CIC Energy is a catalyst for community solar expansion—an agent of impactful change in marginalized communities. Community solar relieves the financial burden placed on low- and medium-income households, provides local grid resilience, and stimulates economic activity in economically and racially underserved communities.

CIC Energy, in collaboration with its partner organizations and sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), is leading the charge to advance adoption of solar PV and storage , training a critical infrastructure workforce to meet the supply gaps in human resources (trades skills), and meeting the explosive demand for new energy within communities in need of energy justice.

Community Power Accelerator Hubs: A Framework for “Resilience Hub and Critical Infrastructure Training Center” Build on Experience and Collective Enhancement Across the Nation, the Globe.

CIC Energy was an inaugural member as both a registered developer and financial sponsor of the National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP), an initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.  At the end of 2021, through 2022 and currently Team Impact’s energy and environmentally focused coalition continues to expand.  On May 5^th, CIC Energy was announced the American Made Prize Phase I award, and notably the lone winner in Texas.

Community Leader and Environmental Advocate Hilton Kelley notes, ” The time for Port Arthur, TX and rural disadvantage communities the like are open to receive all available benefits to the community through our Power Accelerators, with the Alpha site soon to be a showcase to give hands on demonstrations within the heart of the community.” Through DOE, SEIN, SETO and HARC, our energy coalition has cerainly gained momentum as noted the 13th of June with a visit from the Secretary of Energy, https://twitter.com/SecGranholm

A Texas Size Challenge for Community Solar

Texas is not exactly fertile ground for planning a community solar opportunity.  Granted, Texas is a renewable energy leader in wind and has been since T Boone Pickens and Skelly days.  Aside from wind, the Lone Star State ranked #2 national in 2022[i] powered, powers almost 2M homes, however, the state only generates less than 5% from solar PV in the TX grid.  This is a TEXAS SIZE OPPORTUNITY! The state further boasts 617 companies with 99 manufacturers, 243 installers/developers, and almost 300 outliers performing various energy efficient and related services.

As of 2022, Texas claimed $20B in solar investments, meanwhile the price has fallen 53% over the past decade.  Hold on folks, modest projections place Texas as #1 in solar power generation and forecast an increase to 34GW over next five years.  Solar PV is a Texas Size Opportunity indeed, but will the Texas legislature address the opportunity or continue to subsidize dinosaurs?

Today is the day to realize the national goal of 30% solar PV generation in the United States by 2030.  While this will never happen, let’s enable communities that need it most to capitalize and save given they bear the biggest burden, and in Port Arthur, their health continues to suffer.

Team Impact Continues to Exceed Milestones Towards Equitable Energy

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that all 10 teams participating in the inaugural American-Made Community Clean Energy Coalition (CCEC) Prize successfully completing Phase Two and will each be awarded $150,000 in cash prizes. Team Impact pioneer member Garry’s team ReBuildATL Coalition headquartered in Atlanta, GA, but with community solar projects in Virginia and other Eastern States we applaud the Team’s continued success across the nation – especially as we collaborate and coordinate to bring the best practices to Texas

In service of this initiative, the DOE is sponsoring the upcoming Energy Justice to the People Roadshow that will make a stop in Port Arthur on June 13, 2023. Register TODAY and be a part of the  solution, be a Change Agent! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/energy-justice-to-the-people-roadshow-port-arthur-tx-tickets-634947213207

This day-long event will kick-off with a speech by the United States Secretary of Energy. The first half of the day will focus on a series of DOE-led presentations on topics including Energy Justice, BIL & IRA funding, clean energy workforce development, community voice in infrastructure projects, and available home and neighborhood investments.

The second half of the day will bring together experts and leaders from across the Federal Government and local community—including the White House, elected officials, community leaders, and the DOE.

Team Impact is a Coalition of Energy Advocates Aligned by a Shared Mission, Dedicated to Advancing the US Energy Transition

CIC Energy, along with the Houston Advanced Resource Center (HARC), Community In-Power and Development Association, Inc. (CIDA), Mills Agriculture & Renewable Energy, LLC (MARE), and the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), make up Team Impact. Our Impact aims to modernize community grids and increase solar workforce capacity within historically underserved communities by developing a community solar portfolio in Port Arthur, TX.

