Energy Exchange

Clean Energy Conference Roundup: November 2015

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 29, 2015

Each month, the Energy Exchange rounds up a list of top clean energy conferences around the country. Our list includes conferences at which experts from the EDF Clean Energy Program will be speaking, plus additional events that we think our readers may benefit from marking on their calendars.

Top clean energy conferences featuring EDF experts in November:

November 3-5: European Utility Week (Vienna, Austria)
Speaker: Kate Zerrenner, Manager

With two programs—the Strategic Conference Program and the free-to-attend Hub Sessions on the exhibition floor—as well as a multitude of new exhibition features, the event is a dynamic environment for the smart energy community to come together and thrash out which strategies will be the most effective or most affordable in the future.

November 6-7: Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit (New Haven, CT)
Speaker: Fred Krupp, President

How will our planet provide food, energy, and water for a growing population and as our climate changes? Can we develop more sustainable systems for producing and distributing food; drive towards lower carbon and GHG intensity in our economies; and effectively manage our increasingly scarce fresh water supplies and fragile ecosystems? How can efficiency and innovation help reduce our impact—while increasing our well-being? The Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit (YESS) will engage University alumni, faculty, staff, and students—as well as outside experts, practitioners, and scholars—to tackle topics, including these, in the first annual conference of its kind at Yale. Fred is scheduled to deliver remarks during the conference dinner on Friday, Nov. 6. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Conference Roundup, General / Comments are closed

The Future of Energy Storage is BYOB

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 13, 2015

By: Michelle Zheng, Clean Energy Intern

Before the U.S. electric grid became centralized under utilities and independent system operators, it consisted of unorganized and unconnected generators. As distributed energy resources (DERs) – such as rooftop solar, energy storage, and other generation sources beyond large power plants – find their way into (and onto) more homes and businesses, it’s clear the grid’s future has a lot in common with its roots. This time, however, an array of new technologies will help us take advantage of a more decentralized approach.

But are utilities ready to handle this change? Although some are eager to try, the answer under most current utility business models is a resounding “no.” This is because current business models promise utilities profit for putting more steel into the ground and selling as much energy as possible – the exact things DERs help avoid.

Despite all this, can we find ways for utilities and DERs to be friends? We think so. Meet the “Bring Your Own Battery” (BYOB) model. Developed by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and collaborators at Rocky Mountain Institute’s eLab Accelerator, it capitalizes on the emerging movement of customers bringing their own batteries to the grid. What’s more, it creates a role for the utility to facilitate rather than fight the expansion of DERs.

Posted in General / Tagged Energy Storage | Comments are closed

Citibank: How Investments in Clean Energy can Save Trillions

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 8, 2015

By: Karin Rives

A number to remember: $44 trillion. It’s what Citibank estimates that climate change will cost the global economy by 2060 unless we take decisive steps to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.

To put the number in perspective, that is roughly the combined gross domestic products of the United States, China and the European Union.

But the banking giant’s recent forecast also offers a financially attractive way forward.

The Citi researchers estimated what our energy-hungry world will spend on conventional power infrastructure and procurement over the next several decades. They then compared that with what it would cost to instead develop low-carbon energy sources to meet rising demand from especially developing nations.

Their conclusion: By transitioning to a clean energy economy we will, in fact, save an estimated $1.8 trillion by 2040.

This number, of course, only tells part of the story. Investments in clean energy will bring an array of other benefits, not the least of which are new markets, industry growth and more jobs – all of which will fuel the economy and boost GDPs.

So why is the Citibank report important? Because it gives us numbers that can help us move the needle forward at a very critical time. Read More »

Posted in Energy Efficiency, General / Comments are closed

Can Smart Buildings Boost Demand Response in an Era of Capacity Performance?

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 6, 2015

By: Andrew Barbeau, President of The Accelerate Group, LLC, and senior clean energy consultant to EDF

Early January 2014, during the heart of the Polar Vortex, grid operator PJM had its finger on the switch ready to start rolling blackouts across 13 states and Washington, D.C. As temperatures plunged to 20- and 30-below zero, coal piles froze and conveyors broke down at coal plants, gas plants without firm delivery contracts sat idle without fuel, and PJM officials were sending out pleas for help for large electricity consumers to cut their use. Twenty-two percent of power generators failed to show up as expected that day, and PJM officials vowed not to let that happen again.

Likely not able to prevent future extreme weather events, PJM is looking at a major restructuring of its own market design to change how and when it pays for power to ensure the lights (and heat) stay on. But some believe those market changes come with some significant risks – particularly to the role of demand response, or emergency events during which buildings, homes, and industrial facilities are rewarded for reducing their electricity use.

Over the past several months, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and The Accelerate Group have been working closely with PJM, Illinois consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board, and a number of building owners in Chicago to develop the Combined Capacity Asset Performance Project (C-CAP), an innovative pilot program to demonstrate how demand response can continue to play a strong and vital role in PJM’s electricity market. Read More »

Posted in Clean Power Plan, Demand Response, General, Illinois / Comments are closed

Clean Energy Conference Roundup: October 2015

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 1, 2015

Top clean energy conferences featuring EDF experts in October:

October 5-7: SXSW Eco (Austin, TX)
Speaker: Kate Zerrenner, Manager

SXSW Eco creates a space for business leaders, investors, innovators, and designers to drive economic, environmental, and social change. Kate will be a panelist on the Energy-Water Nexus panel.

October 6-7: Demand Response World Forum (Costa Mesa, CA)
Speaker: James Fine, Senior Economist

The 2nd Annual Demand Response World Forum will bring together professionals from around the world to explore the latest auto-demand response (ADR) technologies and strategies for meeting the changing energy landscape of the 21st Century. Technology innovators and business leaders will meet for three days to discuss the evolving role of ADR in enabling an integrated and flexible network that is responsive to a wide range of energy resources, marketplace entities, and customer energy demand and generation. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Conference Roundup, General / Comments are closed

California’s Latest Legislation is a Paradigm Shift for Energy Efficiency

By EDF Blogs / Published: September 24, 2015

By: Matt Golden, Senior Energy Finance Consultant

As California races towards a clean energy future, not only do we need new aggressive goals for all sectors, but we also need to rethink how we manage distributed energy resources, like rooftop solar and customer side energy storage. This is particularly true for one such resource, energy efficiency.

Two weeks ago, the California legislature passed a number of clean energy related bills including SB 350 (De León), a bill that sets the state on a path to achieve Governor Brown’s ambitious clean energy goals. The governor’s “50/50/50” plan aims to increase electricity from renewable sources to 50 percent, reduce petroleum use by 50 percent, and double building efficiency by 2030.

Most media reports have focused on the bill’s ambition to increase the renewable portfolio standard and energy efficiency goals, and some observers have expressed justified concern about items left on the cutting room floor (the petroleum use reduction target). But there has been little discussion of the bill’s most important provisions – those that address how energy efficiency will be measured and delivered going forward. Read More »

Posted in California, Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General / Tagged SB 350 | Comments are closed