Smart Grid Innovation-Distributed Control Applications

Echelon transforms the electric grid with intelligent distributed control applications

September 8, 2010

Source: Echelon Corporation

Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ:ELON) unveiled the Echelon Control System (ECoS), a new open software platform for intelligent distributed control of the smart grid. The announcement was made at a special event with industry consultants, such as KEMA, and Echelon customers and partners including Duke Energy, Oracle, SEAS-NVE, and Telvent. ECoS will run throughout the edge of the grid on the new Edge Control Node (ECN) 7000 series of open and extensible hardware solutions. Echelon also announced that Duke Energy will be the first customer for the ECoS. 

"ECoS and the ECN 7000 family represent an important step forward for Echelon as a company and the smart grid as an industry," said Ron Sege, President and CEO of Echelon. "ECoS will move the grid beyond centralized reading of meters to a truly open, intelligent and distributed system that can monitor and react to an increasingly dynamic and demanding environment. Even as demand for electricity grows and its supply becomes increasingly distributed, utilities can now enhance customer experience through improved reliability, accelerated response times and increased efficiencies. We are excited by this vision and extremely pleased at the strong interest among our customers and partners." 

Built on Echelon's 20 years of proven, trusted and unmatched experience in control networking and software innovation, ECoS provides an open and secure application framework for monitoring and controlling devices at the edge of the grid – the critical point where the distribution network connects to customers. ECoS enables developers to easily build applications, or "ECoS apps," to make local, autonomous control decisions in near real-time for maximum reliability, survivability and responsiveness. 

For example, utilities have minimal warning of outages because they cannot completely monitor the conditions on the grid that can cause these service interruptions. With ECoS and the ECN, utilities have unprecedented visibility at the edge of the grid, so anomalies like voltage fluctuations, power quality and line signal strength can be quickly identified, giving utilities the potential to see where their next outage may strike and take corrective action before it occurs. 

With investment in one open platform, ECoS allows utilities to meet next generation demand response challenges, optimize local grid efficiency, predict power outages before they occur and rapidly restore service, and implement other smart grid services. In a separate news release, Echelon announced today that Duke Energy will be the first customer for the ECN 7000 series. 

"Like all utilities, we are seeing new demands placed on the grid from the increased number of intermittent generation sources, such as wind power, and the introduction of electric vehicles," said Peter Iversen, CTO at SEAS-NVE, the second largest utility in Denmark. "By distributing intelligent control into the grid, ECoS and the ECN 7000 will raise system reliability and survivability to the next level by eliminating central points of failure and vulnerability. ECoS will deliver the near real-time responses utilities need to increase efficiency, create balance and increase our control at the edge of the grid." 

"The ECoS software platform and Edge Control Node 7000 provide an applications and data sharing model that complements Oracle's smart grid solutions," said Guerry Waters, Vice President, Industry Strategy and Marketing, Oracle Utilities. "Sensing, control and intelligence distributed throughout the grid will help utilities to serve their customer's needs – with the reliability, efficiency, scalability, and security essential to the smart grid." 

Ignacio González, CEO at Telvent, remarked, "From our view, the ECoS and the ECN series of products will clearly compliment the already successful relationship we have with Echelon in providing integrated smart metering, smart network and smart operations solutions for our customers. Combined with Telvent's advanced SCADA, DMS, Meter Data Management, GIS, Outage Management solutions and substation automation products, customers can realize significant efficiency, reliability and security improvements in their operations while meeting pressing smart metering program objectives. Echelon's ECoS powered products provide a welcome open, modular framework that can be used to create an innovative and cost effective utility smart grid applications for now and the future."

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Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com
scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com

Gearless Wind Turbine Innovation

Statoil tests innovative gearless turbine at world's northernmost offshore wind farm

September 8, 2010

Source: Statoil 

In the world's northernmost wind farm at Havøygavlen, Statoil is to test next generation turbine technology. The innovation is a gearless turbine that promises to achieve significant reductions in operation and maintenance costs for offshore wind power. 

One of the biggest challenges with developing offshore wind power is the major cost involved in repairs and maintenance out at sea.

"If an offshore wind turbine breaks down, there are many factors contributing to increased downtime compared with a land-based turbine," explains operations manager for wind energy in Statoil, Sverre Trollnes.

Increased reliability

According to Trollnes, a common cause of problems with today's turbines has been lack of robust design and component selection.

Statoil's supplier Siemens has developed a gearless turbine that represents a major step forward in the simplification of the technology – and which promises to reduce maintenance by 20%.

Siemens are now manufacturing a trial series of 10 wind turbines – and one of these is earmarked for Statoil's wind farm at Havøygavlen, as part of Statoil's initiative 'Bringing cost of offshore wind down.'

Land-based trial

The goal of the programme is to qualify the technology for developing offshore projects, primarily the gigantic Dogger Bank wind farm in which Statoil is a partner, through the industry consortium Forewind.

