Fire risk tops the headlines, but short circuit events may be the more immediate threat on your next project. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are having a moment. After years of promise, the technology has reached an inflection point thanks to plummeting costs, utility-scale deployments, and continuing federal support. BESS has earned its reputation as the sector to watch by solving difficult grid problems. But momentum has a way of o....
In the North American power market, Demand Response (DR) is no longer confined to large industrial facilities turning off heavy machinery during peak hours. Driven by FERC Order 2222 and the rapid deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs), behind-the-meter C&I solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are increasingly relied upon to provide active grid support. Modern utility programs and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) require C....
While not the world oldest profession, the reuse of products is a close second, dating back to when a caveman picked up a spear after his partner was eaten by a lion. Today, it is estimated that 45 percent of industries depend on it. Some examples are the auto industry relying on scrapyards for parts, heavy construction equipment, HVAC systems in buildings, utilities, plumbing, marine, military, aviation, and telecommunications — all rely on....
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the most significant drivers of energy demand growth in modern history. As hyperscale data centers expand across North America to support AI processing, cloud infrastructure, and high-density computing, utilities and developers are accelerating investments in renewable energy projects at unprecedented speed. Much of the public conversation surrounding this transition has focused on solar photovol....
Energy Storage
Schaltbau North America
Energy Storage
Gary Lam
Energy Storage
Sequoya Cross
Peak Energy, a U.S. leader in low-cost giga-scale energy storage, announced it has appointed Paul D. Menson as the company's first Vice President of Sales. Menson's appointment will strengthen Peak's commercial team as demand for the company's passively cooled sodium-ion battery systems continues to rise with data centers and utilities increasingly seeking safer, more reliable energy storage solutions.
Menson joins Peak Energy from General Motors, where he helped develop and lead the company's grid-scale stationary energy storage strategy. His appointment is a continuation of the strategic partnership announced in June 2026 by GM and Peak to develop and deploy next-generation sodium-ion battery cells purpose-built for grid-scale storage, combining Peak's passively cooled energy storage platform with GM's battery cell development expertise. In his new role, Menson will lead and scale Peak's global sales organization.
"This appointment reflects the next stage of Peak Energy's growth," said Cameron Dales, cofounder and Chief Commercial Officer at Peak Energy. "As customer demand continues to grow, our focus now is on building a commercial organization capable of competing on a global scale. Paul is one of the most respected commercial leaders in energy storage today, and his appointment further strengthens our partnership with GM."
Menson brings 15 years of experience in the global energy industry, including at Tesla where he was a U.S. grid-scale energy storage sales leader before joining GM to lead its stationary battery storage strategy – now being advanced in partnership with Peak Energy. Menson began his career in direct sales for Siemens and Siemens Energy working with customers in Africa, Europe, and North America.
"The market is navigating a generational, if not historic, challenge. The world needs energy storage that's durable, cost-effective, and safe at scale – and that's exactly what Peak is building," said Menson. "I'm excited to join Peak during this pivotal phase of growth following its partnership with GM and domestic giga-scale factory announcement. I look forward to working with the team at Peak to help scale the company's global reach, and to work with customers and partners to meet the extraordinary needs of the moment."
Peak Energy | www.peakenergy.com
UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute released a new report, "Full-Scale Electric Vehicle Fire Experiments and Recommendations for Fire Incident Response," helping close the knowledge gaps around EV fires and suppression tactics.
ULRI conducted full-scale burns of 18 vehicles to examine the differences and similarities between gas vehicles and EVs. This included nine free burns, or experiments conducted without fire suppression. Following the free-burn experiments, the research team burned nine additional EVs to evaluate common suppression tactics, including water only, EV fire blankets, and water with an added suppression agent. Researchers fully charged all EVs, initiated the battery fires with a propane burner, and then allowed the fires to grow for six minutes before beginning suppression. The six-minute delay replicates standard fire response time in North America.
