Story originally from the NC Sustainable Energy Association.

Energy experts from across the sector convened at the 2012 FREEDM Industry Summit on Jan. 31 to explore the benefits and challenges of upgrading the country's electric power grid. Panelists at the second day of the FREEDM Systems Center event included utility executives and technology leaders who discussed the consumer value and business opportunities of grid modernization. The two-day event, at the McKimmon Center on NC State University’s campus, also featured a review of the FREEDM Systems Center's research that focuses on integrating renewables energy into a smart grid.

Cutting-edge technology, the retirement of coal plants and increases in renewable energy generation has lead traditional energy providers to consider the most effective ways of enhancing the aging power grid. The experts at day two of the summit addressed issues of power storage, reliability, transmission, interconnection, distribution and metering. Emerging technologies, such as synchronized phasor measurements or synchrophasors, extract value for consumers and service providers by collecting and measuring real-time information. The addition of synchrophasors to electricity substations has the potential to increase the amount of energy that can reliably be transmitted on the high-voltage grid.

The day when renewable energy is part of the “least cost” utility electricity portfolio without incentives is fast arriving. The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association has documented these dramatic cost declines occurring statewide in renewable energy. Preparing for when North Carolina customers will be getting more than 15 percent of their energy from renewable resources, this will allow for more integration of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. "The generation mix is changing," said Matthew Gardner, an engineer with Dominion Virginia Power. "That change in generation is necessitating the changes in the way we do transmission."

Incorporating these new technologies into the grid, while training a new generation of energy workers will not only improve reliability. It will also create jobs and continue to fuel the energy economy. "The grid is very much an economic driver," said Progress Energy Smart Grid Director Becky Harrison, who sat on the “Utility and End-User Value Proposition” panel.

Consumers favor comfort, convenience, reliability and predictability of their electricity bills, said Raiford Smith of Duke Energy. Choice is another factor driving consumers’ needs. Some consumers seek to be more energy efficient while others want to use power as they see fit. As electricity rates and total energy bills continue to rise into the foreseeable future, the number of North Carolina utility customers wanting more control over their energy usage through energy efficiency and supply through renewable energy is growing rapidly. Modernizing the grid means informing and empowering consumers so they can make knowledgeable choices about their usage. NCSEA continues to raise awareness that the utilities are in a race against their own rising costs. NCSEA continues to work where possible with utilities, industry and government on education, policy and regulation to ensure everyone benefits from a smarter grid and a cleaner, resilient, more affordable and economically prosperous energy future.

"We need to educate the public," said Ed White of Field2Base Inc., who moderated the panel on "Business Opportunities in Grid Modernization." "How do we bridge the gap so the public understands?"

Education of consumers, municipalities and cooperatives also plays an essential role in interconnectivity for large-scale renewable energy development, said Kenny Habul, founder of SunEnergy1, who delivered the keynote address. "There's a process of education that's moving across the country," Habul said. "This is an industry that's creating jobs."

North Carolina's tax credits and its Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, Habul said, have played a major part in the explosion of the solar industry in our state. "It's important to have a target for clean power," he said. "I am glad we have it. We should be thankful to have a REPS. We should be thankful to have the North Carolina tax credit, which is very strong."

The original story can be found on the NC Sustainable Energy Association news post.

Story originally from the NCSU Newsroom's Abstract blog.

The concept of a “smart grid” for power utilities is drawing significant interest from researchers, practitioners and governments around the globe. The benefits of making the grid smart would be immense, including improved security, reliability, sustainability, and, perhaps most importantly, more efficient use of renewable energy and storage.

So far the smart grid research community in the United States has seen promising, yet isolated, research and development in power systems, power electronics, material science, communication engineering and economics. But in order to move forward, all these efforts need to be put together to address the overarching challenges facing smart-grid development. The two most natural and compelling tools that bind all these varied aspects of a smart grid together are control and optimization.

Marija Ilic, from Carnegie Mellon University, and I are serving as the co-editors of a new book titled “Control and Optimization Methods for Electric Smart Grids,” to help coordinate these research challenges. The book contains 18 chapters written by almost 50 leading researchers in power, control and communication systems, and captures in a holistic way how tomorrow’s grid will need to be an enormously complex system in order to solve the problems that we are facing today. Literally, with every passing day, our national grid is becoming integrated with new technologies in the form of renewable energy resources, new loads in the form of smart vehicles, new sensors such as smart meters and Phasor Measurement Units, and newer mechanisms of decision-making guided by complex power market dynamics. The book aims to capture the spectrum of this exponential transformation, and at the same time present the plethora of open problems that this transformation poses for smart-grid researchers on the way ahead.