"By taking part in Siemens' certification programme, we are learning more about this technology, and can eliminate teething troubles. It's also far easier to influence the design at an early stage," he explains.

Qualification

The trial project will have a Technology Qualification Period (TQP) of 17,000 hours, equivalent to two years' operation. The turbine is to be installed on a vacant space in the Havøygavlen wind farm and be fully integrated with the other turbines, and will therefore not require a new concession. 

"We have operated a wind farm at Havøygavlen for several years, and we know that this is a very demanding site. It will be a good benchmark for how this turbine will behave," he says.

Building know-how 

Apart from concrete initiatives of this type, the programme "Bringing cost of offshore wind down" will focus on building expertise and understanding of the wind industry in general, and the supply chain and purchasing in particular.

The turbine will be installed starting on September 15, and after testing and commissioning has been completed, the turbine will become operational in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Facts about Havøygavlen 

• 16 wind turbines at Havøygavlen i Måsøy municipality in Finnmark
• The world's northernmost wind farm
• Average annual wind speed is more than nine metres per second
• Annual production has varied between 60 – 90 gigawatthours (GWh)
• Energy equivalent to consumption of 5000-6000 Norwegian households
• Has been operational since 2002
• Statoil owns the company Arctic Wind AS which owns Havøygavlen wind farm

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Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com
scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com

Solar Energy Control- Wire Mesh Systems

Untangling Daylighting and Mesh
by J. David Carduff
May 1, 2010

Escale mesh forms the Rotunda structure on the Dayton Convention Center in Ohio. The Rotunda provides an abundance of reflective surface area and plenty of open area as well, allowing visuals to vary greatly depending on time of day. Photo Courtesy of GKD-USA

"Light every building using the sky." That's the vision of the Daylight Collaborative, a program created by the Energy Center of Wisconsin to provide information on daylighting. It sounds implausible, perhaps. But then again, many of the most successful trends and inventions sounded far-fetched at one point. Think flying. Telephones. Cars. The Internet. As with these other endeavors, those who seek to mainstream daylighting need to "find the light," so to speak. Which is exactly what some architects, designers and product manufacturers are trying to do through the use of innovative products and technologies. One such product is woven metal mesh fabric, which when used for daylighting purposes has proven to save energy by reducing the use of artificial lighting and heat gain. For this reason, woven metal mesh fabrics have been on the cutting edge of daylighting technology throughout the world. That's forward thinking.

Let's take a look at the concept of daylighting. It seems simple enough: As buildings are illuminated by the sunlight, they are less dependent on electric lighting. And because sunlight produces less heat per unit of light than electric lights, buildings lit by sunlight have smaller cooling loads and don't require as much energy from HVAC systems. 

In addition to providing Piper High School, Kansas City, Kans., with daylighting and sunshading, the stainless-steel mesh provides durability, longevity and is virtually maintenance-free. Photo © Alistair Tutton  Photography

While the concept of daylighting is straightforward, successful implementation of the practice is more challenging. Daylighting requires creativity and expertise. "Good daylighting creates beautiful, appropriately lit spaces while saving energy. A successfully daylit building is the result of a combination of art and science, of architecture and engineering. It is the result of an integrated design process," according to www.daylighting.org. Daylighting is more than simply installing windows; it involves foresight, innovation and ingenuity. Not to mention planning -- planning is key.

During the planning process, consider all of the available materials that can help in successfully daylighting a building. As daylighting becomes an increasingly significant component of a building and a successful means of energy efficiency, more architects are integrating it into their designs. In a 2009 survey performed by GKD-USA, architects throughout the United States were asked how big a role daylighting played in the design of their buildings. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they always try to incorporate daylighting into their design, while 22 percent responded that the incorporation of daylighting was dependent upon the type of building. Because of this, building product manufacturers are developing a variety of new products to help the process, including woven metal mesh fabric. 

Lamelle mesh provides classic daylighting for this University of California, San Francisco building. Photo Courtesy of GKD-USA

Aside from enhancing the aesthetics of a building, woven metal mesh offers a unique way to control solar heat gain and extreme daylight and is commonly used as a sunshade. Depending on the location of the building and type of heat and light a window is exposed to, different patterns and sizes of mesh can be utilized. When used for sunshading, mesh can help contribute to Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification points.

The first to place flexible mesh on buildings, GKD recently began to explore ways in which their products could be further utilized. Through commissioning several studies and experiments, GKD found that woven metal mesh could indeed by used for daylighting purposes. While mesh can be used to block glare, GKD has also collaborated with ag4, a mediatecture company, to create Illumesh and Mediamesh -- high-grade architectural woven stainless steel mesh fabric with interwoven LED profiles. This unique product has been used to replace solid LED boards on buildings, allowing daylight to enter a building without obstructing interior views or exterior architecture. 

