Advanced Energy Perspectives

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are small-footprint nuclear power plants that can be sized between 10 MW and 300 MW. There are numerous SMR plant designs, although SMRs all rely on the same nuclear fission technology used by larger plants. Nuclear fission releases heat in the reactor core that is used to produce steam, which spins a steam turbine attached to an electric generator. Unlike utility-scale plants, which are difficult to site and can take years to construct, SMRs are designed to have many components fabricated and assembled offsite, thus reducing the time and complexity of plant construction and increasing potential plant locations. SMR designs generally have their reactors buried in the ground away from weather hazards, and are often designed to use passive cooling systems that are not vulnerable to power outages, further increasing the safety of the plant.

This post is one in a series featuring the complete slate of advanced energy technologies outlined in the report This Is Advanced Energy. 

Image courtesy of SolarCity.

Distributed solar power uses the same photovoltaic (PV) technology as large-scale plants, but specifically refers to distributed generation (DG), i.e., electricity produced at or near the point where it is used, such as at residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal buildings or facilities. Most distributed systems are roof-mounted, but some are ground-mounted, either in open fields, atop closed landfills, or on canopies at parking facilities. There are several types of solar panels distinguished by the semiconductor material used to convert sunlight into electricity, with crystalline silicon as the preferred choice for space-limited distributed applications due to its high efficiency.

This post is one in a series featuring the complete slate of advanced energy technologies outlined in the report This Is Advanced Energy. 

Photo courtesy of WaterSmart Software.  

Building on new technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and building energy management systems (BEMs), private companies have begun to harness newly available energy data to deliver software solutions that drive greater energy savings than are possible through hardware solutions alone. These data analytics applications include automated monitoring and valuation (M&V) of ef ciency savings, remote energy audits, automated and/or storage-enabled demand response (DR), energy intelligence software (EIS) that interfaces with BEMS solutions, and intelligent vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging capabilities.

Flexible Alternating Current Transmissions Systems (FACTS) include technologies that increase transmission system efficiency, maintain power quality, and respond quickly to disruptions to maintain reliability of the bulk power system. FACTS can be used to manipulate the conditions on transmission lines to keep AC power in balance by maintaining voltage stability, keeping current and voltage “in sync,” and dampening distortions. Transmission operators have always had to perform these functions, but in the past they used devices that relied on mechanical switches that performed more slowly, less efficiently, and less reliably.