Emerson Exchange 365

Alternative Energy Blog

353 posts

Protecting Critical Infrastructure: NERC CIP-015-01 and Internal Network Security Monitoring (INSM) 14 days ago
Power Blog

87 posts

Renewables Growing Faster than Expected over 10 years ago

Blog - Post List

Alternative Energy Blog: Ask the Expert: Your burning questions about frequency and inertia for renewables and Inverter-Based Resources

Jim Cahill

Meeting local and national CO 2 emission goals and responding to social pressures related to global warming are primary factors driving decarbonization efforts in the energy industry across the world. At the same time, electricity demand is growing across the board. Together, decarbonization and increasing demand are creating a challenging environment for organizations tasked with ensuring grid resiliency. Efficient…
- 28 Feb 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: Redefining AI: Turning Analytic Insights into Actionable Intelligence

Jim Cahill

Analytics using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) presents a massive opportunity, but also confusion. Where to start? How to start? What models to apply where? What types of problems can analytics solve? Advanced analytics can transition power producers from a reactive operations and maintenance approach to a predictive or prognostic strategy. This actionable intelligence—built directly into the…
- 14 Feb 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: Redefining AI: Turning Analytic Insights into Actionable Intelligence

Jim Cahill

Analytics using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) presents a massive opportunity, but also confusion. Where to start? How to start? What models to apply where? What types of problems can analytics solve? Advanced analytics can transition power producers from a reactive operations and maintenance approach to a predictive or prognostic strategy. This actionable intelligence—built directly into the…
- 14 Feb 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: Redefining AI: Turning Analytic Insights into Actionable Intelligence

Jim Cahill

Analytics using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) presents a massive opportunity, but also confusion. Where to start? How to start? What models to apply where? What types of problems can analytics solve? Advanced analytics can transition power producers from a reactive operations and maintenance approach to a predictive or prognostic strategy. This actionable intelligence—built directly into the…
- 14 Feb 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: Weighing Your Wind Turbine Options: Retrofit, Replace or Repair?

Jim Cahill

I’m often asked about how much impact wind turbine control retrofits can have on overall operations, and how they stack up against replacement or repair. It’s simple: they can be a very cost-effective way to positively affect the performance and reliability of a single wind turbine, multiple turbines within a wind farm and fleets of multiple wind farms. Pros and cons at a glance As wind turbines age and become less…
- 30 Jan 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: Weighing Your Wind Turbine Options: Retrofit, Replace or Repair?

Jim Cahill

I’m often asked about how much impact wind turbine control retrofits can have on overall operations, and how they stack up against replacement or repair. It’s simple: they can be a very cost-effective way to positively affect the performance and reliability of a single wind turbine, multiple turbines within a wind farm and fleets of multiple wind farms. Pros and cons at a glance As wind turbines age and become less…
- 30 Jan 2024
Alternative Energy Blog: With investment flowing into hydro plants, it’s time to think about the benefits of modernizing controls

Jim Cahill

Funding is flowing into U.S. hydropower facilities: Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that through the Hydroelectric Production Incentive, 66 hydro facilities would receive $38 million in incentive payments for electricity generated and sold. This funding, authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is part of a $750 million commitment to incentivize investment and capital improvements in this source…
- 5 Dec 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: With investment flowing into hydro plants, it’s time to think about the benefits of modernizing controls

Jim Cahill

Funding is flowing into U.S. hydropower facilities: Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that through the Hydroelectric Production Incentive, 66 hydro facilities would receive $38 million in incentive payments for electricity generated and sold. This funding, authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is part of a $750 million commitment to incentivize investment and capital improvements in this source…
- 5 Dec 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Should you Rethink your PID-based Control Strategy?

Jim Cahill

PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative)-based control has been commonly used for decades. And while it still is adequate for controlling many process parameters, the time may be right to take a step back and re-evaluate PID-based control in power generation and other industries. Why now? The answer lies in an increasingly diverse energy mix that includes more renewable sources such as solar and wind, which is causing…
- 15 Nov 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Should you Rethink your PID-based Control Strategy?

Jim Cahill

PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative)-based control has been commonly used for decades. And while it still is adequate for controlling many process parameters, the time may be right to take a step back and re-evaluate PID-based control in power generation and other industries. Why now? The answer lies in an increasingly diverse energy mix that includes more renewable sources such as solar and wind, which is causing…
- 14 Nov 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: The Price of Decarbonization

Jim Cahill

At the Reuters Energy Transition North America 2023 in Houston, Texas, Emerson’s Bob Yeager joined a panel, Bearing the Load: The Price of Decarbonization. Leaders from Transmission ConEd, ENGIE NA, and Duke Energy joined Bob on the panel. The Chairman, President & CEO of Entergy Texas moderated the discussion. Here is the abstract for this panel. Is the decarbonization imperative at odds with the need for stable…
- 7 Nov 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: The Price of Decarbonization

Jim Cahill

At the Reuters Energy Transition North America 2023 in Houston, Texas, Emerson’s Bob Yeager joined a panel, Bearing the Load: The Price of Decarbonization. Leaders from Transmission ConEd, ENGIE NA, and Duke Energy joined Bob on the panel. The Chairman, President & CEO of Entergy Texas moderated the discussion. Here is the abstract for this panel. Is the decarbonization imperative at odds with the need for stable…
- 7 Nov 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: The Price of Decarbonization

Jim Cahill

At the Reuters Energy Transition North America 2023 in Houston, Texas, Emerson’s Bob Yeager joined a panel, Bearing the Load: The Price of Decarbonization. Leaders from Transmission ConEd, ENGIE NA, and Duke Energy joined Bob on the panel. The Chairman, President & CEO of Entergy Texas moderated the discussion. Here is the abstract for this panel. Is the decarbonization imperative at odds with the need for stable…
- 7 Nov 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Going Boldly Into a Green Hydrogen Future

