Innovation and future technology were all on display at a family-fun event that celebrated Drive Electric Week on September 25!
More than 25 area companies were on hand to share information about their products, technologies, and the various uses of electric vehicles, including public transportation, construction, and recreational use. Attendees test-drove electric vehicles and saw various demonstrations of electric backhoes, e-bikes, and scooters. Here are some pictures from the event.
BUFFALO – As part of National Drive Electric Week 2021, Erie County is spreading the word about environmental responsibility and encouraging residents to learn more about electric vehicles by signing a proclamation that declares Sept. 25 to Oct. 3 Drive Electric Week in Erie County.
“Electric Drive week overlaps with Climate Week, which starts today, and that is no coincidence. Electric Vehicles are part of the solution as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bonnie Lawrence, Deputy Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning.
In Erie County the week – which coincides with National Drive Electric Week – will begin with Electrify Buffalo, a community ride-around event on Saturday, Sept. 25. Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is hosting this innovative event, which is sponsored by National Grid, in the parking lot at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Innovation Center, located at 589 Ellicott St.
The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees can test-drive electric vehicles and learn more from various demonstrations of electric backhoes, e-bikes, and scooters. The event will include food trucks, raffles, and a kids’ zone. More information, including event registration, is available here.
“Sustainability is at the heart of the work that we do here on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus,” said Matt Enstice, President and CEO of the BNMC. “We were the first site in Western New York to install vehicle charging capability, and we continue to add to and upgrade our sustainable infrastructure. We are delighted to host events that highlight both the importance and growth of technology in the field.”
“Events such as Electrify Buffalo are natural fits for National Grid because we offer several programs, including electric vehicle programs that are for customers who can save up to 100 percent of the costs related to infrastructure installations, like the ones at the medical campus and so many across western New York; we also offer services for those with electric fleets,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “The event also nicely aligns with National Grid’s Project C initiative, National Grid’s community commitment designed to accomplish many goals, including connecting our communities to clean and sustainable energy, and delivering a resilient, clean energy future.”
Welcome to summer 2021! After everything we have been through this past year, we are delighted to invite you to join our BNMC Summer of Wellness, our healthy, fun program of events and hwp-contentenings that will help all of us reinvigorate and recharge. We have an array of events that will allow us to safely gather together to bike, walk, or practice restorative yoga. Join us for one, for some, or for all. These programs are open FREE to all who live and work in our community and on our campus. They will be safely socially distant, and facemasks are recommended. You can register for everything here. Here’s what’s on the schedule this year:
If you’re thinking about making the switch to an electric car, you might be nervous about winter driving. Not to worry! Here are some quick truths and tips about driving your electric vehicle (EV) through a New York winter, with tons more info here.
TRUTHS
Your range will decrease in the winter. Because batteries operate less efficiently when they’re cold, your EV will get fewer miles per kilowatt-hour in the winter. However, the range for gas powered cars also decreases by as much as 22% in the winter!
Snow and ice are not usually a problem for EVs. Because the battery often makes up the floorboard of the vehicle, EVs have a low center of gravity and evenly distributed weight, which makes them stable and easy to maneuver, and increases traction on snow or icy terrain.
TIPS
Precondition your vehicle. Warm up your car while it’s still plugged in so that you don’t deplete your battery’s reserves. Getting into a warm car also means you don’t have to crank the heat as much once it’s unplugged!
Use the special heating features for your vehicle. If your car offers heated seats and steering wheels, use them! They will use less energy and allow you to comfortably keep the cabin temperature slightly lower.
Drive efficiently. Use regenerative breaking to capture any energy that might otherwise be lost and avoid speeding as it increases drag, which decreases mileage.
Park and charge somewhere warm. If you must park outside, try to find a sunny spot to keep your battery warm.
To learn more about the ins and outs of driving your electric vehicle in the winter, please visit drivegreen.nationalgridus.com/learn/winter.
Need a new car, or thinking about going electric for your next car purchase? Join us for a free webinar about electric vehicles to get your questions answered and learn how to get one!
