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BNEF’s annual Pioneers award recognizes changemakers across three key climate challenges working towards creating a net-zero economy

NEW YORK – April 17, 2023 – BloombergNEF (BNEF) today announced the winners of its 2023 Pioneers Award, recognizing 12 early-stage companies working to introduce technologies and products pushing the world to a net-zero global economy. This year the winners include companies developing new types of sustainable protein, finding novel routes to mine copper, eliminating CO2 emissions from steelmaking and creating technology to produce green hydrogen more cheaply – among many others.

Since the inception of the BNEF Pioneers program over a decade ago, there has been significant progress in the production and deployment of technologies and solutions designed to decarbonize the global economy. Greenhouse gas emissions, however, are still rising and there are many urgent obstacles to overcome in order for the world to reach net-zero emissions. The BNEF Pioneers award seeks to recognize companies making strides in sectors or areas where there are still technology or innovation challenges in meeting net-zero goals. This year BNEF called for nominations from companies, nonprofits and projects that specifically addressed three climate-tech innovation areas:

1. Accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen
2. Sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future
3. Building a net-zero food production system

Claire Curry, selection committee co-chair and global head of Technology, Industry & Innovation research at BloombergNEF, stated: “The search for new climate-technology solutions has never been as urgent. Technologies under development now must scale by 2030 if they are to play a significant role in helping reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Over the past three cycles of the Pioneers competition, we have chosen to focus on innovation areas where there are particularly large decarbonization hurdles. My belief is that our 2023 winners have the technology edge, the talent and the right support systems to play a significant role in overcoming the hurdles in scaling green hydrogen, producing sustainable metals at scale and in decarbonizing our food production system. We have now had 141 Pioneers winners since 2010, many of which have played an essential role in the energy and climate transition since their win. I look forward to seeing our 2023 winners do the same in the next decade. ”

The competition received nearly 350 applications from 42 countries. A team of lead analysts at BloombergNEF evaluated candidates against three criteria: the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the planet, the degree of technology innovation and originality, and the likelihood of adoption and potential scalability.

“This year we received a record number of high quality and diverse candidates for the BloombergNEF Pioneers program. We are very grateful to our judges on the selection committee who had the challenge of choosing twelve winners from a strong pool of entrants,” added Benjamin Kafri, selection committee co-chair and Global Head of Innovation, Client Relations and Partnerships at BloombergNEF. “We are very encouraged by the innovation and determination shown by these Pioneers and by the impact that they could have in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. ”

The winners of the 2023 BNEF Pioneers by challenge are:

Challenge 1: Accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen
● Mainspring Energy (US) manufactures a linear generator with fuel-flexibility that can directly run on 100% hydrogen and ammonia as well as biogas and other fuels.
● SunGreenH2 (Singapore) has developed proprietary nanostructured electrodes for all commercial electrolyzers. The novel electrodes reduce energy consumption and increase hydrogen output.
● H2Pro (Israel) has created an electrolysis system, known as E-TAC, which produces hydrogen and oxygen in two steps. This system allows the company to create hydrogen efficiently and with variable power generation.

The potential of clean hydrogen to decarbonize several sectors of the global economy is well-documented. However, the costs of producing, transporting and storing hydrogen currently exclude it from wide-scale adoption. Mainspring’s linear generator directly runs on hydrogen, ammonia, biogas and other fuels to displace fossil-fuel power generation. SunGreenH2’s proprietary electrodes improve key performance metrics for electrolysers with any chemistry, dramatically increasing hydrogen production and reducing energy consumption, and lowering precious metals usage – all while decreasing cost. H2Pro’s revolutionary E-TAC electrolyzers split water with a breakthrough energy efficiency of 95% (compared to 60-70% efficiency of conventional systems).

Challenge 2: Sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future
● Li-Cycle (Canada) provides lithium-battery recycling and resource recovery using its spoke and hub facilities. The company also creates a secondary supply of battery-grade materials.
● Jetti Resources (US) has developed a catalyst that efficiently releases copper from low-grade ores that could not previously be processed economically.
● Nth Cycle’s (US) patented metal refining transforms feedstocks, including scrap, ore and end-of-life electronics, into high-purity critical metals within a modular, commercial-scale electroextraction unit called The Oyster.

Decarbonizing sectors such as industry, transport and buildings will require a significant scaling in clean electricity production, leading to an escalation in the need for key materials such as lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel and others. The Pioneers in this category are working to increase the supply of these materials more sustainably. Li-Cycle leverages its innovative Spoke & Hub Technologies™ to provide a sustainable end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries and create a closed-loop battery supply chain. Jetti Resources helps deliver additional copper production rapidly, efficiently and at scale from existing mines with a reduced environmental impact. Nth Cycle processes black mass from battery recycling, producing a cathode precursor material, reducing GHG emissions by 92% compared to traditional mining.

Challenge 3: Building a net-zero food production system
● Precision AI (Canada) uses custom-built, fixed-wing drones for crop spraying. The drones use computer vision to identify and spray weeds.
● MicroHarvest (Germany) makes sustainable proteins through microbial fermentation, using feedstock derived from agricultural byproducts. The protein-containing biomass is dried to a powder and combined with other ingredients to make food products.
● FutureFeed (Australia) has patented the use of a seaweed called Asparagopsis as a livestock feed ingredient which significantly reduces methane emissions from ruminant animals.

