How Could Distributed Energy Resources Disrupt Utilities?
05/02/18
“Will big utilities face a compromised future from distributed energy resources?”
Ever since the dawn of the grid utility companies have reigned supreme. But with the advent of distributed energy resources, this all might change. Now that many individuals are achieving grid defection, they no longer have any use for a utility. If the cost of battery storage collapses and energy efficiency has a paradigm shift, this could spell massive disruption for these traditional companies. They might even have to watch out for their survival.
“What is the state of Solar Energy in the traditional Southern United States?”
When people think of solar energy in the United States, they typically think of traditional powerhouse states like California and Massachusetts. However, the Southeastern states, commonly referred to as “The South”has some of the most abundant solar resources in the entire nation. So while it would be logical for these states to be in the lead of the future energy paradigm, many of them are actually lagging far behind the national average, save for North Carolina. The reason? Outdated grid technology and regulatory policies keep solar from being incentivized. However, once the South can solve these problems, it will become a distributed energy behemoth to be reckoned with.
Renewables Provided 98 percent of all New U.S Generating Capacity
04/30/18
“Is it true that 98 percent of all newly generated energy in the U.S now comes from renewables?”
Some astonishing news has just come out. In a recent report by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC), 98 percent of all new energy generating infrastructure built in the U.S during the first two months of the year came from renewable sources! This is a massive step forward for sustainability and shows current administrations the power of renewable energy.
How Climate Change Will Affect Renewable Energy Adoption in the Caribbean
04/26/18
“How will the Caribbean renewable energy adopters react to climate change?”
Climate change is affecting the world everywhere, but the Caribbean might be one of the most impacted. Their scattered geography makes them reliant on oil imports for energy, only further exacerbated by their aged grid systems in drastic need of repair. Climate change threatens to destroy the livelihood of these nations with worsening rainstorms and hurricanes, as seen in Puerto Rico. Caribbean policymakers are taking proactive measures to prevent further catastrophes by installing distributed renewable energy to increase their nation’s climate resiliency.
“How can we build products so that they work as a general function?”
In the past, most products were built to a user’s specifications. However, many are now built with general guidelines and then sold to a company. These are known as turnkey projects and are prominent in the solar industry.
Most of the time, when we think of electricity distribution, we think of overground cables. However, sometimes cables can be laid underground. This allows for an area to have a better aesthetic and the wires to be less prone to earthquakes, wind, or malfunctioning. On the flipside, doing so is much more expensive and difficult.
“How can we make an Op-Amp amplifier without inverting the output?”
Inverting Op-Amps are great for changing the sign of a signal, However, sometimes we would like to simply amplify instead of invert. So how can we accomplish this using our engineering mindset? Well, What if we were to simply reverse the inputs to the op-amp? That way, we can create a Non-Inverting Op Amp, whose gain is represented by 1+R2/R1, with R2 being the second resistor and R1 being the first.
Solar energy is growing at a rate that makes the adoption of computer technology look feeble. However, with this increased adoption comes increased instabilities, such as extreme variability in power generation. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, we know that if we were to add something to dampen the sudden influx of energy, we can smoothen out operations. So what if we were to add a form of Ramp Rate Control through techniques such as batteries and control strategies? Well, it turns out that this is the exact idea behind many modern grid control strategies.
“How can we compare two different voltage levels using an Op-Amp?”
Machines often have a multitude of sensors. And sometimes we would like to compare different values from these inputs to see which is larger. So how can we do this on the circuit itself? Well, we know that Op-Amps can handle two inputs at a time. And we also know that the type of values provided into the input will affect the output of the Op-Amp. So what if we were to use an Op-Amp that would output a voltage level to compare the two inputs? Well, this is known as an electronic comparator and is a fundamental of mechatronic systems.
Isaac's Science Blog 