Advanced Energy Perspectives

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends shaping advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world, drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2015 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research. 

Monsanto's "Home of the Future," circa 1958. Not exactly a zero net energy building. Source. 

Globally, building energy has moved into the spotlight due to the associated greenhouse gas impacts and rising energy costs. Until recently, zero net energy buildings (ZNEBs) have existed mostly on a conceptual level, with a small number of highly innovative pilots exploring the process of planning and execution of this technology. However, ZNEBs made significant headway in late 2014 after the federal General Services Administration (GSA) approved a recommendation from an internal task force to upgrade at least 50% of the federal government’s building area to ZNEB — not a small number, considering that the GSA is the owner of more than 2% of all commercial buildings within the United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) plan to regulate carbon emissions is just the latest challenge facing the U.S. electric power system. Technological innovation is disrupting old ways of doing business and accelerating grid modernization. Last year, AEE released Advanced Energy Technologies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, a report detailing the use, application, and benefits of 40 specific advanced energy technologies and services. This post is one in a series drawn from the technology profiles within that report.

VVO controls the flow of power in the distribution system to increase efficiency and reliability, reduce distribution losses, and accommodate new power flows, such as those originating from distributed generation. VVO provides more precise voltage control, reducing the amount of power required. Historically, utilities have had to use estimates to ensure that end-use customers would have the proper level of voltage after distribution losses. Such an approach requires higher than optimal voltage levels to keep voltage from dropping below minimum thresholds by the time it reaches customers. By using dynamic control, VVO allows distribution lines to have lower overall voltage without impacting service quality.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends shaping advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world, drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2015 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research. 

The low cost of natural gas is boosting market acceptance of natural gas vehicles, trucks, and buses, which in turn is increasing demand for the fueling infrastructure to support the growing fleets that use cleaner burning — and increasingly cheaper – natural gas as a transportation fuel.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) plan to regulate carbon emissions is just the latest challenge facing the U.S. electric power system. Technological innovation is disrupting old ways of doing business and accelerating grid modernization. Last year, AEE released Advanced Energy Technologies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, a report detailing the use, application, and benefits of 40 specific advanced energy technologies and services. This post is one in a series drawn from the technology profiles within that report.

Smart grid communications networks include software and hardware that enable the collection of data from and communication between smart grid technologies, including advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Smart grid software and hardware technologies allow utilities to collect vast amounts of real-time data. Smart grid data management and analytics solutions help them organize, analyze, and act on that data. These solutions are complex software platforms that use algorithms to scan all of the incoming data and point toward actionable conclusions for utilities, energy service companies, and energy consumers. These programs also help to forecast demand and better identify and monitor outages.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends shaping advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world, drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2015 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research. 

Today’s consumers have more tools at their disposal than ever before – for reducing consumption, managing energy use, and generating power for their homes. New residential-focused technologies, cost reductions, and business models are creating opportunities for advanced energy companies while saving money for homeowners.