"Lithium-ion battery-powered devices and EVs are already changing how we move, communicate, and enjoy our leisure time," said Adam Barowy, principal research engineer for the Fire Safety Research Institute. "This research moves us closer to understanding how batteries change the fire environment and helps equip first responders to adequately address fires involving this new source of fuel. Our findings demonstrate that when it comes to EVs, first responders can effectively manage the hazard with familiar tools and tactics."
Key findings from the report include:
Data from free-burn experiments concluded that EV and ICEV fires are similar in fire growth rate, peak fire size, and fire duration. On average, EVs released more total energy, attributed to greater vehicle mass.
For most EV fire incidents, water can be used to suppress the cabin fire, limit exposures, and control flaming from thermal runaway while the battery burns itself out. None of the tested suppression techniques halted thermal runaway once it started, and an added suppression agent was no more effective than water. Direct battery extinguishment or cooling are precluded by vehicle construction and are not recommended.
While effective for controlling vehicle flaming, researchers observed that an explosion hazard can occur when flammable gases accumulate underneath a deployed EV fire blanket or those gases accumulate in a confined operating environment. If used, blankets should not be repositioned, and it is recommended that fire blankets not be used indoors or in confined spaces due to deflagration risk. They should not be considered a replacement for water-based suppression.
Full personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus are required throughout the incident, including overhaul, due to persistent toxic exposures and the risk of reignition. Much of the exposure hazard is driven by the passenger compartment fire, but elevated concentrations of metals and particulate fluoride associated with the battery fires were found in smoke, suppression runoff water, and were found to contaminate firefighting turnout gear.
The full report provides detailed considerations for firefighters including size-up, exposure hazards, suppression, and overhaul. The team also developed an EV Fire Tactical Decision Aid, a step-by-step tool designed to analyze, develop, and improve fireground decision-making. The findings and tactical considerations will inform the development of an EV firefighting course in the Fire Safety Academy, scheduled for release later this year. Full air, surface, water, and PPE decontamination results are undergoing peer review or final analysis and will be published over the next year.
ULRI is focused on understanding how lithium-ion batteries — whether in e-mobility devices or electric vehicles — change the fire environment so that first and second responders can respond safely and mitigate the hazard, and the public can minimize hazards arising from personal use.
Fire Safety Research Institute | fsri.org
UL Research Institutes | https://ul.org/
Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider Natural Power is set to deliver comprehensive ground investigation (GI) services for Vattenfall at the proposed 100MW Ourack and 90MW Quantans Hill Wind Farm developments in Scotland. The appointments further strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two organisations, which has seen Natural Power support Vattenfall on UK renewable energy projects for more than 15 years.
Under the contracts, Natural Power will undertake a comprehensive programme of ground investigation works to inform the design and development of both proposed wind farms. The scope of works includes:
The investigations will provide the critical geotechnical, geological and environmental data required to support detailed project design while helping to reduce construction risk and inform engineering decisions as the developments progress.
Natural Power's multidisciplinary construction and geotechnical teams will deliver the works using a combination of specialist site investigation techniques and advanced survey technologies, providing Vattenfall with high-quality data to support the next stages of project development.
Ralph Spernagel, Construction Director at Natural Power, said: "We're delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Vattenfall by supporting these proposed wind farm developments. We've worked together on projects throughout many years that have helped grow the UK's renewable energy capacity, and these latest contracts are another important milestone in that partnership.
"Ground investigations are fundamental to the successful development of wind farms, providing the detailed information needed to optimise designs, reduce project risk and support efficient construction. By combining our expertise in geotechnical investigations, geophysical surveys, peatland assessments and drone-based technologies, we're able to deliver a fully integrated service that provides clients with the high-quality data they need to move projects forward with confidence."
Natural Power has established a strong reputation for delivering ground investigation and construction support services across the renewable energy sector, helping developers de-risk projects through high-quality site investigations and technical expertise.
The award of these latest contracts reinforces the company's position as a trusted partner for renewable energy developers and reflects its continued commitment to supporting the delivery of new onshore wind projects that will contribute to the UK's transition to a low-carbon energy system.
