Renewable Microgrids: When they make sense and when they don't
• What elements do you need to consider for a renewable microgrid to make sense?
• What are some considerations when a renewable microgrid may not make sense?
• Case study: Port of San Diego and the decision to install a renewable energy microgrid.
Attendees also will learn how to pair traditional and renewable solutions to improve emergency operations.
Technical Conference to Discuss Electrification and the Grid of the Future
The purpose of this technical conference is to initiate a dialog between Commissioners and stakeholders on how to prepare for an increasingly electrified future.
The conference will be open for the public to attend electronically. Registration for the conference is not required and there is no fee for attendance. A supplemental notice will be issued prior to the conference with further details regarding the agenda and organization, and any changes to the date and/or time. Information will also be posted on the Calendar of Events on the Commission’s website, www.ferc.gov, prior to the event. The conference will be transcribed. Transcripts will be available for a fee from Ace Reporting, (202) 347-3700.
Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations, please send an e-mail to [email protected], call toll-free (866) 208-3372 (voice) or (202) 208-8659 (TTY), or send a fax to (202) 208-2106 with the required accommodations.
FINANCING A GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION: A PUZZLE WITH MANY MISSING PIECES
Large segments of the energy sector are excluded at this stage. Follow-up work on the Taxonomy file should take a comprehensive and timely approach towards all solutions that will help addressing climate change and rolling out a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050 which strengthens industrial competitiveness and citizen empowerment.
The European Union (EU) Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act published today acknowledges the key role of cogeneration in maximizing the efficiency of thermal renewable sources. Yet it leaves out criteria to ensure the sustainability of gas projects, an area with an important decarbonization potential. Many European regions, cities and industries committed to decarbonization count on the phase-out of carbon-intensive coal and oil, the swift adoption of efficient solutions and a gradual uptake of renewable and decarbonized gases. Such future-proof investments in heat decarbonization, system efficiency and system stability will be key to complement building renovation, end-use electrification and the scale-up of variable renewable power, thereby significantly contributing to both climate mitigation and adaptation*.
Commenting on the Taxonomy Delegated Act publication, Hans Korteweg, COGEN Europe Managing Director, said: “The Delegated Act adopted today inconsistently recognizes some emission reducing solutions, while leaving key energy carriers out for later legislation without a clear timeline. This approach risks extending the life of polluting assets, which need urgent modernization. It will reduce investors’ confidence and slow down our decarbonization efforts. Further work on the Taxonomy file is needed to provide financial entities with a predictable roadmap for decarbonizing the entire economy, rather than handing them a blurry puzzle with many missing pieces.”
Hans Korteweg continues: “Current and upcoming Taxonomy legislation should broadly address the whole energy system in transformation, including criteria to define the long-term role of renewable, decarbonized and low-carbon gases and the transitional role of natural gas. To this end, high-efficiency cogeneration should be fully recognized as a sustainability criterion to maximize the use of all low-carbon and increasingly renewable energy sources, contributing to emission reductions and system stability. A comprehensive approach to taxonomy is urgently needed to ensure the overhaul of the entire economy on the path to decarbonization.”
Moving forward, COGEN Europe is committed to provide evidence-based inputs to support EU level efforts to delivering a comprehensive, ambitious and predictable framework for sustainable finance, which prioritizes high-efficiency cogeneration as a key sustainability criterion for all thermal heat and power generation.
* https://www.cogeneurope.eu/knowledge-centre/cogeneration-in-2050
NES-WES Announces sales and service Agreement for Ammongas and Biogasclean
NES-WES is now the exclusive sales and service provider for Ammongas and Biogasclean in the U.S. and Caribbean.
What FERC Order 2222-A Means for Microgrids and Energy Democracy
Aggreko spearheads 43 MW CHP facility: Upgrade helps curb carbon emissions
The complete solution comprised a total of total 43 MW of power: 21 MW gas generation, with a further 20 MW of thermal energy derived from the plant’s operations, supported by an additional 2MW battery capacity. The system has the potential to cut carbon emissions by up to 45% by capturing and using the plant’s exhaust gas and gas engine jacket water to generate further thermal energy.
Aggreko deployed a fully flexible system that allows for all or none of the heat to be recovered, therefore is suited to meet the required mix of thermal and electrical energy throughout seasonal changes and demand spikes. Energy stability across the site is ensured through the integration of battery units, with 2 MW of lithium-ion storage supporting the 14 gas generators. Aggreko and CET’s contract provides flexible terms to cater to the plant’s variable demand, with Aggreko’s rental solution also avoiding the need for CAPEX investment across the four-year contract.
The project, working to deliver efficiency increases for the plant while decreasing CO2 emissions by up to 45%, aligns with Aggreko’s wider net-zero aims and work to assist customers in their energy transitions. The company is committed to a 50% reduction in fossil diesel fuels and local air quality emissions by 2030, as well as achieving net-zero in its own operations by the same year. By 2050, Aggreko will also be a net-zero business across all of the services it provides.
The solution will help to increase efficiency and stability at the plant, a key provider of hot water and electricity for the district heating scheme and grid at the regional capital Arad City, for the next four years.
Aggreko’s skilled team of engineers had to contend with the challenges of sustaining the constant power output and demands of the plant whilst reducing carbon emissions; and simultaneously complying with stringent European Entso-E guidelines on grid compliance. The answer to the challenge was an innovative hybrid thermal and electrical cogeneration system, combining gas generators with batteries to provide important low emission ancillary services.
The power plant, operated by CET Arad, has been the main source of energy and heat for nearby Arad city for almost 50 years. It was originally built to provide heat and electricity in the 1970s, and has since developed its offer, with a fall in demand for heat meaning it now works primarily to provide electricity for the Ancillary Services market.
This project is one of a number of CHP solutions Aggreko has provided to clients to support a diverse range of requirements, including thermal power plants, mining operations, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing production lines. Aggreko can deliver CHP solutions for both short duration projects as well as providing longer-term support as part of its flexible, modular offer.
Lawmakers in 20 States Introduce 69 Microgrid Bills
The legislation comes as state lawmakers are increasingly taking steps to support grid modernization, including exploring the role that microgrids and new energy management technologies can play in updating the grid, according to an April 7 report on trending energy topics from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
In part, grid modernization efforts focus on energy resilience, driven by extreme weather events like wildfires, hurricanes and tornados, NCSL analysts said in the report.
While some states last year enacted laws supporting backup generation, “policymakers are also increasingly considering the role that microgrids can play in enhancing resiliency during grid outages while also providing services during normal grid conditions,” NCSL analysts said.
In a trend that is continuing, last year seven states enacted laws creating “commercial property assessed clean energy” programs, known as C-PACE, according to the report. The C-PACE financing structure allows owners of commercial and industrial properties to obtain low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy and resiliency upgrades, which can include energy storage, the analysts said.
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 Partners: 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 partner 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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What are the benefits of CHP?
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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CHP IN ACTION
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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Get the details.
Interested in what others in your field of use are doing with CHP Systems? Case studies provide even more information about CHP solutions in neighborhood or in your business world.
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