What: Drive Green with National Grid Webinar
When: Thursday, December 5th, 12 pm or 7 pm
Get tickets: RSVP here
The folks running the webinar are Green Energy Consumers Alliance, the non-profit organization working with National Grid to bring you Drive Green with National Grid. If you have any questions, you can reach them at drivegreenUNY@greenenergyconsumers.org.
In short, electric vehicles are a blast to drive – and you should check one out! Since National Grid helped us install charging stations that you can use at work, you can test-drive an electric car (and then purchase or lease at a discount) through Drive Green with National Grid. Learn more here.
Over the past couple of months, we’ve sent you lots of content about how awesome electric cars are: information about cost savings, environmental benefits, available incentives, and how easy it is to charge. But don’t just take it from us! Hear directly from hwp-contenty electric car drivers by checking out our Testimonials page!
Electric cars have some of the highest consumer satisfaction rates of any vehicle: people love how quiet the cars are, how quickly they accelerate, their high-tech features, and, of course, the fact that they require way less maintenance than gas-powered cars! Nobody misses filling up the tank or getting yet another oil change.
Read more about what electric car drivers think here and then get your own electric car at a discount through Drive Green with National Grid at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.
Over the past couple of months, we’ve sent you lots of content about how awesome electric cars are: information about cost savings, environmental benefits, available incentives, and how easy it is to charge. But don’t just take it from us! Hear directly from hwp-contenty electric car drivers by checking out our Testimonials page!
Electric cars have some of the highest consumer satisfaction rates of any vehicle: people love how quiet the cars are, how quickly they accelerate, their high-tech features, and, of course, the fact that they require way less maintenance than gas-powered cars! Nobody misses filling up the tank or getting yet another oil change.
Read more about what electric car drivers think here and then get your own electric car at a discount through Drive Green with National Grid at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.
We’ve recently shared many benefits of electric vehicles: how they are environmentally-friendly, easy to charge, and offer cost savings for the consumer. But did you know that there are several financial incentives available to help you get one? Here are three important incentives you should know about:
Federal tax credit: Plug-in electric vehicles qualify for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. The full amount of the tax credit depends on the battery size of the vehicle and other factors; how much you can claim is limited by your personal tax liability.
State rebate: The State of New York offers Drive Clean rebates of up to $2,000 for electric vehicles. The rebate is wp-contentlied at the point of sale and therefore only available at participating Drive Clean dealerships.
Drive Green with National Grid: National Grid has partnered with the non-profit – Green Energy Consumers Alliance – to build a network of upstate New York car dealerships offering fixed discounts on electric vehicles. All of the dealers participating in the program are also Drive Clean dealerships, so you can combine all three incentives to start driving green: the dealer discount, the state rebate, and the federal tax credit. To get started, click here.
To learn more about these three incentives, visit the Drive Green with National Grid Purchase and Lease Incentives page. And remember, when you get your electric car, you can charge at work!
As you may know, the BNMC recently partnered with National Grid to install electric vehicle charging stations for your use. We’re really excited about this commitment to sustainability and hope to see more and more drivers switching to electric vehicles and using the stations. We know that a lot of you have questions about the charging stations or electric vehicles, so we’re providing an upcoming informational webinar just for you!
What: Drive Green with National Grid Webinar
When: Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 12 pm or 7 pm
Why: To answer all your questions about electric vehicles, charging, incentives, and more
To get your free ticket, simply RSVP here. The webinar is hosted by Green Energy Consumers Alliance, the non-profit organization working with National Grid to bring you Drive Green with National Grid. If you have any questions, you can reach them at drivegreenUNY@greenenergyconsumers.org.
Electric vehicle owners love their cars because they’re fun to drive, easy to fuel, and cheap to maintain. However, one of the top reasons drivers choose electric cars is for their environmental benefits.
The bad news: In New York, 41.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions (which contribute to climate change) come from the transportation sector, more than two times more than any other sector. Gas-powered passenger cars are a big part of the problem.
