Competitive Energy Services’ Post

Energy storage is the fossil fuel killer. And it is why baseload power is a thing of the past. It's happening fast. One more thing that will catch the oil industry by surprise. Notice where the storage is being built. "One of the largest battery storage facilities in the nation is nearing completion on the site of a former natural gas-fired power plant in Menifee in southwest Riverside County. When all phases are complete next year, the facility will be able to store enough power to keep 680,000 homes supplied for up to four hours." Invest in fossil fuels if you like. The smart money is moving on.

A good follow up to the previous post on the Washington Post article about the loss of rural land. Scroll down to the portion about the energy demand and stated lack of it to keep up with the DC growth in Virginia. I think we have to build power plants/microgrids on these DC sites to keep up with the demand in my opinion.

Via ESN: " California’s San Diego County votes to adopt BESS standards following recent battery fires: The Board of Supervisors at California’s San Diego County voted to establish standards for the siting of battery storage facilities at a meeting held 17 July 2024, following two recent fires. " #EnergyStorage #Energy #BatteryStorage

Good solar project hail defense article by Dan Gearino... "The use of stowing trackers got a test in 2022 when a hailstorm hit the Prospero 1 and Prospero 2 solar farms in West Texas, which Nextracker implemented equipment. According to a case study written by Nextracker Inc. and the projects’ developer, Longroad Energy, the storm had whiteout conditions and hailstones that ranged from two to three inches in diameter. The panels were stowed at a 60-degree angle, which was the steepest setting at that time. In the end, the panels had almost no damage in areas of the solar farms that got hit with two-inch hail. About one-third of the panels had damage in areas with three-inch hail. This was a partial success, but people who studied the data found that the damage could have been even less. VDE Americas, an engineering firm that provides technical advice to energy companies, reviewed data from the storm and concluded the probability of damage could have been reduced almost to zero if the panels had been stowed at a 75-degree angle instead of 60 degrees." https://lnkd.in/gBFVKRXs

𝘿𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝘾? 🔍 🧐 🔌 💡 B.C. Hydro’s ambitious $36 billion, 10-year capital plan is supposed to shore up the power backbone for meeting the province’s climate goals, but looks to critics to be just a “down payment” on what British Columbians will really need. Since the plan’s broad strokes where published in January, the province has rolled out more detailed schedules for $14 billion worth of projects intended to beef up distribution systems that struggle to accommodate higher demands of electric vehicle charging and new heat pumps in older neighbourhoods, as well as expand transmission networks for growth. “It’s a start,” said Barry Penner, chair of a group called the Energy Futures Initiative. But, “the $36 billion over 10 years is really just a fraction of the true cost of what would be required to reach British Columbia’s unrealistic goals.” Penner, however, is skeptical that the work proposed resolves the capacity issues being faced by developers trying to build new multi-family projects equipped with heat pumps and EV chargers. “I’ve heard this anecdotally from multiple developers (that) they’re being told by B.C. Hydro ‘we can’t deliver the power at this time, it’s not yet part of our near- to medium-term capital plan to upgrade the distribution to this particular building.” Penner’s Energy Futures, an offshoot of the think-tank Resource Works, produced a report that said meeting B.C.’s mandate for EV adoption alone would require 2,700 gigawatt-hours worth of electricity, equivalent to the output of two additional Site C dams. “Never mind population growth, industrial change, LNG development, electrifying mining and prohibiting the use of natural gas for home heating for new construction,” Penner said. “It does make you scratch your head.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gWrMQmFW #electricity #electrical #electrician #energy #power #electric #electricians #electricalengineering #electricianlife #engineering #electricalwork #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #construction #electricalcontractor #lighting #electriciansofinstagram #foredbc Resource Works Business Council of British Columbia

The "550-mile high-voltage transmission line connecting a sprawling 900-turbine wind farm in central New Mexico to the growing cities of Arizona and California, SunZia," is finally in construction. Why did it take so long to permit construction? "Study-itis" "Building more power lines, in other words, is an urgent national need. But over the past decade, construction of new long-distance lines has slowed down. The problem is that it’s much harder to get permits for transmission projects than for other types of major infrastructure: Power line developers must go hat in hand to cities, counties, states, the local utility board and many federal agencies to get permission to break ground on a new project. After that, they can expect to have to endure seemingly endless rounds of environmental review and permitting litigation. By contrast, developers of a natural gas pipeline, essentially need to go to only one federal agency for most of their permits." [Source: The New York Times] [Source: https://lnkd.in/g9dyTrRm] https://lnkd.in/gqFwPqJi