Jim Cahill

Of all the new sustainable technologies emerging in the energy marketplace, one of the most exciting is green hydrogen. In an era of increasing focus on sustainability, green hydrogen has the potential to provide clean power for manufacturing, transportation, and more, and its only emission is water. But while the possibilities for use are limitless, the value chain for green hydrogen manufacturing is incredibly complex…
- 26 Oct 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Going Boldly Into a Green Hydrogen Future

Jim Cahill

Of all the new sustainable technologies emerging in the energy marketplace, one of the most exciting is green hydrogen. In an era of increasing focus on sustainability, green hydrogen has the potential to provide clean power for manufacturing, transportation, and more, and its only emission is water. But while the possibilities for use are limitless, the value chain for green hydrogen manufacturing is incredibly complex…
- 26 Oct 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Increasing Demands by Solar Plants for Regulatory Compliance, Efficiency and Productivity Are Met and Exceeded by PACSystems™︎ Control Solutions

Jim Cahill

Dealing with outdated legacy systems is a challenge for nearly all industrial companies. In the fast-paced solar energy space, shifting market demands, regulatory requirements and increasing competition drive the need for modern capabilities to meet these new challenges. However, upgrading and replacing key technologies can be time consuming and cost prohibitive. This was the challenge that Nor-Cal Controls, a leading…
- 28 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Increasing Demands by Solar Plants for Regulatory Compliance, Efficiency and Productivity Are Met and Exceeded by PACSystems™︎ Control Solutions

Jim Cahill

Dealing with outdated legacy systems is a challenge for nearly all industrial companies. In the fast-paced solar energy space, shifting market demands, regulatory requirements and increasing competition drive the need for modern capabilities to meet these new challenges. However, upgrading and replacing key technologies can be time consuming and cost prohibitive. This was the challenge that Nor-Cal Controls, a leading…
- 28 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Increasing Demands by Solar Plants for Regulatory Compliance, Efficiency and Productivity Are Met and Exceeded by PACSystems™︎ Control Solutions

Jim Cahill

Dealing with outdated legacy systems is a challenge for nearly all industrial companies. In the fast-paced solar energy space, shifting market demands, regulatory requirements and increasing competition drive the need for modern capabilities to meet these new challenges. However, upgrading and replacing key technologies can be time consuming and cost prohibitive. This was the challenge that Nor-Cal Controls, a leading…
- 28 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Beating the Drum for Improved Dynamic Performance, Resiliency and Stability

Jim Cahill

When was the last time you thought about your drum level control strategy? If it’s been a while, here are a few reasons why you might want to elevate this on your priority list. The energy landscape has changed as power producers continue their journey toward net-zero. Renewable sources of energy are playing a more prominent role in megawatt generation and this, in turn has implications for conventional power generating…
- 12 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Beating the Drum for Improved Dynamic Performance, Resiliency and Stability

Jim Cahill

When was the last time you thought about your drum level control strategy? If it’s been a while, here are a few reasons why you might want to elevate this on your priority list. The energy landscape has changed as power producers continue their journey toward net-zero. Renewable sources of energy are playing a more prominent role in megawatt generation and this, in turn has implications for conventional power generating…
- 12 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Beating the Drum for Improved Dynamic Performance, Resiliency and Stability

Jim Cahill

When was the last time you thought about your drum level control strategy? If it’s been a while, here are a few reasons why you might want to elevate this on your priority list. The energy landscape has changed as power producers continue their journey toward net-zero. Renewable sources of energy are playing a more prominent role in megawatt generation and this, in turn has implications for conventional power generating…
- 12 Sep 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Advanced Process Control for Combined-Cycle Power Plants

Jim Cahill

Ranjit Rao , Jon Gillam , and Jim Nyenhuis presented Maximize your Combined Cycle Plant’s Performance with 5 Advanced Applications that Provide the Quickest ROI at the 2023 Ovation Users Group Conference. They opened by sharing some statistics about the challenges with global electrification. Advance control enables greater power plant flexibility to help address some of these challenges. Jim noted a paradox that…
- 17 Aug 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Advanced Process Control for Combined-Cycle Power Plants

Jim Cahill

Ranjit Rao , Jon Gillam , and Jim Nyenhuis presented Maximize your Combined Cycle Plant’s Performance with 5 Advanced Applications that Provide the Quickest ROI at the 2023 Ovation Users Group Conference. They opened by sharing some statistics about the challenges with global electrification. Advance control enables greater power plant flexibility to help address some of these challenges. Jim noted a paradox that…
- 17 Aug 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Advanced Process Control for Combined-Cycle Power Plants

Jim Cahill

Ranjit Rao , Jon Gillam , and Jim Nyenhuis presented Maximize your Combined Cycle Plant’s Performance with 5 Advanced Applications that Provide the Quickest ROI at the 2023 Ovation Users Group Conference. They opened by sharing some statistics about the challenges with global electrification. Advance control enables greater power plant flexibility to help address some of these challenges. Jim noted a paradox that…
- 17 Aug 2023
Alternative Energy Blog: Steam Turbine Electro-Hydraulic Control

Jim Cahill

Emerson’s Mark Stratton and Tori Winter presented Steam Turbine Electro-Hydraulic Control (EHC) Systems at the 2023 Ovation Users Group Conference. They opened by sharing a description of a steam turbine EHC system. Fluid power components and electronic controls operate the primary steam valves on a steam turbine and includes utility, extraction, and auxiliary turbines. The EHC components consist of a hydraulic power…
- 8 Aug 2023