For example, a well-known yet grand challenge for the smart grid is to determine how consumers and power utilities can interact with each other in a secure way to optimize energy consumption. This is not something that power engineers can do by themselves. Applied mathematicians and statisticians will need to develop models to capture how these interactions between multiple producers and consumers can happen in real time, and whether they can lead to chaos or not. Communication engineers will need to ensure the time constraints and the security of these interactions over wireless media. Economists will be needed too – to determine the market dynamics involved in this process.

The multi-disciplinarity of smart grid research problems that need to be tackled is one of the key challenges for us. This book consolidates some of the most promising and transformative recent research done in this area so far in hopes of laying the foundation for future advances.

The original story can be found on the NCSU Newsroom's Abstract blog posting.

Story originally from Progress Energy, in the Fall 2011 issue of Circuit.

With its unique intellectual assets and youthful talent, North Carolina’s Research Triangle has been among the nation’s leading technology regions since the 1950s. The emergence of its most recent industry cluster has positioned the region for a global leadership role in clean technologies, welcoming large and small companies pioneering environmentally sustainable and efficient products and systems.

The region’s prominence in “cleantech” currently centers around fast-moving areas like smart grid, solar energy and bio-fuels, according to Lee Anne Nance, senior vice president at Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP). Work on developing wind power solutions and plug-in vehicles is also taking place. “Thus far it has been an R&D story because that’s where the industry is right now,” said Nance, whose organization coordinates job creation and business development strategies across the 13-county region. As innovations move into production, exciting opportunities are surfacing for the region’s rural counties, she adds. For example, Semprius recently launched a pilot plant in Henderson, N.C., to produce high-efficiency, lowcost solar modules, in a move that is bringing 256 high-skill production jobs over five years to the longtime textile town.

Brainpower is the key ingredient behind the region’s success, said James Sauls, an economic developer with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. “Workforce is a critical piece of the sustainability of the cluster,” he said, noting the large pool of engineers, software designers and skilled manufacturing workers in the region. “It’s what makes us really exciting to these companies.”

Smart grid, which seeks to revolutionize the way power is transmitted, is engaging large technology and energy leaders such as IBM, Cisco, Red Hat, SAS and Progress Energy in key roles. At the movement’s center is ABB, the European power equipment leader now building the Smart Grid Center of Excellence at North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus. “Part of the center will be for research and part of it will be a demonstration site,” said Barry Dillon, a spokesman for ABB, which already employs about 600 workers at the campus and in nearby Cary, N.C.

Technology transfer figures prominently in the cluster’s continued growth. At NC State’s Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center, development of next-generation power transformers has attracted close attention to the region from media and policymakers. The center was among the reasons RTRP officials were one of only two U.S. regions invited to participate in the International Cleantech Network, a “cluster of clusters” organized last year by industry advocates in Denmark. “More than any cluster we work with, Cleantech is a global play,” Nance explained. “Any solution developed here will by definition be a global solution.”

Story originally from PennEnergy.

ABB (NYSE:ABB), the leading power and automation technology group, announced that its Raleigh-based Smart Grid Center of Excellence facility, first announced last year and backed by a $10 million investment from ABB, is now operational and open for business. 

This new state-of-the-art Smart Grid Center of Excellence (COE) was created to demonstrate ABB’s technology and investment in the smart grid industry. The recent acquisition of Ventyx (a leading smart grid software firm based in Atlanta), investment in research, and the productization of new technology have allowed ABB to become the leader in the modernization of the distribution grid. 

The Center has functional systems which display the end-to-end solution where information technologies (IT) and operational technologies (OT) converge to close the loop of automation, control and data acquisition. In addition to the demonstration area, ABB has invested in a Systems Verification Center where the interoperable testing of industry accepted products and development of advanced applications can take place. This new service will allow customers to configure, test and install solutions which will reduce installation time, site acceptance tests and the deployment of new advanced applications. 

“As the demand for power continues to grow, and as the electric power grids of today become more complex, they must get smarter to maintain and improve reliability and energy efficiency,” said Enrique Santacana, president and CEO of ABB Inc. and region manager for North America. “ABB has always been on the leading edge of power technology, and this initiative reaffirms ABB’s commitment to our customers and to playing an even larger role in the development and implementation of today’s smart grid.” 

The COE, located on the popular Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University, also houses two other complimentary businesses: Substation Automation Products and Systems. The Substation Automation team recently launched the new Relion® family of ANSI protection and control products.

ABB will operate the Center in collaboration with several North Carolina partnerships, including the FREEDM Systems Center, local utilities such as Duke Energy and Progress Energy, and other local metering and communications companies.

