technology

  • ‘What’s Next’ for Siemens Energy?

    Everyone in the power industry is familiar with Siemens Energy. Its technology is behind about one-sixth of the world’s power generation, and even a larger portion than that in the U.S.—roughly a third. Yet, Siemens Energy as currently organized is a fairly new entity. The company was spun off from Siemens AG and began trading […]

  • THE BIG PICTURE: Critical Mineral Concerns

    The shift to a clean energy system is set to drive a significant increase in requirements for critical minerals. Under an International Energy Agency (IEA) scenario that meets the Paris Agreement goals, clean energy technologies’ share of total critical mineral demand will likely soar over the next two decades to over 40% for copper and […]

  • The Human Side of Digital Adoption

    A pervading theme at the ongoing 5th annual Connected Plant Conference has been to explore the human side of digital adoption. Attendees have so far heard from several experts who are deeply involved in the future of the power plant workforce. Steven Ford, Compliance and Support manager at Southern Co.’s Plant Barry, in his presentation […]

  • Energy Transition Facing Potentially Debilitating Critical Mineral Supply Gap

    Building new solar PV plants and wind farms, and supporting an expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) and green hydrogen as is planned to meet decarbonization goals, will dramatically expand demand for copper

  • Show Preview: Connected Plant Conference

    POWER and Chemical Engineering magazines are hosting the fifth annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), taking place Aug. 30–Sept. 1, 2021, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. CPC is the only event specifically covering the digital transformation taking place in the power generation and chemical process industries. CPC includes a look at the technology […]

  • Data Intelligence the Smart Way: Why Utilities Need to Digitalise the Grid Urgently Today

    It’s the decade of the Distribution System Operator (DSO) and time is of the essence. The utility sector is one of the last industries to digitalise its operations. Distribution grids face a seemingly impossible journey to decarbonise, decentralise, and digitalise. And the climate-change clock is ticking. It takes time to mature operations based on relevant, […]

  • Getac Debuts Next Gen F110, Industry’s Uncompromised Fully Rugged Tablet

    2021 Upgrades Inc. latest Intel® 11th Gen CPUs, Iris® Xe Graphics, PCIE SSDs, 1000Nit Display IRVINE, CA – June 28, 2021  Getac Technology Corporation, a leading producer of rugged technology today announced the launch of its next generation F110 fully rugged tablet featuring across the board improvements and innovations in processing speed, multi-tasking ability, high-level […]

  • Changing Winds: Emerging Wind Turbine Technologies

    Wind turbine technology continues to evolve under new market demands—as well as an urgency to expand to further decarbonization.

  • New Technology Improves Rooftop Solar Designs

    The solar power industry continues to see growth in distributed generation installations from residential to commercial projects, particularly as people take more control of powering their properties to increase their electricity reliability, and to control their energy costs. An important part of that process involves a rooftop solar installation’s onsite survey. There is currently a […]

  • Babcock & Wilcox Announces ClimateBright Decarbonization Technologies Platform to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    Proven Technology Captures CO2 While Producing Hydrogen Application for Wide Range of Industries (AKRON, Ohio – May 25, 2021) – Babcock & Wilcox (“B&W”) (NYSE: BW), a leading innovator in clean energy technologies, announces its ClimateBright™ suite of revolutionary decarbonization technologies designed to help utilities and industry aggressively combat greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. […]

  • Big Data Rewrites the Rule Book on Power System Risk Analysis

    Extreme weather patterns, net zero acceleration, and shifting regulatory regimes demand a new methodology to assess and mitigate network challenges across both the immediate and long term. The integrity, performance, and flexibility of energy networks have become progressively more important in the face of rapid technological, economic, and environmental change. And the challenges in maintaining […]

  • Advanced Technology, Innovative Solutions Enhance Nuclear Operations and Maintenance

    Incorporating new technology and solutions being used by others could help nuclear power plant staff improve operations and maintenance practices. Nuclear power plants face many challenges. Monitoring heat

  • Serious Power Transmission Without Wires Is Closer Than You Think

    Most people are aware that wireless charging technology is available today for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches, but when it comes to larger-scale power systems, the concept of wireless transmission of electricity probably seems like science fiction. The truth, however, is that systems have been developed and are being tested that […]

  • SHINE, Phoenix merger focused on advancing fusion technology

    JANESVILLE and FITCHBURG, Wis., April 20, 2021 – SHINE Medical Technologies LLC and Phoenix LLC today announced that the companies have completed a merger under which Phoenix has become a wholly owned subsidiary of SHINE. SHINE is a next-generation nuclear technology company focused on unlocking the power of fusion technologies to benefit the planet and […]

