Energy Storage: 2025 and Beyond

Louth Callan Renewables, a leading renewable energy construction company, is proud to announce its continued geographical expansion into the Midwest with the recent awarding of 121 megawatts (MW) of solar across three projects in Illinois. This achievement represents a major step in the company's strategic growth and reinforces its commitment to developing and constructing high-quality renewable energy infrastructure across the United States.

The awarded projects, which include multiple solar farms across Illinois, will support the state's aggressive renewable energy targets by generating clean, sustainable electricity for thousands of homes and businesses. These solar developments will collectively offset thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, furthering Illinois' efforts to transition to a greener energy future while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

"Expanding into the Midwest represents a significant milestone for Louth Callan Renewables as we continue to extend our national footprint," said Nicholas Sylvestre, Managing Member of Louth Callan Renewables. "Illinois' commitment to clean energy makes it an ideal market for our expertise in solar and renewable construction. These new projects underscore our mission to provide resilient, reliable, and cost-effective renewable energy solutions while fostering local economic growth."

The construction and development of these solar projects will bring substantial economic benefits to the region, including the creation of more than 400 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction, and operational phases. Additionally, the projects will generate long-term tax revenues and land lease payments, providing financial support to local communities, landowners, and municipal infrastructure initiatives.

Louth Callan Renewables remains dedicated to advancing clean energy solutions through innovative design, strong industry partnerships, and a commitment to sustainability. The company continues to collaborate with local stakeholders, policymakers, and industry leaders to ensure the successful deployment of these projects, reinforcing its role as a trusted leader in renewable energy development.

Louth Callan Renewables | www.louthcallanrenewables.com

R.T. Casey, LLC (RTC), a leader in offshore construction and subsea engineering, proudly announces its key role in advancing Oregon State University’s (OSU) PacWave South project. As the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy test facility in the United States, PacWave South is a groundbreaking initiative in the pursuit of harnessing renewable energy from ocean waves.

With a strong commitment to supporting all energy initiatives, RTC specializes in developing, installing, and maintaining cutting-edge subsea and terrestrial infrastructure. Whether in offshore renewables, telecommunications, or other critical energy sectors, RTC’s expertise ensures seamless and sustainable power solutions.

RTC’s Contributions to PacWave South: Driving Innovation Below and Beyond the Surface

RTC played a pivotal role in the design, procurement, installation, and integration of essential infrastructure to ensure efficient and reliable energy transmission. The company’s expertise was instrumental in:

• Subsea Cable Engineering – Designed and deployed high-performance cables built to endure the unique challenges of the Pacific Ocean.
• Precision Installation – Executed complex offshore and terrestrial operations to establish reliable energy connectivity.
• Industry Collaboration – Partnered with OSU and various contractors from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Louisiana to execute this ambitious project.
• Safety-Focused Execution – Maintained rigorous Incident-Free Operations (IFO) standards, ensuring operational excellence.

Leadership Perspective: The Future of Energy Lies Offshore

“The success of PacWave South is a testament to innovation, strategic execution, and the power of collaboration,” said Zachary Casey, Project Executive and Owner at RTC. “We are proud to be at the forefront of advancing offshore renewable energy, demonstrating the critical role that high-performance subsea infrastructure plays in shaping the future of sustainable power solutions.”

Rachel Cambre, Senior Electrical Project Manager at RTC, emphasized the growing importance of reliable energy transmission in renewable initiatives: “As global demand for sustainable energy solutions increases, robust submarine and terrestrial cable systems will serve as the backbone of future offshore projects. PacWave South is a key step forward in proving the viability of wave-generated power, and we are committed to driving industry-leading innovations that enable its success.”

R.T. Casey | www.rtcasey.com

Resource Innovations (RI), a leading provider of clean energy solutions, and The Mobility House (TMH), a global leader in vehicle-grid integration (VGI) technology, have been selected by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to spearhead a first-of-its-kind statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) demonstration program. This two-year initiative will deploy bidirectional charging infrastructure to enhance grid resilience, reduce energy costs, and increase renewable energy integration across Massachusetts.

The program, which represents one of the largest state-led V2X initiatives in the U.S., will deploy 100 bidirectional chargers to residential, school bus, municipal, and commercial fleet participants. The bidirectional chargers will activate participants’ electric vehicles (EVs) as mobile energy storage assets, collectively totaling an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity across Massachusetts. The program prioritizes low-income and disadvantaged communities, ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge clean energy solutions.

