Evelyne Mayritsch McCleland

🌞⚡ Powering Through: California Leverages Battery Technology to Prevent Blackouts ⚡🌞 As reported on Bloomberg, California Energy Commission is taking bold steps to avoid rolling blackouts this summer by integrating new #solar plants and large #BatterySystems into the state's grid at an impressive pace. After years of drought, wildfires disrupting transmission lines, and record-setting heat waves, the state's electricity system has been under immense strain. But there's hope on the horizon: since 2020, California has added 18.5 gigawatts of new #energy resources, including 6.6 gigawatts of #batteries, 6.3 gigawatts of solar, and 1.4 gigawatts of combined solar and #EnergyStorage¹. To put it into perspective, one gigawatt can power about 750,000 homes. This incredible progress underscores the vital role that #BatteryTechnology plays in ensuring a reliable and resilient energy supply. What is even more impressive, as reported in Reuters², a large number of the battery storage has been manufactured using second life battery cells taken from end-of-life electric vehicle batteries, just like the ones being manufactured in modual AG! - Jesse Morris 🔔 Follow Jesse Morris and modual AG to stay informed of exciting developments in: #Technology, #Sustainability and #BatteryTech Source 1: https://lnkd.in/eCKsJtBg Source 2: https://lnkd.in/eewgjU3f

12

☑️ California's Community Renewable Energy Act (AB 2316) aims to promote the use of solar energy through community projects, yet recent proposals by the CPUC have created uncertainty. ☑️ The US community solar market is predicted to grow by 118% over the next five years, showcasing the massive potential if the guidelines are clear. ☑️ The takeaway for property owners is that solar power is not just for individual residences and can help to create a more resilient energy grid. People, let's dive into the exciting yet complex terrain of California's community solar project regulations! With the surge in popularity solar energy has seen recently, coupled with the introduction of innovative solutions for capturing the sun's bounty, the solar industry is thriving more than ever. But, a recent revised proposition by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding AB 2316 has whipped up a sector-wide uproar. The issue lies in the alleged conflict between Net Value Billing Tariff (NVBT) and federal laws, making the future of community solar program vague. Despite such a setback, the immense potential of community solar projects is undeniable, with predictions indicating a whopping 118% growth in the US community solar market over the next few years. If regulated properly, California could spearhead a thriving solar market in the US, encouraging homeowners to invest in solar arrays and decentralized energy production. Let's keep an eye on community solar programs, making every home and business an ally towards achieving energy independence. For more information on selling solar virtually across the USA visit www.tstpros.com.

1

The move toward electrifying everything from cars to heating to stovetops is expected to add further demand to an already stressed electrical grid. The founders of a collection of San Francisco startups think they can help. Voltus, WeaveGrid, SPAN and Bidirectional Energy are working on ways to provide supplemental power when and as needed or to moderate or shift power demand to later times. I spoke with each of their CEOs — Dana Guernsey, Apoorv Bhargava, Arch Rao and Angela Zhang — as well as industry experts Christopher Knittel and Nicole Staple about what the companies are working on and how their services could help the electrification push. It's no surprise the companies are based in The City. As I wrote about recently, San Francisco has become a major hub in green-tech development.

28

1 Comment

The Climate Bond would expedite EV Charging infrastructure to improve air quality Rapid electric vehicle (EV) adoption is a crucial component of improving the air we breathe, because pollution from transportation accounts for 40% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why building convenient, reliable, and affordable charging stations where Californians need them is an important complement to EVs themselves. There are 105,000 public chargers in California today,but we need 2.1 million by 2035 to meet the anticipated demand for EVs. A climate bond would help expedite the installation of chargers, leading to faster EV adoption and an improvement to public health by ensuring cleaner air for us all to breathe. We urge Governor Newsom and leadership to put a climate bond on the 2024 ballot. @cagovernor #Climatebond2024 #airquality #airpollution #electricvehicle #gogreen 

5

"Small amounts of clean-burning hydrogen are flowing on the NW Natural grid," announced Portland Business Journal! Read excerpts from the report about Modern's onsite hydrogen production technology here 👇 "It's early-stage technology — the pilot project is a first for a U.S. natural gas distribution utility. Developer Modern Hydrogen bills the methane molecule cracking system as a faster and less expensive pathway to decarbonization than abandoning gas infrastructure and deploying electric appliances fueled by renewable sources, a transition that will require a vastly bigger, more advanced power grid." "NW Natural CEO David Anderson told the crowd, 'This is a really big deal for us.' In an interview he cast the technology as one of several possible contributors to decarbonizing building energy needs." "'It can go anywhere on our distribution system,' Anderson said, gesturing back to the Modern Hydrogen installation. 'So as we prove this out, Tony and his team are going to start going into commercial mode, you can do more and more of this on the system.'" Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gy6gbBXb #Hydrogen #milestone #news #Portland #Oregon #PNWClimate #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #Decarbonization #NaturalGas #Infrastructure #EnergyTransformation #CleanEnergy

