Chris Gardner

The Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) offers free support for clean energy and climate tech startups located in Riverside and surrounding counties. Startups currently under SCEIN are working on innovations that support California's energy objectives. Managed by Cleantech San Diego, the program grants access to resources from regional partners and facilitates industry connections to speed up the commercialization of new energy technologies. Participants in the program benefit from tailored services such as regulatory advice, hardware design and simulation assistance, mentorship, market analysis, and more. Take a look at this video to learn more about how SCEIN is supporting our ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/g_K3MeeE #RivCoED #RivCoNow #RivCoInnovation #Innovation #BusinessIncubator #BusinessStartup #Entrepreneur #LocalBusiness #SmallBusiness #ResourceCenter #SCEIN #CleanEnergy #CleanTech #SouthernCaliforniaEnergyInnovationNetwork #CompanyResources #Commercialization

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With regard to this emerging solar energy glut in California, a couple of factors at play. First, the utilities move to net metering frankly smacks of monopolistic practices. It’s simply an abuse of their control position when the market determined solar was worth investing in at all levels. Consumers and businesses shouldn’t be punished for adopting effective clean energy that reduces their energy costs while mitigating climate change. Next, having to ‘throw away’ generated clean energy is in large part a storage and optimization failure. Li-Ion batteries, the only widely available storage solution, are currently too expensive and unscalable, and consumers and businesses alike have balked at widespread adoption. Even if batteries are installed to store co-located solar, optimization solutions like Span and other smart panels are not only also expensive, they are clunky and inflexible. Put simply, battery storage TCO to support installed solar is poor. Our transition to renewable energy will continue to be gated until a portfolio of affordable, scalable storage solutions are available. California’s wasted solar energy surplus is a prime example of this urgent need. #renewables #renewableenergy #energystorage #cleanenergy #energytransition #deeptech

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📣 There are 3 spots still left in CalNext's Smart Controls Study! 🌱 The study aims to "set a baseline for controls and operations in California greenhouses and indoor farms that are already running, understand the barriers for technology adoption, and identify solutions to maximize energy savings!" If you are a California operator, reach out to us or Gretchen Schimelpfenig, PE today for more information on how you can participate in this groundbreaking (and fully funded) study, receive $15K worth of monitoring & controls hardware, & much more! 🙌 https://buff.ly/3S1ROQy #CEA #ControlledEnvironmentAgriculture #Controls #Automation #Equipment #IndoorFarms #California #Greenhouses #Study #EnergySavings #SmartControls #Sustainability #EnergyEfficiency #Efficiency #EngineeringServices #Operations #FutureOfFarming #FutureOfAgriculture #Growers #GreenhouseGrowers

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This is well worth a full read … it is not just an issue in California but also in Australia this is a snippet … Figuring the rooftop solar cost shift What has this done to rates? That takes a lot of calculations, which I detail in the available data appendix. But it turns out that three numbers are the major determinants: the total revenue the utility is permitted to collect from residential customers to cover its operating and fixed costs (known as the revenue requirement), the utility savings from selling a customer fewer kWhs (known as the avoided cost), and the amount of solar on rooftops that is leading to those lower sales. Since 2020, the real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) revenue requirements of the utilities have increased about 25% for residential customers and rooftop solar has grown 114%, but the avoided cost from each kWh coming off those panels has hardly changed. So, as higher and higher electricity prices have meant customers would save more and more for each solar panel installed, the system hasn’t been saving any more money per panel when they do, and those extra costs have been shifted onto customers who don’t have solar.

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Grid capacity expansion would be urgent due to the increasing demand for renewable energy and the current limitations of the grid if it were not for our growing understanding of microgrids, V2G, President Biden's programs and perhaps most importantly our learning about the superiority of FREE over curtailment. Expanding the grid's capacity as opposed to just size is essential for integrating bidirectional renewable sources and ensuring reliable, low cost power supply, which is critical for achieving decarbonization goals, addressing climate change and powering peace and prosperity.

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I’m going off a little half-cocked here (but CA entrapment in Net Energy Metering is always the quicksand you’re standing on). “The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) proposed a new tariff—Net Value Billing Tariff (NVBT)—that takes a page from New York’s value of distributed energy resources (VDER). Proponents of this approach say it’s an accurate economic measure because it considers multiple value streams produced by distributed energy — including costs DERs may avert. In California, for example, the tariff considers such benefits as avoiding the need for transmission lines and reducing environmental harm.” - emphasis - “costs DERs may avert” You can’t “avert” costs that have already been spent … yes you may improve capacity headroom but that is of little value. The only - long term - guaranteed “aversion” is if there was/is complete disconnection. Australia is so much better off as our networks are structurally separated and regulated (by the Australian Energy Regulator).