The Raleigh site is already home to ABB’s North American headquarters for its Power Products and Power Systems divisions, as well as a major Corporate Research Center focused on advanced power systems technology research. ABB’s North American corporate headquarters are also located in nearby Cary.

ABB will host an official dedication ceremony for the Center in January, 2012.

The original story can be found on the PennEnergy story page.

Story originally from the Research Triangle Region website.

Research Triangle Region, N.C. – International experts in renewable energy, plug-in transportation and smart grid power management convened in the Research Triangle Region Oct. 24-27 to explore ways to collaborate and advance innovation in this important area of global competitiveness.

The four-day visit of the International Cleantech Network (ICN), hosted by the Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) and N.C. State University’s Office of Research, Innovation and Economic Development, served to both showcase the region’s extensive assets in this emerging cluster and connect more of the region’s academic, business, government and economic development partners with opportunity and potential partners around the world. (View conference photos)

“Currently, there are very few technical providers in smart grid and North Carolina is the leader for that, which is why we are here,” said Christian Köberl, project manager for ICN member Eco World Styria in Austria.

Copenhagen Capacity business development manager Maria Kanstrup-Clausen agreed.

“This area has so much [cleantech] research and industry,” she said. “It’s been great to see what’s going on firsthand and to meet our partners in North Carolina. I am learning a lot about smart grid and this is information I can take back and use in Denmark.”

Triple Helix Model Highlighted

ICN (www.internationalcleantechnetwork.com) launched in 2009 to connect the world’s leading cleantech cluster organizations to promote innovation and business development among its member regions. “Cleantech” refers to products, services and processes that use renewable materials and energy sources to improve performance while dramatically reducing impact on the environment.

The Research Triangle CleanTech Cluster boasts 623 firms and extensive R&D assets related to this work. The region’s cluster and Colorado Clean Energy Cluster are the only two U.S. members of ICN.

Delegates toured many of the region’s cleantech research centers and companies, including the National Science Foundation FREEDM Systems Center, ABB Smart Grid Center of Excellence and Duke Energy’s Envision Center, all located on N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus. They discussed entrepreneurial investment with business leaders at Durham’s American Tobacco Historic District and American Underground, Research Triangle Energy Consortium and The Research Triangle Park and received briefings and tours of green initiatives and demonstration projects at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Orange Water and Sewer Authority.

A highlight of the week was a panel discussion hosted by SAS that focused on the region’s triple-helix approach to competitiveness, a key factor in the region’s success growing this and others clusters.

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) hailed the innovative approach during videotaped remarks aired before the panel.

“We are not a clean energy leader by accident,” Hagan said. “North Carolina is known for its forward-thinking policies and people are moving here because they know they will have the support to innovate because the triple helix works as a team.”

Smart Grid panelists represented key triple helix players in the cluster, such as: Tim Fairchild, director of global utilities practice for SAS; Alex Huang, director of the NSF FREEDM Systems Center; Larry Shirley, director of the Green Economy at the N.C. Department of Commerce; Ivan Urlaub, executive director of the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association; Gary Rackliffe, vice president of smart grid development for ABB North America; and Ed White, chief advisor for EMC’s electric utility business unit.

Panelists shared their expertise on topics ranging from energy flow research to integrating new forms of energy into the power grid, investment and rapid scaling, public policy and marketing. Break-out sessions allowed ICN members to explore key topics in depth.

Spain’s Mónica Moso said she the region’s triple helix model of collaboration makes it an attractive cluster partner.

“Things change fast in this industry and I want to know and see how cleantech is really working,” said Moso, general director for ACLIMA, the Basque Environment Industry Cluster. But “I am also here to look for opportunities and collaborations with triple helix partners.”

Regional smart grid business leader John Jennings, product management director for power systems design and simulation software maker Power Analytics, said the forum opened key doors of business opportunity and connections for his company.

“We want to help write the definition of what smart grid is and what it will become, to develop those standards as it evolves,” Jennings said. “We are strongly interested in being part of the smart grid working group sessions and are very excited to be a part of this.”

ICN Members Plan Future Gatherings

The October ICN conference is one of several planned for the year. Members will meet next in Copenhagen then in Singapore to continue their discussions, briefings and networking.