Port Arthur, TX

Port Arthur, is a an ideal showcase, with 25% of Port Arthur’s  residents below the poverty line. The community is primarily African American, followed by Hispanic communities with unemployment rate historically 2x below the state average. As a refinery mecca, Port Arthur is plagued by environmental pollution that has largely been ignored by authorities and corporations that caused it Team Impact focuses on Port Arthur’s communities in the most need and the most affected by socioeconomic, as well as racial disparities and environmental contamination.  The time is now to counter this history of environmental, climate, and racial injustice and deliver residents new economic opportunities. Join us on June 13, 2023 and let our collective voices resonate loudly! Onward and Upward!!!

From ISD CTE Training to Community Led Solar Camps in West Port Arthur, TX – Education of Direct Benefits is Key

From Texas two-step to homegrown Innovation in Austin, TX, we are prepared to stabilize the TX Grid.  At the lead of this energy transition are companies like Yotta Energy.  Their product suite is sweet and rich with service-centric solutions and a range of distributed energy technologies to convert buildings into their own solar power plants.

Yotta Energy specializes in the commercial, industrial, and multifamily spaces; bringing the most affordable, advanced, and safest solar + storage + EV charging solutions to the market

[i] SEIA – https://www.seia.org/states-map

IREC Solar Career Map https://www.irecsolarcareermap.org

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Climate Impact Capital spun out Climate Impact Capital Energy Holdings, LLC (CIC Energy) in 2021 to address significant gaps in U.S. energy workforce and critical infrastructure development. CIC Energy serves two segments by addressing the I. demand for energy (e.g. cost-effective electricity, equitable energy, demand response programs, backup power) and lack of supply of human resources with technical and trade skills.

CIC Energy will deploy Phase 1 winnings and fuel Team Impact with funding and technical support provided by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Community Power Accelerator (CPA) Prize. With almost 200 teams, judges at SETO and NREL were challenged to pick the Top 25 amongst a critical mass of competitors. The $10 million prize competition is a three-phase process to increase the number of equitable community solar projects by providing funding and resources for developers and co-developers throughout the project lifecycle. By the end of the prize, competitors will be ready to engage with the Community Power Accelerator online platform, which provides a place for competitors to showcase their credit-ready projects to verified project developers, investors, and philanthropic organizations.

CIC Energy is excited to cultivate community solar designed to support equitable energy jobs and accelerate critical infrastructure workforce development. Through CPA’s online portal and CIC Energy’s Learning and Earning in Energy Platform (LEEP), prosumers are enabled with democratized, decentralized and digital disruptors to monetize savings, enhance human behavior and offer credit-ready solar to stabilize power grids and add resilience to communities—with a priority placed on projects that benefit underserved communities—and connect them with mission-aligned investors and philanthropic organizations to get funding in Port Arthur, Central and East TX in 2023.

Community Solar Benefits

In Phase 2, CIC Energy will further develop community grids, equitable and distributed energy models, and deploy a series of up to 1MW DC projects within communities, offering a range of meaningful impacts in Port Arthur, Northwest Houston, Central and East Texas. Community solar offers direct benefits to the community by reducing energy costs, expanding renewable energy consumption, and providing solar industry workforce development opportunities. Project Renew has prioritized disadvantaged communities since launching its first Solar Apprenticeship Program at Del Valle Opportunity Center in Fall 2021. Team Impact will catalyze change in households, creating home energy systems for community solar subscribers, bolstering community grid resilience, facilitating community ownership of project assets, and supporting equitable workforce development by providing high-wage opportunities that reduce income disparities across demographic groups.

Team Impact

CIC Energy, along with the Houston Advanced Resource Center (HARC), Community In-Power and Development Association, Inc. (CIDA), Mills Agriculture & Renewable Energy, LLC (MARE), and the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), make up Team Impact. Our Impact aims to modernize community grids and increase solar workforce capacity within historically underserved communities by developing a community solar portfolio in Port Arthur, Texas.

