ABB has reached an agreement to divest to Hitachi, Ltd. (Hitachi) its remaining 19.9 percent equity stake in the Hitachi Energy joint venture that was formed from ABB’s Power Grids business in 2020, with Hitachi holding a stake of 80.1 percent. Hitachi has exercised its call option that was agreed between the parties in December 2018. The call option’s exercise value is US$ 1.679 billion. ABB to provide transition services The companies have agreed to settle remaining obligations...

The upcoming smart meter rollout in Germany will bring additional costs for prosumers. Market players that view these costs as investments can benefit from innovative and attractive new business models – a plea for those preparing and offering customers a seamless overall package. Politicians and regulators are currently preparing for the smart meter rollout in Germany. With optimism, one can interpret the signals from BMWK, BNetzA, and BSI to mean that the nationwide installation o...

Switzerland aims to transition to a net-​zero energy system by 2050. To meet this goal, it will need to replace fossil fuels with renewables. The Swiss government has also taken the decision to phase out nuclear power. As a result, its plans for carbon neutrality will require not only the electrification of transport and heating by means of electric vehicles and heat pumps, but also measures to compensate for the loss of nuclear generating capacity. To meet increased energy demand, Switzerland...

Three power plant units of RWE Power that were previously on standby will return to the electricity market on schedule in October. The German government has issued the necessary ordinance within the framework of the German Act on the Maintenance of Replacement Power Plants (Ersatzkraftwerkebereithaltungsgesetz). The units Neurath C, Niederaussem E, and F are already scheduled to go into operation in the coming days. As with all other power plants, it is up to the operator to deploy the plants...

Zenobē, the EV fleet and battery storage specialist, has selected EDF to continue to be the company’s partner of choice for trading and optimization of its battery assets. EDF and Zenobē have recently renewed their battery trading and optimization contracts for 59MW consisting of the Claredown, Aylesford, and Kings Barn battery assets. This means Zenobē will continue to have access to the full range of flexibility markets including the wholesale market and balancing mechanism, utilizing E...

RECOM has extended its range of DC/DC converters with a 3W version of their isolated RSH series in a surface-mount format with wide input ranges. RSH3 DC/DC converter features The RECOM RSH3 DC/DC converter is an addition to the successful RSH2 series featuring fully regulated, low-noise, and isolated 3W outputs in a surface mount package. The series features nominal inputs of 12V (9–18V) and 24V (18–36V), which are useful for battery or bus-powered systems, while the outputs avai...

Orcan Energy has installed its solution for waste heat for the first time on a river cruise ship. Currently the largest Rhine cruise ship, A-ROSA SENA, owned by A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH, has installed one of Orcan Energy's ORC modules, designed specifically for the marine market.  E-Motion ship The E-Motion ship, with a hybrid propulsion system consisting of a diesel engine and an electric motor, can convert the waste heat from the ship's engines into electrical energy, reducing its fuel c...

Martin McCabe joins from Contactum Ltd bringing a wealth of industry experience gained from devising and implementing customer service improvement programs, and process enhancements and delivering customer service excellence for a dynamic and varied client base. Martin McCabe’s objective at CP Electronics, part of Legrand UK and Ireland, will be to create and develop an industry-leading customer service experience, achieved by streamlining communication processes and improving response ti...

Schneider Electric, the globally renowned company in digital transformation of energy management and automation, today unveiled Advanced Electrical Design™ for Autodesk® Revit® at the Autodesk University conference. Schneider Electric formed BIM Electrical Corp. as result of its strategic partnership with Autodesk, an internationally renowned company in design and make technology, to bring this advanced BIM-based electrical design solution that integrates directly with Revit, crea...

Siemens will replace American Electric Power’s (AEP) existing protection simulation operation software with PSS®CAPE. Ohio-based AEP, the largest transmission grid operator in the U.S.A., serves 5.5 million customers across 11 US states and maintains the largest transmission network in the country, with over 40,000 miles of transmission lines. As grid planning and operations becomes more complex, traditional, siloed manual practices for sharing model data across departments are no lon...

