The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) has named Silent Power as a finalist in the Cleantech category for the 2009 Tekne Awards, which will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 22. The Tekne Awards recognize Minnesota companies and individuals who have shown superior technology innovation and leadership.

“We are honored to be recognized by such a prestigious organization.” said Todd Headlee the CEO for Silent Power.  ”Our renewable energy solutions for home owners, businesses, and electric utilites are not only great for our enviroment, but they are also key in helping secure our nations energy infrastructure.”

Presented by the MHTA in partnership with LifeScience Alley and Enterprise Minnesota, the Tekne Awards annually recognize Minnesota’s best and brightest technology users and developers in innovation, development, education, commercialization and management. A full list of finalists is available online at http://www.tekneawards.org.

“For 10 years the Tekne Awards have recognized those who make groundbreaking contributions to the growth of technology in Minnesota,” said Kate Rubin, president of MHTA. “This year’s finalists should be extremely proud of their role in helping Minnesota excel at producing cutting-edge technology and continue to be a great place to do business.”

Recipients of the 2009 Tekne Awards will be announced at the award ceremony on Oct. 22. The event will begin with a VIP reception at 4:30 p.m., followed by general registration and reception at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., the awards ceremony at 7 p.m., and a post-Tekne party at 8:30 p.m. The event will be emceed by John Sweeney, author of Innovation at the Speed of Laughter, and owner of the Brave New Workshop, the nation’s oldest satirical comedy theatre.

To register for the 2009 Tekne Awards ceremony, visit www.tekneawards.org or contact Lonni Ranallo at 952-230-4555 or lranallo@mhta.org.

It has a busy summer this year.  We are really starting to ramp up manufacturing.  Here is our fearless leader of manufacturing Bruce Billington and Mike Bajczyk proudly standing by a recent pallet order going to one of our distributors out west.  There is also a rumor that a famous new Minnesota Viking member stopped in to check in on the manufacturing process.   Picture below.

Silent Power was mentioned recently in Smart Grid Today.  Silent Power is getting a great response from electric utilities both big and small as we prepare our Home Energy Appliance for commercial availablity.  Electric utilities will use this solution as a part of their overall storage strategy.  Many utilities are planning to add up to 5% of their peak demand of storage to their system using a whole host of technologies as renewables become a bigger part of their base load generation.

EPRI, Silent Power link smart
grid to solar power batteries
July 17, 2009

Project to prove kw storage
offers mw peak supply

EPRI is working with several utilities and a Minnesota startup firm to help address the wait-and-see attitude that hangs like a cloud over the electric utility energy storage business. An unknown that contributes to uptake hesitancy is how well a utility can use its solar customers — with storage attached at the premises — to bundle together kw-sized systems into mw-sized supply.

To answer that question, EPRI is working with Silent Power to design a solar energy storage system aggregation pilot, Silent Power CEO Todd Headlee told us this week in an interview at Storage Week, a conference in La Jolla, Calif.

The plan includes installing four storage devices this year and by mid-2010, the about 50 devices to aggregate “a bunch of small resources like solar into a system — with batteries,” said Headlee.

While it might sometimes be appropriate for a neighborhood to sell power from renewables back to utilities, the main goal of the energy storage pilot is to “align the solar peak with the utility peak,” he explained. “Smart metering really provides a gateway for a utility to do renewable alignment in real time.”

“Today, all the solar is generated around the noon hour but the grid needs it in the afternoon. So we store the excess locally and dispatch it in the afternoon” in the same neighborhood, Headlee reported. He expects Silent Power’s Home Energy Appliance — a battery-based storage device — to be UL listed and have all needed safety certifications by mid-2010.

Silent Power wants to be a leader in the distributed energy storage business, behind the meter and outside the meter, he added. Silent Power expanded its staff by eight this year to 20 and plans to grow beyond 100 workers by the end of 2010.

