Sprinting Into An Integrated Cleantech Future
The future of transportation is electric. The future of energy is clean renewables. The future — and increasingly the present — also requires connecting these two. EDF is well on its way in this marathon into the coming decades, and I recently sat down with Raphael Declercq, Executive Vice President of Distributed Solutions at EDF Renewables North America, to talk about these matters and more. Tune in via the embedded SoundCloud player below or on Anchor, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket, Podbean, Radio Public, SoundCloud, Spotify, or Stitcher.
If you’d like a little more info on what we talked about before listening, below is a summary of the topics. First, though, here’s a bit more about Raphael and his role at EDF to add a little context:
Raphael heads up EDF Renewables North America’s Distributed Solutions business unit. Alongside the president & CEO of the company, he crafts and implements the EDF Renewables strategy in North America. “Raphael has responsibility over the teams and legal entities conducting activities at the distribution level. Through a combination of acquisitions and internal growth, Raphael had a leading role in building the commercial solar, storage and smart electric vehicle charging business of EDF Renewables. He now oversees the operations of this fast-growing part of our business. In his strategy role, he has a focus on identifying growth opportunities for EDF Renewables businesses in North America.” Sounds like quite the platter of responsibilities!
Overall, EDF Group has approximately 150,000 employees worldwide and is a ~$20 billion EBITDA company. The energy and power giant is fully focused on decarbonization in this critical realm of the economy. Most of its new investments are in renewable energy, and all of the power supply it manages is zero-emissions (the company manages France’s extensive nuclear power fleet as well as many renewable energy projects).
A key focus area or solution for EDF Renewables at the moment is PowerFlex, which combines solar PV power, energy storage, and smart EV charging for its customers. One good thing is that the company is seeing a notable increase in customer interest in these matters as a larger and larger number of major companies as well as individuals catch word of record-low solar power prices, the value of integrated energy storage, and a new era of EV competitiveness.
PowerFlex is envisioned as the “one-stop shop” for commercial and industrial customers as it relates to electrification and decarbonization of energy. EDF is focused on both developing the software for these systems and outcompeting others in the implementation/installation of large projects. It brings with it years of experience serving remote islands, as well as exclusive rights to specific Caltech (California Institute of Technology) patents related to adaptive load management. Raphael claims that all of this allows EDF to be “extremely cost competitive” — for example, when it comes to implementation of numerous charging stations at a site.
Overall, the aim of business is often to achieve your objective at the lowest cost possible, and Raphael and I dove into how the company’s extensive integration of solar, storage, and EV charging at various levels provide the ability to scale more, and thus lower overall costs. Without a doubt, I would not like to go pitch implementation of one of these things alone after EDF just pitched its integrated solution.
We circled back to a discussion of what “adaptive load management” is, why it’s so important, and how it helps EDF to serve both EV drivers and the grid. We also covered resiliency and its increasing importance for C&I (commercial & industrial) customers. This includes the rollout of microgrids and dramatically cutting the use of diesel generators in those microgrids through smarter software.
And we touched on a key to the future for EDF as well as the future of the world: recruiting very high-quality personnel to work on these kinds of clean energy solutions rather than going into the consumer/web tech world of Apple, Google, Facebook, etc.
For much more, listen to the podcast!
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.
HEP-isode 26
SOURCE | IMAGES: YMX Logistics.
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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.
You can watch the episode, below.
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Read more: Farm-fegnugen? Volkswagen rolls out an electric tractor.
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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.
Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online
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