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ArchivesThis section contains links to historic information and presentations of past news and events highlighted on this website. News & Events Archives
Michigan
PSC Adopts Interconnection Rules The Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an order (Case No. U-13745) adopting interconnection standards. These rules could take effect before the original target date of March 1, 2004. In the order, the PSC noted that the target date for implementation is not legally binding. The PSC will continue to process the rules in accordance with statute, and the rules will become effective seven days after their filing with the secretary of state. The rules cover definitions, utility interconnection procedures, technical criteria, project applications, filing fees, interconnection deadlines, additional services provided by electric utilities, pre-certified equipment, and waivers. For further information see the IREC News letter. MAC
Midwest CHP Electric Tariff Workshop
MAC
Presents at the Minnesota Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Road Show CenterPoint Energy Minnegasco co-hosted the one-day DER Road Show with the U.S. DOE Chicago Regional Office. The DER Road Show has been making it's way around the United States to help streamline siting and permitting processes for new distributed energy technologies by attracting building code officials and other interested parties to learn more about various distributed energy technologies and how they can locally fit in. Participants learned - from the technology experts, equipment manufacturers and distributors, fuel experts, and state and local offices for energy and the environment - about how these new types of systems work and how they interconnect into the existing infrastructure. Discussions focused on local siting, code, and permitting issues. John Cuttica (Director, Midwest CHP Application Center) made a presentation on the utilization of heat available from distributed energy units for facility heating and cooling needs (combined heat and power). A microturbine and a small emergency generator set were on display and representatives from their manufacturers were present to answer questions of the participants. More details about this Road Show are available here. MAC
Provides a CHP Training Workshop for the Wisconsin Energy Center Dr. William
Ryan, a Senior Research Engineer at the Midwest CHP Application Center,
conducted the one-day workshop for the Wisconsin Focus on Energy consulting
staff. The Wisconsin Focus on Energy is part of the State’s Energy
Efficiency program. The workshop was organized and hosted on by Mr.
Preston Schutt, from the Wisconsin Department of Administration. The
workshop was comprehensive and included presentation and discussion
of the following topics: MAC
Organized a Program on The purpose
of the program was to encourage hospital executives to evaluate the
CHP as an investment in their hospital facilities. The program was conducted
in four modules:
Steve Walter (Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environment, City of Chicago) welcomed everyone, and outlined the purpose of the meeting and the importance of CHP to the City of Chicago Energy Plan. The following
diverse group of executives, with experience in various aspects of CHP
systems, from two hospitals, one engineering firm and a finance company
were the panelists in the panel discussion: The City of Chicago Department of Environment and the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced an incentive program for hospitals for evaluating the potential of CHP for their facilities. The incentive program offers to fund 50% of the cost of a CHP evaluation, with a maximum pay-out of $5,000 to a single hospital. The University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center (UIC/ERC) will administer the program in association with the MAC. More details on this program and CHP Evaluation Guidelines are available here in PDF format. A diverse group of over 60 attendees participated in the program held at the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council facility in downtown Chicago. The attendees included executives of hospital facilities, engineering and consulting companies, investment companies, and gas and electric utilities. NICOR
and GTI Hosted CHP Information Symposium and Tour of GTI’s CHP
Installation and Testing Facility NICOR and Gas Technology Institute (GTI) hosted a CHP symposium held at the GTI facilities in Des Plaines, IL. The meeting agenda included presentations by Clyde Schafer (NICOR), Ted Bronson (GTI) and Leslie Farrar (MAC). A tour of GTI’s new CHP Installation and Testing facility was also included. Copies
of the following presentations are available in PDF format: A diverse group of 60 attendees participated in the workshop. The attendees represented manufacturing companies, schools, colleges, universities, housing authorities, architect and engineering companies, and federal, state and county government agencies. Michigan
Holds Two Workshops to Discuss Opportunities for Expanding CHP Markets
in the State
The agenda for the meeting and the presentations made at the meeting will be available here soon. Currently Leslie Farrar's (MAC) presentation, is available here in PDF format. During the initial part of the meeting, presentations were given by several people to discuss the potential market and opportunities for CHP in Michigan. Later, the more than 50 attendees were classified into five Stakeholder Groups; End Users/Buyers, CHP Suppliers/Developers; Utilities, Government, Engineers/Architects/Planners, and Others. The meeting was structured as a facilitated session with participants divided into eight working groups to further refine responses to the three questions listed above and then allowed to vote on the responses that best reflected their priorities for a Michigan CHP Roadmap. Detailed reports for the meetings in January and February, available here in PDF format, and tabulated voting results, available here in Excel Spreadsheet format, were developed. The figures below show the overall results of the voting for the responses to each of the questions.