These BNEF Pioneers work effectively to combat carbon emissions in the agriculture industry – which accounts for 23% of global greenhouse emissions – as human populations and income levels rise. Precision AI’s fixed-wing drone autonomously identifies weeds and applies herbicides accurately, reducing chemical usage by up to 95%. MicroHarvest’s microbial fermentation technology produces sustainable protein powder for use in shrimp feed, pet food and human-grade food, reducing land use by 99%. FutureFeed is licensing its patented discovery that using Asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient can reduce cattle methane emissions by 80% or more.

Wildcards: Organizations focused on the sectors of sustainable materials and carbon removal
● Travertine Technologies (US) has developed a novel process for carbon dioxide removal and mineralization from mining waste. The process also produces sulfuric acid which can be used to extract critical minerals.
● Sublime Systems (US) is decarbonizing cement production by using an electrochemical process to produce lime from materials other than limestone, avoiding both the CO2 process emissions and heating emissions.
● Electra (US) utilizes intermittent renewable energy and low-grade ores to produce iron at low temperatures for use in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

The Wildcard winners are organizations working outside of this year’s three core subject areas. Travertine Technologies enables upstream producers of critical elements in the mining and agricultural sectors to minimize their chemical waste footprint while at the same time removing and permanently sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Sublime Systems replaces legacy fossil-fueled cement kilns with a proprietary electrochemical process. Electra produces high-purity, low-carbon iron at coffee temperatures for use in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

Talmon Marco, CEO of 2023 BNEF Pioneers winner H2Pro, said: “The BNEF Pioneer award comes at an exciting and apt moment for our company as we begin to conquer a new frontier – moving our tech to the field and scaling up for maximal impact. As we take this significant step forward, we’re thrilled to have BloombergNEF behind us and our mission .”

Learn more about the BNEF Pioneers program and winners from previous years here.

Contact:
Oktavia Catsaros
Bloomberg LP
+1-212-617-9209
ocatsaros@bloomberg.net

About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

About BloombergNEF
BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our expert coverage assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition. We help commodity trading, corporate strategy, finance and policy professionals navigate change and generate opportunities.

Finley Engineering Company, Inc. is thrilled to announce its 70th year in business on April 16, 2023. The company, established by Fred Finley in 1953, has been providing professional engineering and consulting services to the broadband and energy indus tries for seven decades. Lamar, Missouri, remains the headquarters of Finley Engineering.

Over the years, Finley has grown to be a leading multi-disciplined organization providing professional engineering and consulting services to various industries including telecommunications, broadband, wireless, electric power transmission and distribution, gas pipeline, cable television, fiber optics, and related industries. Finley consists of a team of experienced professionals who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in serving public, private, and governmental organizations. The company's staff is committed to providing high-quality engineering, consulting and project management services to its clients and has a track record of excellence that spans seven decades.

Finley has several permanent offices across the United States, which allows the company to provide services to clients across the country efficiently. The company's goal is to continue to grow and provide excellent services to its clients while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
As the company celebrates its 70th year in business, Finley is grateful for the support of its clients, employees, and partners. Finley looks forward to the future with excitement, and its management team is committed to maintaining the company's legacy of excellence and professionalism for many years to come. Visit us at FinleyUSA.com for more information.

Memphis, TN, April 10, 2023 - EnSafe, a global provider of environmental, engineering, health and safety and technology services with an unparalleled track record that extends into the utility industry, is excited to announce the recent addition of Brooke Sinclair, CHMM, CSP, Senior Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Regulatory Specialist and Utilities National Market Sector Lead; and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) expert Joyce Barkley, Senior Environmental Scientist, to our firm. Both Brooke and Joyce bring a wealth of knowledge that is particularly useful as EnSafe increases its foothold in the utility industry.

Brooke has 20 years of electric distribution experience working in the EHS field as well as utility operations, maintenance, construction, and engineering. She not only understands EHS requirements but how they impact utility operations and construction.

“Brooke’s 20 plus years serving and leading in increasingly senior management roles in the utilities sector brings invaluable insight and expertise to EnSafe’s already strong utilities solutions group,” says Ginny Davis, Vice President of Business Development. “We are excited to see the growth and enhancements that Brooke will bring nationwide!”

Joyce brings more than 27 years of environmental and planning experience with a focus on protected species assessments, aquatic resources, public outreach, environmental justice, and grant writing, along with other NEPA resource areas at the federal, state, and local levels. The recent passing of the federal infrastructure bill and an influx of governmental private-sector contract awards has increased the need and opportunities for these particular services, and Joyce’s expertise will enable EnSafe to meet those demands.

“We are so excited to have Joyce on our team,” said Paul Stoddard, PG, Vice President of Field Services. “Her extensive understanding of NEPA regulations and requirements and her broad range of experience will prove to be an asset as we continue to pursue federal, state, and local work.”

Bolstered by the addition of Brooke and Joyce, EnSafe is well-equipped to handle both public and private-sector projects focused on improving utilities infrastructure, developing and refreshing behavior-based safety programs, industrial hygiene sampling, PCB program compliance and remediation, and program development.

For more than 40 years, EnSafe has provided cost-effective, creative solutions to its clients most challenging health and safety issues. From developing new or updating existing EHS programs and conducting risk assessments and inspections to environmental services in support of land development and site operations and maintenance, EnSafe leverages technology to provide tactical tools for daily tasks, overall environmental support, and general worker safety.