Silent Power is, of course, working to integrate its storage system with AMI, noted Headlee, starting with Landis+Gyr where Headlee previously worked as vice president of product marketing.

Silent Power is proud to be selected as a panelist at Storage Week, which is a series three meetings on a game-changing set of technologies and applications worth billions in future market share.  This years speakers and panelists are a some of the energy industries top executives in the utility and storage vendor community.  Todd Headlee of Silent Power will be participating in a panel discusison on Thursday at 11:00am covering business models and architectures for storage behind the utility meter.  Below is more detail on this session.  We hope to see you there.

Integrating Storage into ‘Edge’ Services in the Home, Business and Community

• Benefit of on-site storage for local and system-wide efficiencies (i.e., generation, transmission, application)
• Need for open “end-to-end” standards: plugs, charging, communication
• Public charging services: value propositions, free versus pay
• Public charging services: value propositions, free versus pay
• Storage as the potential ‘smart hub’ of the Home Area Network
• Firming solar and wind micro-generation
• Differences in value proposition of on-site storage for the building owners versus the utility
• Role of third parties, such as ESCO, demand response, new aggregators, “sustainable energy utilities”
• Who has access to all the energy system data that will be generated?

Moderator:
Eric Hsieh, Manager of Government Relations,
NATIONAL ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (NEMA)

Panelists:
Elliot Boardman, Executive Director, PEAK LOAD MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE
Todd A. Headlee, Chief Executive Officer, SILENT POWER, INCORPORATED
Ryan Wartena, Chief Technology Officer, ICEL SYSTEMS

Silent Power Introduces the SP4024

Integrated Inverter/Charger System

BAXTER, Minn. – Silent Power introduces its SP4024 Integrated Inverter/ Charger System designed to convert DC power from renewable resources to a pure AC sine wave, which is ideal for homeowners who live in off-grid areas. The 4000 watt capacity all-in-one system is certified to UL1741 and CSA standards and features significant innovations new to the industry – it is contained, clean, compact and comfortable for everyone who uses it.

Contained

The SP4024 is a self-contained unit, which makes it quick and simple to install and use. The advanced design combines high frequency, lightweight inverter technology to provide picture perfect AC power with a patented high-surge capability, all in one sleek cabinet enclosure. Because of the inclusive design, there is no need to purchase expensive add-on features – the SP4024 already contains everything a homeowner needs, including a generator AC disconnect breaker, DC disconnect breaker, DC current shunt, remote user interface, sophisticated generator start controller and accommodation for charge controller breakers/GFI.

Clean

The proprietary GenClean^TM design cleans and regulates generator power for a true uninterruptible power supply operation. The features of the SP4024 lessen the requirements of the backup generator by conditioning all generator power and handling electric motor and pump surge loads from battery reserve instead of the generator.

Compact

Weighing only 56 pounds, the SP4024 is easily portable and fits on standard 16-inch studs. Much smaller than other inverters in the market, the SP4024 measures 17 inches wide by 25 inches high and 10.5 inches deep.

Comfortable

With its intuitive design, the SP4024 is a cinch to operate for even the most technical-challenged homeowners. The simplicity of the design makes it is easy to monitor performance and understand the clear menu selections. The very quiet operation of the SP4024 is devoid of the typical 60 cycle hum that exists with other inverters.

The SP4024 Integrated Inverter/Charger System inverts DC power generated from wind, the sun, or other renewable resources into AC power. As a result, it minimizes the total cost of ownership while maximizing the renewable energy harvest by combining numerous functions into one integrated package.

“In a typical off-grid installation, a customer would have numerous electrical devices mounted on a wall to comprise a complete inverter/charger system. Silent Power has taken many of these items and put them into a single, compact, integrated enclosure,” says Silent Power Executive Vice President John Frederick. “In addition, our GenClean technology conditions all generator power before it enters the home, a first in the industry.”

