Posts

Microgrid Innovations in Large Scale Implementation of EV Charging

February 18, 2020 – Atlanta, GA – Accommodating the coming expansion of EV charging and ensuring the evolving electric grid delivers benefits to all stakeholders is a growing concern for utilities in the U.S.

To help energy providers understand this challenge, a special panel session led by Skipping Stone at the Microgrid Global Innovation Forum – North America next month will focus on innovations in EV charging infrastructure which are bringing about market transformation.  Drivers behind the dramatic growth of the industry will be discussed, as well as integration of EV charging infrastructure into microgrids and the new industry being created around the reuse of EV batteries into grid-scale energy storage systems.

Speakers on the panel are:

  • Ross Malme, Partner, Skipping Stone
  • Desmond Wheatley, CEO and Chairman, Envision Solar
  • Lee Krevat, CEO, Krevat Energy Innovations
  • Alden Hathaway, Senior Vice President, Sterling Energy Assets
  • Mark Bailey, Chief Commercial Officer, Connected Energy

“Large-scale implementation of EV charging is coming, and utilities need to understand their options,” says Daniel Coran, Editor of Smart Grid Observer and program manager for the Forum. “Hybrid renewable energy microgrids will be an increasingly important tool in the utility toolbox as we move to further decarbonize the network.”

The panel session just is one of several at this year’s MGIF – North America, March 10-11 in Chicago.  The annual conference brings together key thought leaders, utilities, energy providers, and other stakeholders to examine the latest developments and lessons learned in the North America microgrid sector.

“As in previous years, this is a tremendous opportunity to interact directly with companies at the cutting-edge of microgrid deployment,” says Coran, “Top industry experts will be speaking who are pushing the envelope in terms of leveraging microgrids for grid resiliency, service flexibility, and DER integration.”

Panelist Ross Malme goes on to add, “This conference is packed with thought leaders on both the eV charging and microgrid technology fronts. For electrification of transportation to happen at scale, integration with microgrids and storage are an absolute necessity.”

The conference zeros in on refining the value proposition and business case for microgrids in North America, integration with the larger grid, and case studies of grid-tied and off-grid projects and pilots to date. Special sessions on Day 2 will focus on the closely related topic of next-gen Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and their emerging role in orchestrating and integrating distributed renewable energy resources into the energy mix.

“North America is a key market for microgrid growth,” Coran notes. “Attendees will hear directly from industry practitioners who have real world lessons to share and who will be discussing success strategies in this market going forward.”

The Forum will be held at the Chicago Conference Center, 205 W. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. A Southeast Asia edition will be held next month, on April 22-23 in Bangkok.

For full information and to register for the conference, visit www.microgridinnovation.com.  Attendees who enter the special discount code SGO20 when registering will receive 20% off the standard rates.

For further information, contact Daniel R. Coran, Editor, Smart Grid Observer at
+1-815-310-3343 or dcoran@smartgridobserver.com

About SGO
SGO is an online information resource and weekly e-newsletter serving the global smart energy and green-tech sectors. SGO delivers the latest industry news on a daily basis concerning key technology developments, deployment updates, standards work, business issues, and market trends. SGO organizes several conferences each year on topics such as microgrids, grid modernization, smart cities, demand response, IoT, distributed energy resources, and more.​ For a free subscription, visit www.smartgridobserver.com

About Skipping Stone
Skipping Stone is a consulting and technology services firm that helps natural gas and electricity utilities, market participants and solution providing clients globally to navigate market changes, capitalize on opportunities and manage business risks. From innovation through strategy development, market research and assessment to implementation of business plans and technologies, the firm provides a wide array of services. Skipping Stone’s model of deploying energy industry veterans has delivered measurable bottom-line results for over 270 clients globally. Headquartered in Boston, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and London. For more information, visit www.SkippingStone.com or www.SkippingStone.co.jp.

Media Contact:
Nancy Young
nyoung@skippingstone.com

/by

PLMA Global Load Management Group Meets in St. Petersburg

International Distributed Energy Resource Projects to be Explored

During Interactive Session of Energy Industry Practitioners

 

St. Petersburg, Florida – September 17, 2019 – PLMA, the voice of load management practitioners in the energy utility industry, announces its Global Load Management Interest Group will gain insights from three international distributed energy resource (DER) projects during the first day of the 40th PLMA Conference, Monday, November 4, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The group session will include presentations on “The Reuse of Electric Vehicle Batteries for Grid Scale Energy Storage by Utilities in Europe” by Mark Bailey of Connected Energy, “The Aggregation of Wind Farms and Other Renewables in Europe” by Tobias Weghorn of Next Kraftewerke, and “Establishing DER Flexibility via a Decentralized Energy Exchange Platform in both Australia and the UK” by Andrew Tanner of GreenSync.