Beyond EnSafe’s wide-array of environmental health and safety services for utilities customers, EnSafe offers specific skills relevant to the electrical industry, including linear projects, microgrid and substation due diligence assessments, permitting, and decommissioning, safety and environmental training, and brownfield support and consulting.

For more information about EnSafe’s utilities or EHS capabilities, contact Brooke Sinclair at (865) 219-2674 or bsinclair@ensafe.com.

About EnSafe
Founded in 1980, Memphis-based EnSafe is a global professional services firm providing engineering, environmental, health & safety, and technology services to industry and government clients worldwide with more than 360 employees in 28 offices throughout the United States, from New Hampshire to California. For more information, please visit us at www.ensafe.com or contact Ginny Davis at 865-693-3623 or email at ggray@ensafe.com.

Prestigious award, full-scale deployments, and new engagement platform functionality highlight 2022

Apogee Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of customer engagement and energy analysis software for utilities, announced today record performance and results for their utility clients in 2022.

Major highlights include:
• A prestigious utility industry award.
• Multiple utility pilot deployments with some of the largest IOUs in the country went full scale.
• New functionality for Apogee’s customer engagement platform.

Prestigious utility award for Personalized Video Reliability Reports

The year brought recognition from Chartwell’s well-respected EMACS awards, with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) winning the 2022 Best Practices Gold Communications Award for their use of Apogee’s Personalized Video Messaging. This marked the utility industry’s first use of Personalized Video Messaging to communicate residential reliability. The Personalized Video Reliability Reports showed each customer their electric reliability compared to the previous year. Results showed that more than half of customers had a more favorable impression of ComEd after watching the video.

Forward-looking utilities adopting and expanding the use of Apogee’s digital engagement platform

Apogee’s clients include many of the nation’s largest, most innovative, and forward-looking utilities across Investor-Owned Utilities, Municipal, and Cooperative industry segments. In 2022, utilities started pilots, upgraded subscriptions to include personalized video messaging, or decided to deploy full-scale solutions, resulting in millions of additional utility customers receiving relevant messaging as utilities see the value of proactive and personalized communications.

Recent case studies have proven that utilities partnering with Apogee in 2022 reaped the benefits of using the robust digital communications platform that provides year-round support and includes customized marketing strategies that meet and exceed their goals.
Using Apogee’s proprietary engagement and communication platform, utilities are achieving increased customer awareness, driving higher program participation, reducing high bill calls, and producing higher customer satisfaction.

During 2022, utilities using the platform have seen extraordinary results:
• 20+ million personalized messages sent
• 37 million utility programs promoted
• 10% increase in program participation
• Click-through rates averaging more than 15%
• 93%+ utility customers reported they did not need to contact the call center after receiving Apogee’s personalized video bill explanation
• Apogee’s Energy Advisor application identified $319 million in energy savings and over 1.7 million metric tons of carbon reduction.

New platform capabilities for expanded customer engagement

Apogee continued its successful decades-long communications platform expansion, including tools that educate customers on essential topics, including rate and payment options, reliability, electric vehicles, renewables, and energy efficiency programs. New functionality rolled out to existing Apogee clients in late 2022 includes Energy Monitor and an advanced EV Rate Calculator.

Jim Malcom, COO of Apogee Interactive, stated, “Apogee is pleased with the results our utility clients have seen in 2022 and are looking forward to expanding several large pilots to full scale in 2023. Our robust digital platform, customized strategy, and ongoing support has proven to be an asset for our utility clients.”

About Apogee

Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of customer engagement services for utilities, serving the energy industry since 1993. Apogee’s customer engagement platform helps utilities establish ongoing digital relationships with customers, helping them engage and educate customers, reduce costs, achieve behavioral energy efficiency, and grow customer satisfaction. Apogee’s solution enables personalized, relevant, video-based messaging through multiple channels, drives self-service, and improves operational efficiencies through marketing automation. Apogee’s loyal client base includes Commonwealth Edison, Liberty Utilities, ConEd, Duquesne, Tampa Electric, People’s Gas, CenterPoint, Xcel Energy, LADWP, and hundreds of other IOU, municipal, cooperative, and gas utilities. For more information, visit www.apogee.net or LinkedIn.


Contact: Karen Morris kmorris@apogee.net 678-684-6801

August 26, 2024; Louisville, KY—Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based, grid-edge distributed energy technology company that empowers utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals, is proud to announce a collaborative partnership and technology integration with Mysa, a market leader in smart control for electric heating systems.

More and more utilities are preparing to manage electricity demand peaks in winter in addition to summer, especially in cold climates with a high penetration of electric heat. By controlling the energy consumption of Mysa’s thermostats connected to baseboard heating, Virtual Peaker expands the accessibility of utility demand management programs to residents in buildings without forced air heating systems. Allowing more customers to participate in demand management programs with their Mysa devices supports:

● Equity since baseboard heating is often in smaller and sometimes older
residences
● Benefits to customers that may have been previously ineligible due to
their heating system to participate in programs that offer financial
incentives
● Whole home optimization because commands are sent to each Mysa
device in a household

“Virtual Peaker’s grid-edge technology, combined with Mysa’s innovative smart thermostat solutions, provides a seamless and efficient way for utilities to manage winter demand peaks and contribute to a more sustainable energy future,” said Virtual Peaker Founder and CEO William Burke, PhD.

