Nextek CEO Helps Make the Case for DC Power

The use of renewable, efficient DC power is rapidly increasing in enterprise locations such as corporate, educational and government campuses, and its future in both commercial and residential applications is bright.

Nextek Power Systems CEO Paul Savage (a founding member of the EMerge Alliance®) was among the presenters in a recent webinar on “Direct DC Power Systems for Efficiency and Renewable Energy Integration.” The event was sponsored by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program.

Renewable energy accounted for 14.3 percent of the domestically produced electricity in the United States in the first six months of 2011, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly. Forecasts predict it will grow to more than 20 percent by 2030. Increased residential use could push that figure much higher, and Nextek and the companies it collaborates with are working towards both goals.

Mr. Savage spoke on Nextek’s work to develop standards for the equipment and systems that are emerging for real-world use. To see the slide presentation he offered for the webinar, visit the government’s Energy Efficient Standards web page, and scroll to “Attachments.”

The rationale for greater dependence on DC power is strong. More and more devices, ranging from computers to smart phones to appliances, incorporate semiconductors, which run only on DC power. The increased use of electric vehicles, which can be charged using DC power, adds to that use. The power loss that results from converting AC power from the electrical grid to DC is large, and the production of AC power replies heavily on depleting resources such as oil and coal. However, much DC power can be generated from renewable sources, particularly solar.

For decades, the drawback of DC power has been significant loss over even moderate transmission distances. But with the genesis of microgrid technology—small locations that produce their own power and draw from the grid (or add to it!) only when needed, the advantages of DC become clearer. Add to that advancements in storage technology, and DC power is definitely the wave of the future.

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Nextek Power Systems Participates In USGBC Upgrade

Recently, Nextek Power Systems was part of a team of companies that partnered to provide a highly efficient, low-voltage DC power grid system to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Grid systems distribute and manage low-voltage DC power to lighting fixtures, sensors and other electrical devices, and are so safe and flexible, they allow for the repurposing and reconfiguration of spaces without the need to rewire.

Because they are direct current, grid systems can utilize renewable energy sources, in particular solar. They also tie in to advanced controls and LED lighting, which makes operation of devices more energy efficient and easier to manage.

The USGBC project was a collaborative effort among Nextek and other industry leaders including Armstrong whose Ceiling & Wall Systems’ DC FlexZone Grid System was the platform for the technology. Nextek Power Systems manufactured the power supply modules for use in the system, Crestron Electronics provided lighting control systems  and TE Connectivity provided structured cabling and interconnects.

The DC FlexZone Grid System is a pre-engineered ceiling suspension system that provides a ready infrastructure for the delivery of low-voltage direct current power.

Nextek, Armstrong and their partners are all members of the EMerge Alliance®, an industry association that promotes the adoption of safe DC power distribution standards and use throughout commercial buildings.

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Microgrid Technology: Recent Improvements Spur Government and Industry to Seek Renewable Energy Solutions

Call it a quiet revolution.

Americans have been talking about lessening the nation’s dependence on oil (especially foreign-produced) since the Carter administration, but for many years, there was little advancement towards this goal. Now, recent developments in renewable energy and microgrid technology, and a presidential directive, have prompted many businesses and government agencies to undertake efforts to augment traditional power grid supplies with systems that will both save money and lessen environmental impacts.

The evidence occurs with increasing regularity. In the hospitality industry, one of the most intensive power users in the country, hundreds of hotel sites have opted to develop microgrids that incorporate solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other technologies to reduce the need for grid power. Glenn Hasak of the Green Lodging News, has listed dozens of them on his site. They range from The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne to the Lova Lava Land Eco-Resort in Hawaii.

Following President Obama’s directive to federal agencies to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years, Fort Bliss, the country’s biggest military facility, a 1.2-million acre base in West Texas and New Mexico, has awarded a $16 million contract for the construction and operation of a microgrid.

Several other military installations are looking at similar development projects. In addition to cost savings and environmental concerns, microgrid power affords some security from internet-based attacks against power utilities, an increasing concern among cyber security experts. According to the contractor, Johnson Controls, the project is expected to save Fort Bliss $39 million in energy costs over the next 24 years.

Even traditional power utilities are beginning to embrace the concept of microgrids. According to Phil Carson, of intelligentutility.com, “an increase in distributed generation in general—not just renewable energy resources—has driven interest.” Changes to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standards in 2011 also helped sway them. The companies are looking to microgrids to increase their potential power production without adding to their infrastructure.