The good news: Switching from a gas-powered car to an electric car significantly cuts your transportation emissions. In fact, according to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists, switching from the average gas-powered car to a plug-in hybrid charged on the power grid in upstate New York cuts your transportation-related emissions by more than half, and switching to an all-electric car cuts them by about 85%! That’s not to mention reductions in other pollutants (like particulate matter and sulfur and nitrogen oxides) that impacts public health. When it comes to transportation, individual decisions can have a lasting impact.
That’s why BNMC has partnered with National Grid to install charging stations for employees and visitors and is bringing you Drive Green with National Grid, a program that provides you with (a) useful information about electric cars, and (b) discounted deals from New York dealerships. Check it out at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.
This page on the Drive Green with National Grid website has more information about the environmental and public health impacts of electric vehicles.
Content from our partners at DriveGreen with National Grid. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a great choice for today’s drivers not only because they’re fun to drive and protect the environment, but because they’re cheaper to operate than gas-powered cars:
Get the details at: drivegreen.nationalgridus.com/learn/benefits
As a reminder, BNMC has partnered with National Grid to install electric vehicle charging stations around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for you to use. To make it easier for you to navigate EV offers and get into an EV, Drive Green with National Grid provides a website with accessible educational materials and discounted deals from local dealers. Check it out at: drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.
On April 29th, LaunchNY’s ECO incubator and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus are hosting a half-day session highlighting opportunities for cleantech companies.
The agenda includes:
Invitation-only, space is limited. Please contact Paul Tyno by April 5th at ptyno@bnmc-old.local for more information.
Many people are interested in electric vehicles because of their performance, as well as their environmental and consumer benefits. But knowing how and where to charge an EV can be confusing.
The good news is, charging an EV at home and on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is easy!
As someone who works on the Medical Campus, you are in luck – you can also charge at work! The BNMC team has installed EVCS in many of its parking garages and lots, including 12 dual charging stations at 854 Ellicott Street, ten ECVS at 134 High Street*, and four EVCS at 589 Ellicott*, plus two curbside stations across from the Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street*, with the ability to charge 40 vehicles at one time. View this map to see locations of our current charging stations. * Scheduled to be upgraded in 2019.
We are committed to ensuring that our infrastructure supports sustainable transportation, everything from making it easy to charge electric vehicles, to installing hundreds of additional bike racks, to providing reduced-rate transit passes. We are building an innovation district known for accessible, environmentally-forward ways for everyone to get here.
All modern EVs sold in the U.S. use a standard charging port for Level I (120-volt) and Level II (240-volt) charging for EVs, the J1772 port. Most EV owners charge at home, either (a) using the plug that comes with the vehicle to plug into a normal 120 volt outlet to add around 5 miles of range per hour of charging, or (b) installing a 240-volt charger to add 10-25 miles of range per hour charging. There is also more public charging available than many people think. You can learn more about charging at home and on the go at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com/charging.
Considering getting an EV? Check out discounts from local dealers through the Drive Green with National Grid program at drivegreen.nationalgridus.com.
Did you know? Upstate NY customers can reduce their costs with the voluntary time-of-use rate by charging their electric vehicle during the off-peak hours of 11pm to 7am. Most EVs can be easily programmed to charge during these hours using an onboard timer, mobile wp-content, outlet timer, or EV charging station.
This content is provided to the BNMC through our partnership with National Grid’s Drive Green program.
We are very excited to announce a new electric vehicle discount program, Drive Green with National Grid! We have partnered with National Grid on many projects over the years, including infrastructure upgrades, developing an energy master plan, an innovative community solar program, and installing the first electric vehicle charging stations on the Medical Campus back in 2011.
As we look to a cleaner, greener future, National Grid has partnered with the non-profit Green Energy Consumers Alliance to build up a network of local car dealerships who offer everyone who works on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus fixed purchase discounts and great lease deals on a monthly basis. Stay tuned each month as we highlight new information on the program and deals that you can take advantage of.