“Mysa is thrilled to partner with Virtual Peaker to leverage our smart home energy management technology to build a better future for our planet,” said Joshua Green, Cofounder and CEO at Mysa. “Empowering electric baseboard heating to participate in demand management programs supports equitable eligibility and expands the scale of utility grid modernization.”

Since December 2023, three utility programs, one in the Pacific Northwest and two in Eastern Canada that use Virtual Peaker’s distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) added Mysa’s smart thermostats to their portfolio of devices.

“A successful winter demand response program begins with foresight and planning,” said Steph Hsiung, Manager of Flexible Load Management at ICF. “While discomfort from cold is a common concern for customers, Virtual Peaker’s platform mitigates this by sending pre-heating commands and allowing for granular device control. Including Mysa’s smart thermostats for electric baseboard heaters in utility demand response programs provides a robust portfolio of technology that can ensure a successful winter-specific demand management strategy.”

For more information on this partnership and how it benefits energy users and the grid, please visit www.virtual-peaker.com.

About Virtual Peaker
Virtual Peaker is a cloud-based distributed energy technology company that empowers utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals. Through its cutting-edge software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the company seamlessly integrates distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) components, customer engagement, and load forecasting. Virtual Peaker's groundbreaking technology, Topline Demand Control, paves the way for the next generation of virtual power plant capabilities. To learn more, please visit virtual-peaker.com or connect on LinkedIn and X via @VirtualPeaker.

About Mysa
Based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Mysa’s mission is to fight climate change by empowering homeowners to take control of their energy use with innovative technology. Mysa’s smart thermostats for electric heating and cooling HVAC systems are designed to help users manage their household energy spend, decarbonize the grid, and build a more sustainable future for our planet. Since first shipping in 2018, Mysa has launched 4 products and helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners all across North America take smart control of their home’s heating and cooling without compromising on comfort. For more information visit: getmysa.com.

Media Contacts
Amber Mullaney | amullaney@virtual-peaker.com | 502-689-0249
Kathleen Van Gorden | kathleen@doermaker.com | 401-480-1840

September 19, 2024; Louisville, KY—Virtual Peaker, a leading cloud-based grid-edge technology company dedicated to advancing the future of energy and supporting global decarbonization goals, announced today a strategic partnership with FranklinWH Energy Storage Inc. (FranklinWH), a pioneer in home energy management and battery solutions. This collaboration allows utilities to support household consumption intelligently and decrease peak load on the grid.

As the demand for sustainable and resilient energy solutions grows, this integration combines Virtual Peaker’s robust grid-edge distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) software with FranklinWH’s Home Power solutions.

Key benefits of the integration include:
 

• Enhanced Load Flexibility: Utilities can utilize advanced battery storage capabilities to manage and reduce peak loads more effectively, resulting in significant operational efficiencies and cost savings.
• Improved Grid Stability: Integrating battery storage with Virtual Peaker’s technology solution ensures a more resilient and reliable energy grid, benefiting all stakeholders.
• Increased Operational Flexibility for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs): Battery storage enhances the dynamic management and balancing of energy flows within VPPs, enabling them to better adapt to changing grid conditions and market opportunities.
• Cost Reduction for Consumers: By participating in demand response and Time of Use (TOU) programs, as well as capturing available rebates, consumers who own batteries can lower their overall ownership and energy costs.

"Virtual Peaker is committed to driving innovation in the energy sector, and our partnership with FranklinWH represents another step forward in achieving our vision," said Colin Lamb, VP of Delivery at Virtual Peaker. “By integrating our DERMS with FranklinWH’s leading battery storage technology, we offer utilities a powerful tool to enhance grid reliability and support their sustainability goals."

The integration is currently deployed with two utility customers, and more programs are scheduled for the future.

"Integrating FranklinWH battery storage technology into PGE’s Smart Battery pilot, with the Virtual Peaker platform, will enhance resilience for our customers, as well as benefit the entire grid as we build Oregon’s clean energy future," said Audrey Burkhardt, Manager of Energy Storage and Resilience at Portland General Electric.

“FranklinWH is pleased to partner with Virtual Peaker to deliver value to energy users and the grid. Together, we can leverage our advanced power systems and Virtual Peaker’s dynamic DER management solutions to deliver reliable power and financial incentives to consumers who own batteries while supporting grid modernization," said Vincent Ambrose, Chief Commercial Officer at FranklinWH.

To learn more, visit https://virtual-peaker.com/partners/device-partners/ and https://www.franklinwh.com/.

About Virtual Peaker
Virtual Peaker is a cloud-based distributed energy technology company that empowers utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals. Through its cutting-edge software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the company seamlessly integrates distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) components, customer engagement, and load forecasting. Virtual Peaker's groundbreaking technology, Topline Demand Control, paves the way for the next generation of virtual power plant capabilities. To learn more, please visit virtual-peaker.com or connect on LinkedIn and X via @VirtualPeaker.

About FranklinWH
FranklinWH Energy Storage Inc. is the manufacturer of the Franklin Home Power system. FranklinWH is a research-driven company focused on next-generation residential energy management and storage solutions. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, FranklinWH's team has decades of experience in energy systems, from design, through manufacturing, to sales and installation. FranklinWH is AVL-listed with multiple financial institutions. Learn more about how homeowners can achieve energy independence at franklinwh.com.

