Technology

  • Battery Storage: Perils and Promise

    Lithium-ion battery technology promises the first realistic approach to fully integrating intermittent solar and wind into the U.S. power system. Despite its recent growth and great potential, the battery

  • Hydropower: Meeting Growing Needs with Improved Reliability and Efficiency

    Hydropower delivers a range of benefits to society and the environment. However, there are two major challenges that face hydroelectric power plant operators—efficient use of water and high availability. To

  • Conveyor Energy Storage: A Battery and Pumped Hydro Alternative

    A new conveyor-based system offers an alternative energy storage technology. The heart of the system is a reversible conveyor belt that converts between electrical energy and gravitational potential energy by

  • Instrumentation Fittings for Power Plants

    A lot must be reviewed prior to selecting the right fitting for power plant instrumentation applications. Among the choices are whether to use single- or double-ferrule designs; heat codes, lubrication, and

  • Why We Need More Public Investment in Energy Storage Technology

    When three scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for their work on lithium-ion batteries, The New York Times was one of many outlets that drew the connection between improved energy storage and the

  • ELECTRIC POWER Conference Postponed

    The world has become a very different place over the past few months with the outbreak of a new coronavirus—COVID-19. The virus has forced travel bans and literal lockdowns in several countries. The NCAA and

  • COVID-19 Threatens Outages Scheduled at 97% of U.S. Nuclear Sites in 2020

    Challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. nuclear industry has asked the Trump administration to ensure nuclear workers, suppliers, and vendors will have access to nuclear plants and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the 2020 spring and fall refueling outage seasons and beyond. All but two of the nation’s nuclear sites had scheduled planned outages  […]

  • Lessons from Microgrids Applied to the COVID-19 Crisis

    There are parallels between COVID-19 responses and the management of the electrical grid of the future. Concepts like “flattening the curve” and “self-quarantine” are concepts not only crucial in the current pandemic, but in electricity distribution systems globally. While we at Introspective Systems practice social distancing, working remotely, and watching record demands asked of hospitals and the […]

  • Eka Releases Free COVID-19 Risk Monitoring App

    New York, March 24, 2020: Eka Software Solutions, the #1 cloud platform for commodity management, announced the release of COVID-19 Risk Monitoring, a free app designed to help customers and prospects quickly gain visibility into supply chain risks to better assess and mitigate risk. The app provides specific insights into the impact of COVID-19 by […]

  • Veolia North America Recognized for Innovative Hubgrade Energy Efficiency Technology

    BOSTON, Mass. (March 19, 2020) — Helping businesses reduce energy consumption is a key driver for Veolia North America, which is why the company — a global leader in sustainable energy, water, and waste solutions — was recently presented with a 2019 SEAL Environmental Initiative Award for its innovative Hubgrade smart monitoring system, which helps […]

  • PLM, ERP, EAM, Digital Twin: What Do They All Mean?

    The power industry and technology worlds are filled with acronyms. It’s often hard to know what they all mean. Mark Reisig, director of Product Marketing at Aras, was a guest on The POWER Podcast. He explained how digital technology is being utilized to bring products to market and track assets throughout their lifecycle. The process […]

  • Oklo Submits First Non-LWR Combined License Application to NRC

    Oklo, developer of the 1.5-MW Aurora micro-reactor, has submitted the first-ever combined license application (COLA) for an advanced non-light water reactor (LWR) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The move formalizes the start of a new era for nuclear regulation in the U.S. The Silicon Valley company, which last year received a first-of-its-kind site use […]

  • ICS ATT&CK: Designed to Help Protect from Cyber Attacks

    Earlier this year, MITRE—a not-for-profit organization that works in the public interest across federal, state, and local governments, as well as with industry and academia—officially released the long-awaited industrial control systems (ICS) version of its popular ATT&CK knowledge base. ICS ATT&CK is the group’s response to the unique attack surface that industrial networks are trying […]

  • Total to Build the Largest Battery-based Energy Storage Project in France

    Paris, March 12, 2020 – The development of renewable energy that is intermittent and decentralized requires the security of the electricity grid through flexible electricity storage capacities, especially in the form of batteries. Total launches a battery-based energy storage project in Mardyck, at the Flandres Center, in Dunkirk’s port district. With a storage capacity of […]

  • Gas-Heavy ISO-New England Braces for Steep Influx of Wind, Solar, Storage

    While it is currently highly dependent on natural gas generation today, about 95% of ISO-New England’s (ISO-NE’s) interconnection request queue—a proposed total capacity of 20.9 GW—comprises wind, solar, and battery projects. That clearly indicates that developers in New England’s wholesale market “are looking to take advantage of state incentives, declining technology costs, and revenues from […]

  • ERCOT Again Expects Tight Summer 2020 Conditions

    Despite adding 513 MW of new capacity this year alone, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) expects tight grid conditions this summer, and it warned it could declare an energy emergency depending on a combination of factors. Citing its newly released preliminary Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) assessment for the summer season (June–September), […]

