Sessions

Session will provide current economic and operational challenges for the growing stationary energy storage industry, starting with the early project development work around utility interconnect and project siting then transitioning into engineering and major equipment procurement and contracting for construction, commissioning and asset management.  Current inflationary and global supply constraints will be discussed and potential pathways for returning to pre-COVID cost reduction projections and moving down the $/kWh cost curve for standalone energy storage projects.  Projections for technology improvements, reliability and lifecycle gains and energy density improvements for future assets will be addressed.  

Long Term Service Agreements for gas turbines stand as one of the most critical and complex documents underlying any gas-fired power project. Three trends have emerged that will shape any new or re-negotiated LTSA: (1) contracts have continued to evolve with suppliers taking more risk and extending coverages (2) competition among LTSA providers is increasing with OEMs moving beyond their own equipment to service other manufacturers and (3) renewable energy is poised to reverse the trend of principally base load gas turbine operation. What does this mean for an owner? First, any new contract or renewal should be benchmarked and bid to multiple providers and second, the contracts should allow for changes in operation. With many original 501 and F-Class LTSAs reaching expiration or renewal points, there is a strong "Buyer's market" for turbine owners. Turbine owners now have many options and unprecedented bargaining power, but with those options, increased effort is required to build the bid package, assure an effective supplier to supplier comparison, and to extract the maximum supplier value from the marketplace. Even if the Owner remains under contract with its current LTSA provider, the competitive review undertaken as part of an RFP will enable the Owner to understand and address both current and developing market trends. As part of the RFP process, the Owner will want to put itself in a position to effectively evaluate a number of considerations, including: - How does an Owner elicit from the marketplace additional options and enhanced coverages that may now be available? - How does an Owner determine which type of program is best for its future needs? - How does one design an RFP program that adeptly communicates the desired coverage in a unified manner that will be equally understood across all potential vendors? - Does the RFP properly cost effectively address significant part load or cyclic operation resulting from increased renewable generation? Is this operation reflected in Owner cost projections? - Should the RFP include an LTSA Term Sheet or a full-blown LTSA contract, and why? What are the pros and cons of each approach? - If an LTSA Term Sheet is used as part of the RFP, what are the key provisions that should be covered? And what major issues must Owners anticipate will be the subject of intense negotiation?

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.

Over the past decade, the United States has been transitioning electric generation from a predominately coal-fired generating fleet to a natural gas-fired and renewable portfolio. This is certainly the case in the wind-rich areas of the Midwest and Texas. While certainly producing more emissions, coal-fired resources did have two distinct advantages for providing reliable electricity: 1) a fuel source that had few competing uses and 2) a long-term, economical storage method for fuel. The power generation portfolio is becoming much more based on intermittent renewables and just-in-time fuel based natural gas-fired resources. A vast majority of the time, the natural gas production and delivery system can meet the needs of customers. However, in mid-February of 2021 Winter Storm Uri show us the vulnerability of the electric system. The system was not prepared to respond to such high demands in such extreme cold temperatures. At best, power generators received natural gas priced at 8 to 10 times normal pricing. At worst, natural gas was curtailed to many generators and they were unable to produce electricity when their customers needed it most. The result…prolonged rolling brown outs. Power generators needed firm, on-site fuel. This presentation will discuss 1) the options available for providing firm fuel backup at gas-fired power plants (ex., fuel oil, LNG, propane) for both existing and new power plants, 2) the advantages and challenges associated with each option, and 3) a cost-benefit evaluation comparing costs and market revenues.

Initiate is the hub at DISTRIBUTECH to hear about new technology, innovation, and up and coming talent in the energy sector. There will be 25 amazing startup companies pitching for a chance to win an award from Duke Energy and Clarion Energy Events. Stop by booth #3755 on the POWERGEN side to hear pitches and content centered around energy innovation.

Company	Booth Number
UBC Millwrights	5117
WEG Electric Motors	5025
S T Cotter Turbine Services Inc.	4139
Industronic Inc	4333
Tuff Tube Transition	4765

Join your colleagues for a drink on the exhibit floor! Thanks to our sponsors there will be bars available throughout the exhibit hall located at each sponsor's booth.

The reliability of remote, auxiliary, and standby power generation stations has become increasingly important due to the increased usage. A systems health can now be monitored in real time without the need of an increase in filed technician labor. This presentation introduces the recent advances in equipment condition monitoring technology that will allow you to be continuously aware of your systems performance as well as indications of emerging problems.

Refrigerated C&I warehouses spend over $40 billion on electricity annually and energy often accounts for up to 70% of the total electric bill at cold storage facilities. Low-temperature cold storage facilities have the highest demand per cubic foot of any industrial load and consume more energy than any usage category other than lighting and HVAC. Long-duration Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology sits behind the meter and leverages the heat transference properties of phase change material and intelligent controls to reduce energy consumption and shift the demand for ~13 hours daily while better maintaining stable freezer temperatures.  This presentation will discuss energy demand in cold storage facilities, the benefits of TES for warehouses, the grid, and utilities, and cover incentive programs.

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.

Dominion Energy Innovation Center's DEIC Accelerate program introduced 15 startups to dozens of business units across Dominion Energy in its first two years. In this session, Adam Sledd of DEIC and Michael Beiro of Linebird will discuss how the program creates value for both the utility and the startups.  They will cover how a startup can maximize its opportunity to quickly build customer relationships, and how the utility benefits from creating a formal framework to engage startup companies.