Media Contacts
Amber Mullaney | amullaney@virtual-peaker.com | 502-689-0249
Kathleen Van Gorden | kathleen@doermaker.com | 401-480-1840

The growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) is decentralizing energy production and management. The century-old model of centralized electricity production, transmitted in one direction for many miles at high voltage is changing. Onsite generation, battery storage, demand response, electric vehicles and energy efficiency have all contributed to this reshaping of the electric utility landscape. Joint Action Agencies, Associations and even individual electric utilities need to address the reality of DER growth so that they can benefit from its advantages and reduce the potential for negative impacts to their organizations and customers.

While the penetration of DERs has been steadily increasing due to declining costs of these resources, their growth over the next decade is expected to be exponential. Here’s why. Material and installation costs are declining while efficiency of DERs is increasing due to technological advancements. Electric utility customers are demanding greener and cost-effective energy options as they electrify. And there is regulatory support encouraging the integration of DERs such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order Number 2222. The primary objective of this mandate, better known as FERC 2222, is to better enable participation by DERs in electricity markets run by regional grid operators. FERC’s directive, coupled with State and Federal mandates and policies, along with corporate goals around decarbonization are all expected to contribute to a future of high DER penetration in various jurisdictions around the country.

The question Public Power entities should be asking is not if their jurisdictions will see a high DER penetration, but how they can enable higher DER penetration to their advantage? This requires a paradigm shift at the distribution grid, where presently the utility is only managing a passive network - buying power from the Bulk level and distributing it to consumers, to a more active network – with two-way power flows from prosumers (producers + consumers), enabling cost-effective deep electrification.

An answer to the question of how to enable higher DER penetration lies in creating the right incentives that would encourage more such resources to be connected. And this is where the Distribution System Operator (DSO) model enters the picture. While many variants of the model may exist, from a thirty-thousand-foot view, in a DSO model, either a Joint Action Agency, Association, or the distribution utility takes on the role of a market facilitator. That market facilitator manages a distribution-level electricity market, much in the same way an Independent System Operator (ISO) manages a bulk-level electricity market. But the model can be customized based on local regulations and requirements.

Essentially the DSO framework allows the right incentives to be created for compensating DERs such that their true value to both the local and bulk grid can be correctly captured. For example, if unprecedented load growth on a particular feeder or station within a utility’s territory is requiring the utility to consider costly infrastructure upgrades, can the utility instead procure generation or load reduction from local resources on that feeder or station to defer or avoid the infrastructure upgrade? While a one-off situation like this might be handled by the existing framework through setting up some form of a demand response program, as the need for these infrastructure upgrades increases, the requirement to optimize the resources on the distribution grid, i.e. DERs, would increase. That would be the role of the DSO. The DSO model can provide significant advantages for all stakeholders. The DSO model extracts maximum value from DERs, provides grid flexibility, and takes a customer-centric approach to power supply decisions.

DSO Advantages for Public Power

The DSO model provides definite advantages to public power. First, it provides improved asset utilization and diversifies the local energy portfolio. It gives individual utilities the opportunity to work with customers who have on-site generation in new and exciting ways. By acting now, Public Power can set the standards for DSOs, with Public Power providing innovation and leadership in this important area.

The success of implementing the DSO model will require overcoming an array of challenges. As with most disruptive advances, existing regulations and market barriers could hinder implementation. Infrastructure upgrades will be necessary. Organizational changes and access to adequate resources will be critical to success. And finally, the support of customers and other stakeholders will be keys in making this transition a reality.

Joint Action Agencies, Associations and local public power utilities should begin now to develop DER and DSO strategies. Begin now to ask these questions: What is the regulatory and policy framework in which we operate today? Based on past experience with NERC standards, it will take time to develop DSO standards. Are our members/customers ready for increased DER penetration? Who are the key stakeholders, partners, and collaborators in this transition? And finally, does our organization have a roadmap for transitioning to the DSO model? 

Thought Leaders Weigh In

Recently, Hometown Connections Partners and Affiliates formed work groups to discuss the many aspects of the DER/DSO transition. The groups covered customer and employee engagement, smart grid technology requirements, operational flexibility and grid resiliency, cyber and physical security requirements, and DER grid integration.

Robbie Tugwell of Power Secure led the DER Integration discussions. His group debated the technical and operational challenges of integrating DER’s and explored possible solutions and best practices for effective integration. His group determined that a high level of transparency and clear communication pathways will be crucial in the successful integration of DERs into a DSO model. They stressed the need for flexibility of utility assets as well as clear decision matrices and protocols.

Loreto Sarracini of Acumen and his group explored the regulatory and economic implications of DER integration. This team expressed concern that the growth of DER may lead to a more complex regulatory environment. For example, the possibility of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards being introduced for the distribution grid, which would likely lead to additional burden on utilities, especially smaller-sized utilities. While there might be many economic benefits of incorporating DERs, utilities will have to study the impact of adopting new technologies, hiring, training and retaining personnel as well as maintaining business continuity. 