Here are ICN’s current member clusters and their areas of focus:

• ACLIMA, the Basque Country's Environmental Industry's Cluster Association in Spain, comprising 98 organizations aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the companies in the area through extended research and implementation of sustainable solutions and diversification strategies. Areas of focus include waste management, wastewater treatment and public policy.
• Colorado Clean Energy Cluster, a statewide organization fostering market transformation for clean energy. It focuses on innovative and entrepreneurial strategies to grow the clean energy sector through actionable projects and initiatives that directly benefit Colorado clean energy companies.
• Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster, focused on creating continuous growth for existing cleantech companies, supporting and assisting new cleantech companies and attracting more foreign cleantech companies to Denmark’s Capital Region.
• ECO WORLD STYRIA in Austria, a research-driven energy and environmental engineering cluster that supports its member companies with services aimed at increasing competitiveness through strategic growth levers, innovation, expertise and new markets.
• Lombardy Energy Cluster in Italy, an industrial cluster for power generation, transmission and distribution that works to create an integrated supply chain in different fields of energy plant investment and to aggregate small and medium enterprises.
• Oslo Renewable Energy and Environment Cluster in Norway, which focuses on innovation, international cooperation, building competence, networking and public relations to increase the speed of innovation and opportunities for business development for its participants.
• Renewable Energy Hamburg in Germany, which consolidates individual activities of its renewable energy industry to create a solid framework and stimulate the growth of the whole sector. REH aims to link the greatly expanding renewable energy sector in Hamburg with other international cluster organizations to support growth, job creation and the innovations of regional companies and research institutes.
• Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, working to accelerate economic and technological growth through strategic alliances and collaboration initiatives among clean technology companies, higher education and the public sector. The cluster connects its members with each other and with domestic and international partners.
• Singapore Sustainability Alliance, which focuses on developing Singapore into a leading regional and global hub of sustainability solutions and promote adoption of sustainable business practices. It offers robust capabilities across clean energy, environment and water, built environment, urban mobility, green information technology and urban planning.
• Tenerrdis Energy Cluster in France, which supports research and innovation in energy production, storage and management in several sectors and provides members with certification, access and special funding to develop projects.

Membership in the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster can benefit any company interested in being a part of this dynamic emerging field. To learn more, contact RTRP Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Lee Anne Nance at lnance@researchtriangle.org or (919) 840-7372.

The Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) is a public-private partnership that coordinates economic development for the Research Triangle Region, home of The Research Triangle Park and the 13 central-North Carolina counties of Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren. For more information, visit www.researchtriangle.org.

The original story can be found on the Research Triangle Region story page.

Story originally from the NCSU Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

Location: Wednesday, November 16 4:00pm - 5:00pm, BTEC RM#135

BIO
James E. Rogers Chairman, President and CEO Forging U.S.-China Relations

In 2008, as a high school graduation gift to his grandson, Rogers visited China for the first time. That trip opened a new area of professional interest – collaborating with the Chinese to bring clean energy technologies to scale – and forging cooperative agreements with leading energy companies and research institutes.

In 2011, Rogers received the Asia Society of Washington’s International Business Leadership Award and the Committee of 100’s Business Excellence Award for his efforts to improve business relations between the U.S. and China that benefit customers, the environment, and improve dialogue between the two nations.

Balancing Diverse Interests

Under Rogers’ leadership, Duke Energy has been recognized as a leader in sustainability – balancing the “triple bottom line” of people, planet and profits. In 2010 and 2011, the company was named to the elite Dow Jones Sustainability World Index; it has been a part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for the past six years.

An early advocate for balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders, Rogers’ leadership approach was featured in Harvard Business Review.

Rogers was also a founding member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a collaboration of leading businesses and environmental groups that came together to call on the federal government to enact legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Committed to Country and Community

Rogers has been an active community leader and has received a number of honors and awards for his service.

In his current home community of Charlotte, N.C., Rogers has led several civic endeavors, including the region’s re-visioning as a hub of energy commerce. He also co-chaired the $82 million campaign to build a new cultural campus in Uptown Charlotte. And supporting Charlotte and North Carolina’s economic development goals, he co-chaired the successful bi-partisan effort to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention and currently co-chairs the Charlotte Host Committee for the convention.

Personal Data and Education

Born in 1947 in Birmingham, Ala., Rogers grew up in Kentucky.

He attended Emory University and earned Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of the Kentucky Law Journal and Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society.

Rogers was named to the Hall of Fame at the Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics and the Hall of Fame at the College of Law, both at the University of Kentucky. He was inducted into the University of Kentucky’s 2010 Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He has also been awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees from four universities.

Rogers and his wife, Mary Anne, have two daughters, a son and eight grandchildren. Duke Energy, one of the largest power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 4 million customers in the Carolinas and the Midwest. The company also distributes natural gas in Ohio and Kentucky. Its commercial power and international businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable energy portfolio. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.

The original story can be found on the NCSU Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering story page.