Community Solar Builds Alliances, Creates Greener and More Resilient Grids in Port Arthur

Team Impact’s community solar projects in Port Arthur will target schools, churches, and small businesses within disadvantaged residential communities, delivering power grid resilience during energy emergencies and showcasing the cost benefits of distributed energy systems. The end goal is the expansion of community solar benefits to household subscribers. Local community members will have ownership of these projects, democratizing energy production in the city.

Increasing Energy Security and Mission Critical Communications

Community solar electricity rates will be lower than rates available via existing power distribution grids, which reduces the financial burden of electricity usage and increases energy security by improving grid resilience. Residents previously forced to ration energy usage due to economic hardship (e.g. by not using their air conditioners or setting thermostats to dangerously high temperatures) will be able to reduce energy rationing with more affordable electricity rates provided by community solar projects. Such benefits will improve the quality of life for residents of disadvantaged communities in Port Arthur.

Gearing up for Phase 2

Winning Phase 1 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize is an exciting opportunity for CIC Energy to bring alternative energy to Texas residents facing high energy burdens and frequent power outages. In decreasing energy costs and enhancing grid resilience in the community, CIC Energy will deliver energy equity and create more lucrative employment opportunities for this underserved community. As we begin Phase 2 of the prize, we look forward to realizing our plan and are committed to providing clean energy access to the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Port Arthur, Texas.

Accelerating Equitable Energy Through Federal Funding and Team Impact

The American-Made Solar Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. CIC Energy applauds the efforts of our government to prioritize energy equality.

CIC Energy: An Impact Driven Change Agent to fuel Renewable Microgrid Deployment, Disruptive Grid Service Models and Activate a Critical Infrastructure Workforce

Climate Impact Capital Energy Holdings, LLC (CIC Energy) develops and manages alternative energy and power generation for commercial, municipal, and government solar power and energy storage facilities.

As an integrated service provider, we identify the most effective set of asset solutions for our clients considering cost and resiliency goals.  In addition to deploying solar and storage, our services and solutions include electric vehicle charging, building energy management services, and grid services.

CIC Energy also manages the development and implementation of an integrated training, certification, and continued education platform to provide Registered Apprentices for our government/corporate partners and enable our planned integrated solar, storage, EV, and microgrid projects.  Stay tuned for details regarding our Learning and Earning in Energy Platform (LEEP).

The post Climate Impact Capital Portfolio Company Wins Phase 1 of Department of Energy Prize totally $10M to accelerate community microgrids appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

Do you believe today’s high school graduates are prepared to secure America’s energy future?

A continued lack of vision for an integrated energy network has left us with a sizable gap, most notably in human resources.  America’s power grid needs an overhaul and renewables offer a sustainable solution to lower energy costs, improve resiliency through decentralization, and create equitable energy distribution. However, the US has been slow to implement the changes needed. To achieve this we will need a skilled and diverse workforce in every US county that will both build and maintain assets.

A Solution So Simple, Yet Challenging

Europe provides a fine example for retraining established trades or catering to fresh recruits. The region has taken an integrated approach to apprentice programs in renewables and EVs, building pathways for applied learning towards a university degree.  Innovative utilities and power electronics companies, with support from the government, are driving both education and deployment, with natural pathways to employment. There is a clear understanding that workforce development and sustainable corporate growth go hand in hand.

In contrast, in the USA, blue collar jobs in coal and O&G, have typically been sourced from unskilled labor forces which are taught in the field and in the mine after being hired.  Coincidentally, these skills were not transferable to other jobs and sectors. This was sustainable when these industries were growing and before the new generation of workers realized there are better and more importantly greener career paths. In 2022 these sectors continue to see reductions in their workforce as automation and digitalization are rapidly deployed to reduce costs.

Since solar has become cheaper than natural gas and coal, trade skills demand has outpaced workforce availability.  With multiple career pathways in a disruptive and emerging industry, the US has an opportunity to quickly incorporate lessons to build our own skilled workforce.