  • Top Utility Considerations for Truck Electrification

    There are many challenges to overcome before electric trucks fill the road, and the timing for full adoption is many years away. However, now is the time to prepare for the inevitable shift toward

  • How to Put the Power Grid to Work to Prevent Wildfires

    While not a new occurrence, in recent years wildfires have wreaked havoc across the western U.S. We have also seen Mother Nature batter coastlines and landscapes around the globe, and the ever-mounting pace of

  • The POWER Interview: Attracting the New Utility Workforce

    The global energy sector, including utilities, is looking at a talent drain. As older workers retire, the competition to recruit younger workers to replace them has heated up. The power generation industry today is more digitized, reliant on expertise in analyzing data and developing software. That means many workers who could move into positions at […]

  • Five Reasons Remote Technology Makes Sense Even If You Never Plan to Operate Your Power Plant Remotely

    The case for advanced analytics and remote diagnostics During the last 25 years significant advancements have been made in remote monitoring capabilities for power plants. A number of operations and maintenance (O&M) functions can routinely be managed remotely, and it is also becoming more common for peaking and renewable energy plants to be remotely operated […]

  • Enhancing Operations and Maintenance with an EAM System

    Enterprise asset management (EAM) involves a combination of software, systems, and services that are used to maintain and control operational assets and equipment. The aim is to optimize the quality and utilization of assets throughout their lifecycle, increase uptime, and reduce costs. EAM involves work management; asset maintenance; planning and scheduling; supply chain management; and […]

  • The 5 Steps Utilities Should Take in 2021 to Prepare for a Carbon-Neutral Future

    We’re at the electric tipping point as electric stoves, vehicles, and construction equipment displace the fossil fuel guzzlers of the past. Yet, before a carbon-neutral future can truly take off, utilities and the electric grid need to innovate. For the world to hit net-zero emissions targets by 2050, grid investments need to almost triple to […]

  • The Airgap Is Not Enough: The Failed Security Perimeter Paradigm in OT Networks

    Operational technology (OT) electronics and networks for manufacturing, energy production, and virtually every other industrial application, are targets for cyberattacks. For infrastructure-related companies, such as power producers, transportation, and water plants, the OT networks are not only the revenue producers, but also important targets for destabilizing national security. Successful attacks can be destructive and costly, […]

  • New Technology Keeps Solar on Track

    Researchers continue to work on improvements in solar power, developing better cells, using new materials in panels, and focusing on improving efficiency while lowering cost. The solar power industry hit

  • Employee Location Monitoring in a Post-Pandemic World

    The COVID-19 pandemic has unearthed a number of challenges for power plant managers. However, technology exists to keep workers safe. Through the use of Location Anchors and WirelessHART infrastructure

  • ROI Is the Secret Sauce for Sustainable Digital Transformation

    “Digital Transformation” is a broad term that can mean vastly different things to different people. Within a given company, it’s easy to gain consensus that such a thing is necessary to stay competitive, but it’s tremendously difficult to define what it looks like in practical terms—much less where to start. Of course, it wouldn’t be […]

  • Leaders in the Smart City Movement

    What is a “Smart City”? According to one definition, it’s an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data, with insights gained from that data used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. Clint Vince, chair of Dentons’ U.S. Energy Practice and co-chair of Dentons’ Global Energy Sector, was […]

  • Technology in Construction: Matching Solutions to Specific Challenges

    This is the last of a three-part series on technology in construction. In the May issue, Part I focused on predicting and adapting to change. Part II—in the July issue—examined choosing and implementing

  • Equipment Showcase: Instrumentation and Control

    The power generation industry is constantly evolving, with advanced technologies becoming more ubiquitous in power plants. Along with this evolution, instrumentation and control equipment continues to be key

  • How Digital Disruption Will Reshape the Maintenance Management Sector

    The imperatives of maintenance management have always been maximizing the availability, quality, and effectiveness of the equipment. And all of these must be achieved at the lowest possible cost in terms of machine and material. According to a report, the maintenance of manufactured products costs more than 30% of the operating costs. Over the past […]

  • Islands: An Ocean of Potential for Marine Energy

    While island governments are exploring marine power technologies as serious options for future resources to replace diesel, technology developers are looking at improved value through new revenue streams, such

  • Technology in Construction: Choosing and Implementing Solutions

    In Part I of this three-part series, which was published in the May 2020 issue of POWER and titled “Technology in Construction: Predicting and Adapting to Change,” recent trends in technology adoption