How solar production affects power quality

How does the addition of a photovoltaic system affect the power quality of an electrical installation? Frankly, it depends on the details of the installation. But don’t worry – it’s something you can control. Photovoltaic systems represent the so-called inverter-based type of generators. They consist of photovoltaic panels generating direct current (DC) power and an inverter that continually transforms the DC power into alternating current (AC) power. That inverter is what allows the photovoltaic system to be connected to an AC electrical installation. Because the photovoltaic system is composed of DC source and electronic equipment, it can indeed be the origin of some power quality issues, such as residual DC current, harmonics or unbalance.

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Alternative Energy Southeast, Inc.

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Solar+Storage

Indigenous lands can be ground zero for a wind energy boom

Article | June 8, 2022

It all started about four years ago, when SUVs and pickup trucks drove uninvited onto their lands, remembers Olimpia Palmar, a member of the Indigenous Wayúu peoples, who historically have occupied the La Guajira desert in northern Colombia and Venezuela. "We started seeing these arijunas [Wayuúunaiki for non-native peoples] wearing construction helmets and boots and vests, getting out of the cars, checking the desert, and then leaving," she recalls. Word soon began circulating across the Guajira Peninsula, from the rancherías — the community’s rural settlements — to the few urban centers: The arijunas were offering money to those who would let them plant tall, slim towers on their lands to measure the wind. On La Guajira’s dusty earth, where few things grow, towers began to sprout. By 2019, at least 30 wind-measuring towers had risen on Wayúu land, according to a report by Indepaz, a nonprofit research center.

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Solar+Storage

The Role of AI Technology in the Renewable Energy Sector

Article | June 14, 2022

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are two of the most commonly used commercial phrases these days. As a result, companies across sectors are searching for methods to include them in order to optimize and automate their key operations. The energy sector is no exception! Indeed, throughout the years, renewable energy industries (wind, solar, hydro, nuclear) have substantially gained from the potential of machine learning. They were able to reduce their expenses, make better projections, and raise the rate of return on their portfolio. And this tendency is just going to gain momentum. If your company is in the energy industry or utilizes a lot of power, machine learning and AI can help you improve your business performance. But how precisely? Let's get started. Ways in Which AI and Machine Learning are Changing Energy Sector There are a few methods that machine learning and AI can be applied to positively improve the energy industry. Here are a few popular applications currently under development. Predictive Maintenance AI helps match energy output with demand and ensure power grid stability and resilience.In 2003, a low-hanging high-voltage electricity line hit an overgrown tree in Ohio, causing a widespread blackout. There was no power system alarm and no sign of the incident. The electric company didn't notice until three additional power lines failed. This carelessness ultimately brought down the whole grid. The 50 million-person blackout lasted two days. Eleven individuals died, and $6 billion was lost. Predictive maintenance can be implemented using machine learning and IoT Sensors gather operational time series data from electricity lines, equipment, and stations (data accompanied by a timestamp). Machine learning algorithms can then forecast when a component will fail (or n-steps). It can also anticipate machinery's remaining usable life or future breakdown. These algorithms detect machine failure, eliminate blackouts or downtimes, improve maintenance procedures, and reduce maintenance expenses. Grid Management Grid management is a promising AI application in energy. Complex networks distribute electricity to users (also known as the power grid). Generation and demand must always match in the electrical system. Other issues, like blackouts and system breakdowns, can occur. Despite being ancient, pumped hydroelectric storage is the most common way to store energy. It operates by moving water upwards and letting it fall into turbines. Renewable energy makes predicting the grid's power generation challenging. After all, it is affected by a variety of things, like sunlight and wind. Demand Response Large demand shifts can be expensive for nations that depend on renewable energy. As nations migrate to green energy, it's harder to adapt to demand fluctuations. Germany plans to use 80% renewable energy by 2050. Countries such as Germany will encounter two major challenges Demand fluctuations: On some days or times of the year, power consumption soars (on Christmas, for example) Weather volatility: Without wind or clear skies, it might be hard to meet electrical demand. In both circumstances, more stations or fossil fuel-powered facilities must meet demand Solving demand response issues Many nations are partnering with businesses to examine weather forecasts, power demand, etc. Germany's EWeLiNE project forecasts wind and solar energy at a specific moment. This enables the government to use non-renewable energy to meet additional power demand. They utilize enormous historical data sets to train machine learning algorithms, as well as data from wind turbines or solar panels, to properly balance supply and demand. Closing Lines AI increases the potential of humans. Several renewable energy producers are investing in artificial intelligence to boost their businesses.There are numerous uses of artificial intelligence in renewable energy. The fundamental purpose of AI integrated systems is to reduce forecasting issues and incorporate renewable energy into the central energy grid as effectively as possible. AI can also assist renewable energy providers in developing successful plans and policies based on present energy consumption and demand.

