How Edison’s protege made the power industry into a regulated monopoly (Part 3 of 3)
This is the third and final part in my series exploring the events that shaped the electric industry as we know it. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend reading part one and part two first. As I mentioned in part one, the power industry was born from the inventions and investments of Thomas […]
1,000 solar scientists got together this week – here’s what they’re talking about
Every four years, one thousand solar scientists from across the world gather to peer into the future of the solar industry. The event is called the World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC). The seventh such event is taking place this week on the big island of Hawaii. I decided to attend the conference to learn […]
Islands: fruity drinks, sandy beaches, and the future of the electric grid (Part 1)
The shift to clean, local energy is a real challenge for many utilities. Their traditional planning models choke on the variability of solar and wind power. Self-generation from rooftop solar and improvements in energy efficiency threaten to end a century of revenue growth. Increases in extreme weather events are making blackouts more common. To get away from all these […]
Clean energy headlines for May 2018
May was a great month for clean energy….
* A recent California mandate requires all new homes to have solar panels
* A study shows clean energy is actually more economic than natural gas
* Saudia Arabia announces the biggest solar project in history
* The U.S. House and Senate push back on Trump’s plans to wind down clean energy programs.
Follow the money to understand the century-old business model of electricity
Most Americans give little thought to their electricity. Even though we spend between 3% and 7% of our income on power bills, we only engage with our power companies 10 minutes a year. Would it surprise you to learn that electricity is one of the largest and most profitable industries in the U.S? If we want […]
How do you know if a microgrid makes sense for you?
Microgrids are the epitome of Local Energy. As the name suggests, microgrids are miniature versions of the big grid. They generate their own power and they have their own loads. And, if the grid goes down, microgrids continue to operate in what the industry calls “island mode”. Even though there are only a few thousand built so […]
AC vs DC: How better economics ultimately beat out a bizarre publicity campaign (Part 2 of 3)
This is the second in a three-part series on the origins of the modern power industry. Part 1 can be found at How Edison, Tesla, and other visionaries invented the modern grid. The sparks that started the AC/DC current wars By the late 1880s, Edison was on his way to dominating the rapidly growing power […]
California just required solar on all new houses – will the world follow?
California just made a huge commitment to Local Energy. On May 9, California’s Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously passed a groundbreaking new building standard. Starting in 2020, all new homes in the state must be built with solar panels. Yes, that’s right. In California, residential solar is now required by law. How does the new building standard work? […]
Choreographing electrons and the hidden sophistication of the US electric grid
Flip the switch. Your light turns on. Simple, right? Actually, the light switch is straightforward but the system behind it is anything but simple. When you flip that switch, you are instantaneously connecting your bulb to the most sophisticated machine ever built. Carl Sagan once said, “We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science […]
Three months into Trump’s solar tariffs – are the promised new jobs in sight?
On February 7, 2018, the U.S. tariffs on imported silicon solar technology went into effect. As we approach the three month anniversary, what, if anything, has happened as a result? A quick history lesson on the US solar tariffs Let’s step back for a brief history lesson. In the spring of 2017, the two largest […]
How Edison, Tesla, and other visionaries invented the modern grid (Part 1 of 3)
Take a moment to imagine a world without electricity. You will quickly realize how dependent our 21st-century lives are on this invisible and silent form of energy. The modern electric grid was built from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s during one of greatest waves of invention in human history. The century-old power industry is […]
Using new business models to unleash competition and innovation in the power industry
Competition is all about price, features, and customer experience. Right? That’s what business schools have been teaching for decades and it’s largely true. But, if you really want to change an industry, you need to change the rules. You need to create new business models. The untold story behind some of the most disruptive companies […]
Three ways to reduce the risks of cyberattacks on the electric grid
As the cyberattack on the Ukraine grid showed the world, electric utilities are the new target for cyber terrorism. A survey conducted by the website Utility Drive reflects the industry’s rapidly growing concern. In 2015 and 2016, utilities ranked threats from physical and cyberattacks as their sixth largest challenge. In 2017, these threats jumped to number one. […]
Russia has infiltrated the US electric grid – is this our doomsday nightmare?
“There is no backup system to the grid.” – Gretchen Bakke from her book, The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future On March 15, 2018, the US government made a chilling announcement. Russian hackers have been successfully infiltrating the US electric grid over the last year, maybe longer. While rumors have been […]
Montgomery County Maryland didn’t have the budget for their microgrid so they invented a new business model
It was the summer of 2012 and the Mid-Atlantic was being pummeled by one of the worst storms in years. This was the second summer of heavy thunderstorms and squalls to come through Montgomery County, Maryland, in as many years. The county leaders were scrambling to dispatch police and emergency workers. But with so many […]
The most important question each of us needs to ask about energy
The dirty secret of power plants Every time we turn on a light, crank up the air conditioning or wash our clothes, we are using electricity from the grid. But few of us ever stop and ponder the origins of our electricity. Do you know anyone that has actually been to a coal, natural gas, […]
Myth busting the crazy politics of clean energy – Is Solyndra proof that the US shouldn’t fund clean energy?
OK, so you’re at a party and looking for something to talk about. Nothing is more entertaining than wading neck deep into politics. And few topics are more politically exciting than energy and climate change. So here are some talking points to really spice up those cocktail conversations (and maybe get you kicked out of […]
Africa is democratizing energy – a TED talk by Amar Inamdar shares lessons that can impact energy everywhere
Local energy is the fastest path to cleaner, cheaper, more reliable power. Nowhere is this truer than Africa. And, few people express the amazing future of local energy in Africa better than Amar Inamdar. His recent talk from TEDGlobal 2017 was featured on the home page of TED.com and has been spectacularly well received. If […]
How did CEO Chandu Visweswariah take Utopus Insights from clean energy startup to $100M acquisition in 12 months?
On February 2, 2018, US$12 billion wind turbine giant, Vestas, acquired New York startup, Utopus Insights, for $100M in cash. Utopus provides several products including predictive analytic software tools that help utilities manage intermittent energy sources like wind. This is a behind the scenes story of the Utopus CEO… Chandu Visweswariah is one of the […]
If we used this much fossil fuel in Edison’s time, we’d have already run out
We WILL run out of fossil fuels. In fact, we will run out of natural gas, coal, and even uranium much sooner than most people realize. It may not be during many of our lifetimes, but it will most certainly be during our children’s.