Natural Power | www.naturalpower.com
ContourGlobal announced the start of construction of Los Maitenes, a new hybrid solar-plus-storage investment in Chile for a facility combining 131 MWp of solar PV capacity with 90 MW/360 MWh of battery storage. When completed, the facility will push ContourGlobal’s Chilean renewables and storage portfolio to approximately 583 MWp of solar PV with 490 MW / 2.9 GWh of BESS capacity, representing more than 1 GW of clean power generation and storage assets in the country.
Alongside its operating plants in the Tarapacá (Víctor Jara) and Antofagasta (Quillagua I and II) regions, Los Maitenes will expand the company’s presence into the O'Higgins Region, closer to one of Chile’s main electricity demand centers. As Chile's power system faces periods of excess solar generation that cannot always be absorbed or transmitted by the grid, facilities such as Los Maitenes help mitigate curtailment risk. In addition to providing daytime solar generation, the plant’s battery storage system enables it to deliver firm energy during peak demand in non-solar hours. Its strategic location close to major electricity consumption centers also significantly reduces its exposure to transmission constraints.
The new facility is expected to generate around 220 GWh of clean electricity per year, and to be fully built by end of 2027. Its output is highly contracted through a single long-term PPA covering daytime and nighttime blocks, leveraging the flexibility provided by its four-hour battery storage system, while the remaining production will capture merchant market opportunities.
Antonio Cammisecra, ContourGlobal’s CEO, commented, “Our growth in Chile goes hand in hand with the transformation of the country’s power system, which is leading the way in combining renewable generation and energy storage to deliver reliable, dispatchable clean energy at scale. Los Maitenes is another milestone in ContourGlobal’s strategy to develop large-scale hybrid renewable platforms, and builds on our pioneering ‘Sun at Night’ business model, which enables solar energy generated during the day to be delivered during non-solar peak demand hours.”
“Los Maitenes marks an important milestone in ContourGlobal’s continued expansion in Chile. This project demonstrates our ability to understand the evolving needs of our customers and the market, and to translate them into world-class, bankable energy solutions. It also reflects our strong local presence and experience in the Chilean energy market”, added James Lee Stancampiano, General Manager LATAM at ContourGlobal.
The project is expected to employ a peak construction workforce of up to 400 people simultaneously on site during the delivery of the solar plant, the BESS facility, the electrical substation and associated works. Over the approximately 15-month construction period, as civil, mechanical, electrical and commissioning activities progress, an estimated 900 direct workers will contribute to the project. Including indirect jobs associated with transportation, local services, suppliers and subcontractors, the project's total employment impact is expected to exceed 1,300 people, according to preliminary estimates.
In parallel, ContourGlobal is carrying out a thorough community engagement process with key local stakeholders, providing timely updates on the start of specific works, coordinating activities that may generate impacts, and maintaining close communication throughout construction, while working closely with institutional stakeholders as well.
ContourGlobal | https://www.contourglobal.com/
Energea, a global renewable energy developer and operator managing four active investment portfolios, announced the appointment of Peter Lenardos as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Lenardos will lead financial strategy across Energea’s management company, investment portfolios, and operating entities, with responsibility for corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance, financial reporting, controls, and capital markets initiatives.
Energea CFO Peter Lenardos
“Peter combines public-company leadership, hands-on CFO experience, and a deep understanding of capital markets,” said Mike Silvestrini, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Energea. “As Energea expands its investment platform, his immediate priorities will include strengthening financial reporting and controls, supporting disciplined capital allocation, and building the infrastructure to serve a broader investor base.”
Lenardos brings more than 25 years of financial leadership experience across multiple areas of financial services, including investment management, capital markets, investment banking, and equity research. He has CFO and financial-transformation experience, public-company leadership, and has been involved in capital formation, investor relations, multi-jurisdictional controls and reporting, and strategic transactions.
Most recently, he served as Head of Investor Relations at Clear Street, a pre-IPO cloud-native capital markets platform, where he built the investor relations function, led institutional investor positioning, and supported private capital raises and IPO readiness initiatives. Prior to joining Clear Street, he was Chief Financial Officer at Quant Insight, an investment analytics firm, where he helped secure Series A funding for global expansion and developed an institutional-grade finance and reporting infrastructure.