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Energy

What does Covid-19 mean for Renewable Energy?

Article | July 16, 2022

Covid-19. It’s everywhere, and it’s probably the reason that your food cupboards are unusually more stocked than usual, or the fact that you’re likely reading this blog from the confines of your own home, as opposed to at your office or during your daily commute. But, despite the impact to business, economies, daily life and public health, there’s one bittersweet development which we can all take away from the outbreak – and that’s the considerable reduction of global CO2 emissions, and a resurgence of hope that it is fully possible for us to slow the onset of climate change and preserve our planet for future generations.

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Energy

Lead Generation for Renewable Energy: 5 Top Strategies

Article | April 28, 2021

According to a survey from Consumer Reports, 76% of Americans believe that expanding renewable energy is a worthwhile goal. People are interested in renewable energy, but finding those people and turning them into customers is challenging. That’s where lead generation for renewable energy can help. You need smart lead generation strategies to grow your business and get customers access to renewable energy. To discover the top strategies for lead generation for renewable energy companies, keep reading! WebFX is a top lead generation agency, and our team of more than 200 digital marketing experts has generated more than 6.3 million leads for our clients over the past five years. Contact us online or at 888-601-5359 to learn more about our lead generation services.

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Bidgely and GridX Partner to Optimize Electricity Costs for a Clean Energy Future

