energy insight

In this  interview, Oscar Rodriguez, CEO at NovaCHARGE, discusses some of the top challenges facing EV charging in the U.S.  and how we can address them.   What does robust EV charging infrastructure look like?  Will it eventually replicate the network of gas stations or will it be something different?  Oscar looks at the business model for charging station owners and how it can be optimized with real-world strategies and tactics to deliver sustainable ROI.

Danny provides an overview of Powin's energy storage platform and strategy,  and the significance of the company's recent agreements with Akaysha Energy.  Key obstacles and challenges to utility-scale energy storage deployment in the U.S. are touched upon, as well as enabling technology breakthroughs in the area of ESS we should keep our eye on. 

This discussion with Jayesh Goyal, Chief Revenue Officer at Enchanted Rock,  looks at  the growing trend of companies who are moving away from diesel to find more sustainable means of meeting their resiliency needs.   Jayesh discusses factors that are driving this migration, focusing on the role of renewable energy microgrids both from an enabling technology and a cost-savings perspectives.

Solar + storage will play an increasingly important role as the U.S. electric grid transitions moves to decarbonize. Soltage recently closed a $250 million deal with Harrison Street to develop 450 MW of clean energy infrastructure in the U.S. In this interview, Jesse Grossman discusses factors driving this market, enabling technologies and challenges facing continued deployment of solar + storage in North America.

Xlinks is seeking to harnass African solar energy and transport it across the ocean via submerged HVDC cables.  The project is ambitious and holds tremendous promise for the UK energy industry and internationally.  In this interview, Simon describes the project and its potential for taking renewables to the next level.

When scaling to incorporate tens of thousands or millions of grid edge devices, utilities do not have the culture, technical expertise or processes necessary -- yet it is a critical learning process and absolutely required for success, according to according to James Mater, Co-Founder of QualityLogic.  SGO talks with James about these and other critical issues surrounding standards in the evolving distributed energy industry.  A transcript of this interview is available here.QualityLogic recently launched its Grid Edge Intelligence service, which offers in-depth information on IEEE 2030.5, OpenADR, and other application protocols.

Graham shares current insights into maximzing grid resiliency and reliability as more and more renewables come online.  Distributed energy resources management systems (DERMS) play a key role here, as well as renewable energy microgrids and VPPs.   We also discuss the likelihood of achieving 100% clean energy by 2045, which is a goal set by California.

What will be the #1 challenge utilities face in the transition toward distributed energy resources and the decentralized grid?  How can they address it?  In this interview, Chris Evanich of Schneider Electric discusses this and other key issues facing energy providers as the energy ecosystem transformation continues worldwide.  

Gary discusses the main challenges facing utilities that are looking to modernize their electric grid, and how they can they address these issues.   TVA is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. Gary will be speaking in SGO's 6th Annual Grid Modernization Forum on May 11, in a panel with Ameren, National Grid, and BC Hydro.

Access to healthcare in many developing regions around the world remains a challenge, as power to remote, rural and off-grid areas often is not adequate.  In this interview, David Lecoque, CEO of ARE discusses how renewables-centric distributed energy resources can be leveraged to meet this need, while keeping carbon emissions to a minimum.The Alliance for Rural Electrification is a sponsor of SGO's 14th Microgrid Global Innovation Forum,  September 7-9, 2021 in London

As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic,  cities face a variety of issues in engaging the Smart City vision.   In this interview, Itai Dadon shares key insights on what these challenges are, strategies for success, and how a number of cities have successfully embarked on the journey toward sustainability and advanced services for the 21st Century.Itai will be chairing a discussion session on this topic at SGO's upcoming Smart Cities International Virtual Symposium, Feb 23-24.

As electric vehicles become more prevalent, "smart charging" and other changes to the electric grid will be increasingly important for utilities to implement.  In this interview, Devashish Paul of BlueWave-ai discusses the role that artificial intelligence and machine learning will play in making mass adoption of EVs in the U.S. a reality.Dev recently spoke in SGO's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Charging Virtual Summit on January 26, 2021.  For information on other upcoming events  from SGO, visit https://smartgridobserver.com/current/events.htm

Ross discusses how decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization are shaping the energy industry, and how the investment community is responding. Recent transactions, SPACs, and more. Part of SGO's new energy insight podcast series. 15 minutesRoss will be chairing a panel on "Corporate Business Models for 100% Renewable Energy" at SGO's upcoming 100% Renewable Energy Virtual Symposium on Jan. 27.