Energy
businesswire | August 31, 2023
Avangrid, Inc. a leading sustainable energy company and part of the Iberdrola Group, has announced a pilot project with LineVision, Inc. to unlock additional capacity on its transmission lines for renewable energy in New York state. The project will deploy advanced monitoring for overhead transmission lines in the Hornell, N.Y. area with the goal of reducing grid congestion by providing real-time data on where additional power can safely flow through the existing transmission infrastructure. This critical data and visibility could aid in linking more renewable energy resources into New York’s electrical grid and supporting the state’s clean energy goals.
The amount of energy that electric transmission lines can safely carry is variable. Historically, the lines have been operated using “static” line ratings that tell grid operators a lines’ energy capacity based on conservative and fixed values for assumed weather conditions. However, now with LineVision’s advanced monitoring Avangrid will be able to see real-time data, allowing for more flexibility to safely increase the amount of energy flowing through the transmission lines based on current conditions. The advanced monitoring provides “dynamic” line ratings (DLR), which determine capacity limits of the power lines by combining real-time properties such as sag, temperature and forecasted weather conditions. This results in more informed grid operations and increased carrying capacity of the transmission lines without needing to make any large grid upgrades.
As part of the project, LineVision will partner with Avangrid’s electric utility operating company New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) to install non-contact LiDAR sensors to monitor overhead transmission lines, accelerating renewable energy adoption and progressing toward the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals. The sensors will be installed on two of the company’s transmission lines: One runs from Elma (Erie County) to Strykersville (Wyoming County), and the other line runs from Warsaw to Perry (both in Wyoming County).
Funding for the project was awarded to Avangrid and LineVision through round two of NYSERDA’s Future Grid Challenge program. The program addresses a recommendation contained in a Department of Public Service order released in January 2022 for the deployment of advanced transmission and distribution technologies for improved transmission utilization while supporting New York’s CLCPA goal to achieve 70% renewable electricity by 2030.
Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid said, “Decarbonizing our region and nation will require critical investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure. This pilot project is just one example of how we’re working to modernize the grid and enhance reliability and resiliency across our service areas for our customers. We’re proud to be making strategic and critical investments that will enable New York’s climate goals, help mitigate the impacts of climate change and increase access to renewable energy.”
Hudson Gilmer, CEO and co-founder of LineVision said, “We are thrilled to have been chosen to take part in this important project. By multiple accounts, we must double the size of the power grid to have any hope of meeting critical climate goals. Our technology has helped our utility customers identify between 25-40% additional capacity on existing lines which helps accelerate a transition to renewables. We are excited to work with Avangrid and NYSERDA to help optimize New York’s grid.”
Patricia Nilsen, president and CEO of NYSEG and RG&E said, “We have been an anchor institution in our communities for more than a century. We know that we have a critical role in building a smarter, more resilient network that will enable us to deliver clean energy to more customers. Investments in innovation like this are very exciting because it will benefit our customers in multiple ways.”
The CLCPA calls for an additional 10,000 MW of solar capacity and 9,000 MW of offshore wind capacity. These aggressive goals, as well as the goals set forth by the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, would likely cause significant congestion on transmission lines. To ensure reliability of the system, reduce cost of congestion, and allow faster integration of renewables, implementation of DLR solution could play a vital role.
About Avangrid
Avangrid, Inc. aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2023, Avangrid ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A.
About LineVision
LineVision provides electric utilities with the real-time monitoring and analytics needed to accelerate the net zero grid. LineVision’s patented non-contact sensors collect critical information to unlock additional capacity on existing lines, provide insight into conductor health, and detect anomalies and risks. LineVision’s platform is rapidly deployed at scale without the need for scheduled outages, live line work, or specialized installation equipment. LineVision is helping our utility partners around the world lead the energy transition by increasing the capacity, resilience, and safety of the grid.
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Solar+Storage
Businesswire | August 03, 2023
Catalyze, a clean energy transition company that finances, builds, owns, and operates solar, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging systems for commercial and industrial customers, today held a ribbon cutting to commemorate the launch of the Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm in Adelanto, California. This project marks the first under California’s Enhanced Community Renewables (ECR) program to be contracted by one of the state’s three investor-owned utilities, Southern California Edison (SCE).
As one of the first community solar farms in Southern California, Sheep Creek Community Solar Farm is designed to generate clean energy for both residential and commercial accounts. There are currently 241 subscribers. The 3.8 MWdc project, developed and managed by Catalyze and Ampion, a leading community solar subscription and revenue management company, will expand access to solar energy for customers who do not own their property, are not able to pay the upfront cost of solar installation, or have a roof that is in poor condition or shaded. The project will support SCE’s efforts to comply with California's Green Tariff Shared Renewables program, requiring the state’s investor-owned utilities to offer 100% solar energy options to their customers.
“Community solar plays a key role in ensuring that participation in the clean energy transition is accessible to all,” said Jared Haines, CEO of Catalyze. “We couldn’t be prouder to develop the first front-of-the-meter community solar project that supports California’s ECR program. It is our hope that Sheep Creek can act as an example for other projects to follow statewide, and we can accelerate the execution of more community solar projects to help reach the goal of ensuring widespread availability of renewable energy.”
