Sponsored by RTCC member Cisco, the May 15th webinar will examine the current state of North Carolina’s power grid, the technologies to enable energy resiliency, and the critical role that partnerships play in the management of the state’s energy system
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on energy consumption, the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) has brought together regional thought leaders in North Carolina’s energy sector for an upcoming webinar to discuss how to improve the efficiency of the state’s energy supply, ensure the safety of the power infrastructure, and increase the use of cleantech technologies in the energy mix.
The free webinar, sponsored by RTCC member Cisco, is scheduled for Friday, May 15th from 1pm to 2pm, and is part of RTCC’s mission to bring together leaders from business, government, academia, and nonprofit agencies to accelerate the growth of the Research Triangle region’s cleantech economy.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a change in the state’s energy consumption to a ‘24/7 weekend’ mode,” explained Susan Sanford, executive director of the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster. “But it has also given us an opportunity to plan for a return to peak energy demand, and to further reinforce our power infrastructure with cleantech systems and technologies, which will in turn help us prepare for the inevitable threats posed to the energy grid by severe weather events that impact our state.”
ENSURING RELIABLE POWER FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
The upcoming RTCC webinar will address the following topics:
• The current state of the power grid in North Carolina, and the efforts being made to make it more resilient.
• The technologies that enable energy resilience, including backup power, intelligent controls, smart grids, microgrids, distributed generation, and digital twins
• The critical role that partnerships play in energy management.
• The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the state’s power supply and how to apply clean technologies to address it.
Speakers include:
• The webinar will be moderated by Ken Dulaney, director of industry & innovation for FREEDM Systems Center, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center with the mission to modernize the distribution grid through
the application of new research in power electronics to connect more distributed energy resources to the grid.
• Also joining the panel is Kevin Meagher, president of Power Analytics, a global next generation company that specializes in diagnostics, software development, and real-time analytics for eneterprises and government agencies control over critical energy data.
• Panelist Mark Martyak, chief sales officer of PowerSecure, a leading provider of innovative energy solutions to electric utilities and their industrial, institutional, and commercial customers with distributed energy infrastructure and energy efficiency solutions.
• Completing the panel is Tony Olivo, vice-president of engineering for FlexGen, a leading energy storage integrator that leverages best-in-class energy management software and power electronics for utility-scale storage projects integrated with traditional and renewable power generation.
The webinar is sponsored by RTCC member Cisco on the Webex digital connectivity platform. Attendance at the webinar is free, but registration is required by May 13th. An opportunity for virtual networking will be provided through the Webex chat function, enabling participants to connect with panelists and each other.
About Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC)
The Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) is an initiative of business, government, academic, and nonprofit leaders focused on accelerating the growth of the cleantech economy in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina Home to more than 1,800 organizations working across the cleantech value chain, from global industry giants to tier-one research universities, the Triangle is leading a cleantech revolution that is shaping a sustainable future. RTCC leads a global marketing program, promotes cleantech business growth, and facilitates industry collaboration to drive innovation and sector growth for both companies and the region. For more information, visit www.researchtrianglecleantech.