businesswire | August 02, 2023

Bidgely, the leading provider of AI-powered energy intelligence solutions, and GridX, the leading enterprise rate platform provider to modern utilities, have announced a partnership to deliver enhanced energy cost accuracy and control for utilities and their customers. By combining behind-the-meter consumption insights with highly accurate cost insights, utilities can implement grid management initiatives, such as cost-based load shifting and time-varying rates, that keep energy reliable and affordable for consumers. "Motivating consumers to make smarter energy decisions is paramount to achieving utility decarbonization goals,” said Chris Black, CEO of GridX. “Through our partnership with Bidgely, we are further reducing the mystery of how a consumer's energy choices correspond to their energy bills or grid impact. This results in a win for everyone. Customers get lower bills, utilities get more life out of their existing infrastructure, and customers and utilities are in sync in achieving their decarbonization goals.” Bidgely’s UtilityAI™ Platform, which provides hour-by-hour energy insights into customers’ usage patterns at the appliance level, combined with GridX’s industry-leading rate engine enables utilities to execute demand-side management strategies critical for supporting decarbonization and electrification goals. This integration enables utilities to: Improve rate analytics for tailoring new and existing plans to customer needs and utility objectives. Give customers rate comparisons that project the detailed impact to their bill across different rate options. Personalize cost simulations that inform customers on how potential changes impact future bills, for example: EV purchases, HVAC upgrades, solar PV and Time-of-Use enrollment. Deliver accurate appliance-level cost breakdowns across the bill cycle and hourly levels. Unlocking behind-the-meter cost savings opportunities also bolsters satisfaction and trust among utility customers. Through highly precise bill projections, rate comparisons and energy efficiency recommendations, consumers can understand how their individual usage affects bill statements and better control their energy costs. “Restructuring rate plans for better load shifting has become an imperative utility initiative, especially as electric vehicles, appliance electrification and weather-related grid strains become more prolific. By partnering with GridX, we are teaching consumers that when they use energy is as important as how much energy is used, and we are giving every kilowatt-hour consumed a dollar value to help drive simple and actionable behavioral changes,” said Abhay Gupta, CEO of Bidgely. About Bidgely Bidgely is an AI-powered SaaS Company accelerating a clean energy future by enabling energy companies and consumers to make data-driven energy-related decisions. Powered by our unique patented technology, Bidgely's UtilityAI™ Platform transforms multiple dimensions of customer data - such as energy consumption, demographic, and interactions - into deeply accurate and actionable consumer energy insights. We leverage these insights to empower each customer with personalized recommendations, tailored to their individual personality and lifestyle, usage attributes, behavioral patterns, purchase propensity, and beyond. From a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Grid Edge perspective, Bidgely is advancing smart meter innovation with data-driven solutions for solar PVs, EV detection, EV behavioral load shifting and managed charging, energy theft, short-term load forecasting, grid analytics, and TOU rate designs. Bidgely’s UtilityAI™ energy analytics provides deep visibility into generation, consumption for better peak load shaping and grid planning, and delivers targeted recommendations for new value-added products and services. With roots in Silicon Valley, Bidgely has over 17 energy patents, $75M+ in funding, retains 30+ data scientists, and brings a passion for AI to utilities serving residential and commercial customers around the world. About GridX, Inc GridX partners with utilities and energy suppliers to transform their businesses and accelerate the clean energy transition. The company’s Enterprise Rate Platform helps these organizations to develop new products and business models to achieve their clean energy goals; quickly operationalize new offerings in their billing and settlement processes; and better engage with their customers for broader program adoption. GridX’s platform is used by leading utilities, retail energy suppliers and energy ecosystem OEMs to serve more than 25 million homes and businesses.

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Solar+Storage, Energy

Babcock & Wilcox Solar Energy, Inc. Awarded Community Solar Contracts Totaling $20 Million

Businesswire | August 01, 2023

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W) (NYSE: BW) announced today that its subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Solar Energy, Inc., has been awarded contracts totaling more than $20 million by Summit Ridge Energy, LLC, for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of 25 megawatts of community solar energy projects in Illinois. B&W has successfully executed multiple projects for Summit Ridge Energy, including a $15 million community solar project announced in March 2023 and a $20 million project announced in 2022. “We value our strong, ongoing relationship with Summit Ridge Energy and are excited to develop more projects in the future as we look to grow and expand B&W’s presence in the community solar industry,” said Jimmy Morgan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, B&W. “We appreciate the confidence Summit Ridge Energy has shown in B&W’s installation, site coordination and project management expertise and look forward to continuing to work together.” B&W will engineer, procure and construct the six photovoltaic solar projects, with completion scheduled for 2024. “As Summit Ridge Energy continues to expand our solar leadership in Illinois, we’re pleased to partner with B&W on another EPC contract,” said Raj Soi, Executive Vice President of Operations, Summit Ridge Energy. “We are proud of our work to create new jobs in Illinois, invest in the local economy and provide solar power savings to more than 20,000 households and businesses.” With more than 100 solar projects installed, B&W offers reliable system design, construction and optimized system integration. B&W is committed to providing forward-thinking solar solutions, outstanding service, and quality construction with safety as a top priority. Summit Ridge Energy is the largest commercial solar developer and owner-operator in Illinois, with an energy portfolio of more than 250 megawatts across the state. Summit Ridge Energy has invested over $900 million in Illinois through the development and acquisition of 116 individual solar farms, located across 35 counties. These projects have employed more than 3,500 construction workers and provide solar power savings to more than 20,000 Illinois ratepayers. About Babcock & Wilcox Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. is a leader in energy and environmental products and services for power and industrial markets worldwide. About Summit Ridge Energy Launched in 2017, Summit Ridge Energy is the nation’s leading commercial solar company. Through its strategic partnerships and project financing expertise, the company develops and acquires pre-operational projects within the rapidly growing solar energy and battery storage sectors. In the past six years, Summit Ridge Energy has deployed over $1.6B USD into clean energy assets. With a development pipeline of more than 2 GW, Summit Ridge Energy will have more than 400 MW of PV online by the end of 2023, providing solar power to 50,000 homes.

