Quick Microgrid News…MLP for Microgrids?…LA’s Record-setting Microgrid Building…Latest New Microgrid Controller

June 25, 2015 By

This week's quick microgrid news... Movement is afoot once again in Congress to give renewables and distributed energy a financial advantage afforded to big oil and gas for about three decades -- the ability to form master limited partnerships or MLPs. U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Representatives Ted Poe … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economics, Google News Feed, International District Energy Association (IDEA), News, Players, Policy, Resources Tagged With: , , , ,

Boston: A Model for the Emerging Distributed Energy Paradigm

May 15, 2015 By

Boston is a city at the forefront of district energy and combined heat and power use. So it’s a fitting gathering spot for government and industry leaders next month who will look at the paradigm shift from central generation to distributed energy. IDEA2015, a conference sponsored by the International District Energy Association June 28-July 1, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Thermal Tagged With: , , , ,

The Top Energy Efficiency Stories of 2014

December 28, 2014 By

The top energy efficiency stories of 2014 reveal an industry that’s not only growing, but also redefining itself to capture its full worth. This was a year of mega deals, utility soul searching, rising new tech, rising old tech, financing innovation, and policy invigoration.  Here are the top 10 most read stories on EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency, Grid Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Do Microgrids Make Money?

June 11, 2014 By

Demand for microgrids is growing. But how do microgrids make money when they are part of the U.S. grid? Much depends on standards set by regulators, policymakers and grid operators, which are likely to vary depending on where the microgrid is located. Utility regulation is set at the state level.  So microgrid operators may find themselves … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demand Response, Solar Plus Storage, Thermal, Wholesale Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

So What is a Microgrid, Exactly?

May 29, 2014 By

So what is a microgrid, exactly? The term has been used for years, yet those who attend microgrid conferences joke that much of the event is spent in debate over the definition. As is often the case with a popular technology, many would like to package their products as microgrids. Hence, we see the term’s meaning broadening in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demand Response, Solar Plus Storage, Thermal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Think Microgrid: How the Technology Has Changed its Stars

May 19, 2014 By

This is the first in a series of articles from our new "Think Microgrid" special report. Microgrids have been around for decades; in fact, configurations that look much like microgrids go back to Thomas Edison’s time. But for most of their history, microgrids operated as a niche technology, workable and financially feasible mostly on college … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Solar Plus Storage, Thermal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Microgrid: Did I Just See Energy History Made in Atlanta?

February 20, 2014 By

Every once in awhile, after  a lot of humdrum news, something really cool comes along, the kind of thing that can reshape the energy industry. That’s what might have happened last week in Atlanta at the 27th Annual Campus Energy Conference of the International District Energy Association (IDEA). IDEA members formed a lobbying organization for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Demand Response, Energy Efficiency, Grid, Solar Plus Storage, Thermal, Wholesale Tagged With: , , , ,

IDEA to Host Hundreds of Clean Energy Campus Leaders at its February 18-21 Conference in Atlanta

January 29, 2014 By

For many in the energy industry, the term “microgrid” is the next, new thing. For members of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), it’s a new term for a familiar approach the organization has fostered for over 105 years: district energy. IDEA’s 27th Annual Campus Energy Conference, titled, “Clean, Efficient & Resilient … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Thermal Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Real Power Behind Today’s Energy Efficiency Industry?

February 28, 2013 By

By Elisa Wood February 27, 2013 President Barack Obama recently pushed for increased energy efficiency in his State of the Union address. His endorsement is a plus, no argument. But it may not be the federal government that drives the industry’s next growth spurt. Increasingly, the push for clean energy seems to be more grassroots, from the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CHP, Community, Critical Services, District Energy, Economics, Generation, Infrastructure, International District Energy Association (IDEA), Markets, Microgrids, Players, Policy, Regions, Reliability, Renewables, Utility Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,