Focus on O&M
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Electrification
Turning Customer Batteries Into Grid Capacity: How Behind-the-Meter Storage Is Reshaping the Future of Flexible Power
Power outages have become increasingly common, and longer in duration, due to extreme weather and temperature events. Behind-the-meter (BTM) batteries are proving their worth, as they have become more than niche devices quietly supporting backup power during storms. These batteries now offer vital support in an increasingly volatile energy ecosystem.
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O&M
Filter Debris Analysis: High-Resolution Diagnostics for Power Generation Reliability
In reliability engineering, few indicators are as consistently revealing as the particles that infiltrate a lubrication system. Long before vibration, temperature, or performance changes become measurable
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O&M
Major Retrofit Restores Early 1900s Hydropower Dam
A hydroelectric facility that first came online in 1903 stands as a testament to early 20th-century hydroelectric engineering. Although much of its original structure and machinery remains in service today, a recent breaker upgrade illustrates how thoughtful modernization and modern equipment built “like it used to be” can sustain aging infrastructure.
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Electrification
Powering Progress: Redefining Energy Strategy for Sustainable Manufacturing
As commercial and industrial facilities face growing pressure to reduce emissions, lower costs, and build resilience into their operations, the spotlight has shifted to power. At Hutchinson Aerospace and
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Renewables
How Centralized Data Platforms Are Reshaping Solar Portfolio Management
When you’re managing 400-plus solar sites scattered across multiple states, a single transformer failure can cost thousands of dollars per day in lost revenue.
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O&M
Solving Combustion Damper Seizing Issues in Power Generation
With artificial intelligence (AI) causing a surge in electricity demand across the world, power capacity and availability are more vital than ever. The race is on to build more generation assets. In the
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O&M
The Role of Lubricants in Wind Turbine Gearbox Applications
As the renewable energy sector continues to grow, so does the complexity of technology and equipment such as wind turbines, solar arrays, and transmission infrastructure. Gear oils and lubricants are crucial for the reliable operation of gearboxes, enabling wind turbines to run smoothly and efficiently.
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Energy Storage
Using Battery Aging Data to Prepare BESS for Wholesale Energy Markets
Participation in wholesale energy markets offers a critical source of revenue for battery energy storage systems (BESS). Across transmission organizations in the U.S., storage operators can deploy their units to participate in various wholesale markets.
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Energy Storage
End-of-Life and Damaged Battery Shipping: Navigating State and Federal Regulations
Navigating the world of battery transportation can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces that just don’t seem to fit. As the energy transition continues, and with more technologies and industries
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O&M
Fighting Corrosion, Scale, and Salt Buildup in Critical Turbines
Turbines play an integral role in power production, turning steam into mechanical energy that generates electricity. Though large and powerful, these dynamic pieces of equipment are also vulnerable and must be
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O&M
Technology Has Transformed Energy Deployment; O&M Is Next
Deployment operations management (DOM) systems were born of necessity to help telecom, renewable energy, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and other critical-infrastructure developers tackle the simultaneous
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O&M
How to Prevent Oxygen Pitting in Boilers: A Safer Alternative to Hydrazine
Experienced boiler operators know that oxygen can cause localized, severe corrosion in steam boiler systems through a process called oxygen pitting. This occurs when dissolved oxygen in the water comes into
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Gas
Replacing Duct Burners in Combined Cycle Power Plants
Many combined cycle power plants (CCPP) and cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) plants utilize supplemental firing systems, or duct burners, inside the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) boilers
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O&M
Minimize Risks with Robotic Generator Inspections and Comprehensive Testing
Historically, generator inspections require rotor removal (Figure 3). There’s a significant level of risk during this process due to possible generator damage during the disassembly, and it also requires
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Instrumentation & Controls
Next-Gen O&M Solutions: Transforming the Landscape of Power Plant Productivity
The power generation industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past several years, with the shift from regulated monopolies to a competitive landscape introducing new complexities and
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O&M
Fasteners and Gaskets for Power Plant Service
Anyone who works in the power industry knows how important fasteners, such as nuts, bolts, and rivets, and gaskets are to plant operation. Fasteners provide structural integrity, effectively holding everything
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O&M
Fighting Scale and Corrosion on Balance of Geothermal Plant Equipment
There are three main types of geothermal power plants: dry steam plants that send geothermal steam directly from the ground into the turbine, flash steam power plants that convert hot groundwater to steam
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O&M
Tips for HRSG Maintenance and Upgrade Success
The heyday of combined cycle plant construction (especially in the U.S.) was at the start of the millennia. Between 2000 and 2005, about 130 GW of natural gas–fired combined cycle plants opened in the U.S.
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Solar
Optimizing Solar Panel Manufacturing Efficiency and Reliability
Whether you’re a longtime solar panel maker or just embarking on a business plan, it’s easy to overlook some key business considerations. Perhaps you need to design a new warehouse and develop support
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O&M
Underground or Overhead: Exploring Line Options to Enhance Grid Resiliency
The power grid has been a topic that has dominated headlines in the energy industry and mainstream news over the past few decades. Despite this increased focus, with each passing year the problem is only
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O&M
Critical Importance of Annual Turbine Oil Analysis
Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a
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O&M
Auxiliary Boilers Can Reduce Cold-Start Times for CCGTs
Combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) play a critical role in providing power grids with additional electricity, supporting reliability and resilience during periods of high demand. Combined cycle power plants
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O&M
Optimizing Turbine Repair Resources
Steam turbines are used in many applications on various scales to drive equipment such as pumps, compressors, and generators. Routine maintenance, as laid out by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is
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O&M
A New Year’s Resolution: Utilities Can Reap the Rewards of Resilience
Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently and with greater severity across the U.S., from scorching heat in many areas to major hurricanes battering coastal regions. Throughout the U.S., utilities
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O&M
How Emerging Cloud Software Supports Renewable Energy O&M
A growing number of companies across the telecom, utilities, renewable energy, and other industries are discovering the value that deployment operations management systems can bring to operations and
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Power
Why Utilities Need to Supercharge Their Approach to Cybersecurity
People know a storm can disrupt the electrical grid and cause a wave of complications across the region or country very quickly. But now, for those charged with grid reliability and keeping the lights on
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Business
Cogeneration Facility Boosts Turbine Performance with Enhanced Lubricant and Fluid Management Service
Ariege Biomasse Cogeneration, situated in Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat, Ariege, France, is a biomass cogeneration plant that derives electricity and heat from locally sourced wood. The facility was commissioned in
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O&M
Connect Without the Clutter: Building Neater, Tidier, Safer Electrical Enclosures
In light of the widespread integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid, the imperative of ensuring optimally efficient, safe, and reliable energy storage infrastructure cannot be overstated
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O&M
Filling Vital Power and Industrial Process Steam Needs with Temporary Boilers
There are many reasons why a temporary boiler might be needed at a power generating or industrial facility. For example, Nationwide Boiler Inc., a supplier of temporary and permanent boiler equipment, custom
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O&M
The Added Value of Corrosion Protection for Pump and Valve Maintenance
Power plants depend on hundreds of valves and many different pumps to carry out operations 24/7. Good maintenance procedures—including routine tasks and predictive maintenance—are critical to keeping these