Microgrids are becoming an increasingly popular power solution for companies, agencies and even communities. For more information regarding how a microgrid system could benefit your organization, contact Nextek Power Systems at (877) 24VOLTS or visit us at www.nextekpower.com.

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New Study Reinforces Case for DC Power Savings

Dennis Symanski of EPRI discussed a new case study on the profile for DC power distribution at the recent Data Center Efficiency Summit in San Jose, California.  At the Summit, Symanski presented results of a DC implementation in a Duke Energy data center which balanced the load across AC and DC distribution systems in the same environment. “We were trying to get as close as we could to an apples-to-apples comparison,” said Symanski, who said the DC system showed energy savings ranging between 14.9 and 15.6 percent versus AC distribution systems in multiple tests with different IT workloads.  To see the entire article and the study, click here.

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Nextek Nominated 2nd Time for World Technology Award

Nextek Power Systems, Inc. was nominated for the 2010 World Technology Award for Energy. This is the second time that Nextek has had the honor of being nominated. Nextek is one 32 international corporations nominated; the winners and finalists were announced from the stage at the World Technology Awards gala ceremony on December 1st at the Time & Life Building in NYC at the conclusion of the two-day (Nov 30 / Dec1) World Technology Summit.

This is a prestigious award and we are honored to be amongst the nominees for 2010. Past winners have included the Environmental Energy Technologies Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the winner in 2002 was Toyota Motor Corporation, for their work in hybrid vehicles. These awards are given by the World Technology Network Organization, which organizes these peer-reviewed honors with the help of major sponsors such as Microsoft, Philips, and NASDAQ.

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Nextek Philanthropy Goes Viral

As the Marketing Manager for Nextek Power Systems it is my job to market Nextek to the world, but it’s also my job to market Nextek to its employees.  What does that mean?  It means that I help create a corporate culture, so that Nextek is as welcoming, engaging, and inviting to our staff as our customers.  Nextek is grateful to be a part of the great City of Detroit, which we call home.  So we make sure that we reach out to many of the amazing organizations in the City that help its most needy citizens every day.  This month we collected money for COTS–the Coalition on Temporary Shelter.  COTS opened its doors in 1981 to help address the City’s growing homeless population.  Today, COTS manages three 24-hour facilities with a staff of more than 90 people and an annual budget in excess of $6 million.  Annually, COTS serves over 2,000 Detroit area homeless men, women and children in its emergency shelter and approximately 450 people in its transitional and permanent housing programs.

We asked the staff of Nextek to make donations specifically for children’s needs at the shelters.  Brian Noble, Nextek CFO, generously offered to match the employee collection, up to $500!  At the end of the collection period, we had collected $650 plus Brian’s $500 match for a total of $1,150!  But the giving didn’t stop there.  When COTS Chief Development Officer Trish DeWald told a mutual friend what Nextek was doing for COTS, the friend and her husband made a donation of school supplies to their back-to-school program.  And, when I told my husband what Nextek was doing for COTS, he told me that his company, Associated Community Services, has a weekly “dress down” day where the staff can pay a few dollars to wear jeans to work and each week they supported a different charity.  So, he put COTS on the list of upcoming charities to be supported!  Finally, when I told The  Nelson Foundation for Arts and Letters, a non-profit that supports arts education in Michigan, what Nextek was doing for COTS they generously granted $1,000 in arts and crafts supplies to the child care center at COTS!  All told, over $3,000 in funds and supplies will be collected for COTS because of a couple of casual conversations!

I would like to thank all of the employees of Nextek Power Systems, Rose and Gerry Gleeson, the staff of Associated Community Services, and The Nelson Foundation for Arts and Letters for all of their generosity.  Having the means to be philanthropic is a wonderful gift, to have it spread is nothing less than magical.  Nextek asks you to help spread the magic!

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CEQ Deputy Director, Gary Guzy, Visits Nextek

Deputy Director Gary Guzy and Nextek CEO discuss developments in DC power.

As part of a visit to The NextEnergy Center, Council on Environmental Quality Deputy Director, Gary Guzy, stopped by Nextek’s Detroit offices to see what innovations in DC microgrids Nextek Power Systems was developing.  He was treated to a facility tour and discussion with Nextek CEO, Paul Savage.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) coordinates Federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives.  The CEQ was established within the Executive Office of the President by Congress as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and additional responsibilities were provided by the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970.

