One point that I noticed was:
... renewables themselves are not generally envisioned as a controllable smart grid asset.1
The carbon-free energy they supply is critical to achieving the nation’s carbon-management goals,
however. One of the functions of a smart grid is the ability to manage the assets under its control to help
integrate renewables, such as mitigating the need for additional costly ancillary services to manage their
intermittency, and reducing costs for improved voltage control schemes and short-circuit protection. (2.4)
The carbon-free energy they supply is critical to achieving the nation’s carbon-management goals,
however. One of the functions of a smart grid is the ability to manage the assets under its control to help
integrate renewables, such as mitigating the need for additional costly ancillary services to manage their
intermittency, and reducing costs for improved voltage control schemes and short-circuit protection. (2.4)
It is worthwhile to look at the EPRI Prism Study to see that they predict only 15% of energy can come from renewables. Could isolated generation work or has the demand for electricity exceeded the ability of local generation facilities?
More on that later.
Isolated generation is in the formative stage, but there are at least two models with high potential.
ReplyDeleteThe first is a turn-key business which uses lease buy-back to assess user requirements, provide commercial roof top design
and installation, and coordinate with PG&E to ensure long turn ROI. The turn-key operation would buy out the long term lease and become a private utility. (Isolated)
The second model is a fuel cell. Fuel Cell Energy
is a public company which had revenues of $71mil
and lost $88mil in 2009. The Valley now has Bloom Energy and the fuel cell aka the Bloom Box.
"Natural gas or biofuel are pumped into the ...Box.....and out comes reliable, cleaner electricity." While the fuel cell could become a
major isolated fuel source, the economics have yet to proven.