The PLMA Global Load Management Interest Group brings together energy industry professionals interested in developing new activities for PLMA members from outside of North America and offers a chance to connect with international energy companies and technology providers interested in the work of PLMA. The group is co-chaired by Jon Hilowitz, Orange and Rockland Utilities; Scott Coe, GridOptimize, and Ross Malme, Skipping Stone.

PLMA’s national conferences, presented in spring and fall, provide a forum for practitioners from energy utilities, solution providers, and trade allies to share dynamic load management expertise, including demand response (DR) and distributed energy resources (DER). For two decades, PLMA conferences, educational programs, and networking opportunities have brought member organizations together to develop, implement, and share proven practices in a peer-to-peer network – offering load management leadership for the energy industry.

“PLMA has been the global thought leader in the demand response space for two decades, and we are now expanding our focus to the flexible load management space, particularly with innovation within the international energy community,” said Jon Hilowitz of Orange and Rockland Utilities and PLMA Global Interest Group Co-Chair.

Tobias Weghorn of Next Kraftwerke added, “The energy transition to renewable energy production is posing a challenge to system operation worldwide. One approach to effective renewables integration which has proven itself in various European markets is the Virtual Power Plant. We look forward to the exchange of perspectives and best practices from two quite different energy markets.”

“The support that has been shown for the Global Load Management Interest Group from the international community and our US DR technology providers is gratifying and continues to guide the direction that our program agenda takes,” commented Ross Malme, a Group co-chair and Skipping Stone Partner. “We are pleased to continue to bring timely, informative discussions to the PLMA membership.”

To learn more and register for the Global Load Management Interest Group activity and the 40th PLMA Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, visit www.peakload.org.

-end-

About PLMA. PLMA (Peak Load Management Alliance) is a non-profit association founded in 1999 that serves over 160 member organizations as the Voice of Load Management Practitioners.  PLMA seeks to advance practical applications of dynamic load management and distributed energy resources by providing a forum where members educate each other and explore innovative approaches to program delivery, pricing constructs, and technology adoption.  Learn more at www.peakload.org.

About Connected Energy. Connected Energy is an engineering led innovator in energy storage. Its technologies that utilise second life electric vehicle batteries are rapidly changing the way intensive energy users can access the benefits of low-cost, on-site solutions.  The company provides a range of solutions from system feasibility assessments and system design, through to standard and bespoke system supply, equipment installation, maintenance and operation.

About GreenSync. Founded in 2010, GreenSync is a global energy technology company that develops software for the electricity industry, providing market-enabling solutions that can connect, coordinate and control millions of distributed energy resources to create more flexible, transactive grids.

About Next Krafterwerke. Next Kraftwerke operates one of the largest Virtual Power Plants worldwide and develops solutions for the electricity market of the future. The Germany based company aggregates 8,000 renewable distributed assets, as well as commercial and industrial electricity consumers and storage units, with an overall capacity of 7 GW. By providing ancillary services to system operators, the VPP helps to keep the grid in balance. Based on its experience in VPP operation and power trading, Next Kraftwerke developed a set of VPP-as-a-service products to empower energy companies worldwide to build a VPP of their own.

About Skipping Stone. Skipping Stone is an energy markets consulting firm that helps clients navigate market changes, capitalize on opportunities and manage business risks. Our services include market assessment, strategy development, strategy implementation, managed services, technology selection, technology implementation, project management, and talent management. Our sector focus areas are natural gas and power markets, demand response, technology services, renewable energy, and distributed energy resources. Skipping Stone’s model of deploying energy industry veterans has delivered measurable bottom-line results for over 270 clients globally. Headquartered in Boston, the firm has regional offices in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. For more information, visit SkippingStone.com or www.skippingstone.co.jp.

Media Contacts:

Nancy Young, Marketing Director, Skipping Stone – 832-279-3029; nyoung@skippingstone.com

Ed Thomas; Executive Director, PLMA; (707) 652-5333;  ethomas@peakload.org

/by

Skipping Stone assists in implementation of Initiate at DistribuTECH

Atlanta, GA – February 15, 2019 – Skipping Stone, a global energy markets consulting and technology services firm, participated in DistribuTECH’s inaugural Initiate program. DistribuTECH – the largest annual event for the transmission and distribution industry – hosted 12 start-ups in New Orleans and gave them each a chance to pitch their companies to a panel of judges.

Serving on the judging panel was Skipping Stone Partner, Ross Malme. Ross, a DistribuTECH Advisory Committee member, was excited to offer this unique opportunity to be heard to the young companies which represent the future of the grid, showcasing technology that utilities can use today to better manage their grids and customers.

“Attendee feedback was extremely positive for Initiate, which gives early stage energy technology entrepreneurs a platform to present their solutions to potential customers, utilities, and investors,” commented Malme. “Skipping Stone congratulates this year’s winners, GridX, Extensible Energy, and Gridmates.”

