Hot New Business Opportunities in DER Management?

Hot New Business Opportunities in DER Management?

At our MeetUp on January 28, three speakers talked about their experiences in installing and integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) in the grid and offered some fresh insights.  We heard from Lowell Watros and John Franzino of GridSME (“Grid Subject Matter Experts”) and Tim McDuffie of Smarter Grid Solutions.  Here are some of the highlights of that very interesting discussion:

  • The need for much faster-response assets on the grid has been growing enormously and it has been hard for DERs to keep up.
  • By the nature of the DERs and the number of entities involved in managing them, the DERs need to be connected to the internet.  Connections over dedicated communication lines is just not practical.
  • As a result, there is a critical need for excellent cybersecurity.
  • For DER assets deep in the distribution system and often in rural areas, communication may be dependent on RF systems, which are slow and noisy.  This limits what those resources can do and be compensated for. 
  • DERs are not being fully compensated for all the value they bring to a system such as capacity value in addition to energy value, and the value of avoiding distribution system upgrades.  However, there is still concern over the reliability of DERs providing those values and with a quick enough response. 
  • There is a big gap in the systems and protocols for effective DER management that is holding back the next wave of DER investment and installations.  Europe is probably ahead of the US in creating such systems.
  • The US systems are a hodge-podge of rules for DERs and there is not enough motivation to create consistent rules and procedures with full compensation for the values provided
  • There may be an emerging role for more flywheel systems as very fast-response assets within DER systems.  This is different than using flywheels for energy storage in competition with batteries.  Flywheels can inject of absorb power very quickly, smoothing-out fluctuations from DERs in very short intervals.
  • There is a new horizon in integrating more behind-the-meter DER assets into the distribution grid, but it will require excellent communication systems and fast response equipment. Tim McDuffie specifically talked about a project to enhance the reliability of service to the Hoopa Valley Tribe east of Eureka which sits at the end of a long, single distribution feeder.

We could go on and on with all of the insights packed into this 90-minute discussion, but you can learn all about it by checking out the video.  One participant who had been with a number of utilities and dealing with DERs said he found the panelists much more knowledgeable and thought-provoking than he had seen with other online discussions.  That’s high praise and a good indication of why you should play the recording.  This is such a hot topic, we have had three prior sessions on it and likely will have many more.

Many thanks to our panelists and to all those who joined in. 

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStarts Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | TobinBlueTech Valley, Revrnt, 

Moss AdamsPowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig, Momentum,

College of Engineering & Computer Science at Sacramento State

Global Entrepreneurship Week Excites Students

Global Entrepreneurship Week Excites Students

Do you think you could start to build a clean tech business in 60 minutes?  We challenged students to do just that at an event we had this week kicking off Global Entrepreneurship Week at CSU Sacramento with the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Dozens of campus-wide GEW events were led by the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.  In collaboration with Dean Lorenzo Smith, CleanStart created a “learning journey” through an entrepreneurship introduction and training exercise.   We titled the event “So you want to be an Entrepreneur?” We challenged students to turn their ideas into a business, coaching them on the elements of the Business Model Canvas.

Luring students with free food, we asked them to share what ideas they had to promote sustainability and the product solutions they thought customers would like.  Students placed their ideas on an Idea Wall, then with a coach followed went from station to station to flesh out their ideas and to build a startup. The coaches introduced them to actual entrepreneurs in the energy field, such as Al Rich of ACR Solar (link to blog). Then students got to talk with some actual investors to find out what they needed to be interested in putting money into a venture.  Next Dan Casas-Murray introduced them to the Business Model Canvas and how to use it to develop a complete startup plan. At the last stop, we invited them to pitch their ideas in front of a camera. We shared those real-time and will have them loaded up soon.  

Cameron Law, Executive Director of the Carlsen Center, showed up with Dale Carlsen himself and they both shared resources available to students on campus. Mr. Carlsen generously gave his time to act as one of the potential investors students could quiz.  CleanStart also made sure students left with a packet of information in had so they could follow up on their ideas.

Consistent with the theme of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the “learning journey” was intended to stimulate student curiosity about a career as an entrepreneur or as a part of a startup team.  We tried to make it fun and engaging. If all we did was make students understand what creating a business was like and want to know more, then we accomplished our mission. Overall, GEW was a huge success for CleanStart and Sac State, especially since the Carlsen Center received a donation of $1,000,000 from Western Health Advantage to continue to build its programs.

Look for updates with more student videos soon!

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas is the Executive Director of CleanStart. Thomas has a strong background in supporting small businesses, leadership, financial management and is proficient in working with nonprofits. He has a BS in Finance and a BA in Economics from California State University, Chico. Thomas has a passion for sustainability and a commitment to supporting non-profits in the region.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, Moss Adams, River City Bank, GreenbergTraurig

BlueTech Valley, PowerSoft.biz, Revrnt, Synbyo, Califronia Mobility Center