  • The POWER Interview: Google, Utilities Partner for Energy Solutions

    Businesses are putting more emphasis on sustainability, coordinating their operations to ensure financial success while also being mindful of environmental concerns. Investors in many cases are demanding companies embrace sustainability, which often includes being more efficient in their use of energy. That’s one reason behind the growth in distributed power generation, as companies develop their […]

  • MHPS Secures First Order for Hydrogen-Capable J-Series Gas Turbines

    Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has bagged an order for the first advanced-class gas turbines designed to transition to renewable hydrogen fuel from Utah’s state-owned Intermountain Power Agency (IPA). MHPS’s Lake Mary, Florida–based subsidiary MHPS Americas (MHPSA) on March 10 said that the contract for two M501JAC power trains are the first in the industry […]

  • Uptake and Flexco Partner to Digitally Transform Belt Conveyor Productivity

    CHICAGO, March 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Uptake and Flexco have partnered to launch Flexco Elevate™ Belt Conveyor Intelligence™, a real-time belt cleaner monitoring system that harnesses the power of predictive analytics to remotely gather critical insights that optimize belt conveyor productivity and heighten operational efficiencies. Flexco Elevate™ allows for the remote monitoring of belt cleaners […]

  • GE Achieves Battery-Enabled Blackstart of Heavy Duty Gas Turbine

    General Electric (GE) has for the first time achieved blackstart of a GE heavy-duty gas turbine using battery energy storage. The company announced on Feb. 26 it completed black start of a GE 7F.03 gas turbine at a 150-MW simple-cycle unit at Entergy Louisiana’s Perryville Power Station using a 7.4-MW battery-based energy storage system. The […]

  • The POWER Interview: Understanding the Difference Between Cloud and Edge

    The terms “cloud” and “edge” are used frequently by tech-savvy power industry professionals, but what do they mean and how are they changing plant operations? To get an insider’s perspective, POWER posed the question to Akshay Patwal, strategic business manager with Siemens Energy. Patwal leads the development and commercialization of digital business transformation projects, using […]

  • ABB wins digital service contract to increase offshore wind reliability

    ABB has won a 10.6 million euro order for ABB Ability™ digital products and services at DolWin5 (Epsilon), which will support Germany’s energy transition through reliable delivery of enough renewable energy to power about one million homes. ABB will enable the reliability, safety and security of the energy transmission from DolWin5 (Epsilon) by providing a […]

  • The POWER Interview: MHPS Expands Digital Purview with New Division

    Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) is betting heavily on digitalization’s potential to reshape the power sector. Earlier this year, the power equipment and technology firm established a new division, Intelligent Solutions, to develop and deploy solutions that create “sustainable, profitable growth for internal and external customers by optimizing their operation and maintenance systems. “With operational […]

  • GE Exec: Global Gas Turbine Market ‘Stabilizing’

    GE Power’s CEO on March 4 said his company sees the global gas turbine market stabilizing, in part due to better accessibility to natural gas worldwide. Scott Strazik made the comment during GE’s Investor Outlook on Wednesday. The event is an annual overview of the company’s operations that GE gives to investment professionals. The outlook […]

  • Russelectric, A Siemens Business, Offers Customized SCADA Systems

    Hingham, MA (March 3, 2020) – Russelectric, a Siemens business, a leading manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, announces the availability of customized Russelectric supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, enabling users to monitor system operation, acknowledge alarms, and review PLC setpoints and alarm history. All screens are custom-designed for each […]

  • GE Digital Optimizes Industrial Plants with CIMPLICITY 11 and Tracker 11 to Precisely Monitor and Control Operations

    SAN RAMON, Calif. – March 3, 2020 – GE Digital today unveiled enhancements to its industry-leading CIMPLICITY and Tracker software to enable operators to make smarter, faster decisions and better manage operations across plants. CIMPLICITY 11, part of GE Digital’s Proficy HMI/SCADA suite, decreases operator response time and errors, keeping critical control systems up and running. Tracker 11, part of GE Digital’s Proficy […]

  • Gravity Base Ballast Provides Tidal Turbines with a Sturdy Grip

    Offshore wind turbines deliver a strong promise in today’s tough times of climate changes’ debate. The rapid development of the sector favors the need for new gravity concepts. Besides design, ballast is a critical element responsible for the turbine’s stabilization and therefore its success. Its quality, density, and weight, defined by the material choice and […]

  • New Technology Improves Refractory Maintenance and Shutdown Planning

    Power plants require regular maintenance outages to stay in top condition, but shutdown periods can be stressful. New tools are available that can save time, reduce labor costs, and improve safety. The

  • Types of Filtration Systems Used for Wastewater Applications

    The liquid filtration process is an important step in various applications that reuse water within systems. This article provides details on the types of filtration systems available and the benefits of each

  • Digital Transformation: Lessons from a Leader

    Is your company’s information technology (IT) department your friend or your enemy? Does it work with you to identify, evaluate, and select the best new digital technology to make your job easier and your