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Many thanks to Skip Newberry (he, him), President and CEO of Technology Association of Oregon (TAO), for an insightful presentation to Link Oregon's Board yesterday. We are a member of TAO, an organization focused on fostering an inclusive, innovative economy in the Pacific Northwest and doing important work as a convenor and "dots connector" for the tech ecosystem across Oregon. Skip shared overall trends in the tech sector in our state, touching on hiring trends, the skills gap and the need to align workforce talent development with emerging organizational needs in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. In light of the recent hiring slowdown in the big tech/private sector, Skip also noted the availability of a large pool of skilled digital professionals seeking new opportunities, opening the door for nonprofits and the public sector to attract and create successful career pathways for this talent. This is particularly true for Government, which is seeing a new influx of significant investment in areas such as broadband infrastructure and digital equity with federal programs such as BEAD (Broadband Equity Access & Deployment). The content on employment trends and future workforce development was especially relevant to our Board, which includes senior IT leaders from Oregon's Government and Research Universities -- both are key catalysts that feed our state's innovation engines with strategic policies, investments and talent pipeline development for a future-ready Oregon. #Oregontech #BEAD #futureofwork #Oregonjobs

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NEW STATE ALERT Alaska is now Available on the YASSI Platform. YASSI customers now have access to real time vehicle registration, lien, and title data in this state. Learn More at YASSI.com #NationalData #expansion #StateData #automation #api #webapp #data

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The CPUC can't control what isn't attached, at some point the lower cost of solar and storage will allow communities to just drop off the grid... https://lnkd.in/gdZWWKVR

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This article highlights how important energy storage through batteries is to the solar energy landscape in the state of California. REV helps clients prioritize sites where implementing batteries meets financial goals.  https://lnkd.in/gZc7TjKR #solar #californiasolar #commercialsolar

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California: Damaged water coolers? Water coolers without bottle fillers? Budget constraints? Unreliable retrofits? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this live webinar is for you! Zurn Elkay has a new lineup of solutions to easily retrofit your school without a major renovation and improve your students’ access to cleaner, safer drinking water. Join us as we review new drinking water solutions, specifically designed for California schools, that are built to last. By attending, you will learn more about: ·        Existing budgetary and product performance challenges within California’s K12 drinking water environment. ·        Common facilities department and user frustrations among new and installed water coolers. ·        New Zurn Elkay bottle filler solutions that provide the lowest total cost of ownership. Register today and learn how you can save time and money with solutions designed specifically for you and your needs. Click below to register now! #facilities #schools #california #webinar

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Most interesting article this morning about the complexities of setting #rates, energy demand vs supply timing, the work of PUCs (Public Utility Commissions - in this case California's), all in the context of #renewable energy. Key concepts are #curtailment (throwing away) of power 😮because of the #duckcurve (less demand than supply of solar available) 🦆 It is a 5-minute read. Here is a summary: Solar Surplus: California has installed nearly 47 gigawatts of solar power, leading to an excess of energy on sunny days, causing electricity prices to go negative. Curtailment Issue: The state is facing the challenge of “curtailing” solar power, which means a significant amount of solar energy is being wasted. Economic Impact: Changes in net-metering policies have reduced incentives for rooftop solar, potentially slowing down solar development and affecting solar-related businesses. Future Strategies: California is exploring solutions like selling excess power to other states, increasing storage capacity, and improving transmission lines to manage the solar surplus. https://lnkd.in/gHujv7xG Strategic Business Solutions #rates

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Assemblymember Chris Ward hits the nail on the head here. He should know – he wrote the law that gave us this opportunity to build #communitysolar in #California. The best part? The California Public Utilities Commission has the tools to implement it: -         A best-in-the-nation tool for valuing the benefits of distributed #renewableenergy to the grid? The Avoided Cost Calculator ✅ -         A rate design that mandates #batterystorage to strengthen the grid and deliver power when it’s needed most? The Net Value Billing Tariff ✅ -         An asset class that will bring savings to renters, low-income residents, and support affordable housing? #CommunitySolar ✅ Everyone at Arena Renewables is looking forward to fulfilling the promise of Assemblymember Ward’s vision by building community solar projects in California. The California Public Utilities Commission has a chance to lead the nation here – approve the Net Value Billing Tariff and let’s get to work!

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Attention California businesses! Big changes might be in store for the state's community solar program. Here's what you need to know: 📄 The California Public Utilities Commission has issued a Proposed Decision (PD) that, if approved, will have drastic consequences. 🔌 Siding with utilities, the PD favors a community solar program based on existing wholesale-market distributed energy programs, despite clear evidence these programs don't work. ☀️ The PD rejects the proposed Net Value Billing Tariff that would've generated 8 GW of community solar paired with battery energy storage and provided benefits to hundreds of thousands of households. To learn more about the Proposed Decision, when it might be approved, and what California businesses should know about the future of community solar in the Golden State, read our blog post: https://lnkd.in/dyx4BiDV

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Managing stakeholder relations, tracking legislative changes, monitoring interactions, and analyzing social media trends is challenging — especially when using disjointed systems. 🚰 How California Water Service Unified Their Systems🚰 California's largest private water utility dealt with this exact challenge. Their Director of Community Affairs was juggling six different software platforms to manage these tasks. The process was inefficient and costly. 🚀 The Solution: Quorum's Integrated System With Quorum, all essential information is centralized. This system has reduced administrative burdens and improved Cal Water's proactive engagement with public officials and policy tracking. 📊 The Results: - Streamlined processes - Stronger relationships with stakeholders - Better management of their policy portfolio Discover how your organization can benefit from Quorum to optimize your stakeholder engagement efforts. #StakeholderEngagement #StakeholderRelationships #StakeholderManagement #GovernmentAffairs #PublicAffairs #PublicPolicy #GovernmentRelations #PublicAffairsProfessional #PublicAffairsStrategy #Lobbying #Policy

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CA hasn’t had rolling blackouts since 2022- largely due to customer’s rooftop solar and battery storage facilities. Newsome wants to cut funding supporting the battery storage facilities, known as virtual storage -which has been helpful in preventing the blackouts from happening. I say get some from PGE’s $2.2 Billion profits last years that they stole from their customers with rooftop solar. Come on CA, rise up and say something! #solar #energyindependence #riseup

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