We’ve all heard the arguments in favor of fossil fuel use in microgrids. But what was true a decade ago, or even five years ago, no longer applies. Price points have changed making renewable energy cost competitive in many places. At the same time, microgrids are smarter than ever, thanks to advances in automation, digital platforms and controllers.
All of this opens opportunities for microgrid output that is cleaner, cheaper and even more reliable. But these benefits don’t necessarily come easily. There are technical challenges. How can you ensure your microgrid not only overcomes them but also captures the latest advancements?
In this special webinar we are joined by:
- Nathan Adams, Director of Technology and Business Development for Hitachi ABB PowerGrid’s Grid Edge Solutions Group
- Elisa Wood, Editor-in-Chief, Microgrid Knowledge
- Kevin Normandeau, Publisher, Microgrid Knowledge
Specifically, we’ll cover:
- How renewable energy can improve microgrid resiliency
- Why renewables enhance microgrid economics
- What it takes to overcome the technical challenges of integrating high penetration renewables into microgrids
This webinar will cover strategies local governments can consider to procure renewable energy and support renewable energy market development, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), community solar, and more.
Additionally, the webinar will cover how the regulatory landscape impacts the RE purchasing options available to a particular community and highlight case studies from local governments across the U.S. that have successfully implemented these strategies, including Arlington, Virginia, and Denver, Colorado.
This is the latest in a series of webinars on expanding clean energy footprints at the local level.
Panelists include:
- Jonathan Rogers, Renewable Energy Specialist |City and County of Denver, Colorado
- John Morrill, Energy Manager |Arlington County, Virginia
- Chad Laurent, Esq., Principal |The Cadmus Group
What is American Wind Week?
AWEA hosted the inaugural “American Wind Week” in 2017 in celebration of wind power emerging as America’s No. 1 source of renewable energy capacity. Annually, wind companies and supporters now host a wide variety of events around the country that show how wind works for all Americans.
Each year in August, elected officials will visit wind farms and factories across the country to show their support. You can get involved by sharing on social media, requesting a proclamation from your mayor or governor, or attending a live event!
Learn more at: American Wind Week.Org
Additional Recommended Reading
#AmericanWindWeek 2020: Wind Builds the Future, by Greg Alvarez, Into the Wind, AWEA Blog
We’re pleased to announce #AmericanWindWeek 2020 is going all virtual. We’ll harness the power of social media and the digital world to showcase and thank our 120,000+ wind workers, highlight the many ways wind projects are strengthening local communities and aiding in the economic recovery, thank our wind champions, and much more. Send any ideas or suggestions our way at windweek@awea.org.
Finding an appropriate way to determine the value of resilience – keeping the lights on, essential loads powered, and critical services up and running – has been a common struggle for microgrid projects, particularly projects providing difficult to quantify community services. Based on real world experience with the design and implementation of solar+storage microgrids, the nonprofit Clean Coalition has developed a standardized and straightforward methodology for valuing resilience.
Clean Coalition’s value-of-resilience (VOR) approach applies to any type of facility and begins with tiering loads into three categories: Tier 1 (critical), Tier 2 (priority), and Tier 3 (discretionary). In this webinar, Clean Coalition Founder and Executive Director Craig Lewis will cover the “VOR123” methodology and provide specific solar+storage microgrid examples. The webinar will cover topics including:
- Tiering loads
- Valuing resilience
- Managing energy storage for resilience and economic optimization
- Managing loads via state-of-the-art load management solutions
- Evaluating solar+storage microgrid economics
Clean Energy Group Vice President and Project Director Seth Mullendore will host.
This webinar is presented by Clean Energy Group on behalf of the Resilient Power Project. Learn more at www.resilient-power.org.
Electric vehicles offer the potential for tremendous reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, as well as conventional pollutants near roadways. They are clean, quiet, and efficient. But what about the batteries? To what extent is the manufacture and end-of-life treatment of the batteries a significant concern, and what is being done? With fossil fuel interests spotlighting battery issues to discourage EV adoption, Plug In America encourages an open and honest discussion of the legitimate concerns.
Plug In America will present a discussion with leading battery experts:
- Hanjiro Ambrose has conducted research on EV battery technologies for the University of California at Davis and for the Union of Concerned Scientists. He will speak about his research, including how various changes in battery size, lifetime, and utilization, would affect life-cycle energy demands.
- Jennifer Krill is the President of the Board of Plug In America and the Executive Director of Earthworks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development while promoting sustainable solutions. EV batteries, like all batteries, do require minerals, and Jennifer will discuss the efforts to mitigate the impact of such mineral production on the environment and on local communities.
The event will include presentations from both experts, questions from a Plug In America moderator, and audience Q&A. We believe this information will be of value to Plug In America supporters, as well as to EV advocates from other organizations.
VERGE 20 is moving online — enabling you to stream a full week of clean economy programming from anywhere in the world, at no cost!
By registering for this complimentary online event, you’ll be able to stream (live or on-demand) inspiring and informative sessions along with more than 15,000 leaders — from the private and public sectors, utilities, solution providers, investors, and startups — advancing systemic solutions to address the climate crisis through five key markets: clean energy, electrified transportation, the circular economy, carbon removal and sustainable food systems.
Climate change is the most significant global threat we face today. It also represents an unprecedented opportunity to build a clean economy by electrifying and decarbonizing our world, equitably and profitably.
If you can’t watch it live, registering will give you access to the archived video and resources — available to you on-demand following the event.
If you have any questions, contact the GreenBiz support team.
Click here to subscribe to GreenBiz’s free weekly newsletters.
Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference Update, KNEB
LINCOLN, NE. – Plans are still underway to hold the Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, NE, on November 9-10, 2020. The committee will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation. Additional updates will be provided as we move forward in the planning process.
We thank you for your past support of our unique “Nebraska Nice” collaborative conference. Together, we have worked to share the latest and best information with a wide range of stakeholders and remove the obstacles to wind and solar development. The good news is that Nebraska is moving forward with both wind and solar energy development. While we have a lot of issues to discuss and information to share, we also take our responsibilities to protect the health of our attendees seriously. As they say on TV, “stay tuned.”
A draft schedule of the program is currently available on our website at Conference Schedule.
For any questions or concerns, please contact John Hansen, Conference Chair: john@nebraskafarmersunion.org or 402-580-8815 or Anita Scheuler, Conference Administrator: admin@nebraskawsc.com or 402-304-2790.
More information and past conference presentations are available on the conference website at Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS OCTOBER 5
The registration fee includes all sessions on Monday and Tuesday. It also includes breakfast, lunch, and break refreshments on both days as well as the Monday evening reception. $125 Early Bird registration ends October 5, 2020 — then registration is $175.
Register Here
SPONSORSHIP
Sponsors are vital to the success of the conference. Sponsorship benefits include conference recognition, visibility on conference website, and more. There are multiple sponsorship levels available, see which is best for your organization.
Sponsorship Levels
EXHIBITOR BOOTHS
The exhibit hall is a great place to network with industry professionals over refreshments during conference breaks.
Learn More