Need to support a tall structure? Worried about lateral loads? There's a helical pier solution for that ⤵ A persistent misconception about helical piers is their perceived inability to support significant lateral loads. (Which is entirely untrue) You simply need the right pier cap or grillage. This dead-end frame foundation, for example, groups four helical piers together to increase both lateral and axial load capacity. It's a great solution for structures like utility poles, transmission towers, communication towers, dead-end frames, gas flares, and more. Plus, a helical pier foundation expedites timelines, minimizes site prep, and reduces embodied carbon. Contact our team at S&B Helical to learn more about helical foundations for your energy infrastructure project! - #infrastructure #energygrid #utilities #renewables #oilandgas #engineering

Consumers Energy announced last week that the Michigan Public Service Commission has approved a targeted undergrounding pilot program. The company plans to bury 10 miles of overhead power lines in six Michigan counties within the next year. Arpan Lobo has the story for the Detroit Free Press.   “Burying power lines will help make the grid stronger and more reliable,” Greg Salisbury, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric distribution engineering, said in a news release Monday. “This pilot will help us learn even more about cost-effective ways to bury lines, allowing us to expand undergrounding projects in the future.” #undergrounding #powerlines #powerdelivery #gridhardening #gridreliability #gridresilience #powerindustry #infrastructure #underground #power #electricity #gridmodernization #PDi2 https://lnkd.in/eJz7kTxs

Tornado rips through Solar Farm in Florida, but could this have been avoided? A tornado sent by Hurricane Milton tore through the Duke Energy facility. This solar plant was initially developed by EDF Renewables North America Renewables before being sold to Duke Energy Corporation. Now, there is a swath of solar modules ripped from the single-axis trackers holding them in place... Here are 10 ways to reduce tornado damage in photovoltaic systems [National Renewable Energy Laboratory]: 1. Torque Audits: Regularly check and properly torque fasteners to prevent loosening during high winds. 2. Locking Fasteners: Use high-quality locking fasteners like wedge-lock washers, Belleville washers, or rivet-lock bolts to keep bolts in place during vibrations. 3. Through Bolting Modules: Instead of relying on clamps, through-bolt modules directly to the racking system for increased structural integrity. 4. Marine-Grade Steel Fasteners: Use 316-grade stainless steel fasteners in coastal areas to resist corrosion from saltwater. 5. Stronger Modules: Select solar modules with higher resistance to wind uplift (e.g., 3,600 Pa and above) to prevent module breakage during strong winds. 6. Three-Framed Rail Systems: Use a three-rail racking system for added support and to minimize module flexing. 7.Dual Pier Mounting: Install ground-mount systems with two driven steel pile supports instead of one to increase stability. 8. Closed Form Frame Elements: Use stronger tubular or closed-form frame elements (e.g., square steel) instead of open C or U-channel frames to resist twisting and bending. 9. Wind-Calming Fences: Install porous fences around the perimeter of PV arrays to reduce the impact of strong winds and prevent turbulence. 10.Watertight Enclosures: Ensure all enclosures are rated for water resistance (NEMA 4X) to protect electrical components during storms. Find out More: https://lnkd.in/eCWeWuhQ & https://lnkd.in/ef5Hkj6b #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #GreenEnergy #SolarPower #WindEnergy #Hydropower #EnergyTransition #EnergyStorage #ElectricVehicles #CircularEconomy #SustainableDevelopment #CarbonNeutral #NetZero #ClimateChange

Analysis of the New Jersey energy market shows that 75% of the state's households rely on natural gas for heating and 80% of residents support the construction of natural gas pipelines that would significantly reduce overall emissions. Underground Infrastructure Magazine has the story.   "It is clear from the information obtained that without more natural gas, the demands due to population and economic growth, and increased electrification will strain New Jersey's electrical grid to the breaking point," Dr. [Ellen] Wald, concluded. "Natural gas pipeline represent the safest, most dependable, and most environmentally friendly method of transporting natural gas to prevent that scenario.  All demographics of New Jersey residents also support the construction of natural gas pipelines when faced with cost savings." #pipelineindustry #pipelineconstruction #energyindustry #naturalgas #LNG #emissionreduction #NatGas #PowerGrid #EconomicGrowth #lngshipping #pipeline #infrastructure #Construction #energysecurity #EnergyIndependence #APCA https://lnkd.in/evtXUs7p