55

#EV charging company FreeWire Technologies just announced that it expects to close its doors in June. This unfortunate development underscores the fact that America needs to rethink its EV charging future. Public charging is too inconvenient, uneconomical and too much of a strain on the grid to support the large scale migration to electric cars *without a rethink*. Many policymakers have jumped the gun by placing all their chips on standardization, regulation and wide-scale deployment while deemphasizing innovation. That's a mistake. So what is FreeWire Technologies? It sells a unit that trickle charges a battery that can then fast charge an EV. Essentially it's a grid buffer. It's a good idea that harnesses some of the grid benefits of battery swapping. Buffer charging sacrifices the speed of swapping, but avoids the complexity. So why haven't things panned out? #EV charging is a hard market in general. Charging is even harder for startups. #EV charging subsidies are critical to survival. But they are so larded with regulatory specs, that there is very little room to innovate and also take advantage of them. (The IRA is a notable exception to this, thanks to the thoughtful, tech neutral approach pursued by Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, III.) Well-intentioned requirements such as UL certification or requirements that installers be certified by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program work for established players, but are a huge drag on the ability of startups to innovate. Many of these requirements have been written into law by well-meaning legislators who don't understand the industry. Policy influencers (labor, environmental NGOs, etc.) have supported these requirements that protect legacy players in #EV charging but stifle innovation. To what end? No one is making money off charging. Just look at Tesla -- hardly a startup. Until recently, they were ineligible for NEVI funds because of such requirements. Then they were going to eat the whole industry. Now no one seems to know exactly what's going on after they laid off the entire charging team. We need to both deploy and innovate. <1% of #US #VMT is electrified. Electrifying the remaining 99% will require a mix of existing and new technologies. A while back when Noel Crisostomo was working at the California Energy Commission he predicted these problems. He pointed out that the most innovative charging companies(FreeWire Technologies, Moxion Power, WiTricity and Ample) couldn't gain access to most subsidies. That is 100% true. FreeWire Technologies impending demise should serve as a wakeup call. Policymakers need to embrace innovation and innovators need to cooperate (not just compete) on promoting tech-neutral subsidies. Otherwise, #America's #infrastructure is going to remain stuck in 2014 and the #EV market will stagnate -- missing out on the critical innovation required to power our future.

47

6 Comments

When is a utility NOT a utility, and how can they affect massive change for EV charging optimization at scale? In California, one of the largest Community Choice Aggregators (#CCA) is MCE which provides retail electricity to nearly 1.5 million residential and business customers in the Bay Area. Our company, ev.energy, provides MCE and its customers with a method to ensure that EV charging happens 1) to avoid stress on the electric grid and 2) when the most abundant renewable energy is available. In the video here, MCE's customers explain in their own words how the ev.energy app allows them to "set it and forget it" to optimize charging to keep electricity bills as low as possible, while keeping their EV charged and ready to go when they need it. We at ev.energy are bringing this forward-looking approach to managed charging not just to utilities around the country and the world, but also to emerging organizations dedicated to clean transportation. #electriccars #electricvehicles #virtualpowerplant #vpp #EVcharging #utilities #tesla #marincounty #loadmanagement #demandresponse

35

1 Comment

As EV adoption continues to grow, automakers are still grappling with a lack of charging infrastructure across the United States. But as a leader in EVs, its not too much of a problem for California. Check out the full article via Quartz: https://lnkd.in/ggVhvZ-G #HappyFriday

101

2 Comments

Balancing Act: Ensuring Safety While Accelerating Battery Incentives Underlying every decision are potential unintended consequences. Caitlin Fitzsimmons’ recent article [1], "Household battery sales ‘grind to a halt’ as consumers await savings," highlights the disruption caused by the recently announced NSW’s household battery incentives [2]. This situation underscores the critical role of policy timing and communication in consumer behaviour and market stability. Key Observations and Insights: - Financial Incentives and Consumer Behaviour: The halt in battery sales post-announcement shows how financial incentives drive consumer decisions, highlighting the need for well-structured incentives. - Solar Industry’s Vulnerability: The sharp sales decline underscores the solar industry’s vulnerability to sudden policy changes, emphasising the need for stable policies to ensure market stability. - Balancing Safety and Rapid Implementation: NSW’s focus on safety concerns requires balancing rapid incentive implementation with maintaining high safety standards. Leveraging existing experience with battery installations, NSW could run a pilot program in parallel with the safety review, meeting economic needs while ensuring safe practices. - Effective Communication and Policy Timing: The five-month delay before the incentive takes effect caused disruptions, showing the need for clear, timely communication and phased implementations. - Over-reliance on Limited Experiences: Policy decisions risk being flawed if they are based solely on limited or anecdotal experiences. - Ignoring Broader Context: Focusing narrowly on the benefits of subsidies may overlook critical consumer behaviour aspects, such as the tendency to delay purchases until incentives are available. - Pilot Programs and Gradual Implementation: Implementing pilot programs can provide valuable data and insights, helping refine policies before a full-scale rollout. - Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging a diverse range of stakeholders ensures a more comprehensive view, aiding in the design of more effective and balanced policies. Over-reliance on limited experiences and hasty announcements (eg a Friday afternoon good news announcement) can lead to unintended consequences of well-meaning policy decisions. Policymakers can use comprehensive data and broader analysis to anticipate market reactions and mitigate unintended consequences. Implementing pilot programs and engaging various stakeholders can provide insights and ensure balanced, effective policies. References: 1. Household battery sales ‘grind to a halt’ as consumers await savings, by Caitlin Fitzsimmons (SMH / Wed 05 Jun 2024) .. https://lnkd.in/gjjaJwK8 2. Incentives to boost rollout of household batteries in New South Wales (LinkedIn Post / Fri 24 May 2024) .. https://lnkd.in/gXVXuR62