Orcan Energy, the company turning waste heat into clean electricity, has raised EUR 28.5 million in a late-stage growth round. The funding comes from prominent Article 9 Funds TiLT Capital, a new asset management company dedicated to energy transition and part of the Siparex Group, one of France’s leading private equity companies, and a well-known European institutional investor, as well as existing investor Air Liquide Venture Capital (ALIAD). Based in Munich, Germany, Orcan Energy will...

E.ON’s wholly owned subsidiary - PreussenElektra GmbH has reached an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on the cornerstones of a potential continued operation of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant beyond 31 December 2022. Regarding a potential continued operation of Isar 2, the operators have recently been in close exchange with the Federal M...

Business owners, property owners, and municipalities have been given more time to apply for Ameren Missouri’s Charge Ahead program, which provides up to 50% in reimbursements to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on property parking lots. Nearly $4 million in funds are available to qualified customers. These charging stations can bring in additional revenue for businesses or be a complimentary service that may bring in new customers. Inflation Reduction Act Ameren’s r...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and several partners have launched a new tool to track financing costs for energy projects around the world, with the aim of identifying and addressing risks that have impeded vital investment flows to emerging and developing economies. Cost of Capital Observatory The Cost of Capital Observatory was developed by the IEA, together with the World Economic Forum, ETH Zurich and Imperial College London. It will be hosted on the IEA’s website and regularl...

Infinitum, the creator of the breakthrough air-core motor, announces that technology leader Rick Tewell will join the company as President. Rick brings nearly four decades of leadership experience scaling production across the automotive, semiconductor, and electronics industries to Infinitum and will help lead the company’s hypergrowth phase. Prior to joining Infinitum, Rick Tewell was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for AEye, a pioneer in high-performance, lidar solutions for industri...

It is announced that The Forge, Landsec’s first net zero carbon (NZC) commercial development is to feature smart energy management solutions from Schneider Electric. Landsec and Schneider have worked closely from the early concept stages of this first-of-its-kind development, which is set to complete at the end of 2022 and is aligned with Landsec’s commitment to become a net zero carbon business and reduce absolute carbon emissions by 70% by 2030. Smart Approach The Forge, a Londo...

Infinitum, creator of the breakthrough air-core motor, has announced that technology pioneer - Rick Tewell will join the company as President. Rick Tewell brings nearly four decades of leadership experience scaling production across the automotive, semiconductor, and electronics industries to Infinitum and will help lead the company’s hypergrowth phase. Rick's experience  Before joining Infinitum, Rick was Chief Operating Officer for AEye, a global pioneer in high-performance, lida...

At its meeting, the Supervisory Board of E.ON SE extended the contract of CEO Leonhard Birnbaum by a further five years until 30 June 2028. Birnbaum has been a member of the Group's management body since 2013 and has been E.ON's CEO since April 2021. Supervisory Board Chairman, Karl-Ludwig Kley commented on the contract extension: "As Chairman of the Board of Management, Leonhard Birnbaum has further sharpened the E.ON Group's strategy with its clear focus on sustainability, digitalization, and...

Schneider Electric, the pioneer in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is participating in The Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk for the 12th consecutive year. Hosted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, the walk is designed to raise awareness about cancer and fundraise to support ongoing cancer research and patient care. Cancer Awareness The event is held on October 2, 2022, along the historic Boston Marathon route. It is back in person following the...

Hitachi Energy, a globally renowned technology company that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, has announced that it has been selected by Transmission Developers Inc., a Blackstone portfolio company that is specialized in renewable power development, to supply a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station, which is a key part of the transmission solution for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) HVDC interconnection between Québec, in Canada and the New York Ci...