Schools STEM Change

Solar education is pivotal for the US energy transition and students are eager to learn. Over the past 30 years, school districts around the country have largely phased out vocational classes in lieu of STEM only courses. More emphasis is placed on students achieving four year college degrees, while blue collar careers are not properly encouraged at the middle or high school levels. These types of jobs are needed and offer students alternative careers without student debt. The call for more vocational, alternative learning methods, is steadily growing, spurring educators to consider new options for their students to achieve career readiness in emerging industries with large growth opportunities.

Solar Pioneers of Del Valle

A case for success and scale is certainly the Solar Pioneers of Del Valle. The community-based program was led by Solar Austin quickly gained traction when Del Valle ISD partnered with community leaders, solar experts, teachers, and students to design a learning lab at their Opportunity Center.

Workforce development is not a regional issue when it comes to new energy careers. However, schools need curriculum, subject matter experts to “train the trainers,” and then liaisons between students and employers. A challenge multiplier is the fact that the Department of Labor has yet to designate an apprentice program for solar.

Del Valle illustrates an opportunity to learn by doing. Local leaders from NATiVE Solar and Solar Austin joined with community volunteers to drive success, until state or federal funding for solar jobs can formalize efforts. To scale beyond regional initiatives, state/federal funding for equipment, teacher salaries, scholarships, and administrators is urgently needed.

Ways to Engage and Educate

Schools are a gateway, but what about those that aren’t enrolled in public schools?

The Children’s Haven new solar array was installed by volunteers in the heart of East Austin and offered a one-day solar camp to educate the community. Green Careers Dallas takes on an additional challenge by offering support for the unique hurdles of criminal records while removing the cost burdens of training, certifications, and transportation.

Community engagement through town hall meetings, advocacy groups, trade organizations and solar installers offer support and access to reliable information. The recent shift towards remote and virtual workforces has created an opportunity to transition and potentially a breakthrough in delivery of dynamic content and curriculum, with all the elements of hands-on and classroom learning.

A Virtual Solution

The mission to integrate new curriculum, experimental education facility and innovative learning platform has an elegant solution. Augmented and Virtual (AR/VR) Reality are ways to engage the next generation of trainees and modernize tech training. The US Air Force illustrates a great use case for recruiting and training with a VR system coordinated by artificial intelligence. Austin also offers a few early adopters with Interplay Learning and Froliq.

Furthermore, remote access to energy assets is easily interfaced with a smartphone that instantly augments the user experience with troubleshooting tools as demonstrated by 60 Hertz Energy. Adoption of digital platforms in schools, construction and utilities will need to be abrupt, but offer immediate payback with increased energy efficiency.

Notwithstanding hands on learning labs, students can supplement learning and gain practical skills with virtual learning. Many volunteers who want to participate in the program may struggle to travel through Texas to teach the different classes across school districts. Lectures recorded by experts on emerging topics are important for students and need timely delivery methods.  Additionally, the students could use custom VR “games” to practice their skills before touching live circuits. This could save time in the classroom, promote safety, and allow students more opportunities to practice.

Leveraging AR/VR would allow for collaboration and development of streamlined sharing between stakeholders. The curriculum and technology can be devised by a group of experts and then implemented with less work from local schools. Since it would be theoretically easier to implement the program, more schools may consider providing it for their students.

The mission and goal is to accelerate solar education to place students in well-paying jobs, help them avoid the financial burdens of student loans, and create more quality jobs for energy security and resilience.

The post Solar Jobs and Energy Transition Careers appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

Bringing Energy Equality to Renters in Texas with Virtual Power Plants

The post Virtual Power Plants Catalyze Grid Stability in Texas appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

OpConnect is a Minority Owned Small Business taking on big names like ChargePoint, ABB, and Shell (which purchased Greenlots). The team has developed a lean model that has enabled EV service providers to quickly integrate their EV charging networks with advanced payment processing and customer care tools.

Mobility and energy are undergoing a massive transformation as transportation moves toward an electric future. The investment will enable expansion of OpConnect’s team and enhancement of its “real-time,” hardware agnostic EV management and billing platform to public and private fleet operators.