“Vehicle-to-everything technology is key to leveraging electric vehicles as assets to the grid, both as a financial resource and improving reliability,” said Rachel Ackerman, Senior Director of Clean Transportation at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “Through a targeted deployment of bidirectional chargers across a variety of sectors, barriers can be quickly identified and resolved, demonstrating a clear pathway for an accelerated application of V2X technology. MassCEC’s V2X program is a crucial step in Massachusetts’s efforts to enable wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles."

Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will benefit from the deployment of bidirectional chargers capable of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations.

Key program benefits: 

• Charging infrastructure: Program participants will receive bidirectional charging stations and installation at no cost to the participant. 
• Grid resilience: Energy infrastructure in Massachusetts will be strengthened with an estimated 1.5 MW of new flexible and distributed storage assets. 
• Clean energy: V2G technology supports the transition to renewable energy by charging EVs when renewables are available and discharging from the EV batteries when they are not.  
• Backup power: Program participants will have the capability to use their vehicle batteries as mobile energy storage, providing backup power during outages. 
• Revenue opportunities: The bidirectional charging systems will allow some participants to be compensated for sending stored energy to the grid.

“With the charging infrastructure provided through this program, we’re eliminating financial barriers and enabling school districts, homeowners, and fleets to access reliable backup power,” said Kelly Helfrich, Vice President, Transportation Electrification Practice, Resource Innovations. “By documenting our processes, we aim to create a scalable blueprint for V2X programs nationwide.”

“This program activates the potential of EVs as energy storage assets,” said Russell Vare, Vice President, Vehicle Grid Integration, The Mobility House North America. “Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community.”

This program addresses a critical gap in the adoption of V2X technology by providing and installing the innovative infrastructure at no cost to participants across socioeconomic levels. By leveraging renewable energy and reducing strain on the grid, this program positions Massachusetts as a national leader in clean energy innovation.

This initiative brings together a coalition of energy leaders: 

• Resource Innovations provides program management and implementation, reporting, and energy program design expertise.  
• The Mobility House contributes advanced vehicle-grid-integration (VGI) software and global experience in V2G deployment. 
• Voltrek and B2Q offer local engineering, site design, and construction expertise for residential, fleet, and school charger installations.  
• Converge Strategies and Vehicle-Grid Integration Council lead stakeholder engagement and coordination with utilities, local governments, community members, charging vendors, and automakers to develop a Massachusetts V2X Guidebook aimed at scaling and enhancing energy resilience. 

EV owners can apply for the program now through June 2025.

Resource Innovations | resource-innovations.com 

The Mobility House North America | https://www.mobilityhouse.com/usa_en/

 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center | https://www.masscec.com/

Ampacity Renewables, formerly known as RP Construction Services, announced at #IESNA their significantly expanded capabilities, products, and services designed to catalyze the clean energy industry and meet the nation’s escalating power demand. The company selected a well-known industry term—Ampacity—defined as the maximum amount of current that a conductor can safely carry, to evoke the concept of electrification and acceleration, as well as to represent the company’s above-and-beyond approach to serving its customers.

The team at Ampacity has built a reputation in the industry as a trusted partner with a one-stop-shop approach. Ampacity customers benefit from a comprehensive offering that includes: design solutions, on-hand inventory, kitting and pre-assembly, logistics services, post-installation services and commissioning—all from one value-added company. Ampacity’s structural and electrical solutions for distributed generation and utility-scale solar and storage projects reduce customers’ overhead and job costs with efficient and streamlined procurement, ensure timely receiving and installation, and increase worker safety.

“For over a decade, we have served our customers as a trusted partner to support them in completing projects quickly and efficiently. This has resulted in tremendous growth and expansion within the tracker sector,” said Eben Russell, Founder and President of Ampacity. “Moving forward, we are leveraging our proven approach, incredible team, and the new Ampacity brand to bring cutting-edge solutions and services to address all industry sectors and all project types.”

Growing power demand, driven by new datacenters and advanced manufacturing facilities, will require more clean energy generation, and, alongside that, strategies to efficiently advance projects. “By 2030, U.S. electricity demand is expected to grow 7% from 4,300 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 to 4,600 TWh in 2030,” Russell remarked. “Ampacity’s vision is to expand our breadth of solutions and services to meet our nation’s future power needs, sustainably and responsibly.”

“Ampacity is accelerating the energy transition with their value-added, kitted solutions that streamline procurement, reduce customers’ overhead, simplify the work in the field, improve safety, bolster quality, and make work more repeatable and more scalable,” said Duke Austin, President and CEO at Quanta Services.