Silent Power, Inc. is a Baxter, Minn.-based manufacturer of smart grid solutions and power inverters for the renewable energy, backup power and electric utility markets. Through partnerships with utility companies, Silent Power’s mission is to make a lasting impact on energy consumption in North America and beyond, by increasing the efficiency of the grid and empowering consumers to track and reduce their energy use. Silent Power also sells a battery backup system and a home energy appliance for electric utility companies to more efficiently integrate renewable energy into the grid.

For more information, contact John Frederick at Silent Power, Inc., 8175 Industrial Park Rd., Suite 100, Baxter, MN 56425, call (218) 454-3030, fax (218) 454-3026, e-mail sales@silentpwr.com or visit the company’s Website at www.silentpwr.com

Silent Power is exhibiting at the Living Green Expo at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds on May 2nd and May 3rd.  The hours are 10am to 6pm on Saturday  and 10am to 5pm on Sunday.  There will be plenty to see and several workshops covering everything from sustainable living to advances in renewable energy technology.  Most of the Minnesota Electric Utilities will be there offering advice on how to save on your electric bill.

Silent Power will be exhibiting in the Renewable Energy Demonstration Area.  Many of the latest eco friendly transportation vehicles will be on display including the new Tesla Motors Roadster.  This event is open to the public and best of all it is that admission is free.  We look forward to seeing you there.

President Obama stressed his commitment to clean energy in several national interviews last week and one way he can clean up our energy system is to make America’s grid more efficient.

Grid inefficiencies and distribution losses have doubled in the past 30 years costing Americans up to $180 billion a year, according to Department of Energy estimates.

Congress has already recognized the importance of improving our nation’s electrical grid. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill allotted $32 billion for transforming America’s energy grid, more than any other infrastructure-related category.

Morgan Stanley estimates that the smart grid market will grow 100 percent in the next five years and 400 percent over the next 20 years, making smart-grid technology a $100+ billion market by 2030.

Morgan Stanley cites four critical factors for growth in the smart grid market:

Policy-Legislation and regulatory changes are needed to provide incentives for adopting smart technologies.
Distributed Generation-Utilities must adopt solar, wind and other new technologies before the public can fully accept them.
Technology-Advances in technology are key to driving down costs.
Demographic Change-As emerging market populations grow, their need for electricity grows. These countries have the ability to build smart grids to meet this new demand.

 [Via iStockAnalyst]

We launched a new website today that describes all the products that will be available this year.  Please check it out and give us your feedback.

Silent Power has been getting a lot of attention lately from local, state, and national political figures and also from various Electric Utilities across the country.  There is a lot of excitement building for our recently released SP4024 Integrated Inverter Charger System with several solar distributors and dealers.  We are also getting great feedback on our Home Energy Appliance smart grid solution that we will be releasing later this year that solves many of the issues related to integrating renewables into the Utility’s electricity grid.  To help communicate our progress to the rest of the world, Lakeland News recently ran a television story highlighting our product and the markets we serve.  This story can be viewed below.

President Barack Obama Thursday unveiled a 2.4 billion dollar boost for electric vehicle development, vowing to compete with foreign nations in the race to be world leader on renewable energy.

“We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad or we can create them here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity,” Obama said on the second day of a campaign-style swing in California.

Obama said the money would be used to develop next generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and advanced battery components and would create tens of thousands of US jobs and reduce reliance on foreign oil.

Several other industries will also benefit from better battery technology, most notably the Electric Utilities that are adding more and more renewable energy sources to their systems.  Better battery and other storage technologies are needed to balance out the these new volatile renewable energy sources.

[Via PhysOrg]

[Original Image Courtesy of Cammeraydave]

Ontario, our green neighbors to the north, just introduced the Green Energy and Green Economy Act that will infuse the Canadian province with renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.

The Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 (GEA), promises to bring more renewable energy to the province and create more energy efficiency measures.   

