SEPTA Wins State Environmental Award

SEPTA Wins State Environmental Award

An innovative program to save energy and produce revenue by capturing the power generated by rapid transit trains as they brake has earned SEPTA the state’s highest honor for commitment to the environment.

At yesterday’s SEPTA board meeting, the state Department of Environmental Protection bestowed the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence t0 the agency for its wayside energy storage project at the Griscom substation on the Market-Frankford Line. The Griscom storage facility was the second such battery installation on the line; the success of this facility and an earlier one at Letterly substation led SEPTA to expand the program systemwide and add a revenue-producing power management component to it in partnership with Viridity Energy, which sells excess storage capacity to the PJM Interconnection power pool when needed.

SEPTA, Constellation, and Viridity Energy Announce 8.75-Megawatt Energy Storage Project

SEPTA, Constellation, and Viridity Energy Announce 8.75-Megawatt Energy Storage Project

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A battery storage network, which captures and reuses the energy created by braking subway cars, will help Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) reduce operating costs, ensure energy resiliency, and support the stability of the electrical grid.

“Our ground-breaking regenerative braking pilot at SEPTA proved that energy storage can be used by transit systems to create substantial cost savings, generate revenue, and contribute to sustainability goals”

Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, will fund, own, and operate the 8.75-megawatt battery storage network, deployed at seven SEPTA substations. The network is designed to use stored energy to power trains as they accelerate from stations and can provide emergency generation for trains in the event of a power outage. An expansion of SEPTA’s 1.8 MW battery storage pilot program completed in 2014, the new network brings the agency’s total battery storage capacity to more than 10 MW.

“SEPTA’s Sustainability Program is all about finding and deploying cutting-edge innovations to reduce costs in addition to improving environmental performance. This project is right in that sustainability sweet spot, and we are pleased to partner with Constellation and Viridity in bringing it to market right here in the Philadelphia region, an emerging hub for innovative energy projects,” said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel.

Half Moon Ventures Selects Viridity Energy to Operate Largest Solar + Storage Project in Continental U.S.

Half Moon Ventures Selects Viridity Energy to Operate Largest Solar + Storage Project in Continental U.S.

Viridity Energy, a leading software technology company focused on total energy management, announced today that it has been selected to operate the largest solar + storage project to be constructed in the United States. The Village of Minster, Ohio is developing a 4.2MW solar array paired with a 7.5MW storage system, integrated by S&C Electric. Energy produced by the solar array will be stored in batteries and deployed by Viridity’s market operations center in high-value applications that keep the grid in balance and provide back-up power support.

New York Microgrid Demonstration Project Uses Low-Cost Storage

New York Microgrid Demonstration Project Uses Low-Cost Storage

A New York microgrid demonstration project will use an energy storage system from Eos Energy that the company describes as the lowest-cost battery storage on the market. The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority awarded Eos Energy $750,000 to support production, installation and demonstration of the 250 kW, 1000 kWh battery energy storage system that will be used in Wappingers Falls microgrid.

The Future of Energy

The Future of Energy

WITH ENTERGY’S recent decision to close the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, New England has an opportunity to increase the supply of clean energy to the region. The Pilgrim closure is part of an array of market and environmental pressures that are shutting down the oil, coal, and nuclear plants that have sustained the region for years.

Wants Versus Needs: The Struggle to Realize New York’s Energy Vision

Wants Versus Needs: The Struggle to Realize New York’s Energy Vision

In 2009, National Grid chose ABB for a SCADA/EMS system that would allow for more modern and integrated visibility into its electric transmission and distribution networks in Massachusetts and New York. Earlier this year, the system went into service. An outage management system that was expected to be operational in New York in 2013 is now slated for early 2016.

Eos Energy Storage Raises $23 Million to Support Manufacturing of Grid-Scale Batteries and Fulfillment of 3,000 MWh of Qualified Pre-Orders

Eos Energy Storage today announced a final closing of a $23 million Round C equity financing, supporting commercial launch of the company’s grid-scale battery technology. The round was led by AltEnergy LLC, an energy technology and infrastructure investment firm. Other investors included major strategic partners such as OCI and nearly all of Eos’s prior investors including NRG Energy and Fisher Brothers, a New York-based real-estate firm. The funding will accelerate the company’s transition to commercial manufacturing and product sales and deliveries.