Ampacity | www.ampacity.com

Quanta Services | www.quantaservices.com

NovaTech Automation, the leader in substation automation for the US electric grid, is excited to announce the release of the Hermes 2000 series of utility-grade Layer 2 Ethernet switches, enabling NovaTech to deliver a broader array of digital substation solutions to its utility customers.

The Hermes 2000 Gigabit Ethernet switches feature 28 ports and meet IEC 61850-3 standards.  Available in various configurations of copper and SFP ports and operating voltages, Hermes 2000 switches are designed for mounting in 19” racks.  

NovaTech’s CEO, Conrad Oakey, expressed enthusiasm for the new products:  

"The recent introduction and strong response to the OrionVX – the server-deployed version of our popular OrionOS for substation automation platform - highlighted a customer need and an opportunity to provide robust network solutions suitable for the performance, cybersecurity, and environmental demands of the modern digital substation – all backed by responsive service that our customers love. Hermes 2000 broadens the offering for NovaTech customers and expands our capabilities for turnkey system engineering solutions.”

At a time when the demand for robust, integrated communication and automation solutions in the energy sector is growing rapidly, NovaTech’s customer-centric culture promises to deliver powerful solutions that address the challenges of electric grid modernization.

NovaTech Automation | https://www.novatechautomation.com/products/hermes-ethernet-switch

AiDASH, an enterprise SaaS company providing satellite-first AI applications for remote inspection and monitoring of critical infrastructure, announced CRIS 2.0, a major upgrade to its Climate Risk Intelligence System for wildfires, further underscoring the crucial role of vegetation management in wildfire risk reduction.

Drawing from AiDASH partnerships with over 135 utilities and extensive analysis of wildfire prevention methods, CRIS 2.0 sets a new industry standard, helping utilities eliminate wildfire ignition risks by moving from reactive to proactive vegetation management and wildfire mitigation practices. 

These new capabilities highlight vegetation's key role in wildfire dynamics, from causing the initial ignition through power line contact, to fire intensity driven by dry grasses and fuel loads on right-of-way floors. The software also analyzes spread patterns based on vegetation and brush clearance, offering daily fuel load data and guidance on optimal vegetation placement for effective fire breaks. CRIS 2.0 provides a unique, tailored approach, using region-specific data to provide near-real-time, actionable recommendations for reducing ignition causes (including vegetation or asset issues), ignition risks, and spread potential across different time horizons.

The timing is crucial - recent Los Angeles wildfires caused an estimated $250-275 billion in damages, forever changing lives and emphasizing the urgent need for better prevention strategies.

"Existing wildfire solutions are like throwing darts – they're based on decades-old technology and don't account for vegetation conditions that change daily, even by the hour," said Abhishek Singh, CEO and Co-Founder of AiDASH. "CRIS 2.0 goes against conventional wisdom by eliminating the cause of utility-related wildfires through proactive vegetation management and asset inspection. CRIS 2.0 provides recommended actions across multiple timeframes - from immediate needs to long-term planning - delivering a holistic solution for wildfire resilience. We've learned that existing reactive solutions aren't enough, and it only takes one wildfire to cause catastrophic damage. We can no longer accept the status quo."

This release is a major update to AiDASH’s Grid Inspection and Monitoring platform and integrates seamlessly with our other applications: Intelligent Vegetation Management System (IVMS) and Asset Inspection and Monitoring System (AIMS), enabling them to provide surgical plans for preventing utility-related wildfires. This integrated approach enables utilities to make data-driven decisions based on risk and consequence assessment, measuring potential financial impact and communities and lives at risk.

Additionally, AiDASH has released two crucial resources for utilities and regulators: 

- A comprehensive analysis of the recent L.A. wildfires, revealing that these incidents were detectable weeks in advance through satellite-driven vegetation stress and ignition analysis. 

- A new Wildfire Mitigation Playbook providing a Prevention-First Framework for Modern Grid Safety.

AiDASH | www.aidash.com

When it comes to alternative energies, wind and solar power are currently attracting about 95% of all investments worldwide, according to a recent report from IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency).Both are considered excellent alternative energy sources: clean, renewable, and produce minimal greenhouse gas emissions. However, they do have their respective drawbacks: without wind, turbines can’t spin, and at night or in cloudy conditions solar panels go dormant.  