California's ECR program, a component of the Green Tariff Shared Renewables program, gives utility customers the opportunity to receive 100% clean energy from the state’s largest utilities. Under the structure of the program, utility customers can subscribe to a portion of a community solar project. The customer pays for the amount of energy to which they are subscribed. The customer then receives a credit on their utility bill that reflects this amount of electricity produced by their share of the solar farm. This process is managed by Ampion, which handles subscriber acquisition and revenue management for the Sheep Creek site.
"Community solar’s debut in the Southern California Edison territory marks a watershed moment for the state and the movement,” said Nate Owen, CEO of Ampion. “Since community solar projects have no upfront cost or installation needed for users, they are an excellent way for states to give their citizens access to renewable energy. With Ampion’s successful acquisition of both enterprise and residential customers, all energy generated from the site will be used by the community. We are thrilled to partner with Catalyze to expand community solar’s reach in California and look forward to continuing to help grow this critical market."
The ECR program allows low-to-middle-income residents, who have traditionally been left out of the energy transition, to reduce their own carbon footprint and utility costs while alleviating stress on the power grid. Solar energy provided by the Sheep Creek project will add to California’s renewable energy supply portfolio and assist in reaching the state’s goal of 100% renewable energy use by 2045.
Catalyze is owned by leading energy investors EnCap Investments L.P. and Actis.
About Catalyze
Catalyze is a national Energy Transition Partner that develops, finances, owns, and operates integrated renewable assets, and combines its proprietary technology, financial strength, and battery and electric vehicle savvy to deliver standardized, yet configurable systems that meet their partners’ unique needs. These offerings enable commercial and industrial property owners, operating companies, and their customers to extract greater value from their assets, take increased responsibility and ownership of their energy profile, and ultimately become part of the clean energy transition. Catalyze owns two proprietary technologies – REenergyzeⓇ, an origination-to-operations software integration platform that helps accelerate and scale the nationwide adoption of commercial and industrial solar and storage, and SolarStrapⓇ, a proprietary mounting technology to install rooftop panels.
About EnCap Investments L.P.
Since 1988, EnCap Investments has been a leading provider of growth capital to the independent sector of the U.S. energy industry. The firm has raised 24 institutional investment funds totaling approximately $40 billion and currently manages capital on behalf of more than 350 U.S. and international investors. Founded in 2019, the EnCap Energy Transition platform is led by four Managing Partners, each with 30-35 years of experience in the development and operations of renewables and power generation.
About Actis
Actis is a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure. Actis has raised $US25 billion since inception and has more than US$15 billion of assets under management. A team of over 120 investment professionals operates from 17 offices across five continents. Actis’ global experience, operational know-how and strong culture allows it to build and operate global sustainability leaders of scale, while delivering competitive returns for institutional investors and measurable positive impact for the countries, cities and communities in which it operates. Actis is a signatory to the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), an investor initiative developed by the UNEP FI and the UN Global Compact. The firm has consistently been awarded the highest rating score in the UNPRI independent assessment.
About Ampion
Ampion provides turnkey subscription and revenue management solutions for renewable energy developers nationwide, simplifying the complex world of distributed generation. From prospect to payment, we maximize investor returns in a holistic way, optimizing revenue with a customer management platform purpose-built for community distributed generation. We’re industry veterans with the people, platform, and processes required to help developers and asset owners get the most out of their portfolios. Our clients choose us because we make their projects more predictable and more profitable, with better data insights, happier subscribers, and less risk.
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Solar+Storage
businesswire | July 28, 2023
Silfab Solar, North America’s leading PV module manufacturer, has been recognized by the Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC) as a “high achiever” in module performance, the company announced today.
The rating, given by an internationally recognized independent testing authority, continues Silfab’s year-over-year string of awards and rankings that place the company among the most trusted solar module manufacturer for residential and commercial applications.
“Sustained power performance is the result of Silfab’s unwavering commitment to designing and manufacturing premium quality, North American-made solar products that remain a solid investment for long-term energy reliability,” said Paolo Maccario, Silfab President and CEO. “The latest RETC report is a reflection of our more than 40 years of solar experience and our commitment to delivering the best performing products with leading-edge designs from our North American facilities.”
RETC’s PV Module Index Report (PVMI) summarizes 12 months of testing that measures a variety of module performance indicators simulating environmental conditions, such as high temperatures and strong winds, that a module might experience in the real world.
In addition to lab testing, Silfab’s products have decades of proven results “in the field” with its panels delivering consistent power outputs across North America. Customer demand for Silfab products remains strong and the company continues to strategically increase production capacity.
About Silfab Solar Inc.
Silfab Solaris the North American leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-efficiency, premium quality PV modules. Silfab leverages more than 40 years of solar experience and best-in-class technologies to produce the highest- rated solar modules from facilities in the state of Washington and Toronto, Canada. Each facility features multiple automated production lines, an ISO 9001:2015-accredited Quality Management System, and just-in-time manufacturing to deliver Buy American approved PV modules specifically designed for and dedicated to the North American market.
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