Right now, there are great deals on the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt and plug-in hybrids such as the Chevy Volt, Honda Clarity, and Mitsubishi Outlander, with more coming soon! The Drive Green with National Grid discounts are in addition to the New York State Drive Clean rebate (up to $2,000) and the federal tax credit (up to $7,500). The Drive Green with National Grid website has a wealth of information about the cars, incentives, charging, environmental impact, and more. Check it out here. To qualify for the program discounts, all you have to do is fill out this form.
We hope you’ll drive green soon! If you have any questions, you can email drivegreen@greenenergyconsumers.org.
Did you know that the BNMC has installed more than 30 electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) across the Medical Campus, with the ability to charge almost 50 vehicles? We are committed to ensuring that our infrastructure supports sustainable transportation, everything from making it easy to charge electric vehicles, to installing hundreds of additional bike racks, to providing reduced-rate transit passes. We are building an innovation district known for accessible, environmentally-forward ways for everyone to get here.
With so much talk about electric vehicles and charging station infrastructure, we thought we should help answer some questions we hear often. What is an electric vehicle, what isn’t, and why should I care? Here’s a quick Electric Vehicles 101.
Your basic conventional car runs on an internal combustion engine: you add gasoline, it ignites and releases energy that is translated into motion. In the process, however, the vehicle releases carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. In the United States, the transportation sector is responsible for 28% of our greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector (hint: this is part of why you should care!). Learn more about how our team is a part of the national conversation.
An electric vehicle (EV), in contrast, runs on an electric current. There are three main types of vehicle commonly called “electric”, and it’s worth knowing the difference:
The more you know!
WASHINGTON – September 26, 2018 –A prominent national transportation commission, including the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC), released a new report today and launched a campaign to cut U.S. transportation energy use by 50 percent by 2050 (dubbed the “50×50” goal) while also improving mobility. Read the column on this initiative in today’s Buffalo News.
Amid rapidly evolving transportation trends like ride-sharing, electrification, autonomous vehicles, and other technologies, the Alliance to Save Energy’s 50×50 Commission on U.S. Transportation Sector Efficiency issued consensus recommendations calling on policymakers – at all levels of government – to act urgently in a coordinated manner to lead a successful energy efficiency transformation of the transportation sector.
“As the U.S. transportation system continues to evolve, it is critical that we develop an integrated, leading-edge wp-contentroach connecting technology, urban planning, and optimization,” said Matthew K. Enstice, CEO, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Our goal is to improve broad community access to an equitable and sustainable transportation system, with an eye on reducing energy use and meeting future mobility needs. From supporting infrastructure and technology to increase electric vehicle use and piloting autonomous vehicles to integrating artificial intelligence and improving streetscape design, we are building the system of the future.”
The 50×50 Commission is a diverse coalition of leading vehicle manufacturers, utilities, environmental and consumer groups, unions, technology companies, and public officials, including Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto (D) and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price (R). The group says the U.S. could fall behind foreign competitors if federal, state, and local policymakers don’t act to adopt the policy recommendations.
Transportation represents roughly one-third of U.S. energy consumption and recently displaced electricity generation as the leading source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also the second biggest daily expense for American families. Demand for transportation services is set to rise significantly in the future, potentially increasing congestion on U.S. roads, and putting more stress on the already overburdened public transportation systems. But these challenges can be overcome. The 50×50 Commission united to develop a policy agenda that seizes the opportunities of new transportation technologies and business models to transform mobility for passengers and goods while using energy more efficiently.
“Right now, we have the chance to shape the future for the better, achieving multiple goals at once. We can simultaneously unlock innovation and new technologies and make mobility easier, faster, and better, all while using dramatically less energy,” said Jason Hartke, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, which convened the Commission. “Charting the right path now will help us avoid unpredictable fuel costs, rising greenhouse gas emissions, and lost American competitiveness. These policy recommendations set the course to make transportation more accessible and convenient for all while cutting our energy use dramatically.”
