RTCC’s Susan Sanford: Cleantech is solving global energy, environmental challenges

Susan Sanford Editor’s note: Susan Sanford, Executive Director of the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, an initiative of business, government, academic and nonprofit leaders focused on accelerating the growth of the Research Triangle Region’s cleantech economy. RALEIGH — The Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) recently hosted the first-ever Clean Tech Innovation Awards at the organization’s annual meeting of...

How a Residential Microgrid Can Earn Its Keep Beyond the Neighborhood

Small microgrids don’t need to include large buildings to provide value. How a Residential Microgrid Can Earn Its Keep Beyond the Neighborhood For the burgeoning microgrid market, the sweet spot has been university, industrial and military applications. But now, the suitability of this advance in energy resilience is expanding, and residential neighborhoods are being eyed...

PowerSecure Provides Engineering, Procurement & Construction for Butler Farms Microgrid Upgrade

A new farm microgrid in rural North Carolina is gaining traction as a model for future rural  microgrids. PowerSecure, a Southern Company subsidiary, engineered, procured and constructed the microgrid.  Download the full report. Power from pig manure may sound odd. But a Lillington, N.C. microgrid is showing how its done. In fact, the Butler Farms project is a...

Microgrid Feasibility Study: Why Mission-Critical Enterprises Increasingly Turn to Microgrids

More and more, mission-critical enterprises are using microgrids with on-site power systems to ramp up energy reliability, efficiency and sustainability. Download the full report. Why? As technology advances, power outages are simply unacceptable at military bases, health-care facilities, data centers, distribution centers and more. Report: Why mission-critical enterprises are installing microgrids A new report from PowerSecure, a subsidiary...

Food, Shelter and a Microgrid: A Florida Non-profit Readies for the Next Big Hurricane

A Tampa, Florida ministry is ready for the next hurricane season — and the thousands of people it may need to feed and shelter — thanks to a new Power Secure microgrid. Working with PowerSecure and the Tampa Electric (TECO), Metropolitan Ministries Foundation late last week inaugurated a microgrid designed to enable the organization to continue to serve its community, even through severe storms

How are Utilities Supporting Distributed Energy Resources During the COVID-19 Crisis?

COVID-19 is hitting the economy hard and companies that develop microgrids and other distributed energy resources (DERs) are not immune. But there are ways that utilities can help them — and several are. Courtesy of PixOne/Shutterstock.com Utilities have good reason to step up. Solar and other DERs are especially important during this crisis because they...

How Microgrids can Increase Resiliency for Data Centers

COVID-19 has forced many people to work from home, making resiliency of energy supplies for data centers more important than ever. Derek Tugwell, vice president of data centers at PowerSecure, discusses how microgrids can help.

What Do You Need to Know to Reduce Utility Charges with a Microgrid?

How does a microgrid developer go about finding the utility price information that will demonstrate that your microgrid project is or isn’t financially viable? Let’s say microgrid developer PowerSecure has been asked to price out the feasibility of a microgrid at a retail grocery store in Wisconsin. How does the developer go about finding the utility pricing information that will demonstrate that the project is or isn’t financially viable? The answer isn’t simple, said Brian Knight, structured finance director, PowerSecure.

Triangle company helps grocery store shine regardless of the weather

By Bryan Mims, WRAL reporter https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/wake-forest-company-helps-save-town-s-last-grocery-store/19109037/ RICH SQUARE, N.C. — In the tiny town of Rich Square in Northampton County, there is one, small grocery store. It has been a lifeline and source of comfort during the coronavirus crisis. But last month, the Rich Square Market almost faced another crisis. That storm in April gave store...

COVID-19 propels microgrids in healthcare sector, but regulatory, awareness hurdles remain

In 2018, with a nearly $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC), a company called Charge Bliss built a 250 kW, 1 MWh solar and battery storage microgrid on top of a medical center in Richmond, California.  The center saw immediate benefits, including a roughly one-third reduction in energy costs, according to healthcare...