The company plans to expand its private-labeling offerings focusing on multi-family properties and communities. Headed by CEO Dexter Turner, OpConnect is leading innovation in the electric transportation, with seven EV charging and access control patents. “The Biden administration envisions an aggressive acceleration of the country’s move to vehicle electrification,” said Dexter Turner, which creates enormous opportunities for small business growth, EV owners and reduction of local and greenhouse gas pollution. Jessica Nigro,  OpConnect BoD and General Manager at Daimler North America, agreed, “Industry cannot underestimate the influence of immediate federal and state policy in fostering the EV ecosystem.”

“Smart EV charging networks are a critical element of ensuring grid resiliency as we progress to a micro-grid centric utility model where consumers and building owners play a strong market role,” said Alex Rozenfeld, the Founder of Climate Impact Capital, “and as we saw during the near-collapse of the Texas ERCOT grid early in 2021, microgrids with EVs as a core will increasingly provide resilience and backup power in the coming decades as we see more climate change driven mega weather events.”  With options like the Ford Lightning, Rivian R1S, and the VW ID.4, consumers may rapidly migrate to EVs.

About Climate Impact Capital

CIC invests in energy technology companies and supports global energy corporations through CIC’s Venture-as-a-Service program. CIC identifies resiliency opportunities to prepare our partners for a world challenged by climate change risk and resource scarcity. With a diverse team and a global partner network across oil and gas, power, and energy technology manufacturing, CIC is at the forefront of the energy transition.

The post EVs will be the Resilience and Disaster Recovery Solution of Choice for Intelligent Grids appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

“Maintenance is a critical element of ensuring grid resiliency, as we saw during the near-collapse of the Texas ERCOT grid early in 2021,” said Alex Rozenfeld, the Founder of Climate Impact Capital. “Microgrids will become an increasingly important part of the mainstream grid in the coming decades as we see more climate change driven mega weather events and 60Hertz will be part of the suite of solutions needed in that future.”

The 60Hertz software and services already are actively deployed supporting remote and critical microgrids in seven countries. 60Hertz enables customers to improve the asset performance and overall lifespan of their existing power generation facilities and speeds their transition of microgrids to resilient and renewable power generation sources.   60Hertz facilitates maintenance on over $140M of microgrid assets with over 4,600 maintenance records filed per month through the platform. This financing will accelerate the company’s growth in North American and Sub-Saharan African markets.

60Hertz Energy is a Women-Owned Small Business. At a time when only 2.8% of venture capital goes to female-founded start-ups, 60Hertz is a success story. New 60Hertz Director, Susan Preston of SeaChange Fund, notes that “I am delighted to start working with 60Hertz on the strategic pathway to further growth and success. I am particularly pleased to be working with an excellent CEO, Piper Foster Wilder.”

Piper Foster Wilder launched the company in 2017. With co-founders Whitney Gantt and Tonya James, the team has created and deployed maintenance software designed for low- and intermittent bandwidth in off-grid locations in Alaskan villages and Sub-Saharan African countries and for users new to technology, maintenance, and energy assets.

The need for efficient, resilient, and sustainable microgrid infrastructure is critical to boosting economic growth. Microgrids are rapidly expanding from rural markets that 60Hertz Energy currently serves to become key elements of grid management worldwide.

“The clean energy revolution is happening everywhere, not just in the cities and suburbs,” said John Harper, a Partner at Clean Energy Venture Group. “Rural and remote power generation assets have a critical role in transitioning to a cleaner and more resilient future. 60Hertz’s CMMS is an essential tool in this effort. We’re eager to help 60Hertz Energy grow dramatically over the next several years.”

About 60Hertz

60Hertz Energy is the only offline-first Social Impact CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) for remote assets and teams. 60Hertz is innovative because of[its focus on emerging markets, serving users without strong reading skills, and for use in rural/remote settings with limited bandwidth.

About Factor[e] Ventures

Factor[e] is a global venture development firm dedicated to supporting the growth of early-stage, technology-enabled companies solving challenges in energy, agriculture, mobility, and waste in emerging markets.