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Energy

Nexamp Named #1 Community Solar Company by Solar Power World Magazine

prnewswire | July 31, 2023

Nexamp, a leading clean energy solutions provider, has been awarded the prestigious title of "#1 Community Solar Company" by Solar Power World magazine. This recognition highlights Nexamp's foundational commitment to advancing renewable energy accessibility, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. Since its inception, Nexamp has set out to transform the way individuals, businesses, and communities access and utilize solar energy. By developing innovative solar projects nationwide, the company has consistently broken barriers and created opportunities for a greener future. The company's extensive portfolio of community solar installations stands as a testament to its vision of a cleaner, more sustainable grid. The Solar Power World list is developed each year to honor the work of solar companies in the United States. Solar firms in the utility, community solar, and residential markets are ranked by the number of kilowatts they installed in the previous year. Companies are grouped and listed by specific services, markets, and states. "Earning the top spot on this list is an honor," said Zaid Ashai, CEO of Nexamp, "and as always, it shows our commitment to our mission. With an industry-leading community solar program and our growing suite of decarbonization services, we are proud of the way we continue to revolutionize the grid by developing, building, owning, and operating the solar and storage solutions of tomorrow." 2023 so far has been one of the busiest in Nexamp's history, surpassing the company's previous single-year record for megawatts of new projects turned on in just the first two quarters. Since its founding in 2007, Nexamp has installed more than a gigawatt of solar capacity. "Renewable energy accounts for a quarter of U.S. electrical generation, now far exceeding electricity produced by burning coal," said Kelsey Misbrener, managing editor of Solar Power World. "Solar power is an important member of that renewable makeup, and companies on the Top Solar Contractors List are all contributing to our country's shift to cleaner electricity. We are honored to recognize them each year for their necessary work putting green kilowatts on roofs, over parking lots, in desert locations, and across water reservoirs. Every project is making a difference." The United States reported its strongest first-quarter ever in Q1 2023 for solar installed, and industry analysts expect the solar market to triple in size over the next five years. The industry will continue to lead the way in rebuilding our infrastructure to ensure a cleaner grid. AboutNexamp Nexamp is leading the transformation to the new energy economy with proven solutions for the deployment and operation of solar energy assets. Our comprehensive capabilities span the entire solar project lifecycle – from project development, design and construction, through financing, operations, and maintenance. Our integrated, best-in-class solutions make solar energy simple and profitable for our clients and partners and make an impact every day. With a rapidly expanding network of property owners, businesses, communities, and residents benefitting from our growing portfolio of solar assets across the US, Nexamp is laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more secure energy future.

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Solar+Storage

Bidgely and GridX Partner to Optimize Electricity Costs for a Clean Energy Future

