DOE’s structuring of the formula grants. Specific feedback is requested about anticipated application challenges, technical assistance support, and other critical data sources.
The Building a Better Grid Initiative, also enabled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is working to catalyze the nationwide development of new and upgraded electric transmission lines. Through the Building a Better Grid Initiative, DOE is deploying more than $20 billion in federal financing tools, including through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s new $2.5 billion Transmission Facilitation Program, $3 billion expansion of the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program, and more than $10 billion in grants for States, Tribes, and utilities to enhance grid resilience and prevent power outages, and through existing tools, including the more than $3 billion Western Area Power Administration Transmission Infrastructure Program, and a number of loan guarantee programs through the Loan Programs Office.
DOE is requesting feedback on the formula grant program Notice of Intent, draft application and award requirements, and draft award formula allocation. Comments must be received by June 2, 2022 11:59 p.m. EDT and can be submitted by emailing 40101formulagrants@hq.doe.gov.
A public webinar will be held on May 5, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET to provide additional information. Registration required.
News
Chesapeake Utilities tests hydrogen blend at CHP plant
Power Engieering
May 3, 2022
The company is currently validating emissions reduction at the CHP plant. The company is also assessing the effects of the hydrogen blend on the operations of the Eight Flags gas turbine, which was manufactured by Solar Turbines.
Prior to testing, modifications at the plant were completed to enable the turbine to run on a 4% hydrogen blend. The existing turbine is scheduled for a routine change-out this year, Chesapeake Utilities said. The replacement would have the capability to operate with a higher percentage of hydrogen.
The company’s Marlin Gas Services unit transported the hydrogen to the company’s distribution system at the CHP site. An interconnect point was isolated from other distribution customers, receiving the hydrogen directly from the Marlin tankers, the company said. The hydrogen was blended and delivered to the plant through existing steel mains.
The 20 MW Eight Flags CHP Plant was completed and put into commercial operation in June 2016. It serves approximately 50% of Amelia Island’s demand for electricity. The system is based on a Solar Turbines Titan 250 gas turbine coupled to a Rentech HRSG with a duct burner. It can produce 75,000 lb/hour, without supplemental firing; and up to 200,000 lb/hour with supplemental firing.
While hydrogen combustion may offer a pathway to energy storage and conversion pathway, it is not a “drop-in” fuel for much of today’s natural gas-fired energy conversion devices. Alterations are needed in the fuel handling systems, valves and piping, and combustor hardware.
Combined Heat & Power eCatalog of Recognized Package CHP Systems
Packaged CHP Systems:
Rigorous Recognition Process
The Packaged Combined Heat and Power Catalog (eCatalog) is a voluntary public/private partnership designed to increase deployment of CHP in commercial, institutional and multi-family buildings and manufacturing plants. The core of the eCatalog are CHP Packagers who commit to provide pre-engineered and tested Packaged CHP systems that meet or exceed DOE performance requirements and CHP Solution Providers who commit to provide responsible installation, commissioning, maintenance and service of recognized Packaged CHP systems and also provide a single point of project responsibility.
Customer Engagement Networks: Incentivizing CHP in Your Area
Maximize Your CHP Investment When You Install Recognized Systems
An essential element in market success of energy efficient technologies, such as CHP, is a robust customer engagement network to educate end-users and provide assistance through the project development process. States, localities and utilities that are implementing programs and policies to increase the use of CHP in support of key economic, security, efficiency and environmental goals can integrate the eCatalog into their efforts by linking recognized CHP packages offered by Solution Providers or Packagers in their region to their programs. The eCatalog provides a unique platform for convening recognized CHP equipment and suppliers with state, local and utility market outreach, customer acquisition and incentive programs.
eCATALOG PACKAGED CHP SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
Packaged CHP System standardized1 electrical and thermal performance data presented for comparison in the eCatalog have been reviewed and recognized as accurate based on engineering data and available performance test data submitted by the Packagers. Emissions data presented in the eCatalog are based on either third-party emissions test results when available, or prime mover manufacture’s emissions certification data, both using standard EPA test methodologies or equivalent. When evaluating CHP performance for a particular project, it is important to use final performance data from the Packager or Solution Provider that reflects specific site conditions such as actual fuel characteristics, ambient temperatures and altitude, and thermal load temperatures or pressures. As an example, hot water thermal capacity ratings in the eCatalog are based on a standard hot water supply temperature of 180 F, with packager specified return temperatures for each system. Actual hot water available from a packaged CHP system for a project will depend on the specific temperature requirements of the hot water supply and return at the site, and may vary from data presented in the eCatalog.
“Even a small blip on the power grid can disrupt our production equipment and cause six to eight hours of lost production time. With the CHP systems, if there is a power blip we go into island mode and don't experience any disruption.”
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Combined heat and power (CHP) systems can provide reliable, flexible, low-cost, energy efficiency to a variety of industrial, commercial, and institutional energy consumers.
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Is there any potential, and are there real opportunities in my market? Where has CHP been installed? Is CHP a good fit for my facility?
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