About Climate Impact Capital

Climate Impact Capital, LLC invests in energy technology companies and supports global energy corporations through CIC’s Venture-as-a-Service program. Focusing on climate change risks, CIC identifies resiliency opportunities and prepares our partners, customers, and portfolio companies for a world challenged by climate variability and resource scarcity. With a diverse team and a global partner network across oil and gas, power, and energy technology manufacturing, CIC is at the forefront of the energy transition.

About SeaChange Fund

SeaChange Fund was founded in 2015 and has $47.5 million assets under management and a pooled average IRR of 55.6% across six funds. The Fund has made 46 investments in 33 early-stage Pacific Northwest startups in nine industry sectors. These investments help support nearly 610 jobs in the PNW region.

About Clean Energy Venture Group

Clean Energy Venture Group is an angel investment group providing seed capital and management expertise to early-stage climate tech and clean energy companies. The group is comprised of seasoned operating executives with strong capabilities in the energy and environmental sectors. With each investment, we bring not only capital but also the value of our experience and network to help companies achieve their financial and impact goals.

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By: Keshav Ahuja

The snow has finally melted, and the debate settled. The primary cause of the Texas electrical grid failure during the Great Freeze of 2021? The loss of fossil fuel generation capacity. The solution… 

Texas citizens were in the dark and cold when they needed these services the most. The blackout exposed several vulnerabilities, highlighting the lack of critical equipment weatherization. How do we move forward to avoid this disaster again? Some say more gas-fired generation, others say distributed solar. But maybe the real answer for Texas is hydrogen.

Texas is the nation’s largest (gray) hydrogen producer on the back of the state’s massive petrochemical sector, relying on cheap natural gas. However, the state also has the largest wind capacity at nearly 40 GW and a solar capacity of 7 GW. There is a clear pathway to CO2-free (green) hydrogen: renewable energy to power electrolysis. Apart from production infrastructure, Texas has 1,600 miles of dedicated hydrogen pipeline infrastructure and houses three hydrogen storage fields with a cumulative capacity of 6 Bcf.

With more extreme weather events than ever before, it’s clear that Texas need a more resilient (while sustainable) energy mix. Hydrogen is a viable solution – Texas already has the basic infrastructure in place for large scale deployment. The key to expanding the state’s hydrogen economy, though, will be investment into planning, technology, and infrastructure to reduce costs and a commitment by regulatory agencies and governing bodies (State of TX and ERCOT, that’s you!) to advance green energy and think outside the box. Climate Impact Capital has some big ideas; contact us and we’ll help make the grid like our state – TX strong.

The post Can H2 solve the Texas freeze? appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

By Keshav Ahuja

Energy storage is one of the most discussed topics today and is expected to be a key component of the global energy transition and stabilizing the grid for Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards. Over the last decade, energy storage technologies have continued to evolve, adapt, and innovate in response to changing energy requirements and regulatory policies.

Energy storage technologies are broadly categorized into four segments: electrical, thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical storage. Though electrochemical (batteries) and mechanical (hydrogen/pumped hydropower) storage remain the most common forms of energy adoption, research on alternate storage technologies offering higher power capacities, faster charging rates, or greater cost effectiveness is rapidly ongoing.

New Innovations in Storage

Technologies that have gained traction in recent years include compressed-air energy storage, gravity storage, aqueous-air battery, flow battery, and prismatic battery. Furthermore, there is ongoing research to develop new materials that can significantly improve battery efficiencies and support higher charging cycles, such as super-capacitors. Although pumped hydro storage accounts for the majority of installed global energy storage capacity, lithium-ion based storage is expected to record the highest growth rates, with almost all new upcoming storage capacities slated to adopt the technology.

A wide range of technologies are available for energy storage systems, with varying approaches to manage power supply and build a resilient energy infrastructure.

Mind the Gap

The challenge is that each solution comes with its own set of pros and cons. However, the core issue remains: can energy storage enhance grid flexibility, provide economies of scale in transmission and distribution, and offer better power quality and cost savings to customers? This requires a system-wide study to understand needs, applications, economics, and solution potentials. There are also suites of solutions to improve overall grid flexibility, such as demand response, power plant retrofits, smart-grid measures, and advanced energy management systems. These options need to be weighed against the case for implementing energy storage solutions and require a holistic approach to understand high-level market dynamics that can improve energy access and infrastructure.