The final portion of the first workshop was devoted to soliciting ideas from participants about potential CHP Roadmap/Action Plan activities that could be taken over the next 18 months. The list, while not prioritized, served as the continuation point for the second Michigan CHP Stakeholder. Second
Workshop – February 19, 2003 This workshop
was focused on the following three categories, recommended by the first
workshop: The objective of this meeting was to walk away with action items for each of the 30 attendees to take on a task to help move CHP forward in Michigan with each action item having a “Champion.” MCTC will follow-up with the “Champions” within the next two weeks. A follow-up meeting has been tentatively scheduled for April 2, 2003. MAC
Develops the The Illinois CHP/BCHP Environmental Permitting Guidebook consists of three documents. Volume A, "Roadmapping the Permitting Process," details the current permitting process for CHP systems and provides tools in the form of an Emissions Calculator and a Step by Step Questionnaire to efficiently navigate the permitting process. A PDF file of Volume A is available here. Volume A also includes description of another document, the "Illinois CHP/BCHP Permitting Guidebook Emissions Calculator Spreadsheet." This calculator spreadsheet is available here in Microsoft Excel format. Volume B, "Permitting Issues (A Survey and Dialogue)," identifies permitting issues as well as potential opportunities to streamline the permitting process based on a survey with 20 current CHP installations and feedback from CHP developers and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. A PDF file of Volume B is available here. UMAC
Participated in an Open House Hosted by Madison Gas and Electric to
Discuss a 150 MW Cogeneration Facility Proposed by MG&E and UW-Madison Leslie Farrar represented the MAC at the meeting and provided handouts explaining CHP, their benefits for reducing emissions and information on several case studies for similar CHP systems operating at other locations. The proposed 150-MW cogeneration facility is planned to support the growing electric demands within the City of Madison and a planned Biostar Facility to be built nearby by the UW-Madison. Go to www.MGE.com/community/cogen/index.htm for further information on the proposed cogeneration facility. A copy of the handouts is provided here in PDF format. UIC/ERC
and GTI Provide Testimonies to the Transition Committee of the Illinois
Governor-Elect Rod Blagojevich
John Cuttica "strongly recommended" that the State's Energy Policy addresses the removal of key barriers, such as grid interconnect standards and increased dialogue on Standby and Backup Tariff issues. Ted Bronson expounded this point in his testimony by saying that CHP applications have been "limited at best" because of the "many legal, regulatory, information, and perceptual barriers." And that "because of these barriers, consumers are not receiving access to or the benefit of these technologies and the country is missing out on an available solution to our energy and environmental goals." Mr. Cuttica also pointed out that "the Midwest Region and specifically Illinois, is considered the model regarding our ongoing efforts in the area of D/G and CHP by both the USDOE and the USEPA for other States and Regions of the country. This is the result of the active participation and cooperation of the Midwest CHP Application Center, the Midwest CHP Initiative, the Midwest Cogeneration Association (all located in Illinois) and the active participation of the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago." The full testimonies of John Cuttica and Ted Bronson are provided here in PDF format.