The Commission’s report, released at a forum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, provides recommendations to policymakers focused on three themes, including:
Transform. Policymakers should not only seek to enhance the energy efficiency of vehicles and components, but also to capitalize on new technologies to transition to an efficient, integrated, and improved “transportation services” model. Transportation services should be allocated efficiently, affordably, and effectively according to geographic and service needs, with policies encouraging consumers to select the most efficient transportation modes.
Innovate. The U.S. should prioritize its leadership in pursuing research, development, deployment, and demonstration for efficient transportation innovation opportunities. Congress and federal agencies should continue to support the development of electric vehicles, which are currently the most efficient vehicles on the market. Federal agencies should maximize their impact through measures including public-private partnerships that stimulate research into market-transformational technologies.
Invest. Policymakers should focus on improving the efficiency of all vehicle types by promoting fuel economy standards and accelerating vehicle turnover and incentivizing the deployment of and infrastructure for energy-efficient vehicles, especially electric vehicles (battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen electric vehicles), plug-in and non-plug in hybrid vehicles, and highly efficient vehicles running on renewable natural gas. Policymakers should support electric vehicles, which are highly efficient, through standardization of adaptors and customer experience, the promotion of practices to ensure optimal grid stability, and the redesign of the Highway Trust Fund to ensure the growth of efficient vehicles is balanced with equitably-funded infrastructure investments. Such solutions should take equity and jobs into account by ensuring low-income and under-served consumers have access to improved mobility and ensuring a well-prepared workforce through the sector’s transitions.
The 50×50 Commission includes Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America (co-chair); Dean Seavers, President, US, National Grid (co-chair); Melissa E. Adams, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, WGL Holdings/Washington Gas; John Di Stasio, President, Large Public Power Council; Bruce Edelston, VP, Energy Policy, Southern Company; Matt Enstice, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus; Jack Gillis, Executive Director, Consumer Federation of America; Thomas R. Kuhn, President, Edison Electric Institute; Eric J. McCarthy, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Public Policy and Legal Affairs, Proterra; Arlen Orchard, CEO & GM, Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Giovanni Palazzo, CEO, Electrify America; Thomas S. Passek, President, Copper Development Association; Gil C. Quiniones, President & CEO, New York Power Authority; Norman Saari, Commissioner, Michigan Public Service Commission; Kevin B. Self, SVP of Strategy, Business Develop & Government Relations, Schneider Electric; Paul Skoutelas, President & CEO, American Public Transportation Association; Lonnie Stephenson, International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Rhea Suh, President, Natural Resources Defense Council; Dan Turton, VP, North America Public Policy, General Motors; Bert Van Hoof, Partner – Group Program Manager, Microsoft; Ted Walker, Managing Director, Navigant; and Greg White, Executive Director, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
The Commission’s recommendations were informed by the work of more than 100 experts from across the country serving on technical committees. The committees issued five “sector baseline” reports evaluating a wide range of transportation sectors and technologies. The technical committees were chaired by Robert Chapman, Vice President, Energy and Environment, Electric Power Research Institute; Robert Horton, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, DFW International Airport; Roy Kuga, Vice President, Grid Integration & Innovation, PG&E Corporation; Dr. Philip Lavrich, Director, Strategy and Advanced Technologies, Ingersoll Rand; and Patricia Monahan, Program Director, Transportation, Energy Foundation.
The 50×50 Commission’s full report and biographical information for all Commissioners is available at: www.50x50transportation.org. Quotes from Commissioners and Technical Committee Chairs are included below, followed by press contacts for all Commission organizations.
About the BNMC
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a multi-anchor social enterprise focused on driving innovation in partnership with our community. As the non-profit charged with addressing shared issues among our member institutions, the BNMC plays a significant role in driving positive change that builds a vibrant, innovative environment. We focus on improving infrastructure, managing our transportation system, creating a culture of health and wellbeing, driving innovation, and working with our partners to continue to build an innovative district that reflects the best of our community. Learn more at bnmc-old.local.
About the Alliance to Save Energy
Founded in 1977, the Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit, bipartisan alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders working to expand the economy while using less energy. Our mission is to promote energy productivity worldwide – including through energy efficiency – to achieve a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security, affordability and reliability.