216 panels of Lamelle mesh were used to cover 32,100 square feet of this University of California, San Francisco building.  Photo Courtesy of GKD-USA

Using woven metal mesh for daylighting purposes saves energy by reducing the use of artificial lighting as well as heat gain. At the request of GKD, a study of several metal mesh products from GKD was conducted by ift Rosenheim, an independent party research team. The purpose of the study was to determine the solar characteristics of metal meshes and to calculate solar heat gain of glazing in combination with solar shading devices. The materials tested were each of different thickness and design. Results showed that GKD woven metal fabric exhibits improved sun protection, which leads to reduction of required cooling loads and allows for smaller cooling generators and HVAC systems.

Daylighting is also valued for its benefits to building occupants. According towww.daylighting.org, recent studies show that daylighting creates a stimulating environment -- much better for occupants than the environment created by any type of artificial light. Natural light contributes to increased concentration among occupants and positively affects their emotional well-being and overall mood. Studies reveal that students in rooms lit by an increased amount of daylight consistently progress 20 percent faster in math and 26 percent faster in reading.

Time magazine discussed the way unlikely inventions became reality: "[Flight] did not come about by luck or accident. It was vision, quiet resolve and the application of scientific methodology that enabled Orville and Wilbur to carry the human race skyward." Likewise, a combination of vision, education and application will allow daylighting to become commonplace so that maybe one day, every building will be lit using the sky.  

J. David Carduff
J. David Carduff is the product manager for GKD-USA. Having spent the past 28 years in the technical metal weaving and forming business, Carduff is an expert in the benefits of woven metal mesh. 


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Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com
scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com

350.org- I'm going to the White House.

Build Green Scotty, Scotts Contracting www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com --- On Wed, 9/8/10, Bill McKibben - 350.org <organizers@350.org> wrote: From: Bill McKibben - 350.org <organizers@350.org> 350.org is taking solar back to the White House. Literally. We're hauling solar panels to Washington DC and inviting President Obama to join the world on 10/10/10. But President Obama needs to know that he won't be alone on 10/10/10, so start or join an event: www.350.org/start www.350.org/join Dear Friends-   Well, I'm getting to work a few weeks ahead of 10-10-10, and wanted to send along the story to get you fired up for the big day.   I'm trying to type this as the biodiesel van I'm sitting in bumps down the highway in rural Maine. We left tiny Unity College yesterday morning, bound for the White House with stops in Boston and New York -- and we're carrying a piece of history with us.   It's one of the solar panels that President Jimmy Carter installed on the roof of the White House in 1979, 31 long years ago. Here's what Carter said that day: "A generation from now this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people."   Sadly, the panels were taken down a few years later in the Reagan administration. Not because they stopped working -- but because we stopped thinking carefully about the future. The folks at Unity College salvaged them from a government warehouse and put them on the roof of the cafeteria, where they still work fine.   But now they've agreed to donate one back to the White House, in the hope that it will spur Obama to pick up where Carter left off.   Our great hope, of course, is that on 10-10-10 President Obama will be up there on the roof, helping to put the panels in place. Our friends at the solar company Sungevity have even offered to donate a massive, brand new solar array for free. (Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives, has already taken them up on the offer -- he'll be up on his roof on 10-10-10 hammering in a new set of panels).   But so far, there's no definitive answer from the White House. They say they're "interested," but that it's "complicated."   Here's how you can tip the balance: in the next 24 hours, we're going to get back on the phone with the White House and work to convince them to commit to taking action on 10-10-10. It would greatly strengthen our hand to say that hundreds of people have registered new work parties since we last called. Can you help by registering an event in your community or forwarding this email to friends encouraging them to Get to Work on 10/10/10? We'll keep you updated on our Solar Road Trip blog on how negotiations with the White House go and how many actions get signed up over the next 24 hours. Together, we can send President Obama and all politicians a clear message: we're getting to work, now it's time for you to do your part.   In the end, we can't completely control what the White House, or any other political leader does. We can control what happens in our communities, and we can use our own efforts to put more political pressure on our leaders.   With events already scheduled in over 140 countries, 10/10/10 is shaping up to be huge -- but it needs to be massive to create enough pressure to really count. Please help lead this movement, and get involved in 10/10/10 today. Onwards, Bill McKibben for The 350.org Team P.S. As you know, we're focused on 10/10/10 for the moment, but we're also thinking long-term about how to change the dynamics in the USA. We're thinking about lots of strategies, including direct action -- but we need your help and ideas. Please take a moment to read this piece I just co-wrote at Grist.org: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-05-call-for-direct-action-in-climate-movement-we-need-your-ideas P.P.S Can you take a moment to inspire your friends to join you on 10/10/10, with a few clicks on Twitter & Facebook? You should join 350.org on Facebook by becoming a fan of our page at facebook.com/350org and follow us on twitter by visiting twitter.com/350 To join our list (maybe a friend forwarded you this e-mail) visit www.350.org/signup 350.org needs your help! To support our work, donate securely online at 350.org/donate 350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project. What is 350? 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Scientists measure carbon dioxide in "parts per million" (ppm), so 350ppm is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. To get there, we need a different kind of PPM-a "people powered movement" that is made of people like you in every corner of the planet.