Engineers continue to look for alternatives that can unlock clean energy without the constraints of wind, solar, and other alternative options. Among those leading the charge is David Sattler, an inventor and engineer with more than 30 years of experience working in thermodynamics and heat transfer. Sattler helped design the first hydropower systems that capitalized on the utilization of vortexes to increase the mass flow rate of water, thus boosting power generation.

Now, Sattler is looking to harness those same vortex engineering principles with wind to create what some engineers refer to as a “tornado in a tower.”

“We’ve inverted the funnel,” says Sattler. “Instead of a tornado that forms in the sky and funnels downward, we build a vortex at ground level and direct it upwards.”

Engineering an “Upside-Down Tornado”

The setup is unexpectedly straightforward: a specially engineered tower (which could look like an industrial smokestack) creates conditions where warm and cool air converges in essentially the same way in which a tornado is spun up. 

“All we need is a small temperature difference,” explains Sattler. “It can be as little as half a degree Fahrenheit. Once the vortex begins spinning, the system feeds itself by pulling air in at the bottom and then it accelerates as it moves toward the top.”

In a twister, the strongest winds are typically found at the very tip of the funnel, near the ground. In the “upside-down tornado” the tip is positioned near the top where a turbine, or impeller, is located to capture the mechanical energy. 

“Most people think adding a turbine blade would slow the airflow,” adds Sattler. “However, in a vortex system, it actually helps manage and even enhance the flow. It’s counterintuitive to typical engineering, which assumes you can’t add friction without losing velocity.”

Beyond the mechanical rotation of a turbine, the design of the vortex tower can also pull DC energy out of the atmosphere.

“It’s no more mysterious than static electricity or the dynamic electric fields we see in everyday life,” says Sattler. “The vortex tower is essentially a suction machine. Once you have that column of spinning air, you can extract more than just mechanical motion—you can also draw out electricity in the form of direct current with commercial off-the-shelf equipment.” 

Sattler’s team at Marstecs – a company looking to help solve the energy challenges on Earth and beyond – calls the system a Solar Wind Vortex Tower. The solar aspect in the name refers to the utilization of sunlight to warm one side of the tower to create the temperature differential which starts the process. 

There is no electricity or fuel required to operate the vortex, and once it is started it can run consistently, day or night, producing power. If the vortex needs to be stopped for any reason, the air inflow at the bottom can be shut off.  

Reducing Cost and Environmental Impact

The vortex towers offer a “greener” energy solution because it not only produces electricity without emitting harmful greenhouse gases, but it is free of the conventional shortcomings related to wind and solar. For example, solar panels require mining materials like aluminum, copper, indium, lead, nickel, and silicon, while the massive blades of a wind turbine are not recyclable, contributing to a significant landfill issue at the end of their lifecycle.    

The solar wind vortexes also require a smaller footprint than both wind and solar, and depending on the size of the towers, the cost to produce electricity is projected to be about one-third cheaper than wind and solar.  

In addition, the towers can be built at preexisting power generation facilities, with minimal excavation. The infrastructure costs would be about 25-33% less than today’s standard wind or solar installations.   

Common Skepticisms

When Sattler first proposed applying vortex principles to hydroelectric dams, industry experts were skeptical. He faces similar doubts with the vortex towers for air. 

“When we use a vortex within hydroelectric systems, we spin water and can generate more power out of the same dam,” explains Sattler. “With air, we can create our own wind within a tower to get more out of the atmosphere. We’re simply applying nature’s own principles more efficiently.”

The entire concept, from shaping the tower to placing a turbine in the airstream, involves ideas that challenge standard engineering textbooks. Yet, Sattler believes that’s exactly what the renewable energy sector needs. 

“Solar and wind are a start, but their drawbacks have always been there, and we keep trying to solve them with bigger, more expensive solutions,” says Sattler. “Sometimes, it’s better to rethink things from the ground up.”

The Next Leap for Renewable Energy

The wind solar vortex technology is not just a terrestrial solution for energy, it also has the potential to power up other planets, like Mars, where there is a gaseous atmosphere and a temperature gradient. Marstecs is also looking into the potential use of the same vortex principles in air and space travel which would significantly reduce the dependency on fuel. 

By capturing both mechanical and DC electricity from a “tornado in a tower,” vortex-based technologies could represent the next step in making renewable energy more reliable and more efficient. 

“We’re letting nature do the heavy lifting,” concludes Sattler. “It is just in a way we haven’t tried before.”

Marstecs | https://marstecs.com/