Joint
Task Force Meeting of MAC and MCA A Task Force established by the Midwest Cogeneration Association (MCA) meets on a quarterly basis with the Midwest CHP Application Center (MAC) to:
The latest Joint Task Force meeting took place on December 5th, 2002 at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. The Task Force reviewed the status of several ongoing MAC activities and then focused on two specific topics of importance within the Illinois CHP market place:
First Focus Issue: Illinois CHP / BCHP Environmental Permitting Guidebook The Task Force heard presentations from the Illinois EPA (Shashi Shah) and the University of Illinois Energy Resources Center (Steffen Mueller) regarding a US DOE and Illinois DCCA sponsored project to develop an Illinois CHP / BCHP Environmental Permitting Guidebook. The draft of the guidebook, developed by the UIC/ERC is in final review and scheduled for release by the first of the year. Shashi Shah (Illinois EPA) provided an open forum discussion on Illinois EPA's viewpoint on the air permitting process that would apply to CHP. He discussed website sources for information and forms that might be helpful for permitting a CHP site in Illinois. Steffen Mueller (MAC) provided an overview, available here in PDF format, of the Permitting Guidebook for Illinois. A few of the salient issues he mentioned during his presentation were:
The Task Force recommended that the MAC and Illinois EPA investigate the possibility of credits being issued as part of the permitting process for the efficiency gains from a CHP system and for the avoided emissions from electric power plants by installing a CHP system. Second Focus Issue: Inability to Interconnect to the ComEd “Network” Tom Riemer (President of the MCA) led an open discussion on the issue of ComEd’s reluctance to allow any CHP interconnection to their “Network” system. Since many of the buildings located in the City of Chicago Loop area are on the Network system, this is a huge barrier to the implementation of CHP in the City of Chicago. Many of the Task Force members had recently attended a MCA meeting where the ComEd representative had stated their “official” position on CHP as being neutral, but also stated that ComEd would “never” allow any CHP interconnect to their Network system. Several MCA Task Force members expressed their frustration with ComEd over this issue. It was pointed out that this type network exists in other states / cities (New York City, San Francisco, and others) and that with the proper precautions, CHP installations have been successfully interconnected to those Network systems. The Task Force requested that the MAC continue to look into this issue and try to work with ComEd in trying to loosen their stance on interconnecting to their Network system. The following partial list of potential activities resulted from the discussion and brainstorming session. The MAC agreed to review and prioritize the list and attempt to carry out those high priority activities:
MAC
Hosted a Seminar Organized by the MW CHP Initiative to Discuss the Financial
and Energy Benefits of Using Steam Turbines Instead of PRVs Sean Casten (TurboSteam Systems) made an impressive presentation and answered questions from the attendees at the two-hour seminar. The attendees at the seminar included representatives from the City of Chicago, Peoples Energy, ComEd, GTI, UIC/ERC, and consulting companies. The seminar addressed the use of steam turbines instead of commonly used pressure reducing valves (PRVs) in applications where steam pressure needs to be reduced. Per Sean, "Steam turbines can often pay for themselves in less than 3 years by generating electricity as they reduce the steam pressure for the end use application." Sean's presentation was very comprehensive and covered the full spectrum from the basic thermodynamics of how a steam turbine uses only a small amount more energy and generates electricity through the type of applications that provide the quickest payback. He also discussed some rules-of-thumb for assessing installations for favorable paybacks. A copy of his presentation is available here in PDF format. CHP
Training Course Conducted for Minnesota State and Local Energy Offices The Midwest Application Center (MAC) conducted a one-day CHP training course for the Minnesota State and local energy offices. The Minnesota Department of Commerce and the DOE Chicago Regional Office sponsored the course. Twenty-seven state and local energy office professionals attended the training. Jeff Hasse (Minnesota Department of Commerce) welcomed the attendees and Gary Nowakowski (U.S. DOE, Chicago Regional Office) presented the course introduction. Other speakers at the course included Mr. John Cuttica (Director, MAC), Ms. Leslie Farrar (Assistant Director, MAC), Anders Rydaker (President, St Paul District Heating and Cooling Plant) and Dr. William Ryan (a nationally renowned expert for CHP and absorption chiller applications for buildings) of UIC/ERC. The course was very comprehensive and included preliminary economic analysis for screening economically attractive projects. A spreadsheet for evaluating preliminary economics of CHP systems is provided here in Microsoft Excel format. An Excel spreadsheet of a walkthrough checklist developed to facilitate gathering of information needed for performing preliminary economic analysis is also available here. The course agenda is available here, in PDF format, with links to available presentations denoted by a blue highlighted (TAB #) in parenthesis. A listing of available Presentations, provided in PDF format, follows:
3rd