Grid Stabilization with Renewables

As the world moves towards a decentralized model, it is expected that existing solar PV systems will be retrofit with energy storage capacity, while new solar PV will be increasingly paired with a storage system during the installation process. While this may not always be cost-effective for the grid, co‑siting renewables and storage assets would ensure grid stability during peak demand periods. Adoption of innovative business models and multiple revenue streams, such as virtual power plant solutions, are expected to offset storage charges and will become increasingly important in decentralized energy markets.

The Role of EV Adoption and the Grid

EVs will also play an important role in the future of energy storage as the EV battery market is significantly larger than grid-scale batteries. Vehicle-to-grid charging, which allows charged power to be pushed back to the grid from car batteries to balance variations in energy production and consumption, is also gaining traction. As the number of EVs are expected to grow significantly by 2030, this will account for a large aggregated storage capacity, capable of providing grid stability at peak demand hours. The effects of innovation and reductions in the cost of mobility in the EV battery market may spill-over and boost the grid-scale industry significantly.

The Path Forward, Stay Tuned

New energy storage installation fell for the first time since nearly a decade in 2019 due to wavering policy support and uncertainties regarding battery safety in key markets such as Korea, China, US, and Germany. The COVID-19 crisis is also likely to compound these effects as battery production has a particularly complex supply chain, which will be severely impacted as production is halted. However, the medium to long term future of utility-scale and behind-the-meter storage systems look bright, and are increasingly being used across the globe to provide necessary stability to the national power grids as the influx of DERS continues to grow.

Stay tuned to CIC’s blog and newsletter as we continue to report on emerging trends and innovations on the path  towards an intelligent grid

The post Energy Storage: New Technologies and Forecasts appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

By Nishant Jain

The Intelligent grid transformation will be the backbone of our new energy infrastructure. CIC defines an Intelligent Grid as having 3Ds – Digitalized, Decarbonized and Democratized – which is actualized by some key elements of ‘smart’, ‘autonomous’ and ‘predictive’.

Smart – The key element for a system to get “smart” is its ability to exchange signals between its components. The underlying technology has evolved from the Internet of Things (IoT) toa combination of low power sensors, connected device, computing, and software to enable digital monitoring and control of systems.

For example, a smart building orchestrates various systems within its ecosystem, such as HVAC, lighting, and security, within a single platform, allowing disparate systems to communicate and enable optimum performance. A smart mobility solution rests within this system and enables our vehicles to communicate key parameters like fuel status, engine parameters, etc. along with intelligent fleet management to know when devices can be used for storage, or balancing the grid.

From the utilities’ perspective, these data-points from buildings, e-vehicles, and public lights provide real-time, accurate status visibility and enable customized solutions, which greatly enhance customer engagement. For instance, an energy supplier can offer a customized electricity rate plan to its consumers, which would encourage a consumption shift towards non-peak hours, ultimately creating a win-win scenario. Such an ecosystem brings a shift from “autocracy” of few large utilities to “democratization” in which utilities and consumers both participate to make optimum decisions.

Prosumer engagement and impact matrix 

In many developed countries that have a deregulated retail electricity market, which  allows for a choice of suppliers and price negotiation, customers can choose from a portfolio of customized rate plans that best suit their needs. In turn, suppliers provide the best customer service to retain their market share.

Beyond the utility, customers can also interact with each other in their communities, leading to opportunities for peer-to-peer trading of surplus self-generated power sources like rooftop solar PV, diesel gen-sets, fuel cells, battery storage etc.

Autonomous – As the grid becomes smarter with millions of connected devices and sensors, decision making shift towards decentralization. Grid control mechanisms also mirror this shift of decentralization and point towards a system made of scalable cellular blocks. which can independently function off the grid when isolated.