Contact: Kari Bonaro, BNMC, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 202-904-7034
A prominent national transportation commission, including the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC), released a new report today and launched a campaign to cut U.S. transportation energy use by 50 percent by 2050 (dubbed the “50×50” goal) while also improving mobility.
Amid rapidly evolving transportation trends like ride-sharing, electrification, autonomous vehicles, and other technologies, the Alliance to Save Energy’s 50×50 Commission on U.S. Transportation Sector Efficiency issued consensus recommendations calling on policymakers – at all levels of government – to act urgently in a coordinated manner to lead a successful energy efficiency transformation of the transportation sector.
“As the U.S. transportation system continues to evolve, it is critical that we develop an integrated, leading-edge wp-contentroach connecting technology, urban planning, and optimization,” said Matthew K. Enstice, CEO, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Our goal is to improve broad community access to an equitable and sustainable transportation system, with an eye on reducing energy use and meeting future mobility needs. From supporting infrastructure and technology to increase electric vehicle use and piloting autonomous vehicles to integrating artificial intelligence and improving streetscape design, we are building the system of the future.”
The BNMC is part of a diverse national coalition of stakeholders – including automakers, technology companies, utilities, mayors, environmental and labor leaders – dedicated to setting a policy agenda to reach these goals. Matt Enstice is a founding member of the coalition established in November 2017. Read the BNMC’s press release on the recommendations and the column in the Buffalo News about its importance.
The BNMC received the EE Visionary Americas Award from the Alliance to Save Energy in 2012, one of four international leaders in energy to receive prestigious awards from the global organization that year.
The BNMC has partnered with LaunchNY on a new Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) incubator. Paul Tyno, who serves as BNMC’s strategic advisor for Energy Initiatives, has been named by Launch NY as Program Director for the incubator.
Working with Marnie LaVigne, Ph.D., Executive Director for ECO, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Launch NY, Mr. Tyno will bring his background in clean energy industry and demonstration projects to bear in ECO’s support for new cleantech companies as part of growing the region’s overall cleantech cluster. ECO was announced on May 30th as the sixth and latest clean energy incubator to receive a four-year award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The ECO incubator will provide individual mentoring, commercialization resources, technical assistance, business development support, and funding for seed and early stage clean energy companies who contribute to the goals of New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), a strategy to build a clean, resilient, and more affordable energy system, while actively spurring energy innovation, bringing new investments into the State, and improving consumer choice. REV includes a mandate for 50 percent of the state’s power to come from renewable sources by 2030, in addition to having a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels.
Congratulations to Jump Bikes! The BNMC is proud to be one of the local nonprofits that were early partners of the original Social Bikes, which is now joining Uber.
This week ride-hailing giant Uber announced its intention to purchase Jump Bikes, an electric bike start-up that has pioneered electric dockless bike sharing services in a deal that is rumored to be valued at between $100 and $200 million.
The BNMC, Shared Mobility Inc. (SMI), and other local partners were thrilled to hear the news since the nonprofits had worked with the organization in its very early days of developing the first public flexible bike sharing service.
The BNMC is proud to have partially funded the first city hub, as well as providing early support to SMI for a bikeshare business plan in 2011. In 2012, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) funded SMI with a $150,000 project to pilot and test the Brooklyn start-up Social Bicycles (now called Jump Bikes). As is the case today, the BNMC was interested in supporting social innovators, particularly those that offered a new business model and benefits for communities.
Buffalo, NY – October 26, 2017 – Matthew K. Enstice, President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) will serve on a national commission launched today by the Alliance to Save Energy that will develop recommendations to reduce energy use in the U.S. transportation sector by 50 percent by 2050 while meeting future mobility needs. Enstice is one of only two representatives from New York State selected for the commission, along with Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of the New York Power Authority and the only representative from Western New York.