Annual National CHP Roadmap Workshop About 200 representatives from industry, universities, national labs, and various federal, state and local energy agencies attended the workshop. The purpose of the National CHP Roadmap Workshop was to track the progress of CHP implementation in the U.S. toward the CHP Challenge Goal, set in 1998. Each year CHP advocates gather to discuss progress toward the goal and determine what actions need to be undertaken in the next year on the "road to 92 GW." The workshop was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Combined Heat and Power Association (USCHPA), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the International District Energy Association (IDEA) and attended by leading CHP practitioners, equipment manufacturers, energy services companies, and non-governmental associations. Ted Bronson and John Cuttica also discussed the CHP component of the City of Chicago Energy Plan through 2010. A copy of their presentation will soon be available here in PDF format. The final agenda for the meeting is available here. Copies of all presentations made at the meeting are available at the following web site: http://www.energetics.com/femp-chpworkshop.html MAC
and the Midwest CHP Initiative Met with the Illinois Commerce Commission The Midwest Application Center (MAC) and the Midwest CHP Initiative discussed the “Role of CHP in Illinois’ Energy Future.” John Moore (Environmental Law and Policy Center), supported by John Cuttica (Midwest CHP Application Center) and Ted Bronson (Midwest CHP Initiative), made a very comprehensive presentation that covered the following subjects:
A copy of the presentation is available here in PDF format. MicroGeneration
to PowerParks 2002 Mr. Ted Bronson (Associate Director, Distributed Generation at the Gas Technology Institute) made a presentation at the conference on the subject of “Combined Heat and Power.” His presentation included discussion on the CHP benefits, opportunities, government commitment, market potential, technology, market challenges, and regional initiatives and activities. A copy of the presentation is available here in PDF format. Energizing
America's Cities Conference The City of Chicago, IL won a U.S. competition for Metropolitan Energy and Environmental Planning (MEEP). Energizing America’s Cities (EAC) was the first national sustainable urban energy design competition and conference featuring metropolitan energy and environmental plans from metropolitan regions across the United States. Chicago’s 2001 Energy Plan won the competition in the electric power generation category. The plan includes application of integrated energy systems for cooling, heating and power. Specifically, the plan commits the city to the goal of meeting its projected 2010 energy demand (a 20% increase over the 2000 demand) with a combination of energy management, CHP, and renewable resources. This strategy is expected to reduce air pollutants and reduce losses due to inefficiency. The Gas Technology Institute, in cooperation with the United States Department of Energy, the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, Japan Gas Association, Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, the Urban Energy Task Force, the energy industry and the planning community, conducted the U.S. competition on metropolitan energy and environmental planning (MEEP). “Energizing America’s Cities” is the first-ever U.S. competition focusing on showcasing creative and effective programs that demonstrate comprehensive metropolitan energy and environmental planning across the United States. Areas of emphasis in the competition are electric power generation, alternative transportation fuels, future technologies, energy efficiency and renewable energy. A panel of energy experts currently or previously with organizations or companies including Austin Energy, American Planning Association, Northeast Midwest Institute, California Energy Commission, International Center for Local Environmental Initiatives, Inform, and the U.S. Commerce Department evaluated programs and plans with special attention given to increased efficiency, fuel diversity, and emissions reductions. More information on EAC organization and the presentations made at above conference, are available at the following URL: http://www.gastechnology.org/pub/aboutgri/2000ar/eac/eacindx8.htm. Joint
Energy Association Meeting
Joint
Advisory Task Force Meeting The first joint meeting of the MCA Advisory Task Force and the Center was held at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus on Thursday, August 22nd. Also participating in the meeting were representatives from the Midwest CHP Initiative and the US Department of Energy Chicago Regional Office. The center
point of the meeting was a roundtable discussion focused on what activities
the Center could and should undertake that would most effectively support
the deployment of CHP in the Midwest. Several areas of support were
suggested: The Midwest CHP Application Center would like to thank the MCA and in particular the Advisory Task Force for their spirited and lively participation in the meeting. The Center looks forward to strengthening its relationships with the MCA and to continued interactions with the MCA Advisory Task Force. State
of Michigan Approves $12.2 Million Grants for Energy Efficiency Projects,
Including CHP Systems
More details about the grants are available here. Industrial
Assessment Center Directors’
Meeting Clean
Michigan Technologies Cluster Meeting Combined
Heat and Power Workshop The objectives of the workshop for Illinois businesses was to discuss
A diverse group of 180 participants attended the workshop. The focus of the workshop was on "CHP, the Business Case" and provided information of interest to energy plant managers, building owners energy directors, school district managers, and city/town managers. It was also of interest to architect engineers, real estate brokers, land developers, and financial investors to help them understand the risks and rewards of CHP. Highlights of the workshop included the following:
The workshop was sponsored by
Dr. William Worek (Director and Professor, UIC Energy Resources Center) made a presentation entitled “CHP as an Option in Illinois and Chicago.” His presentation included discussion on CHP equipment, when to consider CHP, utility rates and costs, CHP policy issues in Illinois, and status and potential of CHP. A copy of his presentation is available here in PDF format.