AMP’s Branndon Kelly led a discussion of the smart grid technology requirements for an effective DER/DSO implementation. They stressed the importance of grid automation in preparation for the DSO model. Joint Action Agencies (JAA), Associations and their members will need to assess their distribution networks both from a hardware and software perspective. Software for modeling day ahead demand and production such as that provided by Amperon, will be a key ingredient for success. In addition, Jillian Jurczyk of Utility Financial Solutions stressed that rate design must be addressed to ensure the correct financial incentives for DSO participants and utility customers.

The DSO model represents a significant shift in how the electric grid will be sequenced. Employees and customers alike will be affected. Brittany DeArmon of Brillion led a discussion on how utilities and JAA’s can engage, prepare and educate these stakeholders. Bob Welsh of LeverageHR pointed out that workforce and customer education increase the utility’s opportunity to participate successfully in the DER/DSO transition. Tools for informing and educating are currently available, and utilities should act now to begin to build trust through more frequent and more transparent communication.

While a higher number of smaller-sized resources spread out across the grid offer the advantages of decentralization, they will substantially increase the cyber and physical attack surface, i.e. there will be a larger number of assets that threat actors can disrupt, many of which might not be in direct control of the utility itself. Doug Westlund of Acumen said that no single cybersecurity system will address all the risks. However, utilities who follow the regulatory guidelines for cyber security and physical security, and who are committed to planning and implementing protocols will be less likely to fall victim to outside attacks. 

Finally, Randy Parole from Stem, presided over a group that explored the strategies for enhancing grid operational flexibility and resilience through the use of DER’s. They looked at energy storage, flexible load management and grid modernization. This group suggested that the first step would be to look at the existing interconnection agreements to determine if they are future-proofed or need to be updated. From there, financial incentives for existing customers with on-site DERs should be developed. 

Next Steps

What are the next steps for Public Power entities looking to prepare for the future of DERs and DSOs? Nimish Bhatnagar, Director of Energy Solutions at Acumen, suggests the first step is to conduct a DER readiness assessment. JAAs and their members should review the regulatory and policy landscape. They should review load, generation and DER forecasts and perform a technology assessment and gap analysis. This assessment should be performed now regardless of the organization’s current view of how and how soon the DER/DSO transition will transpire within their service territory.

Next, develop a DSO transition roadmap. Build a business case, enlist stakeholder engagement and assess internal capabilities. Again, have the roadmap and other due diligence completed in advance. Having clear and actionable steps in place ahead of the transition will help ensure that Public Power utilities are in the driver’s seat and able to chalk their own path before one is drawn out for them!

A complete presentation on the DER/DSO transition is available on the Hometown Connections YouTube Channel. Access it here: https://www.youtube.com/@4PublicPower

Hometown Connections would like to recognize the following Hometown Connections Affiliates and Partners for contributing to this review of DER/DSO: Acumen, AMEA, AMP, Amperon, Brillion, ElectriCities of NC, FMEA, KTI, LeverageHR, Marsh, MPUA, NMPP Energy, NCPA, Power Secure, SpryPoint, Stem, TEA, TMEPA and Utility Financial Solutions.

Whether at substations or in the field, electric utility transmission and distribution identification products such as safety signs, tags, and markers are critical to safe, efficient operation, maintenance, and repair. These brief warnings or instructions, comprised of letters, numbers, and symbols, must effectively convey key information to personnel. This is crucial not only to identify the location and type of equipment but also to protect utilities from the risk of personnel injury and litigation.

Unfortunately, traditional painted and laminated identification products frequently fade or delaminate when continually exposed to outdoor weather or punishing conditions. Solar UV, rain, snow, ice, and windblown debris as well as humidity and seasonal temperature fluctuations, inevitably degrade these identification products in a matter of years.

Over time, outdoor exposure can cause painted and laminated numbers and symbols to peel or fade. Even supposedly durable products designed for this purpose can become unreadable over ten years or more. Consequently, when safety warnings, asset location, or identifiers are needed most, technicians may make mistakes or waste time.

Given what is at stake, utilities are now increasingly shifting away from identification products that are marketed as long-lasting and durable but that have the potential to fade or peel, to those designed to withstand decades of abuse without becoming unreadable.

The Importance of Safety Signage
In the electrical utility industry, identification products are utilized just about everywhere.

In substations, signs often warn of arc flash and shock hazards, which OSHA states can result in “serious injury and even death.” Markers and tags typically specify when Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) is necessary before the set-up, maintenance, service, or repair of energized equipment. Substation structure numbers are also necessary for rapid identification and servicing.

On large, high-voltage transmission towers crossing and direction signs signal trouble areas. Phase tags are also commonly used to indicate phase polarity on the towers, which is important because connecting the wrong phases can lead to dangerous explosions, serious injury, and extended downtime. Transmission towers also utilize aerial observation pole tags for rapid identification and better visibility to aircraft.

Smaller, lower-voltage distribution lines deliver power to homes and businesses on smaller poles. Pole identification products, such as tags and markers, are used to track and identify assets, data, and other vital information. Pole tags can also be used to identify the pole’s owner, maintenance history, and other valuable data.

Transformers, whether in the substation or on poles also indicate phase with tags. Similarly, markers and signage are used to indicate LOTO situations.

Not Good Enough
Too many in the industry believe that their current identification products are “good enough” even as legibility becomes compromised over the years. However, the paint will fade, and the laminate will peel on these products usually within five to ten years, requiring replacement.

