Watch On-Demand
This year’s Distributed Energy Experience delivered in-depth content, industry experts, and interactive experiences as we discussed how distributed energy leads generational change.
Learn how to take control of your energy future at the only event (now available on-demand!) focused on helping you manage and navigate the rapid growth of decentralized, distributed power generation.
AGENDA
The Distributed Energy Experience provided new perspectives on the relationship between distributed energy power generators and their customers across the commercial and industrial, campus energy, and district energy landscape. It also featured discussions of new distributed energy technologies such as nuclear microreactors, the rise of energy storage, and advancements in wind and solar.
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All sessions are available on-demand.
DEC Digital | DEC Experience Week: Oct 18 | Oct 19 | Oct 20 | Oct 21
DEC Digital
Wednesday, July 1
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Microgrids--Development and Design
Today's microgrids contain a variety of technologies, with control systems as varied as the locations in which the microgrids are deployed. This discussion will include details about designing microgrids for efficiency and resiliency, including specifics for commercial building managers about how to evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected solar PV, wind, and battery storage at a site, as well as how to identify system sizes and battery dispatch strategies to minimize energy costs. It also will provide information about determining how long a system for backup power can sustain critical load during a grid outage. Our panel of experts also will discuss how to use renewable resources, along with battery energy storage systems (BESS) and indigenous clean energy (ICE), to build an islanded microgrid.
Wednesday, July 29
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Finding the Best Fit for Your C&I Project
So your business wants to control energy costs by producing its own power? The possibilities for commercial and industrial projects may not be endless, but there's plenty of variety to go around. Experts in the design and development of C&I generation projects will discuss the benefits, value, and challenges of combined heat and power (CHP) systems, the different types of heat recovery systems, and how decentralized power can overcome infrastructure deficiencies through the integration of various thermal and renewable energy solutions.
Wednesday, August 12
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Utility Integration of Distributed Energy Resources
Utilities are no longer spectators when it comes to distributed energy. Large-scale power generators are retooling their business models to embrace distributed energy resources (DERs) as power market participants, as utilities take ownership of behind-the-meter DERs. Experts familiar with how utilities can take advantage of distributed generation will discuss this trend, including the nexus of utility remuneration and DER provision of grid services.
Wednesday, September 2
2:00 pmto 3:00 pm
Making Distributed Generation Part of Your Sustainability Strategy
This DEC Digital event features a discussion of mechanisms available to develop a distributed generation project and make it part of a sustainable energy plan for your business. The market for distributed generation is growing, and major utility and corporate entities are entering the sector, as they look for ways to secure more reliable, resilient, and cost-effective power. Our panel will look at how your business can benefit from distributed energy, including the use of tax equity to support the project and attract investors. Our experts will discuss site feasibility, land acquisition, and title due diligence for investment and financing. They will look at the importance of clean energy, and how government and private money can realistically work hand-in-hand for sustainability.
Wednesday, September 16
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Realizing the Investment Potential of Your Distributed Generation Project
This DEC Digital event features a discussion of different ways to realize the full investment potential of your distributed generation project. There are many ways to approach financing in today's market, and our panel will provide insight into strategies such as tax equity, along with outlining unique incentives for developing on undervalued land, including brownfields or landfills. Distributed generation is a multi-trillion-dollar market, and the group also will discuss key considerations as you begin to navigate the different finance mechanisms.
DEC Experience Week
Monday, October 19
9:30 amto 9:45 am
Welcome
10:00 amto 11:30 am
Financing Your Distributed Energy Project
A successful distributed energy project relies on the right financing mechanisms. Solar and storage developers must know what terms to seek out in order to best fund their projects, and clean energy investors need a nuanced understanding of the industry to achieve long-term, stable returns. During this panel, experts from legal, finance, development and consulting industries will deliver insights and real-world examples about how to best finance a distributed energy project. Panelists will discuss: · How to get comfortable with the merchant aspect of storage · How to structure and manage a solar project to ensure financeability · How to fully integrate solar+storage solutions to minimize technology risk · The nuances of applying a PPA+ to solar+storage projects
1:00 pmto 2:30 pm
SMRs and Microreactors - A New Player in Distributed Generation
Nuclear energy is being explored as a way to provide more access to electricity in remote areas, including populations of developing nations. Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors are being developed with the ability to power entire communities and industrial complexes, with some designs capable of meeting the energy needs of forward-operating military bases and commercial enterprises in locations far from the power grid.
2:45 pmto 4:15 pm
Beneficial Electrification
The world is electrifying, replacing the burning of fossil fuels with battery storage and other technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production of electricity. Beneficial electrification includes applications to benefit the environment, save consumers money, improve product quality and quality of life, and foster a more robust and resilient power grid. There are many opportunities for electrification across the residential, commercial and industrial, transportation, and agricultural sectors.
4:30 pmto 5:30 pm
Storage Leads the Charge for Generational Change
The growth of renewable energy and distributed generation is tied to the use of energy storage, which supports the deployment of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar power. Storage enables energy to be saved and then dispatched as needed, opening new market opportunities and putting storage at the hub of centralized and distributed generation ecosystem. Increased deployment of storage projects will help drive the energy sector's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Policies that help storage also bolster renewable resources, so state and federal policies supporting storage are key to the future of reliable and resilient clean energy.
