Microgrids are all the rage, and they have been for a few years. Who doesn’t like the idea of a little self-sustainable, independent grid that ropes in solar power, wind power, battery energy storage, EV charging stations and perhaps a tad of some other less common electricity solutions? It sounds simple: tie them all together and make sure they’re working intelligently to constantly supply energy to the people and businesses who need it.
Of course, when it comes to turning an idea into action, things can get a lot more complicated than they look on the surface. Microgrids are often more complicated and challenging to implement than they look on paper. Also, if someone builds such a system, it is evident they’d like to get their money back on it and then make a profit. Trying to forecast whether that will happen and how to make it happen is even more complicated.
Michael Stadler and Adib Naslé published an article in the academic journal The Electricity Journal a couple of years ago, “Planning and Implementation of Bankable Microgrids,” laying out the “multiple, complex steps and software tools” that were available for implementing and evaluating microgrid projects at the time. A key conclusion: “Existing techniques treat every Microgrid project as a unique system, resulting in expensive, non-standardized approaches and implementations which cannot be reliably compared. That is, it is not possible to correlate the results from different planning methods performed by different project developers and/or engineering companies.” The industry has been lacking uniform approaches and evaluation systems to plan and optimize microgrid systems efficiently and at scale.
Furthermore, the planning and evaluation systems in place were not set up to be easily understandable and usable by different key players in developing, investing in, financing, or approving microgrids. The authors write, “For this sophisticated engineering task, tools and models are needed that can include GridLAB-D (GridLab-D, 2017) […] or OpenDSS, designed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 1997–2018). Some of these analyses introduce considerable complexities and need an engineering background, limiting the usability for certain stakeholders such as bankers, investors, or real estate companies. Furthermore, most of the time, the technical design process (cable and transformer sizing) is completely decoupled from the conceptual design (selecting and placing technologies), and no integration exists, obstructing any data flow. This is especially problematic when the technical design reveals issues with the underlying conceptual design, leading to unplanned engineering time and costs.”
What is their solution? A unified software system with integrated design stages and a user-friendly experience that allows anyone from bankers to engineers to plan, visualize, and optimize a project. And that’s what these guys are now offering through XENDEE — “one single platform, allowing multiple views, complexity levels, and details depending on the user class, i.e., engineer versus financier versus construction consultants.” In fact, XENDEE’s software platform recently won the prestigious 2021 Edison Gold Award in Human Critical Infrastructure. Here’s a video overview, but I’ll cover some of the core company highlights below if you’re not keen on watching the full rundown:
XENDEE describes their platform as a “streamlined interface” that “removes traditional technical barriers and enables new users from business, sales, financial and engineering backgrounds to accurately screen Microgrid investment opportunities in minutes.” This speed and efficiency in validating projects can also be a big deal for companies and government organizations looking to scale microgrid projects faster and further.
Image credit: Xendee
An important element — perhaps the key element — here is that funding institutions and engineers/developers can use the XENDEE platform together to optimize both technical and financial goals. “Additionally, our physically-based economic decision support system couples financial optimization with detailed electrical power system analysis to verify resilience and financial viability before the first cable is laid.”
Image credit: Xendee
You don’t have the technicians looking at one thing, the finance people looking at something else, and a person or team in the middle trying to understand both and translate as needed. Using an old cliche, you don’t end up trying to stuff a square block into a circular hole — and ending up with hair on the floor from frustration and failure.
“XENDEE’s immersive user experience and generative design optimization technology considers millions of possibilities and autonomously creates the optimal Microgrid system, investment thesis, and control strategy that best meets your customer’s envisioned benefits and goals in minutes.”
Naturally, this is marketing talk and pretty pictures of an attractive software platform. The proof is in the pudding. Does this work as eloquently explained? Well, you can’t confirm that without trying it out, and we’d recommend scheduling a product demonstration with a member of the XENDEE team using this link. If your mouth is starting to water and you’re in this industry, note that XENDEE highlights and summarizes four key stages where its software can be used to optimize time efficiency and cost efficiency: 1) Client Feasibility Study, 2) Custom Tailored Bankability Study, 3) Balance of System Engineering Analysis, 4) Implementation Management.
1. Client Feasibility Study
XENDEE’s immersive user experience and generative design optimization technology considers millions of possibilities. It autonomously creates the optimal Microgrid system, investment thesis, and control strategy that best meets your customer’s envisioned benefits and goals — in minutes.
Image credit: Xendee
2. Custom Tailored Bankability Study
Enrich feasibility studies with highly detailed modeling features that capture almost any imaginable scenario. Then let XENDEE’s unique bankability analysis capabilities generate custom-built solutions optimized to your customer’s exact objectives and needs with unmatched accuracy and speed.
Image credit: Xendee
3. Balance of System Engineering Analysis
Accurately determine Balance of System (BOS) costs with XENDEE’s integrated power system one-line diagram, time-series power flow, and transient stability analyses. Easily optimize the size of cables, transformers and other components required to ensure safe and reliable operation.
Image credit: Xendee
Finally, XENDEE’s custom-tailored project management information system delivers a centralized and straightforward cloud-based solution to instantly identify problems and determine project status. Deviations from the plan are highlighted and indicate effects on the overall project delivery timeline.
Image credit: Xendee
One of the greatest things we can do worldwide to facilitate the use of clean energy and reduce carbon emissions is to more quickly and efficiently roll out distributed energy microgrid solutions. I hope to see XENDEE’s platform get into the hands of many more developers, engineers, government officials, and financiers in order to help achieve that. I have not seen a comparably compelling platform in my years of covering this sector — with the caveat being that I also haven’t personally developed or financed a microgrid project, so can only provide this top-level view of this solution and the microgrid world as a whole.
Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.
As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.
“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”
This Orange looks good in blue
One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).
“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”
We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.
On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.
We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.
The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.
Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.
Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.
The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.
“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”
The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.
Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.
Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.
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