Other Initiate participants included Anax Power, Brenmiller Energy, Delta Thermal, Go Electric, Logical Buildings, Omega Grid, OnNow Digital, Pathion, and Sabreez.

Andrew Griffis, CEO of Delta Thermal, said that it’s difficult for new companies to get exposure to the right audience and that “we found the Initiate venue at DistribuTECH to be very effective to align our offer with the conversations of the T&D marketplace.”

He added: “The unspoken yet communicated narrative of ‘come see what’s new and helpful in technology’ by virtue of the platform at the conference proved to be quite effective.”

Griffis expressed his appreciation for Initiate judge Ross Malme, who connected him with several strategic companies.

Skipping Stone has been opening the doors of opportunity to companies in the energy industry since 1996. In addition to encouraging entrepreneurship by participating in Initiate, Ross leads Skipping Stone’s engagement as Technical Advisor to the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) which is focused on export of US Smart Grid Technologies to the developing world.

/by

Skipping Stone Partner in Demand for Smart Grid Expertise

Atlanta – October 10, 2018 – Skipping Stone Partner, Ross Malme will be involved in several major sustainability/grid optimization conferences across the country during October. Ross is recognized as an international smart grid expert.

He will chair a session Horizon 18 Boston on Integrated Clean Economy Infrastructure: Next Generation Smart Cities at 3 PM on Thursday, October 11th at the Hyne Convention Center in Boston. He will also give a presentation on IoT and the Evolution of DER at 12:00 PM in the Pitch Arena at the conference.

In addition, Mr. Malme will be presenting results from a recent utility survey conducted by Skipping Stone entitled Reinventing the Electric Utility at the 5th annual Demand Response and Distributed Energy Resources World Forum in Costa Mesa, California at 1:30 on Tuesday, October 16th. At 9:00 AM on October 17th Ross will chair a panel on International DR and DER Opportunities.

October 18-19 will find him in Charlotte, North Carolina, attending the World Energy Engineering Conference at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Ross is Co-Chair of PLMA’s International Interest Group, which ill meet during the 38th PLMA Conference in Austin, Texas, November 12-14. The interest group will meet at noon on Monday, the 12th as Ross discusses the most recent US Department of Commerce Smart Grid Top Markets report which ranks the top 10 international markets for T&D, ICT and Energy Storage. Co-Chair Scott Coe will give an update on DER standards being developed by the IEC.

For more information on any of these presentations and opportunities, or to get a meeting with Ross, contact Nancy Young at nyoung@skippingstone.com or 832-279-3029.

———————————————————————————————————-

About Horizon 18
Horizon 18 is the global solutions platform for the clean economy. Horizon 18 is where climate goals translate into solutions, innovations, investments, and partnerships. Horizon 18was established by NECEC, MassCEC, and World Climate Ltd to create a platform that brings together leaders in Boston and around the world for clean economy solutions. horizon.org

About Demand Response & Distributed Energy Resources World Forum
The DRWF brings together stakeholders from across the DR / DER industry and internationally to examine the latest technology advances, case studies, and business strategies for optimizing demand response, energy efficiency, DER integration and control, and demand side management programs. The event will help utilities and C&I end users realize the full economic benefits of incorporating these capabilities into their operations and leveraging the next-generation smart grid to optimize performance. www.drworldforum.com
About World Energy Engineering Congress
The World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) is the largest energy conference and technology expo held in the U.S. specifically for business, industrial and institutional energy users. It brings together the top experts in all areas of the field to help you set a clear, optimum path to energy efficiency, facility optimization and sustainability. www.energycongress.com

About PLMA
PLMA was founded in 1999 as the Peak Load Management Alliance to be the voice of demand response practitioners. PLMA brings together a community of experts dedicated to sharing knowledge and providing resources to promote inclusiveness in the design, delivery, technology, and management of solutions addressing energy and natural resource integration. PLMA members share expertise to educate each other and explore innovative approaches to demand response programs, price and rate response, regional regulatory issues, and technologies, as energy markets evolve. Learn more at www.peakload.org.

About Skipping Stone
Skipping Stone is a consulting and technology services firm that helps natural gas and electricity utilities, market participants and solution providing clients globally to navigate market changes, capitalize on opportunities and manage business risks. The firm provides a wide array of services from innovation through strategy development, market research and assessment to implementation of business plans and technologies. Skipping Stone’s model of deploying energy industry executives has delivered measurable bottom-line results for over 270 clients globally. Headquartered in Boston, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. For more information, visit SkippingStone.com or www.SkippingStone.co.jp.

Press Contact: Nancy Young +1 (832) 279-3029 nyoung@skippingstone.com

/by