Prior to Quant Insight, Lenardos served as Group CFO and Executive Director at OSTC Group Holdings, a global derivatives trading firm. In that role, he led a comprehensive financial transformation across FP&A, treasury, controls, and reporting functions while managing international regulatory relationships and executing strategic initiatives that included the acquisition and integration of two education businesses and the sale of the core business to a strategic partner.
His career also includes a tenure as CEO of Cinnober Financial Technology, a publicly listed provider of trading and clearing technology to global exchanges. In that role, he led a full strategic turnaround, delivering a 74 percent shareholder return and a successful all-cash $220 million sale of the company to Nasdaq.
Before becoming a C-suite executive, Lenardos spent seven years at RBC Capital Markets as a Managing Director, where he built the global market infrastructure and diversified financials franchise, consistently ranking as a top-ranked analyst and developing strong executive relationships across the financial services sector.
“Energea has built a unique integrated platform that connects investment capital with operating renewable-energy assets,” said Lenardos. “I look forward to strengthening the company’s financial and reporting capabilities, supporting disciplined growth, and helping Energea serve more investors as it expands its distribution relationships and geographic reach.”
Lenardos' appointment follows a series of significant corporate milestones for Energea over the last nine months:
“Peter's addition to our leadership team comes at an ideal time as we scale distribution, invest in new geographies, and develop the financial infrastructure required to serve an expanding base of individual investors and wealth platforms,” said Chris Sattler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Energea. “Peter has a great track record of delivering results in fast-growing, entrepreneurial financial services companies like ours, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise as we enter the next phase of our growth.”
Lenardos holds an MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BBA in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated summa cum laude. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Energea Global LLC | https://www.energea.com/
GenH2 Corp., a subsidiary of Path2 Hydrogen AG (XETR: PTHH), and ITP Interpipe, a global specialist in thermally insulated pipe-in-pipe systems, announced the successful thermal qualification of ITP Interpipe's Izoflex® insulation system for liquid hydrogen pipe-in-pipe pipelines.
The testing, conducted on GenH2's unmatched Cryostat CS900 Liquid Hydrogen Simulation Test Platform in Titusville, Florida, validated the insulation system's thermal performance under representative liquid hydrogen operating conditions using the ASTM C1774 industry standard. The results represent an important milestone toward full-scale qualification of ITP Interpipe's liquid hydrogen pipe-in-pipe technology and support the growing need for reliable, high-performance infrastructure across the emerging hydrogen economy.
The results were jointly presented at the ICEC30/ICMC2026 Conference by Aurélien Damour, Innovation Expert at ITP Interpipe, and James E. Fesmire, Executive Vice President and Chief Architect at GenH2.
Supporting the Next Generation of Liquid Hydrogen Infrastructure
As investment in liquid hydrogen production, transportation, and storage accelerates worldwide, minimizing heat ingress into cryogenic pipelines is essential for improving efficiency, preserving product quality, and reducing hydrogen losses throughout the supply chain.
The successful thermal qualification demonstrates that ITP Interpipe's Izoflex® insulation system delivers the thermal performance required for liquid hydrogen pipeline applications and validates GenH2's ability to provide standards-based testing under real-world liquid hydrogen operating conditions.
A Critical Milestone in ITP Interpipe's Qualification Program
This thermal qualification represents the third of four phases in ITP Interpipe's liquid hydrogen pipe-in-pipe qualification program. Previous phases included metallic material qualification for liquid hydrogen service, including hydrogen embrittlement characterization, and Izoflex® compatibility testing with liquid oxygen (LOx). The final phase will include full-scale system testing. This project was supported by the French State as part of the Investments for the Future Programme, now integrated into France 2030, and operated by ADEME.
ITP Interpipe's pipe-in-pipe technology builds upon its field-proven LNG pipeline expertise while incorporating optimized components, like the insulation, specifically engineered for liquid hydrogen service. Unlike conventional high-vacuum insulation systems, Izoflex® operates under soft-vacuum conditions, providing low thermal conductivity and sufficient structural support to eliminate the need for internal spacers between the inner and outer pipes. The use of a 36% Ni steel inner pipe with a low coefficient of thermal expansion enables ITP Interpipe's pipe-in-pipe system to be installed underground, subsea, or above ground without the need for expansion loops.
