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The POWER Interview: Managing Operations in a Pandemic World

August 10, 2020

The post The POWER Interview: Managing Operations in a Pandemic World appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Power generation companies, like other businesses, have altered operations due to COVID-19. And it’s more than just having employees work remotely, wear masks, and social distance.

Managing data and documents with new protocols in place is critical to any asset-intensive industry, and electricity providers are no different. The Kinsmen Group, an engineering and information management firm, cites a recent report noting how the global digital asset management market reached a value of $ 3.4 billion in 2019, and how that market is expected to grow to $ 8.5 billion by 2025.

The group says this growth is caused by two major factors: the continued trend toward digitization, and increasing adoption of cloud-based services.

*Edwin Elmendorp is leading information architect with Kinsmen Group. He has more than 15 years’ experience in engineering data management.*

The Kinsmen Group told POWER its team has seen problems arise for businesses due to the pandemic, as companies alter their traditional way of doing things.…

The POWER Interview: Microgrids Open New Business Models

July 12, 2020

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Microgrids offer an “all of the above” approach to distributed generation, incorporating a variety of technologies into their design. As microgrids continue to evolve, incorporating renewable power resources, fuel cells, battery energy storage, diesel and gas generator sets, microturbines, and other technologies, they also provide the opportunity to expand the business models for power producers.

Don Wingate, Vice President Utility & Microgrid Solutions at Schneider Electric, recently provided POWER with his insights about the microgrid market. He noted that technology advancements are allowing more rapid deployments, and also “more repeatable and scalable solutions that can fit different applications.”

Wingate talked about the use cases for microgrids, and how decentralized power generation can provide lower energy costs, while also increasing power quality and providing resilience and reliability. He noted the growth in deployment in areas prone to natural disasters, and also as a way for businesses to enhance their bottom lines.…

The POWER Interview: GenCell’s CEO on Importance of Clean Energy

March 25, 2020

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The coronavirus pandemic is expected to slow the growth of renewable energy in 2020, owing to supply chain disruptions and an economic recession. It could make hitting targets for clean energy adoption more difficult, particularly in the short term.

Will government officials look to adjust their goals for renewable energy? Perhaps, but with most of the targeted goals 10 or more years away, it’s likely they will take the long view, with adjustments happening down the road depending on market conditions.

Rami Reshef, CEO of GenCell, an Israel-based fuel cell technology company, in a recent interview with POWER talked about the importance of renewable energy, including fuel cells, which convert potential chemical energy into electrical energy and generate heat as a by-product. While chemical energy is stored inside batteries, fuel cells can continuously generate electricity as long as they are supplied with fuel (hydrogen) and an oxygen supply.…

The POWER Interview: Google, Utilities Partner for Energy Solutions

March 10, 2020

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Businesses are putting more emphasis on sustainability, coordinating their operations to ensure financial success while also being mindful of environmental concerns. Investors in many cases are demanding companies embrace sustainability, which often includes being more efficient in their use of energy.

That’s one reason behind the growth in distributed power generation, as companies develop their own systems—often utilizing renewable power—to have more control over their energy use and its cost. Several of these companies have told their stories, and provided information about their commercial and industrial power installations, at POWER’s Distributed Energy Conference.

This year’s conference is scheduled for Oct. 19-21 in Chicago, Illinois. Sustainability will again be part of the agenda, with businesses discussing how they are developing programs to address financial, social, and environmental concerns.In the corporate world, it is sometimes referred to as the triple bottom line.

Google, the Silicon Valley-based search engine giant, has become a leader in sustainable business practices, purchasing renewable energy to match its global power consumption.…

The POWER Interview: Vicinity CEO Discusses District Energy

February 25, 2020

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The rise of distributed, or decentralized, power generation has been supported by district energy, the generation from facilities and associated distribution networks supplying steam or hot water, chilled water, and electricity for heating and cooling to millions of square feet of building space across the U.S. and around the globe. District energy is among several focus areas for POWER’s Distributed Energy Conference, which this year is scheduled for Oct. 19-21 in Chicago, Illinois.

Among the newest district energy providers—at least in name—is Vicinity Energy, a company recently launched by Antin Infrastructure Partners after Antin’s purchase of Veolia North America’s district energy assets in the U.S. Vicinity, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, immediately became North America’s largest provider of district energy. The company is supplying energy and related services across 13 networks in 10 major cities, including large networks in Boston; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Kansas City, Missouri.…

The POWER Interview: Exelon Discusses Digitalization

February 11, 2020

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Digitization in the power generation sector continues to expand. Its goal in simple terms—providing easy access to data for power plant operators and engineers, enabling the use of advanced analytics to improve equipment performance and efficiency—has resulted in reduced operating costs for utilities, and also has enhanced plant safety.

POWER’s upcoming Connected Plant Conference, set for Feb. 25-27 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia, is the only event covering the digital transformation of the power and chemical process industries. From the power generation perspective, Connected Plant focuses on technology designed for the sector, from predictive maintenance to cybersecurity and risk mitigation, looking at the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning on power plant operations.

Utilities have been embracing digitalization in a variety of ways. Exelon, the Chicago, Illinois-based parent company of several utilities including Constellation, Atlantic City Electric, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E), Commonwealth Edison, Delmarva Power, PECO (formerly Philadelphia Electric Co.),…