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Archive for the ‘Energy’ Category

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Benefits of Distributed Energy Storage

Thursday, March 12th, 2015
Figure ES-1: Applications and Benefits of Distributed Storage. Source: 2010 Energy Storage for the Electricity Grid: Benefits and Market Potential Assessment Guide, Sandia National Laboratories.

INTERSTATE RENEWABLE ENERGY COUNCIL (IREC)
In the last 10 years the percentage of electricity generated in the United States from renewable sources, has grown at an impressive rate, including significant amounts of generation located on the distribution system. Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity systems in particular have evolved rapidly from a once-niche technology to one that is now widely used by schools, households, businesses and utilities across the country. Distributed renewable energy offers a wide range of environmental, societal and customer benefits, however their introduction in large numbers will require innovative and forward thinking regulatory policies in order to smoothly integrate them into the existing electrical system.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Policy, Sustainability

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Easing the Transition to a More Distributed Electricity System

Friday, March 6th, 2015

INTERSTATE RENEWABLE ENERGY COUNCIL (IREC)
In recent years, new technologies have emerged on the customer side of the electric system, including distributed energy resources (DER) such as distributed generation, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, energy storage and demand response technologies, among others. These technologies are allowing growing numbers of energy consumers to decrease their electricity demand, act as energy producers and otherwise manage their energy usage…Together, these compounding factors have driven the movement toward a more modern grid that enables significant increases in the amount of clean energy produced; universal consumer access and facilitation of consumer choice, including the adoption of DER; integrated resource planning; two-way flow of energy and information; and increased reliability, security and resiliency.

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Posted in Energy, Infra Views, National, Smart Grid

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Iowa Infrastructure: ASCE 2015 Report Card

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015
Iowa Infrastructure Report Card 2015

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
IOWA SECTION
The 2015 Report Card for Iowa’s Infrastructure has been prepared to acquaint Iowans with the extent, condition and importance of the capital assets that support modern life. It is hoped that this information, along with the grades, will encourage awareness of and concern for these often under-appreciated facilities. Iowa’s ASCE members hope that the grades will alert citizens, media agencies, business leaders, and elected officials to the needs of the infrastructure and induce a commitment to giving it proper care and upkeep.

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Posted in Aging Infrastructure, Bridges, Dams, Energy, Highway, Infra Views, Local, Public Transportation, Rail, Roads

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Wind Energy Helps Build a More Reliable and Balanced Electricity Portfolio

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015
U.S. Wind Energy Share of Electricity Generation by State During 2013

AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION
Some of the most common questions about wind energy focus on how wind can be reliably integrated into the power system. A key source of confusion is that, contrary to most people’s intuitive experience that winds are variable and electricity demand and supply is stable, the opposite is actually true at the grid operator scale. The following report answers 15 of the most frequently asked questions with lessons learned from grid operators’ experiences reliably integrating large amounts of wind. Concise answers to these questions are provided here in the executive summary, while citations and explanations of the supporting data and analysis for those answers can be found by following the hyperlinks to the relevant sections of the full report below.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Green, Infra Views, Sustainability

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Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets

Thursday, February 19th, 2015
Table ES-1. Summary of FCEB Performance Compared to DOE/FTA Targets

NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit.

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Posted in Buses, Clean Air, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Sustainability

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EPA’s Clean Power Plan and Reliability

Monday, February 16th, 2015
Figure 1 Application of BSER for 2030 CO2 Emissions Rate Standards by State

THE BRATTLE GROUP
The United States (“U.S.”) power system is undergoing a fundamental transformation, largely driven by advances in technology and low natural gas prices. This transformation is putting significant pressure on existing coal-fired and even nuclear generation, increasingly leads to renewable energy resources being cost-competitive with fossil-fired generation, and results in myriad choices for consumers that promise to permanently alter the role of demand in the power system. As a consequence, the fuel mix and associated emissions of the U.S. power system are changing rapidly, as are the actions taken by system operators to manage the quickly evolving electric system.

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Cabazon, CA: Nestlé Sets Up a Wind Turbine

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015

Nestlé Waters North America’s contribution to the CSV Film Festival Season 2
Category: Environmental Performance

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Posted in Energy, Local, Show Us Your Infra, Sustainability

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2015 Strategic Directions: Smart Utility Report

Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Figure 1 What do you see as the primary driver of smart city initiatives in your region?

BLACK & VEATCH
Now more than ever, the increasing use of technology offers utility operators greater understanding of their networks and how customers consume power, water, natural gas and data. Forecasting historically required large teams to examine past operations and create an operations snapshot, often long in the past. Now, predictive analytics, or Adaptive Planning, is redefining how complex systems can be managed through rapid analysis of real-time information.

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Posted in Energy, Infra Views, National, Policy, Smart Growth, Technology, Telecommunications

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Boston: Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Infrastructure

Thursday, January 29th, 2015
methane fig1

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (PNAS)
Most recent analyses of the environmental impact of natural gas have focused on production, with very sparse information on emissions from distribution and end use. This study quantifies the full seasonal cycle of methane emissions and the fractional contribution of natural gas for the urbanized region centered on Boston. Emissions from natural gas are found to be two to three times larger than predicted by existing inventory methodologies and industry reports. Our findings suggest that natural-gas–consuming regions may be larger sources of methane to the atmosphere than is currently estimated and represent areas of significant resource loss.

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Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Local, Pollution

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Going Solar in America: Ranking Solar Value to Consumers

Monday, January 26th, 2015
Overall City Rankings

Most Americans are unaware of the true financial value of solar today. Seen by many as a technological luxury, solar energy is not seriously considered as an option by most homeowners in the U.S. However, our analysis shows that, in 46 of America’s 50 largest cities, a fully-financed, typically-sized solar PV system is a better investment than the stock market, and in 42 of these cities, the same system already costs less than energy from a residential customer’s local utility…So why aren’t more Americans investing in solar? There is a clear information gap, and with this report, we intend to open the eyes of average homeowners by showing that solar can generate both significant monthly savings and long-term investment value, and not infrequently, cost less than energy from some of America’s largest electric utilities.

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Infra Views, Private Investment, Sustainability, Technology

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