Get access to two of ESA’s premiere educational events, now through the end of the year. Choose one or both workshops for one low price.
Need to get up to speed on energy storage fast? Looking to add storage to your solar portfolio but not sure where to start? Register to view on-demand educational content from the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) that provides an in-depth overview into these topics. Hear from some of the best in the industry as various experts share what you need to know to implement and utilize energy storage or go further with solar + storage. This is the perfect opportunity to train new staff members or learn about getting started with energy storage if you’re new to the industry.
These workshops are only available to purchase on-demand through December 10, 2021 – so don’t delay. Workshops will be viewable through January 31, 2022.
GET ACCESS HERE
PRICING
| MEMBERS | NON-MEMBERS |
| ONE WORKSHOP: $199 USD | ONE WORKSHOP: $249 USD |
| BOTH WORKSHOPS: $299 USD | BOTH WORKSHOPS: $399 USD |
Workshop 1: Transforming the Grid: Planning and Implementing Energy Storage
This workshop consists of four (4) two and a half hour sessions that you can watch at your convenience. That’s over 8 hours of content. Originally priced at over $750 for all four sessions, you can now access this educational content for one-third the original price (for non-members). This workshop is geared toward financial analysts and consultants, utilities regulators, and other stakeholders to learn about the energy storage modeling and planning techniques being used around the country to deliver cost effective storage in a variety of applications on the rapidly evolving grid.
Session 1: Approaches & Frameworks for Planning
This module introduces the diverse applications of energy storage systems and describes how storage fits into the bigger picture of electricity market transformation. It is designed for professionals with experience in the energy and/or electric industry and system planning processes who want to expand their knowledge to include storage, as well as financial analysts considering storage as an investment option.
Energy storage is a versatile and flexible technology that can operate as both load and generation, as well as operate as a transmission and distribution investment. Storage can serve as peaking capacity to contribute to system reliability, particularly in regions with high penetration of renewables, as well as offer grid services such as frequency regulation, spinning reserve, and fast ramping. The applications covered in this module include:
- Peaking Generation and Capacity
- Grid Services and Operating Flexibility
- Non-Wire Alternative for Transmission
- Distribution Upgrade Alternatives
- Back-up Power and Microgrids
Learning Objectives: Attendees will learn the wide range of energy storage applications and use cases; understand how a specific need can influence the technology chosen; and learn how storage relates to the overarching objectives and targets expressed in utility integrated resource plans.
Speakers:
- Mike Granowski, Director, Energy & Utilities Competency Center, Roland Berger
- Ben Kaun, Program Manager, Energy Storage & Distributed Generation, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Sanderson Hull, Director, Asset Valuation & Strategy Group, Energy and Environmental Economics (E3)
Session 2: Methods and Models for Evaluating Energy Storage Investment
This module demonstrates how to evaluate storage in different use cases & market settings. It is designed for analysts who are responsible for executing studies to determine the value of alternative resource options – including storage – using state of the art analytic tools.
The versatility and flexibility of storage assets in operation make asset valuation and optimization sophisticated. Analysts need to track both energy flows (charging/discharging) and stocks (state of charge) to characterize battery operation and to devise behavioral algorithms to estimate value streams. Modeling intertemporal optimization under uncertainty requires a rich set of tools to analyze the financial impact of storage technologies.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will review the entire tool kit necessary to determine the value of storage across various use cases, such as: contributing to resource adequacy; providing energy or ancillary services in wholesale markets; complementing or substituting for transmission and distribution investments; and managing load for both end-user and grid impacts.
Speakers:
- Kevin Carden, Director, Astrape Consulting
- Robert LaFaso, Senior Energy Analyst – Energy Storage, Ascend Analytics
- Dr. Natallia Pinchuk, Principal, Roland Berger
Session 3: Procurement Processes and Transactions
This module describes how to translate storage options selected in a planning exercise into actual storage investments. It is designed for procurement officials, risk management officers, and legal staff.
Once analyzed and incorporated into investment plans, deploying storage requires a process with many steps: developing specifications; issuing RFPs; negotiating agreements for construction, finance, insurance operations & maintenance and decommissioning; and creating mechanisms for compensating asset owners for the value that storage provides. Because many entities are procuring storage or storage services for the first time, success requires an understanding of opportunities, risks, and emerging best practices.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will understand procurement processes, from both the customer (e.g., utility) side as well as the developer perspective; examine RFPs and development processes; review best practices for construction and operation contracts; explore innovative contractual alternatives to ownership; and learn how to build in end-of-life responsibilities.
