Evolving Technologies, E-Tech (Part 3)
Renewable Energy, Part 3
How are evolving technologies impacting your electric system? You need to stay informed of the changes in the electric utility industry. While not exhaustive, we have compiled research on several technologies that are greatly impacting your electric system. This 3-part blog series is a snapshot of what Allgeier Martin can do to help you reduce risk and meet your users’ needs. A more thorough whitepaper is available upon request.
In Part 3, we discuss three evolving technologies contributing to power generation and their impact on your electric system. Those technologies are
Wind Turbines
Solar
Battery Storage
Wind Turbines
Energy produced from wind is not new but there are new types of devices that generate electricity from wind. These turbines convert the movement of a blade into AC. These turbines routinely supply energy to a small substation and then it gets transmitted on higher voltage electric lines. Planning how wind-generated power will be transmitted from remote areas to locations for use is critical and often requires electric line upgrades. Energy credits are available for green (renewable) wind energy. These credits help subsidize the cost of installation.
Solar
More homes and businesses are now being equipped with photovoltaic cells (PV) or solar. They convert sunlight into electric energy, this direct current (DC) is produced and then inverted into alternating current (AC). This energy can power a variety of equipment including entire homes and businesses. Some homeowners sell any additional energy back to their electric utility.
Solar, like wind, requires careful planning of how the energy that isn’t used near the generation location will be transported. It often requires upgrades to the electric grid or new facilities to accommodate this energy transfer. The addition of storage can alleviate the need to transmit the energy and use it locally at other times through the night or day. Energy credits are available for green (renewable) solar energy. These credits help subsidize the cost of the original installation.
Battery Storage
Energy storage is also on the rise with the improvements to solar. The most common methods are specially designed batteries. In the past, the cost has prohibited many from purchasing these batteries. Costs have dropped and continue to decline. This makes it very advantageous to add battery storage to a solar array.
There are a wide variety of battery types. Some come online very rapidly while others are slower. Some take up a small footprint while others have a larger one. Batteries can even provide energy flow back out onto the utility power grid. Most backup battery systems are extremely low maintenance.
A battery type that is gaining acceptance is the flow battery. These require larger footprints but are less volatile. Many of these use a process that allows two (2) dissimilar fluids to store energy. These fluids are safe for the environment and nonvolatile. They are slow to provide energy release but can provide electricity for days at a time.
Some EVs can be plugged into your house for charging. This can also work in reverse. Your EV can use its onboard batteries to supply power to your house in the event of a utility power outage. You can even use your EV’s batteries to back-feed onto the electric utility grid. This is known as vehicle to grid, V2G.
What Can You Do?
We have covered several challenges from new technologies. Staying in the know and partnering with a firm that has knowledge and experience in these new technologies can ensure your success, Problem areas can develop where there were no problems before. Innovative solutions can enable flexibility and agility while maintaining high reliability and low cost. Calculations and analyses should be performed to see how to best handle these changes. With all these changes, new standards are being implemented and are continually being updated. Be aware that your policies may need to be adjusted to keep up with the changes allowed by these new standards or by changes from your customers. What works today may not work tomorrow. We stay informed and up-to-date to ensure your success.
New technologies are emerging every day. It can be quite a challenge to keep up with all of it. Continue to stay informed of all your options by contacting us.
Brent has been an Electrical Engineer with Allgeier, Martin and Associates, Inc. since 2006. He has performed design and planning services for a variety of rural electric cooperatives, municipalities and investor-owned utilities. He has been the Project Manager on a multitude of projects ranging from design drawings and specifications for new Distribution and Transmission Lines to Substations. He is often called upon for short & long-range planning studies, site inspections, coordination studies and arc flash studies. Brent has expanded into assisting clients with PV, EV charging and wind turbine load analysis.