businesswire | August 02, 2023

Bidgely, the leading provider of AI-powered energy intelligence solutions, and GridX, the leading enterprise rate platform provider to modern utilities, have announced a partnership to deliver enhanced energy cost accuracy and control for utilities and their customers. By combining behind-the-meter consumption insights with highly accurate cost insights, utilities can implement grid management initiatives, such as cost-based load shifting and time-varying rates, that keep energy reliable and affordable for consumers. "Motivating consumers to make smarter energy decisions is paramount to achieving utility decarbonization goals,” said Chris Black, CEO of GridX. “Through our partnership with Bidgely, we are further reducing the mystery of how a consumer's energy choices correspond to their energy bills or grid impact. This results in a win for everyone. Customers get lower bills, utilities get more life out of their existing infrastructure, and customers and utilities are in sync in achieving their decarbonization goals.” Bidgely’s UtilityAI™ Platform, which provides hour-by-hour energy insights into customers’ usage patterns at the appliance level, combined with GridX’s industry-leading rate engine enables utilities to execute demand-side management strategies critical for supporting decarbonization and electrification goals. This integration enables utilities to: Improve rate analytics for tailoring new and existing plans to customer needs and utility objectives. Give customers rate comparisons that project the detailed impact to their bill across different rate options. Personalize cost simulations that inform customers on how potential changes impact future bills, for example: EV purchases, HVAC upgrades, solar PV and Time-of-Use enrollment. Deliver accurate appliance-level cost breakdowns across the bill cycle and hourly levels. Unlocking behind-the-meter cost savings opportunities also bolsters satisfaction and trust among utility customers. Through highly precise bill projections, rate comparisons and energy efficiency recommendations, consumers can understand how their individual usage affects bill statements and better control their energy costs. “Restructuring rate plans for better load shifting has become an imperative utility initiative, especially as electric vehicles, appliance electrification and weather-related grid strains become more prolific. By partnering with GridX, we are teaching consumers that when they use energy is as important as how much energy is used, and we are giving every kilowatt-hour consumed a dollar value to help drive simple and actionable behavioral changes,” said Abhay Gupta, CEO of Bidgely. About Bidgely Bidgely is an AI-powered SaaS Company accelerating a clean energy future by enabling energy companies and consumers to make data-driven energy-related decisions. Powered by our unique patented technology, Bidgely's UtilityAI™ Platform transforms multiple dimensions of customer data - such as energy consumption, demographic, and interactions - into deeply accurate and actionable consumer energy insights. We leverage these insights to empower each customer with personalized recommendations, tailored to their individual personality and lifestyle, usage attributes, behavioral patterns, purchase propensity, and beyond. From a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Grid Edge perspective, Bidgely is advancing smart meter innovation with data-driven solutions for solar PVs, EV detection, EV behavioral load shifting and managed charging, energy theft, short-term load forecasting, grid analytics, and TOU rate designs. Bidgely’s UtilityAI™ energy analytics provides deep visibility into generation, consumption for better peak load shaping and grid planning, and delivers targeted recommendations for new value-added products and services. With roots in Silicon Valley, Bidgely has over 17 energy patents, $75M+ in funding, retains 30+ data scientists, and brings a passion for AI to utilities serving residential and commercial customers around the world. About GridX, Inc GridX partners with utilities and energy suppliers to transform their businesses and accelerate the clean energy transition. The company’s Enterprise Rate Platform helps these organizations to develop new products and business models to achieve their clean energy goals; quickly operationalize new offerings in their billing and settlement processes; and better engage with their customers for broader program adoption. GridX’s platform is used by leading utilities, retail energy suppliers and energy ecosystem OEMs to serve more than 25 million homes and businesses.

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Solar+Storage, Energy

Babcock & Wilcox Solar Energy, Inc. Awarded Community Solar Contracts Totaling $20 Million