1

1 Comment

How do you quickly deploy charging stations for heavy-duty electric trucks? Designwerk Group makes a megacharger that fits in a container, and it's now in service with Galliker Transport AG. CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine

5

1 Comment

“We’re opening the doors to innovation previously constrained by the limitations of standard battery chemistries like standard Li-ion and lead acid,” Greg Slawson said. “This democratization means manufacturers across sectors — from consumer electronics to transportation and energy storage — can now select the most appropriate chemistry for their specific needs without being hindered by integration complexities. It’s a shift towards a more inclusive, flexible energy ecosystem where the best solutions come to the forefront, irrespective of their chemical makeup.” Special thanks to the San Diego Business Journal's for featuring us in 'Solving the Roadblocks to Energy Transition.' While the full article requires a subscription, the above excerpt highlights our mission and the core of our Battery Operating System (bOS) breakthrough. For those with access, we encourage you to dive into the article to discover how ZAPBATT Inc. is shaping a future where energy solutions are no longer a one-size-fits-all scenario. #EnergyStorage #Innovation #ZAPBATT

14

THis is so nice! According to new data released by the California Energy Commission (CEC), in 2022, nearly 61% of California's energy came from NON-FOSSIL FUEL sources. 39% of the state's energy was generated from renewable sources, highlighting the substantial progress in incorporating solar, wind, and other renewables into the energy mix. Solar energy, has played a pivotal role in this transition. With abundant sunshine, California has leveraged solar power to become a leading state in solar energy production. The widespread adoption of solar panels has significantly contributed to the state's renewable energy output. Looking ahead, microgrids or local sustainable power plants, represent the next big step in revolutionizing California's energy landscape. By enabling localized energy production and distribution, microgrids enhance energy resilience and reliability. They can operate independently of the central grid, providing critical power during outages and emergencies. Microgrids can integrate various renewable energy sources, including solar, to create a flexible and sustainable energy system. As California continues to invest in microgrid technology, the state can achieve even greater efficiency and stability in its clean energy grid, further solidifying its position as a leader in the fight against climate change. https://lnkd.in/geEXn_pK

3

As used EV prices drop, new opportunities arise for dealers and lenders. Challenges include establishing resale value based on battery health and simplifying tax credit integration. Companies like EV Life are innovating in Sacramento to make used EVs more accessible. https://ow.ly/Nw2G50RocPt

9

2 Comments

Explore the evolution of Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) programs through our carousel, beginning with California's landmark initiative in 2007. This overview charts the progression from a single state's policy to a global movement for cleaner transportation, highlighting key milestones and the significant impact of LCFS in addressing climate change. Swipe to see how these pioneering policies are driving substantial advancements in reducing emissions and steering towards a sustainable future. https://lnkd.in/gUQyQBwz

35

Ahmad Faruqui, your analysis of California's missteps in its electrification journey is both insightful and concerning. The continuous rise in electricity rates, coupled with the recent policy changes by the CPUC, indeed pose significant barriers to widespread adoption of solar and other clean technologies. Ending net energy metering and introducing income-graduated fixed charges seem counterproductive to the state's sustainability goals. To truly drive electrification, California needs to rethink its strategy, possibly by lowering utility overhead costs and pricing electricity more effectively. This would not only make clean energy more accessible but also ensure that both efficient and frugal energy users are not unfairly penalized. How do you propose stakeholders and policymakers can collaborate to rectify these missteps and foster a more supportive environment for clean energy adoption?

10

1 Comment

The recent adoption of a North American standard for a universal EV charging interface is big news for both EV EV drivers and EV manufacturers. Although there are a few "speed bumps" that will delay full deployment for a year or so, it will effectively double the number of EV charging stations available to the public by allowing non-Tesla vehicles to access Tesla's17,000+facilities, as well as enable Tesla vehicles to charge at any SAE J3400-compliant commercial charging station. Details about the SAE J3400 are available in my 2-part series, "EV-Pluribus Unum", posted on Electronic Design.

8

2 Comments