“With the growth of the Medical Campus and the continued renaissance in the City of Buffalo, we are acutely aware of the need to plan for transportation and energy issues so that we can take advantage of opportunities that emerging technologies present, and to plan for necessary changes to ensure efficiency, sustainability and to meet the needs of our community. I am delighted to share Buffalo’s perspective through this Alliance and to be part of developing sound strategies that will take us well into the future,” commented Enstice on his wp-contentointment.
As part of its role on the Medical Campus, BNMC focuses on comprehensive planning and implementation of transportation strategies to manage transportation, access, and parking issues on the 120-acre campus in downtown Buffalo. The non profit organization manages parking facilities, encourages alternative transportation modes, and has built infrastructure to encourage walking, biking and using public transit. In addition, the organization also works closely with partner National Grid and others on energy issues to ensure efficient use of energy resources.
The Alliance Commission on U.S. Transportation Sector Efficiency (Commission) is comprised of leaders representing vehicle manufacturers, utilities, federal agencies, cities, environmental and consumer groups, infrastructure providers and public transit. The Commission is convened by the Alliance to Save Energy, the leading national coalition advocating for enhancing energy productivity – doing more with less energy.
Transportation represents roughly one-third of U.S. energy consumption. The sector is undergoing a transformational change – ranging from the increased viability of alternative fuels such as electrification to advanced vehicle technologies, automation and shared mobility – offering enormous opportunities to improve energy efficiency. Improvements in efficiency will create jobs, improve energy security, boost competitiveness, save businesses and consumers money, and reduce emissions.
The Commission will work through six Technical Committees (Light-Duty Vehicles; Non-Road Vehicles; Heavy-Duty and Freight Vehicles; Enabling Infrastructure; Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Shared Mobility and Automation; and Outreach and Implementation) to develop the regulatory, policy and investment pathways to achieve the “50×50” goal. Following an outside peer-review process, the Commission will publish a final report, and engage local, state, and national officials, key stakeholder groups and the public to act on the recommendations.
Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy, said: “Transportation in the United States is changing rapidly and it presents an enormous opportunity to improve mobility while at the same time saving energy. We’re bringing together experts from across this sector because we need a comprehensive wp-contentroach to maximize the energy efficiency gains. The response to our invitations has been overwhelming and we’re eager to see this group put their heads together.”
More information about the Commission, including the full list of commissioners, is available at:
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. www.bnmc-old.local.
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November 6, 2017 By
This is the second post in a Microgrid Knowledge series and focuses on why clean energy microgrids for health care and hospitals make sense.
In most businesses, costs are a paramount concern. Hospitals are not most businesses.
At a hospital, loss of electricity can lead to loss of life. So for hospitals, reliable electricity has a very high value. That makes hospitals prime candidates for the installation of clean energy microgrids.
That was brought home in 2013 after the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. Area hospitals were pushed to their limits, and that changed the perspective of many administrators. One area hospital was contemplating the installation of a CHP plant as part of a new facility. Typically, the decision to move forward with such a project would be heavily weighted on the economic benefit. But after the attack, this particular hospital “saw things in a whole different light,” says Michael Bakas, senior vice president at Ameresco. Economics were no longer the primary driving force. Instead, the first concern was the ability to act as a last line of def ense for the city in a crisis. The hospital could not lose its power; it had to be able to “island” or operate independently from the surrounding grid should disaster strike.
Unfortunately, that is a lesson that has been driven home several times in recent years—whether it is the Boston terrorist attack, the record flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey, the devastation in Florida from Hurricane Irma, the destruction of Puerto Rico’s grid from Hurricane Maria, or the near shut-down of New York City from Hurricane Sandy. Hospital administrators have had ample chance to gain firsthand experience of the importance of uninterrupted electrical service.
Existing safety regulations already require hospitals to have some form of backup generation, such as diesel generators. But when Sandy slammed into New York City in 2012, backup generators and other electrical systems failed at Bellevue Hospital, New York University’s Langone Medical Center, and at Coney Island Hospital, resulting in the evacuation of hundreds of patients during the storm. More recently, Hurricane Maria left hospitals in Puerto Rico unable to operate on patients, and undertake other critical procedures, because generators ran out of diesel fuel.