Leslie Farrar (Assistant Director, Midwest CHP Application Center, UIC Energy Resources Center) made a presentation in the session on Available Assistance moderated by Gary Nowakowski (U.S. DOE, Chicago Office). She discussed the kinds of assistance that can be provided by the Midwest CHP Application Center. A copy of her presentation is available here in PDF format. A listing of Presentations (provided in PDF format), sorted alphabetically by the presenters' last name, follows:
Center
for Business Initiatives FEMP
DER Workshop Association
of Energy Engineers Iliana Meetings DOE
Integrated Energy Systems Peer Review Meeting Ms. Leslie Farrar, Lead Engineer of the Midwest CHP Application Center (MAC), presented the achievements, plans and lessons learned by the MAC. She also presented the results of the Baseline Characterization studies conducted by MAC for Illinois and Michigan. These studies include installed and potential capacities for CHP, energy prices, policies and regulations, financial incentives, partners, and utility contacts. A copy of her presentation is available here in PDF format. Mr. Ted Bronson, Associate Director, Distributed Generation at the Gas Technology Institute presented the achievements and status of a DOE-funded project for the development of a "Reciprocating Engine-Driven Modular IES." The GTI project team includes, The Trane Company, Ballard Engineering, Charles Equipment Company, and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). A copy of his presentation is available here in PDF format. DOE
Reciprocating Engines Peer Review Meeting,
Mr. Ted Bronson, Associate Director, Distributed Generation at the Gas Technology Institute made a presentation on "The Role of Natural Gas-Fired Reciprocating Engines in the Distributed Energy Market-Market Forces and Opportunit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The
Midwest CHP Application Center (MAC), the Midwest CHP Initiative, and
the U.S. DOE Chicago Regional Office sponsored the workshop for utility
regulators and policy makers. The workshop was co- hosted by the Minnesota
State Energy Office. The purpose of the workshop was to share information
and engage regulators and policy makers in discussions regarding distributed
generation rate/tariff development. Representatives from seven of the
eight Midwestern states attended the workshop. Experts in the area of
national grid reliability and tariff design made presentations, with
an open forum for the attending states to ask question of the experts
and amongst themselves. The feedback from conference participants was
very positive, indicating that they felt it was beneficial. The 
The
program also included a Financial Fair to provide information on financial
community interest in CHP. A PDF version of the 
John
Cuttica from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Energy Resource
Center (UIC/ERC), and Ted Bronson from the Gas Technology Institute
(GTI) provided testimony to the Transition Committee of the Illinois
Governor-Elect, Rod Blagojevich, for Environment, Energy, and Natural
Resources. The testimonies were given during an open session held at
the Thompson Center in Chicago. Both testimonies supported the deployment
of CHP in Illinois and urged the Committee to continue efforts to remove
barriers to CHP.
Some
of the presentations (not previously highlighted at this Wesbite) included
the following: