Solar energy took off when it came up with a way for customers to buy-in with no upfront costs. Will no-money down microgrids capture the same kind of mass market appeal? Schneider Electric, a major player in the microgrid space, thinks so. The Massachusetts-based company is modeling the approach with a microgrid to be installed at its new … [Read more...]
Microgrid Financing Times Three, Plus a Lot of Energy Storage News
January 29, 2016 By Leave a Comment
This was a big week in microgrid financing with three company announcements. First, UGE International secured a $1.83 million (12 million RMB) loan from the Bank of China. UGE will use the money in part to fulfill payment of the cash portion of the UGE's proposed acquisition of large-scale solar energy system provider Endura Energy … [Read more...]
Lions, Pizza & the Energy Internet of Things
December 29, 2015 By 3 Comments
Back in the old days, the electric grid was pretty straight-forward. Power plants generated electricity and sent it over wires to homes and businesses. Then came the energy internet of things. The things -- such as solar panels, learning thermostats, electric vehicles, energy storage and even human idiosyncrasy – add tremendous … [Read more...]
Renewable Microgrids Get Boost from Extension of U.S. Tax Credits
December 25, 2015 By 2 Comments
Congress gave a boost to renewable microgrids last week with a multi-year extension of tax credits for solar, wind and other distributed energy resources (DER). The credits were part of a $1.1 trillion omnibus budget and tax extender package approved by the House and Senate and quickly signed by President Barack Obama. Generation often … [Read more...]
Utilities and Microgrids: It’s Complicated
October 19, 2015 By 1 Comment
Not long ago when Schneider Electric’s Mark Feasel would make an appointment to talk to a utility about microgrids, he’d usually get shuffled off to the ‘smart guy’. The smart guy is interesting, but he has no budget and therefore no real influence. Being sent to him signaled the utility’s lack of enthusiasm. But something has changed. For … [Read more...]
Energy Giants Form Low-Carbon Microgrid Group in Advance of UN Climate Talks
September 5, 2015 By 2 Comments
Seven major energy companies joined forces in South Africa yesterday to drive low-carbon microgrid development in advance of United Nation climate talks scheduled for December. Formed September 4 in Johannesburg, the microgrid working group includes ABB, Alstom, EDF, Engie (previously GDF Suez), Eskom, First Solar and Schneider Electric. The … [Read more...]
Schneider Electric’s Microgrid Controller Named Market Leader by Navigant
August 11, 2015 By 1 Comment
Schneider Electric took the top spot as the leader in microgrid controller technology in an analysis released today by Navigant Research. Optimal Power Solutions and Princeton Power Systems took the number two and three spots for this key microgrid system. The microgrid controller comes into play when a microgrid islands from the main grid, … [Read more...]
Tennessee Energy Efficiency and Advanced Energy Program Expected to Cut Utility Costs by 28%
August 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Schneider Electric's Jim Plourde describes a new Tennessee energy efficiency and advanced energy program that is expected to put the state on a path toward utility savings of $54 million annually. There’s great news for the advanced energy economy and all residents of the state of Tennessee! Governor Haslam’s EmPower TN initiative will further … [Read more...]
How the Clean Power Plan Will Spur More Microgrids…Eventually
August 7, 2015 By 1 Comment
The Clean Power Plan is likely to spur more microgrid development, offering a new and different kind of public policy support for these mini-versions of the larger grid. But not overnight. Announced by the Environmental Protection Agency this week, the rule requires that states come up with plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions from electric power … [Read more...]
How the Clean Power Plan Advances Microgrids
August 6, 2015 By 1 Comment
Microgrids win a new and different kind of public policy support under the carbon-cutting Clean Power Plan announced by the Obama administration this week. The rule requires that states come up with plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electric power 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. That means cutting 870 million tons of carbon … [Read more...]
