Alstoms Lawrence Jones Recognized for Excellence in the Field of Renewable Energy
Alstoms Lawrence Jones Recognized for Excellence in the Field of Renewable Energy
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Clean Energy is Great, But What Does it Mean for the Grid?
That is precisely the question Dr. Lawrence Jones and a team of Alstom Grid experts sought to address through a first-of-its-kind research project for the U.S. Department of Energy that explored the challenges and best practices associated with the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources into global power grids.
That project, and the report it produced, have generated industry buzz since preliminary findings were presented in late-October of 2011. Yesterday, during the 2012 Renewable Energy World North America Conference & Expo in Long Beach, California, Dr. Jones was recognized for his role as principle investigator on the study, taking home an Excellence in Renewable Energy Award for Leadership in Technology.
“It truly is an honor to accept this award and I’m humbled by this recognition from Renewable Energy World,” said Jones immediately following the award presentation. “This groundbreaking project would not have been possible without the foresight of the U.S. Department of Energy and its commitment to preparing the grid for a cleaner energy future. Every grid operator who contributed to the report should be commended for their willingness to share the realities of integrating renewable energy sources into the world’s power networks. Their open and frank inputs have set a new standard for the sharing of best practices from which our entire industry can benefit.”
Over the course of 12 months, Dr. Jones and his colleagues surveyed 33 grid operators in 18 countries who together account for more than 70% of all wind energy produced worldwide. The study examined the operational realities and challenges created by the growing role of intermittent energy sources within the global power generation portfolio. The findings from this effort were aggregated in a report titled, “Strategies and Decision Support Systems for Integrating Variable Energy Resources in Control Centers for Reliable Grid Operations,” which was released in late-2011.
Through this project, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, grid operators will, for the first-time, have an opportunity to learn how peers have navigated the challenges of maintaining reliability with increasing levels of intermittent generation. The report also identified areas where further improvement is required to ensure the success of future integration efforts. These include more accurate forecasting technology, advanced control room decision support tools, policies supporting more robust transmission infrastructure, flexibility in energy supply management and better workforce knowledge management.
Commenting on the award, Jim Callihan, President of RenewableEnergyWorld.com, said, “The global renewable integration study conducted by Dr. Jones for the U.S. Department of Energy exemplifies the kind of project that will lead our economy to the next generation of energy excellence and make our planet a safer, cleaner place for the future.”