Speakers:
- Erin Childs, Project Manager, Strategen Consulting
- Erin Minear, Senior Project Manger, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Bradway Widing, Partner & Executive Vice President / Managing Director Clean Energy Insurance, INpower
Session 4: Regulation, Rules & Requirements
This module explains the gauntlet of requirements through which energy storage projects must pass, including codes & standards, local permits and approvals, interconnection processes or end-of-life requirements. Understanding the rules governing storage throughout the life cycle – construction, operation, and decommissioning – is critical to project success.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will understand the range of requirements that apply to storage and strategies for developers, owners & operators to comply and succeed.
Speakers:
- Sharon Bonesteel, Energy Storage Systems Codes and Safety Working Group Leader, Salt River Project
- Dr. Davion Hill, Partner & Co-founder, Momentum Energy Storage Partners
- Dr. Rhonda Peters, Founding Principal, InterTran Energy Consulting
- Sky Stanfield, Partner, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP
Workshop 2: The Emerging Converging Hybrid Solution: Combining Energy Storage with Solar
Get an overview of solar + storage from start to finish. Whether you’re not sure where to begin with financing, or unclear on how to implement and operate, this workshop will address all of that and more. This workshop is geared toward solar + storage company staff, financial analysts/consultants who prepare asset valuations or due diligence analyses of clean energy options, potential solar + storage buyers, and developers or owners of solar facilities considering adding storage.
The workshop consists of five (5) 1-hour sessions that you can watch at your convenience.
Session 1: Making Hay While the Sun Shines: the Fundamental Solar + Storage Value Proposition
The old adage to “make hay while the sun shines” provides a metaphor of the value created by combining solar + storage in hybrid facilities, in that storage adds flexibility for operators to decide how much and when to provide electric energy to the grid from the solar energy resource that otherwise is fixed and immutable by nature.
Attendees will understand how the burgeoning market for solar + storage arose and how the combination of these technologies creates value in an evolving marketplace.
Speaker:
- Dan Finn-Foley, Principal Consultant, PA Consulting
Session 2: A Dazzling Array: Solar + Storage Technology Options & Development Considerations
There is no single solar + storage technology, as the various options for combining the technology determine (1) the capabilities of the facility; (2) the regulatory category/treatment of the facility; and (3) the value of the asset in various market contexts. This session outlines the most prevalent configurations and describes their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Attendees will understand how various solar + storage configurations interact with the grid and what regulatory requirements apply to alternative hybrid models. This will form the basis for analyzing value of different solar + storage options.
Speaker:
- Robert LaFaso, Senior Energy Analyst, Ascend Analytics
Session 3: Thinking it Through: Planning & Analyzing Solar + Storage
Project developers need to determine if a solar + storage asset will be a profitable investment, which involves a complex analysis of the solar resource, identification and estimation of value streams available from providing grid services, and how well intertemporal optimization of battery charging/discharging will perform. Beyond the financial analyses of project sponsors, due diligence from potential investors also requires objective assessment of project economics across a range of market and regulatory scenarios.
Attendees will understand the essential elements of conducting financial performance projections for solar + storage, across a range of technologies and in various market settings.
Speaker:
- Tony Abate, Senior Consultant, Customized Energy Solutions
Session 4: From Concept to Commissioning: Building, Contracting and Operating Solar + Storage
When a developer or project sponsor of a solar + storage facility decides to proceed to construction, a host of new concerns, requirements and milestones become paramount to success. From site selection and land acquisition to contract negotiations to warranties and insurance, the choices available and the decisions made will make the difference between success and failure.
Attendees will understand how solar + storage proposals become solar + storage facilities, and how such facilities are operated and managed through their life cycle to provide valuable services and reward investors.
Speaker:
- Dr. Sudipta Lahiri, Director of Storage and Grid Edge Intelligence, DNV
Session 5: Changing Markets & Policy: The Future of Solar + Storage
While solar + storage presently is an ascendant clean energy resource, the technologies, markets and regulatory frameworks that will influence the scope and pace of solar + storage development continue to change. Most market and regulatory trends appear to favor accelerated deployments of grid-connected hybrid solar + storage facilities, but strong competition from other clean energy technologies and unpredictable policy shifts may emerge to slow the acceleration of deployments
Attendees will understand the fundamental drivers of the surge in solar + storage deployments, and how changes in these drivers can affect the pace of development.
Speaker:
- Erin Childs, Senior Manager, Strategen