Standards-Based Testing Under Real Liquid Hydrogen Conditions
Testing was performed using GenH2's Cryostat CS900 platform integrated with the company's LS20 liquefaction and refrigerated storage system. The platform provides precise thermal measurements under controlled vacuum, temperature, and gas-environment conditions in accordance with ASTM C1774, enabling accurate characterization of insulation performance across cryogenic operating conditions.
Testing was conducted using representative pipeline operating conditions, including a 20 K cold boundary, 293 K warm boundary, controlled soft-vacuum pressure, and a four-layer Izoflex® insulation configuration wrapped around a pipe representative of field installation.
Results Confirm Pipeline-Grade Performance
The measured heat ingress met the thermal performance specifications required for liquid hydrogen pipeline applications, validating the experimental thermal qualification of the Izoflex® insulation system.
Beyond liquid hydrogen, the companies believe the technology also shows promise for additional cryogenic applications, including liquid nitrogen systems for superconducting power cables, liquid oxygen infrastructure, and LNG pipelines.
"These results provide standards-based validation of how our Izoflex® insulation performs under the real operating conditions a liquid hydrogen pipeline will experience," said Aurélien Damour, Innovation Expert at ITP Interpipe. "This milestone significantly advances the qualification of our pipe-in-pipe technology and brings us one step closer to commercial deployment."
"As the hydrogen industry scales toward commercial deployment, standards-based validation becomes increasingly important," said James E. Fesmire, Executive Vice President and Chief Architect at GenH2. "This qualification with ITP Interpipe demonstrates how rigorous testing helps validate new technologies and accelerate deployment of reliable liquid hydrogen infrastructure."
The next phase of the qualification program will involve full-scale testing of the complete pipe-in-pipe system, building upon the material- and component-level validation achieved to date.
GenH2 | genh2.com
ITP Interpipe | https://www.itp-interpipe.com/
Advantage Renewables, a leading developer of solar and energy storage projects across the US, announced the acquisition of a portfolio of early-stage battery energy storage system (BESS) projects from 5 Rivers Energy. The portfolio comprises three transmission-level battery energy storage projects in Michigan.
The portfolio represents a strategic expansion of Advantage Renewables’ presence in the Midwest and underscores its commitment to advancing grid resilience and supporting clean energy deployment. Advantage Renewables already maintains an established Midwest footprint through its utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in MISO North, and this portfolio further builds on that regional presence. Once developed, the projects are expected to play a critical role in enhancing energy reliability, integrating intermittent renewable resources and supporting peak demand management across Michigan.
The portfolio is currently in the early stages of development, and Advantage Renewables plans to advance the projects through development, permitting and interconnection, leveraging its expertise in energy storage and energy infrastructure deployment.
“Energy storage is essential to building a more flexible and resilient grid,” said Steven Lichtin, Advantage Renewables CEO. “These projects represent a meaningful step in our strategy to expand our storage portfolio in key markets like Michigan, where demand for reliable, clean energy solutions continues to grow.”
5 Rivers Energy, a global clean energy and infrastructure development company with interests spanning renewable energy, infrastructure supply, and emerging technologies, expressed confidence in the transition of the portfolio.
“We are pleased to transfer these projects to Advantage Renewables, a group with the capability and vision to bring them to fruition,” said Shayan Rashid, 5 Rivers Energy CEO. “As we continue to grow our pipeline across North America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, we look forward to seeing these assets contribute to Michigan’s renewable energy future.”
BESS has become increasingly vital to modern energy infrastructure through its ability to enable greater penetration of renewable energy sources while maintaining grid stability. Michigan has emerged as a growing market for storage development after setting energy targets to achieve 100% economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Advantage Renewables will continue to work closely with local governments, community members, utilities and regulatory agencies as it advances the portfolio toward commercialization.
Advantage Renewables | https://advantagerenew.com/
Alternative Energies Jul 23, 2026
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