Deputy Director Guzy’s role at the CEQ is to ensure that there is a strong scientific and legal basis for our environmental policy; making sure that the nation moves toward a greater reliance on clean energy and to increase energy security; combating global warming while growing the green economy; providing protection for public health and the environment; and protecting and restoring our great ecosystems.

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Department of Defense Selects 10 Winners from CTSI Defense Energy Challenge

Energy security and independence are two goals at the heart of the U.S. Military’s investment in clean energy technologies. With over 220 submissions, the 2011 CTSI Defense Energy Challenge has selected the top 10 technologies for presentation at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit on September 14th in Honolulu. These technologies reflect how critical clean energy is to America’s national security.  Nextek Power Systems is proud to be honored with this distinction.  The 10 winners are:

Nextek Power Systems, Inc. (Smart Grid)

Ener-G-Rotors, Inc. (Waste Heat)

California Energy & Power (Renewable Power)

Thermal Conservation Technology (Vehicle Technology)

LanzaTech, Inc. (Biofuel Technology)

ZeaChem, Inc. (Biofuel Technology)

Sempra Energy (Renewable Power)

LaserMotive (Wireless Power)

National University of Singapore (Vehicle Technology)

Seeo (Portable Energy)

To see the complete Press Release, click here.

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Nextek’s AC vs. DC Video Nominated for Prestigious AICE Award

And the winner is….

That phrase was repeated 30 times at the Association of Independent Creative Editors awards held recently in New York City.  In catagories like “Automotive”, “Comedy”, “Montage” and “Dialogue”, companies including American Express, General Motors, Coke and Adidas competed for the coveted awards.  Nextek was nominated in the “Design” catagory and although we didn’t win, it was an honor to be thought of along side AT&T and Hyundai.  Click here for a complete list of 2011 AICE Award recepients and view their videos.

The Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE) is an international association which represents the interests of independent creative editorial companies and their editors.

AICE is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of the creative editor and of the increasingly important role the creative editor plays in the media creation process. For example, more than 85% of all network television commercials edited in the United States and Canada are edited by AICE members.

With chapters in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Toronto, AICE represents a significant segment of this vibrant sector and will continue to maintain its strong collective voice in the $5 billion commercial advertising industry.

Rapid advances in editing, graphics and audio technologies have created new tools which significantly broaden and enhance the editor’s capabilities and influence. AICE members have been in the forefront of the technology expansion, researching, testing and adopting the latest tools and technologies to meet new creative challenges and opportunities.

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Department of Energy, Department of Army Announce Collaboration

“By increasing our cooperation on advanced vehicle technologies, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Army can accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies that will decrease our dependence on oil.” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Army announced a new collaboration aimed at promoting the joint development of advanced vehicle technologies. During the first-ever Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Workshop – hosted by the DOE and the Army at NextEnergy headquarters in Detroit – Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal announced the completion of a new charter that will enhance national energy security and demonstrate the Federal Government’s leadership in transitioning America to a low-carbon economy. The announcement came during the workshop, which brought together more than 80 energy leaders including Nextek Power Systems.

“Through this Alliance, we can strengthen our military, our national security and our economy. Our work together can help create a clean energy economy that will create jobs and make America more competitive.” said Chu.

Under Secretary of the Army Westphal expounded on the workshop’s purpose. “President Obama has made it clear that now is the time to secure our energy future. We must increase efficiency in Army vehicles to accomplish this vital national goal,” Westphal said. “This powerful collaboration between the Army and the Department of Energy will ultimately support our Soldiers and forces, both abroad and here at home, by providing vehicles that are lighter, more efficient, less dependent on carbon fuels, and yet survivable and sustainable. They will provide the platforms for the next generation of fighting systems that are good for the environment and still meet the Army’s military mission.”

The two-day Workshop opened with remarks and perspectives from senior leaders. Breakout sessions began mid-morning and focused on six critical areas:

  •     Advanced combustion engines and transmissions
  •     Lightweight structures and materials
  •     Energy recovery and thermal management
  •     Alternative fuels and lubricants
  •     Hybrid propulsion systems including batteries
  •     Analytical tools

More detailed workshop findings are being compiled, and an announcement of initial projects for joint consideration is expected later this summer.  Check back for further details.

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