TransActions - February 2014 Newsletter Edition by GDS Associates

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Electric Vehicles: 21st Century Smart-Grid Appliances?

Not only can plug-in electric vehicles boost revenue and average use, but think about the load factor improvements to the residential class. The residential class is typically known for dragging down the system average load factor as heating and cooling related loads produce spiked peaks for relatively short periods of time during the day compared to other customer classifications. Add in a 5-7 KW PEV load for 8 hours overnight, and almost all of these problems are solved! So why isn’t every electric utility across America dishing out incentives to help customers buy these system-saving devices? It’s not quite that simple. It never is.
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Agriculture Energy Management Plans Benefit Farmers and Electric Utilities

Effectively managing energy use on farms through cost effective energy efficiency and operational practices has become a major focus of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the successful implementation of energy efficiency projects within the agricultural sector requires engineers and consultants with in-depth knowledge of the various agricultural enterprises and an appreciation of how individual farms are operated on a day-to-day basis. Shortages of qualified energy professionals within this sector present challenges to the successful identification and implementation of agricultural energy efficiency projects.
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