Utilities in Canada, and throughout the north-eastern United States, point to the summer 2003 blackout as the ultimate rallying cry for smart grid technology.  The catastrophic power outage put that part of the United States, and most of Ontario, in the dark.  It all began with a minor incident in Ohio, but because grid operators were unable to isolate the problem it quickly spread to a huge area.

Overall Ontario, along with the state of California, is leading the way in smart grid technology development in North America.  Hydro One spearheaded an effort to convince Industry Canada, the Canadian government entity responsible for business development, to dedicate a wireless communications spectrum for use by utilities to monitor their power grids.  This forward-thinking move creates a standard throughout Canada.

In terms for renewables, we at Silent Power have received a lot of interest in our inverter technology from Ontario and other parts of Canada, primarily for solar applications.

[Via SmartMeters]

American Electric Power (AEP) plans this year to place equipment in residential areas capable of storing a few hours of electricity, one of the first tests of distributed storage on the power grid.  A recent article on CNET News describes the project in detail.

Ali Nourai, AEP’s manager of distributed energy resources, calls the storage program a potential “game changer” for the utility industry. Nourai spoke during a panel on grid energy storage at the MIT Energy Conference here Saturday.

“The key for distributed energy is not because it’s cheaper. The key is national security–we don’t have a huge storage (device) that can be blown up,” Nourai said.

The storage units would be the size of a relatively small “backyard transformer,” each wired to provide enough electricity for four to six houses, he said. Together, those storage units could provide back-up power to neighborhoods during outages and potentially for other applications, Nourai said.

“Aggregated, hundreds of these units controlled (by AEP)…effectively do the same as one big storage unit,” he said. “It’s closer to the load, and it has the potential to (create) competition on price.” 

I am a firm believer in this microgrid distribution architecture for all the reasons listed in this article.  A logical first step towards this approach would be to add a storage component to the grid-tie solar and wind applications that are going in today.  In regions where solar and wind adoptions rates are accelerating, this is a great demand response strategy for the Utility and the best way to integrate renewables into the Smart Grid.

To read the article in its entirety, follow the link below.

 [Via CNET News]

Image by exfordy on flickr under the creative commons license

Doug Cameron is the former chief science officer for Khosla Ventures, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley that specializes in clean tech. Cameron recently joined Piper Jaffray to develop its green-energy business.  He believes Minnesota has the potential to become a major player in green energy.  Being a Minnesota based Clean Tech company, we at Silent Power undoubtedly agree.

Cameron believes demand for alternative energy will not fade away as it did after the 1970s. For one thing, the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package directs billions of dollars toward clean energy. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has also proposed $10 million in tax credits over four years for investments in companies that create green jobs.

In a recent Star Tribune article Mr. Cameron says  ”Clean tech will just become main tech,” Cameron said. “In five years or so, this way of thinking will become so ingrained. If we get it right, this will be the way you think of doing everything. I don’t think it will be a nichey little area. I think it will roll into all industries. We are at a cusp.”

To read the article in its entirety, follow the link below.

[Via the Star Tribune]

Glenn Beck recently did a segment on the Smart Grid on his daily Fox News program.  As part of his shtick, he equates the Smart Grid with the government spying on people and telling them what they should or should not be eating.  Despite some of the analogies being off in this and other media pieces, a clear trend is that Smart Grid is getting more and more main stream media attention.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawenty stopped by our offices this Thursday for a factory tour and product demonstration.  Also at the event where all of our our key suppliers and other Minnesota based Smart Grid companies most notabley, Landis+Gyr.

While speaking the the group Governor Pawlenty said the U.S. needed to get off its addiction to foreign oil. He also told the group that we are on the leading edge of change and that he was excited and proud of our accomplishments as Minnesota based energy technology businesses.

Smart grid capabilities are critically important to our state and to our country, he said.

Pawlenty, who earlier in his administration signed legislation that requires 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy by 2025, praised the bright and innovative people who were making this possible. He said he expected the federal stimulus program’s energy proposals would provide many opportunities.

During his closing comments the Governor said “Your success is our success”