Become a PUF Member Organization

Distributed Generation & Microgrids

Not Economically Viable? Wrestling With Market-Based Cogeneration

Elimination of the utility must-purchase obligation can lead to unanticipated consequences.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 adds a new section of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978. Section 210(m) of PURPA now provides for the termination of an electric utility’s obligation to purchase energy and capacity from qualifying cogeneration facilities if FERC finds certain conditions are met.

Byline: 

Cliff Rochlin

Read Entire Article

Distributed Generation: Hastening Genco Obsolescence?

DER: This final installment of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's series on distributed energy resources investigates efficiency, the environment, and generation displacement.

Do distributed energy resources result in more pollution, or less? Our final installment of the series from Oak Ridge National Laboratory answers the question.
Byline: 

S. W. Hadley, T. K. Stovall

Read Entire Article

Are Distributed Energy Resources Gaining Traction?

A 10-year horizon: 2005 - 2015.

What does the current landscape look like for distributed energy resources? What applications and business models are being pursued by leading companies, and where can we expect to find DER in the next 10 years – in 2015?
Byline: 

Dan Rastler

Read Entire Article

Distributed Generation: Hype vs. Hope

Separating myth from reality in identifying DG applications.

Technological breakthroughs in distributed generation have not materialized as quickly as expected. Furthermore, manufacturers have continued to improve traditional generation technologies. So what role can DG play?
Byline: 

Jonathan A. Lesser, Ph.D. and Charles D. Feinstein, Ph.D.

Read Entire Article

Forget Black Gold or Texas Tea …

From Malibu to Beverly Hills, they all want a personal generator.

While it may not be the end-all, fix-all solution for the California energy crunch, many individuals have found that the use of personal generators is definitely worthwhile, particularly when it comes to keeping cool.
Byline: 

Jay S. Polachek

Read Entire Article

Saving California with Distributed Generation

A crash program to use small, standby diesel generators to keep the lights on.

Fire up all the small, diesel-powered emergency generating units already installed on site in California. It would erase the power shortage, but it won’t happen without changing the way we think about unit dispatch.
Byline: 

Mark B. Lively

Read Entire Article