An autonomous grid with a central control hub and with autonomous parts brings immense resiliency to a system by eliminating single points of failure. Apart from an AI-based distribution grid system, real-time speed is the key in its success, and underlying technologies which enable the transition to autonomous grids are edge computing and mission-critical communications. The set-up of real-time communication and resiliency sets up the perfect stage for the integration of renewables in the form of DERs and microgrids. Thus, autonomous grids enable “decarbonization” as the intermittent nature of renewable generation requires high levels of resiliency.

Predictive – A flexible and resilient grid has a price to pay as it carries a higher “standard deviation” of control parameters. Meaning, real-time reactive response to contingencies is not sufficient to meet the required Service Level Agreement. With the availability of significant amounts of grid system data and associated environmental data like weather and traffic information, emergency situations can be predicted and pre-emptive corrections can be made. The underlying technology is the cutting-edge of self-learning algorithms at the core of today’s AI engines, which will improve over time. The systems which can predict contingencies like weather anomalies, physical attacks, and cyberattacks while providing reactive solutions lead to the complete “digitalization” of the grid.

In the coming years, it will be imperative and interesting to see the complex confluence of cutting-edge technologies, innovative devices, and new standards and protocols disrupting the power value chain. These changes to the industry will be key in mitigating the effects of climate change via decarbonization, risk reduction by decentralization, and cost optimization by digitalization. The changing climate of the power industry presents new opportunities as well as risks for the players in the ecosystem, in which CIC is well positioned as an enabler in this transformation.

The post The Intelligent Grid: Smart, Autonomous, Predictive appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.

By Keshav Ahuja

Smart embedded devices and algorithmic decision making will transform services across many domains, including a smarter and intelligent grid.

Edge computing has gained momentum since the onset of 5G technology. And while 5G deployment for telecoms has been robust, investors have been wary of capitalizing edge computing technologies in the past, awaiting a lucrative operating model to be developed by an industry very much in its nascency. However, the emerging opportunities in the digital grid offer promise for power utilities in a global electrical infrastructure transition.

It is estimated that 75% of enterprise-generated data is expected to be processed outside a traditional centralized data center or cloud from around 10% in 2018. Consequently, several renowned investors in edge computing have quickly adopted mandates to commercialize solutions. Top-tier VC funds, such as Andreessen Horowitz, Softbank, GE Ventures, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Berkshire Partners, Goldman Sachs, and Crown Castle, have invested in edge computing tech companies. The industry is also growing at a CAGR of 26.5% between 2019-2024 and is expected to reach $9 billion by 2024.

Edge computing has become an integral part to leverage data and enable IoT devices with smart sensors to become truly intelligent. For example, smart cameras fixed to assets or drones with machine learning capabilities can run remote inspections and leverage algorithms to analyze conditions. Since power utilities and energy players across the value chain require real-time decision making with assets distributed across geographical regions, edge computing can enhance production capabilities, improve processes, extend asset life and capture untapped value from ever-increasing sensor technology and machine data with the right edge computing architecture. This will accelerate the digital grid transformation.

The endless possibilities, like most IoT solutions available today, present an equal amount of challenges depending on the stakeholder. Utilities will have to consider the cost of digitization, while consumers demand equitable returns for use of their new generation and storage assets.

With data-driven technologies being adopted by most organizations, power companies that have strategic footprints in IoT verticals which can be integrated quickly with existing workflows, technologies, and processes, will stand ahead of competition. Harnessing a market leader position in the complex but converging power and IoT industries will require a long-term vision and tremendous collaboration between industry, government, and the emerging prosumer.

Most utilities are not known for their digital and service-focused solutions. Nevertheless, the race is on by OEMs and utilities to invest in edge computing to expand digital capabilities and enable a range of devices behind the meter and the grid’s edge. Thoughtful collaboration, partnerships, and leadership will be necessary to guide regulators into pragmatic policies and procedures. The US and the rest of the world have set aggressive mandates to decarbonize.

However, the grid is not intelligent yet, and utilities are at the nexus of the rapidly changing landscape of electric infrastructure and edge computing.  Climate Impact Capital is here to be a change agent in this energy transformation.

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