Yet inspecting and replacing illegible products seldom – if ever – occurs on a comprehensive and timely basis because it can be a time-consuming, laborious process that is shortchanged in deference to higher priorities. Neglecting to do so, however, can lead to dangerous safety lapses as well as inefficient operation.

Designed for Lasting Safety
So, how can safety signage be designed and constructed to ensure readability after decades? The answer requires a shift in thinking. For applications with the longest lasting
requirements, impermanent paints and laminates should be avoided in favor of much more durable solutions. The signage should also be constructed using robust substrate or embossed characters that can take a beating from Mother Nature.

As an example, one type of sturdy signage system developed for the industry, called EVERLAST by Tech Products, Inc., a leader in the manufacture of industrial identification products for 75 years, is made of thick, high impact polyolefin plastic with copy and pictograms that are permanently embedded through the entire thickness of the substrate.

Tech Products, Inc., which serves electric and gas utilities, telecom and cable companies, oil and gas pipelines, and OEMs, offers five legacy brands and approximately 10,000 diverse products for these industries.

The polyolefin plastic is impervious to sun, wind, rain, humidity, salt water, and temperature variations as well as fumes and acid or alkali solutions. The characters can be seen from a distance and have sharp contrast. The signage can be cut, scratched, even shot through with little or no effect to the embedded characters, which helps to ensure readability decades later.

Third-party certification validates the durability of this approach. UL performed numerous durability tests on the signs in compliance with UL and ASTM standards. When the signs were subjected to the equivalent of 43 years of UV exposure, salt spray, vibration, abrasion, and temperature variation, the test results showed no change in color or legibility.

Another effective method of creating permanent signage is to utilize embossing.
Embossing creates raised characters in metal materials to improve legibility even when covered in dust, dirt, or even paint.

When lasting transmission and distribution markers are required, for example, deep embossed pole badge, pole inspection, and pole markers can be constructed of unpainted, embossed aluminum, brass, or stainless steel. The highly defined characters remain legible for the life of the pole.

Alternatively, on metal reflective pole tags, black characters can be screen printed on construction-grade yellow or silver reflective sheeting so that it is durable and UV stabilized. These tags can be used anywhere in areas that need to be seen with a flashlight.

For tight, confined spaces where close up reading is required, miniature markers with raised, 3D characters, called FastTags by Tech Products, Inc., can also be designed to remain legible even in low-light, oily, or dusty environments. The raised, 3D characters are hot stamped with high-quality UV-stable foil and are nonconductive and non-corroding, which is ideal for environments exposed to water such as utilities, offshore rigs, and sewer systems.

No replacing physical signage
Another reason these identification products need to last decades is they are sure to remain as valuable tools for utilities even as new technologies for asset management and maintenance are employed throughout the industry. Even with state-of-the-art technology like geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS), electrical utilities will continue to require traditional physical identification products such as pole markers, for example.

Although pole tags are not mandated by regulations, many utilities choose to use them to assist with recovery efforts after a regional outage by still posting serialized GIS or GPS pole marking and numbering correspond to a pole’s geographic location using GIS/GPS coordinates. During emergencies like hurricanes, mutual aid situations often arise where utility trucks from different regions are called on for assistance. These trucks may not have access to GIS or GPS location information, making pole tags essential for proper identification and location guidance.

Although electric utilities have long utilized identification products in the field or in substations, the potential that critical information could become obscured or unreadable in a matter of years is no longer acceptable as a standard. Even when not strictly mandated, utilities that opt to use innovative products designed to last for many decades can significantly improve safety and uptime, while reducing potential liability and litigation risk.

For more information, call 1-800-221-1311; email info@techproducts.com; or visit www.techproducts.com.

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By Del Williams

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

RALEIGH, NC – February 10, 2024 – Ndustrial, the energy intensity platform for industry, announced the launch of Nsight Fleet™, a comprehensive platform for managing industrial-scale, grid-interactive transport electrification infrastructure.

Electrification is growing rapidly across industrial fleets, with the global electric commercial vehicles market projected to grow more than 23% annually to $250B by 2030. Amid that rapid expansion, fleets will require far more charging that integrates with existing routes and delivers compelling financial benefits.

Nsight Fleet is the first to enable third-party logistics (3PL) sites to provide power for refrigerated trailers from multiple carriers and suppliers, accelerating the myriad benefits of electrification across supply chains. By switching from diesel-powered TRUs to eTRUs, refrigerated fleets can reduce their on-site emissions and fuel costs by 30%.

Nsight Fleet is built on the Nsight™ Energy Intensity Platform, which boasts one of the world’s largest deployments of an energy management system for industrial facilities. The addition of Nsight Fleet empowers companies to drive down energy intensity not only in their facilities but also in their supply chains.

“Refrigerated transport is an essential part of global supply chains, keeping everything from fresh produce to vital medical supplies safe and viable,” said Ndustrial VP of Supply Chain Electrification Manuel Aguirre. “With Ndustrial’s fleet electrification solutions, companies across the cold supply chain can meaningfully cut costs and emissions without incurring any up-front cost.”

The software package is designed to provide:

Yard management and optimization solutions
Real-time charger availability at each dock door or pedestal
Automated cost allocation and billing for third-party carriers
Real-time load management to avoid excessive demand charges
Refrigerated trailer audit records to maintain compliance and ensure quality
At every point in this journey, the software is designed to augment existing processes rather than replace them, delivering greater efficiency without a large solutions upgrade.