At RE+ 2022, Panasonic Eco Systems North America, a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, unveiled two new lines of all-black compact EverVolt® solar modules, developed with performance, accessibility, flexibility and pleasing aesthetics in mind. The new 430W/420W HK Black Series panels, with half-cut cells and heterojunction technology with gapless connections, offer the most powerful modules in the company’s portfolio. Adding to Panasonic’s suite of modules made...

Large-scale and prolonged power outages, waste piling up as waste disposal ceases to function, disruptions to water or gas supplies, and successful cyber attacks on critical infrastructures, especially the power grid, can have serious consequences.  Holistically conceived cyber security is necessary to prevent such scenarios. As part of the Fraunhofer Center for Digital Energy, Fraunhofer FKIE is working with partners to increase IT security and make the sector resilient to attacks....

GaN is the chemical symbol for gallium nitride, which is an III-V semiconductor material commonly referred to as a 'wide bandgap' (WBG) material, because it has a relatively high energy requirement (compared to silicon or Si) to knock an atom’s electron from a valence band (e.g. – insulator) to a conduction band (e.g. – conductor). semiconducting devices When it comes to an electronically-controlled switch, users want a material that has a high breakdown electric field (e.g....

E.ON and Nikola Corporation are combining their respective expertise and aim to form a joint venture with a goal to decarbonize heavy-duty trucking. Nikola is a pioneer in zero-emissions transportation and energy infrastructure solutions, and E.ON is one of Europe's largest operators of energy networks and energy infrastructure and a provider of innovative customer solutions. This partnership is expected to offer customers an integrated mobility solution to promote the use of hydrogen. Bot...

TE Connectivity, a globally renowned company in connectivity and sensors, will showcase a broad range of Kemtron EMI/RFI shielding components at the Electronica Munich Conference (Electronica Germany 2022), Booth #357, Hall B3, from November 15 to November 18, 2022, at the Munich Trade Fair Center Messe, in Munich, Germany. TE Connectivity’s Kemtron products TE Connectivity’s Kemtron products enable customers to address their EMC shielding and environmental sealing requirements wit...

Austin is continuing a decade-long growth trend with no sign of slowing, with new commercial towers redrawing the city’s skyline, while multi-family complexes and commercial spaces are springing up across Travis County, in Texas, USA. Electrical contractors are busy. In addition to at least three skyscrapers under construction and numerous new manufacturing sites, a courthouse and a hospital, there are also large-scale construction projects underway for companies, such as Samsung, Tesla,...

In late August, after Russia announced it would shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for repairs, gas prices at the Dutch TTF trading point, the European benchmark, reached €339 euros per megawatt hour. This was 140% higher than the week before and an 848% increase in prices in August 2021, where they sat at around €40/MWh. Such staggering price hikes have had a huge impact on consumers. Rising energy prices in the UK have contributed to the biggest drop in living standards...

ABB has unveiled its new Plant Optimization Methodology for battery manufacturing at The Battery Show, North America and presented how greenfield battery sites can jumpstart global operations. With major automakers committing more than $500 billion towards electric vehicle production, and many planning to exclusively offer e-vehicles by 2035, there has been a huge growth in demand for lithium-ion batteries. However, battery manufacturers are struggling to keep pace while ensuring their product...

In Wunsiedel, Upper Franconia, one of the Germany’s large green hydrogen generation plants has been planned digitally and commissioned by Siemens, demonstrating the key role hydrogen can play in Germany’s energy future. Around one year after the official groundbreaking ceremony, Bavaria’s Minister-President Markus Söder, Siemens Managing Board member Matthias Rebellius and Siemens Financial Services CEO Veronika Bienert handed over the plant to the operating company WUN H...

Iskra looks forward to welcoming everyone at the Light + Building fair in Frankfurt am Main this autumn. #IskraTeam will be at the Frankfurt exhibition center from October 2nd - 6th, 2022, at stand C42, hall 11. More than 1,500 exhibitors More than 1,500 exhibitors from 46 countries will present their innovations, including numerous market pioneers who will be showing the products for the worlds of lighting, electrical engineering, house, and building automation, and connected safety and...