Tuesday, October 20
9:00 amto 9:45 am
State of the Industry--How Distributed Energy is Creating Generational Change
Technologies supporting distributed power generation are advancing at a rapid pace, transforming traditional electricity production. This keynote address from Woody Rubin, president of AES Distributed Energy, will discuss the increasing adoption of energy storage, not only its pairing with solar and wind power, but also how it is being used to firm up renewable dispatch and enhance grid reliability. Woody will talk about how commercial and industrial enterprises are using distributed generation to control their energy costs, including examples from existing C&I projects, and he also will touch on the rise of community solar projects, enabling renewable energy benefits for a wider population. He also will offer insight into how government policies--both in the U.S. and internationally--will impact the future of distributed energy.
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Recognizing the Value of Reliability and Resilience
A key element of distributed generation is its ability to provide reliable, resilient electricity. This session provides insight into how businesses and utilities value access to electricity in the wake of extreme weather events and other anomalies.
11:15 amto 12:15 pm
Initiatives, Investment from Utilities in Distributed Generation
Businesses that need to minimize or eliminate power outages, and want control of their energy costs, increasingly turn to distributed energy solutions. We will explore the technical, regulatory, and business model evolutions that are powering the new energy landscape.
1:00 pmto 2:30 pm
Virtual Power Plants and Their Role in Grid Management
A virtual power plant is a network of decentralized, medium-scale power generating units such as wind farms, solar parks, and combined heat and power (CHP) units, as well as flexible power consumers and storage systems. The virtual power plant (VPP) model of DER aggregation and optimization is spreading around the globe to respond to the need for increased grid reliability and to lower the cost of renewable energy integration.
Wednesday, October 21
9:00 amto 9:45 am
Clean Energy and the Economic Recovery
Strong commitments to growing the adoption of renewable energy can help cities and states recover from the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's important that developers of solar power and other renewable energy projects build relationships with business owners, and their local and national representatives, to help shape and influence government policies around clean power generation. More green stimulus programs are needed to help rebuild the economy, bring more job opportunities, and support growth within the solar power and clean energy sectors.
10:00 amto 11:00 am
Fuel for Thought--The Technologies of Backup Power
The importance of backup power systems is recognized each time extreme weather or other events disrupt the transmission of electricity. Diesel and gas-powered generators continue to be the main suppliers of backup power, but solar-powered and battery energy storage units are becoming more prevalent in commercial and residential settings. This session looks at how new technologies are improving the efficiency of backup power systems, including black-start capability, battery storage in conjunction with generators, and recycled batteries to support microgrid installations.
11:15 amto 12:15 pm
Fuel for Thought--The Economics of Backup Power
A backup power system, ready to be deployed in the event of an emergency or other event, must be cost-effective in addition to supplying a reliable and resilient source of electricity. The many technologies used in backup power systems all come with different costs of ownership and operation, an important consideration when choosing which technology is the best for your business' situation across different run-time scenarios.
1:00 pmto 2:30 pm
Microgrid Design and Implementation
Microgrids offer an "all of the above" approach to distributed generation, incorporating a variety of technologies into their design. This session looks at how microgrid design continues to evolve, including the use of renewable power sources, fuel cells, battery energy storage, diesel and gas generator sets, microturbines, and other technologies.
Thursday, October 22
9:00 amto 10:00 am
Making Your Business Sustainable
Many businesses are embracing distributed generation when it comes to making their operations more environmentally friendly and socially conscious, while still keeping an eye on the bottom line. But how does a business decide on its energy sources, and who determines whether a goal--such as 100% use of renewable energy--is feasible? Experts discuss their strategies for business practices, including creative financing mechanisms, based on the use of distributed energy to control electricity costs and bring their sustainability goals to fruition.
10:15 amto 11:15 am
District and Campus Energy--A Cool Way to Bring the Heat
District and campus energy systems are an efficient way to heat and cool multiple buildings in a specific area. Systems are in use to power downtown business districts, industrial complexes and other commercial areas, and to serve hospitals, military bases, colleges and universities, and more. The application has been in practice for years, but new technologies such as thermal heat storage are bringing district energy to new areas, as more cities and commercial and industrial sites look to control their energy costs and power reliability.
11:30 amto 12:30 pm
Microreactors--The Next Big Thing
This session will look at the potential for small nuclear reactors to expand distributed generation by powering remote communities and providing more access to electricity for those in developing nations. Microreactors also could power forward-operating military bases, and commercial enterprises in locations far from the power grid.
1:00 pmto 2:00 pm
Energy Storage Changes the Game
Analysts have said energy storage could be a $600-billion-plus industry in the next two decades. It holds the promise of dramatically increasing the adoption of renewable resources for power generation, with an ability to store excess wind and solar power to enhance the economics of those projects. Many renewable energy projects, in addition to microgrids, are incorporating storage into their design. This session looks at the impact of energy storage on the power landscape and its role in distributed generation, including a look at how storage can improve the resilience of the power grid.