Businesswire | August 01, 2023

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W) (NYSE: BW) announced today that its subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Solar Energy, Inc., has been awarded contracts totaling more than $20 million by Summit Ridge Energy, LLC, for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of 25 megawatts of community solar energy projects in Illinois. B&W has successfully executed multiple projects for Summit Ridge Energy, including a $15 million community solar project announced in March 2023 and a $20 million project announced in 2022. “We value our strong, ongoing relationship with Summit Ridge Energy and are excited to develop more projects in the future as we look to grow and expand B&W’s presence in the community solar industry,” said Jimmy Morgan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, B&W. “We appreciate the confidence Summit Ridge Energy has shown in B&W’s installation, site coordination and project management expertise and look forward to continuing to work together.” B&W will engineer, procure and construct the six photovoltaic solar projects, with completion scheduled for 2024. “As Summit Ridge Energy continues to expand our solar leadership in Illinois, we’re pleased to partner with B&W on another EPC contract,” said Raj Soi, Executive Vice President of Operations, Summit Ridge Energy. “We are proud of our work to create new jobs in Illinois, invest in the local economy and provide solar power savings to more than 20,000 households and businesses.” With more than 100 solar projects installed, B&W offers reliable system design, construction and optimized system integration. B&W is committed to providing forward-thinking solar solutions, outstanding service, and quality construction with safety as a top priority. Summit Ridge Energy is the largest commercial solar developer and owner-operator in Illinois, with an energy portfolio of more than 250 megawatts across the state. Summit Ridge Energy has invested over $900 million in Illinois through the development and acquisition of 116 individual solar farms, located across 35 counties. These projects have employed more than 3,500 construction workers and provide solar power savings to more than 20,000 Illinois ratepayers. About Babcock & Wilcox Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. is a leader in energy and environmental products and services for power and industrial markets worldwide. About Summit Ridge Energy Launched in 2017, Summit Ridge Energy is the nation’s leading commercial solar company. Through its strategic partnerships and project financing expertise, the company develops and acquires pre-operational projects within the rapidly growing solar energy and battery storage sectors. In the past six years, Summit Ridge Energy has deployed over $1.6B USD into clean energy assets. With a development pipeline of more than 2 GW, Summit Ridge Energy will have more than 400 MW of PV online by the end of 2023, providing solar power to 50,000 homes.

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Energy

Nexamp Named #1 Community Solar Company by Solar Power World Magazine

prnewswire | July 31, 2023

Nexamp, a leading clean energy solutions provider, has been awarded the prestigious title of "#1 Community Solar Company" by Solar Power World magazine. This recognition highlights Nexamp's foundational commitment to advancing renewable energy accessibility, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. Since its inception, Nexamp has set out to transform the way individuals, businesses, and communities access and utilize solar energy. By developing innovative solar projects nationwide, the company has consistently broken barriers and created opportunities for a greener future. The company's extensive portfolio of community solar installations stands as a testament to its vision of a cleaner, more sustainable grid. The Solar Power World list is developed each year to honor the work of solar companies in the United States. Solar firms in the utility, community solar, and residential markets are ranked by the number of kilowatts they installed in the previous year. Companies are grouped and listed by specific services, markets, and states. "Earning the top spot on this list is an honor," said Zaid Ashai, CEO of Nexamp, "and as always, it shows our commitment to our mission. With an industry-leading community solar program and our growing suite of decarbonization services, we are proud of the way we continue to revolutionize the grid by developing, building, owning, and operating the solar and storage solutions of tomorrow." 2023 so far has been one of the busiest in Nexamp's history, surpassing the company's previous single-year record for megawatts of new projects turned on in just the first two quarters. Since its founding in 2007, Nexamp has installed more than a gigawatt of solar capacity. "Renewable energy accounts for a quarter of U.S. electrical generation, now far exceeding electricity produced by burning coal," said Kelsey Misbrener, managing editor of Solar Power World. "Solar power is an important member of that renewable makeup, and companies on the Top Solar Contractors List are all contributing to our country's shift to cleaner electricity. We are honored to recognize them each year for their necessary work putting green kilowatts on roofs, over parking lots, in desert locations, and across water reservoirs. Every project is making a difference." The United States reported its strongest first-quarter ever in Q1 2023 for solar installed, and industry analysts expect the solar market to triple in size over the next five years. The industry will continue to lead the way in rebuilding our infrastructure to ensure a cleaner grid. AboutNexamp Nexamp is leading the transformation to the new energy economy with proven solutions for the deployment and operation of solar energy assets. Our comprehensive capabilities span the entire solar project lifecycle – from project development, design and construction, through financing, operations, and maintenance. Our integrated, best-in-class solutions make solar energy simple and profitable for our clients and partners and make an impact every day. With a rapidly expanding network of property owners, businesses, communities, and residents benefitting from our growing portfolio of solar assets across the US, Nexamp is laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more secure energy future.

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