MSL is pleased to announce that Dr. Hisham Zerriffi has joined our Advisors, further strengthening our resources focused on solutions to energy poverty and clean energy development in the emerging economies. Hisham is an Associate Professor in Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, at UBC. Hisham’s research is at the intersection of technology, energy and the environment, with a particular focus on rural areas of the developing world. (more…)
SteamaCo, a leading venture-backed microgrid monitoring and payments platform based in Kenya, has joined MSL and its efforts to drive systems-level innovation in clean “energy poverty” solutions, for those lacking dependable access to electricity. SteamaCo has built more than 30 rural microgrids throughout the developing world. The company’s technology enables microgrid owners to monitor performance remotely, and capture consumer payments via mobile phone-based payment platforms, thereby overcoming many of the major challenges of keeping rural microgrids functioning reliably and profitably.
As stated in a 2015 article in The Guardian, “This simple but fundamental transition stands to make investment in solar micro-grids a truly compelling prospect, bringing electricity to millions and giving local entrepreneurs the tools to thrive.” (more…)
MSL is very pleased to announce that HOMER Energy has joined as a Member organization. HOMER is the world’s leading microgrid modeling software company. The HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) microgrid software navigates the complexities of building cost effective and reliable microgrids that combine traditionally generated and renewable power, storage, and load management. With over 145,000 users in 193 countries, HOMER is the established global leader for microgrid design optimization and feasibility, and HOMER Energy is a nexus for the microgrid market.
MSL and HOMER will explore several areas of immediate and longer-term collaboration, utilizing their respective networks and core competencies. In particular, there are many aspects of workforce training and professional certification across geographical ares that are an increasingly important ecosystem factor. With its partner Santa Fe Community College, MSL will work with HOMER to develop an effective training capacity, and the modeling software will be incorporated into the microgrid curriculum at SFCC. (more…)
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is collaborating with MSL and Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) in their efforts to develop an advanced campus-wide microgrid for training, research, and testing and validation. NREL is a member of MSL, and SFCC is a founding MSL partner with responsibility for workforce and professional development initiatives.
The campus microgrid will be a state-of-the-art facility, unique among community colleges and comparable to university campus installations, with an emphasis on supporting the college’s educational mission, sustainability goals, operational efficiencies, and MSL’s strategic objectives. It will link existing assets, including a 1.5 megawatt photovoltaic array and a district heating and cooling system, with new technology that is capable of demonstrating the full range of advanced microgrid functionality. (more…)
Kurt Yeager, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), has joined MSL as an Advisor. During his distinguished career at EPRI, he led the development of the Electricity Technology Roadmap and the Electricity Sector Framework for the Future. Following his tenure at EPRI, he led the Galvin Electricity Initiative, and has also worked with the MITRE Corporation, the EPA Office of Research, and the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), for which he was the convening lead author for the Global Energy Assessment. (more…)
MSL Managing Director David Breecker has been asked to serve on two of the Working Groups (the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy group, and the Finance group) supporting the City of Santa Fe’s Climate Action Task Force. In addition, Randy Grissom, President of MSL partner Santa Fe Community College, is a member of the Task Force.
On Monday, November 3, Mayor Javier M. Gonzales hosted the city’s first-ever Climate Action Summit, which examined the city’s efforts and progress in the areas of water, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation. The mayor was joined by members of the Task Force, whose mission is to counsel and advise the mayor on the types of strategies and programs the city should undertake to create a healthier and more resilient community by protecting the environment.
City staff presented to the Mayor and Task Force a host of sustainability metrics and data within each program topic, and discussed short and long-term projects and goals designed to continue making progress in each of those areas. The various Working Groups are charged with engaging and leveraging the vast technical expertise in the community in support of the City’s goals, which include the formation of a public utility capable of delivering advanced energy solutions. (more…)
In support of its human factors work on the DOE-India microgrid pilot feasibility study, MSL convened a cross-sector workshop of a dozen experts drawn from a broad range of relevant disciplines and on-the-ground experience. The highly successful workshop was co-facilitated and hosted by the Santa Fe Art Institute (an affiliate of MSL partner institution the Santa Fe Innovation Park) and its director Sanjit Sethi, an expert in “design thinking” and its application to many problem-solving settings. It featured a user-centered design approach to the Human, Social, and Cultural (“HSC”) factors bearing on successful technology and energy projects in rural community settings. Joining Sanjit in leading the session were MSL General Manager David Breecker, and Christian Casillas, who recently completed his Ph.D. at the Energy and Resources Group of the University of California, Berkeley. Christian did his field work in community participatory energy planning in Nicaragua, and also has practical experience in India. (more…)