“We never want to make someone add another step,” said Ndustrial CEO Jason Massey. “So we started by understanding each existing process and built our solution to align to those.”

“Decarbonization remains a priority for manufacturers, and fleet electrification is a major opportunity for progress,” said Alex West, senior principal analyst for Industrial IoT and Sustainability at Omdia, a global market research firm. “Data is the basis of this transformation, so companies with experience integrating with a wide variety of industrial systems are well-positioned to bring holistic solutions to this growing market.”

In addition to providing software, Ndustrial can also design, install, and manage fleet electrification infrastructure. This includes an Energy-as-a-Service option which unlocks new revenue streams for facilities with zero up-front or ongoing costs.

Many projects, such as electric Transport Refrigeration Unit (eTRU) shore power, can also be completed without exceeding existing utility service capacity. Ndustrial is already deploying eTRU infrastructure for a major client in the U.S.

The announcement comes on the heels of Ndustrial’s investment from Southwire, one of North America’s largest wire and cable manufacturers, who has an interest in helping electrify heavy-duty transport. The Southwire partnership enables Ndustrial to deploy turnkey electrification infrastructure projects at highly competitive rates.

Seguin, Texas, is an hour northeast of San Antonio and has just over 30,000 residents. The City of Seguin serves the community with electric, water, and wastewater utilities. Smart grid solutions manager John Saldana manages geographic information system (GIS) maps for the electric and water utility departments.

“If anyone needs a map for internal, nonpublic information to support utility infrastructure projects—whether it’s electric, water, or sewer—that comes from us,” Saldana said. “We are the [go-between] between utilities and the city, so we support all of their technology needs beyond the traditional IT department.” 

Seguin is experiencing solid growth as it expands toward neighboring New Braunfels, and vice versa. As farmland between the cities is developed, demand for municipal utilities is rising.

Challenge
The city wanted to accurately map existing assets prior to development to avoid construction hits. Staff also wanted to map all new construction, ensuring that field crews could easily service legacy and new assets in the new grid in the future.

“The assets are all very close in proximity to each other, so it’s important that we have the best accuracy we can,” Saldana said.

To collect location data with high accuracy, Saldana deployed four Arrow Gold Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers from Esri partner Eos Positioning Systems. The Arrow Gold receiver connects to a base station that provides real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections, allowing crews to stream survey-grade locations into ArcGIS Field Maps using iPad devices.

A man stands outside wearing a yellow visibility vest and uses surveying equipment attached to a wooden poleCity of Seguin smart grid solutions manager John Saldana maps a temporary electric meter in the Hannah Heights neighborhood. To capture the data, he’s using ArcGIS Field Maps on an iPad device, connected to an Arrow Gold GNSS receiver receiving real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections from the city’s Arrow Gold base station. Assets like these can often be close to each other, creating a need for survey-grade accuracy in staff’s mobile maps.
“Data does not exist in a silo,” Saldana said. “It’s designed to be shared, expanded upon, integrated, and consumed upstream and downstream. We keep this in mind as we’re building and capturing something as simple as a point.” Today, the City of Seguin employs one full-time data collection employee.

Solution
At city meetings, stakeholders discuss how to tie existing utilities into the municipal system and whether these require upgrades to accommodate growth. Saldana’s team then maps the utilities. During construction, the as-built drawings are mapped in real-time. This dramatically improved them. 

“When we receive a big roll of paper drawings, those are not 100 percent accurate,” Saldana said. “By going out there and validating everything ourselves, we can be sure years later [that] when we receive a call, we know where our assets are.” 

Utility data analyst Felecia Helms performs QC on the incoming data before publishing it to an enterprise GIS. Helms leads the city’s ArcGIS Utility Network migration. Previously, Saldana created Utility Network prototypes. Helms now inputs the city’s electric assets, ensures that data meets production-level standards, and migrates it to the production utility network. 

“We’re ensuring the data is correct,” Helms said. “Then we can do a full connection for our utility network to move to the next phase.”

Results
Once the migration is complete, ArcGIS Utility Network will be used to manage the entire electric system and feed the outage management system (OMS) with valuable data for proper intervention. After that, Helms will tackle the Utility Network migration for water.

Map of a power distribution substation in blue and white with asset features labeled in red and blueSeen here is the Seguin substation; collecting location data about nearby electrical assets helps Saldana and Helms identify assets that are missing on the map.
Ultimately, Saldana says, the city’s success lies in its extremely accurate GIS data powering utility services. The City of Seguin’s enterprise GIS acts as the system of record for countless downstream systems including the OMS and the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and billing systems.

“I’m passionate about traversing all these data integrations and making sure it’s accurate,” Saldana said. “People have to recognize that good asset management starts with collecting good data as step one.”

Partner
Eos Positioning Systems is the Canadian designer and manufacturer of premier, high-accuracy GNSS receivers for the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) market. Eos GNSS receivers, which include the Skadi Series and Arrow Series, provide real-time submeter-, subfoot-, and centimeter-level location accuracy into any device or app. All Eos GNSS receivers are completely device agnostic and support iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Eos also offers advanced mapping solutions—tilt compensation, underground utility mapping, and much more.