Backup generators may fulfill regulatory requirements, but they do not always perform when they are needed. In the 2003 Northeast blackout, half of New York City’s 58 hospitals suffered failures in their back-up power generators, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Part of the problem is that backup generators sit idle most of the time. Despite regular testing, they can fail when needed. Hospital microgrids, on the other hand, include some form of generation that operates on a regular basis, avoiding surprises when an emergency does hit.
Hospitals that use a lot of steam, hot water, air conditioning and heat often benefit from CHP, which allows them to get two forms of energy from one clean fuel. CHP plants use the waste heat created in power generation, a byproduct typically discarded. This makes CHP a highly efficient form of energy.
Those were among the motivations when the New York State Research and Development Authority instituted the NY Prize, a program to aid the implementation of microgrids for critical facilities in the state. More than half of the 11 communities that were finalists in the $40 million program included hospitals in their projects.
The Town of Huntington on Long Island, one of the award recipients, is building a microgrid at Huntington Hospital with a 2.8-MW fuel cell and a battery storage facility that will enable the microgrid to island from the grid. The Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus, another NY Prize recipient, is strengthening its existing backup generators with a new CHP system, solar panels and battery storage to enable islanding.
Because of their software intelligence, microgrids are able to manage a hospital’s energy resources, so that the cleanest generation is used first.
While resilience and reliability may be compelling reasons, they are not the only motivation behind hospitals’ adoption of clean energy microgrids. According to a 2013 survey conducted by Johnson & Johnson, nearly 90 percent of hospitals reported that they were incorporating sustainability into their planning process. Because of their software intelligence, microgrids are able to manage a hospital’s energy resources, so that the cleanest generation is used first.
Being a good citizen is part of the rationale, but the falling prices for solar panels and battery storage makes choosing a microgrid a wise economic decision, as well.
That is particularly true as hospitals face growing budgetary concerns. Hospitals are heavy energy users, making them particularly vulnerable to rising energy costs. Even though hospitals account for less than 1 percent of all U.S. commercial buildings, they account for 5.5 percent of commercial building energy usage.
In addition to providing resiliency and reliability, an intelligent hospital microgrid can monitor grid electricity prices throughout the day and switch to its own lower cost energy when grid prices spike. By shaving the top off those energy peaks, a hospital can also lower its demand charges because those charges are based on peak usage.
Taking the first step in installing a microgrid could impose a hefty financial burden on a cash strwp-contented hospital, but the rising popularity of microgrids has spurred financial innovations that can ease that burden.
By signing a power purchase agreement with a microgrid developer, for instance, a hospital pays only for the energy it uses from the microgrid and shares any savings while the developer handles installation and operation and maintenance.
Hospitals are just one of society’s pillar organizations turning to clean energy microgrids. Higher education is another. We explain why in the next post.
Over the next few weeks, the Microgrid Knowledge series on clean energy microgrids will cover the following topics:
Clean Energy Microgrids for Colleges and Universities
Clean Energy Microgrids for the Military
Clean Energy Microgrids for the Commercial and Industrial Sector
Parris Island Microgrid Case Study
Download the full report, “The Rise of Clean Energy Microgrids: Why microgrids make sense for hospitals, higher education, military & government and businesses,” downloadable free of charge courtesy of Ameresco.
This is a story of ripping up old incentives that encouraged selling as much electricity as possible, then unleashing the entrepreneurs.
MAY 25, 2017
The energy start-up Opus One is helping New York understand how power from distributed resources interact with traditional power flows. Credit: Opus One
New York State is making a $5 billion bet that by making its power cleaner, it can become a magnet for the clean energy jobs of the future.
Its efforts stand out among the many states racing to integrate more renewables into their power grids—such as Massachusetts, Hawaii and California—not necessarily for the technology but because of what’s hwp-contentening behind the scenes: New York has launched a Herculean effort to turn around an antiquated system that has deterred innovation for generations by rewarding utilities for selling more electricity.
To get utilities to embrace a changing electricity system, the state is establishing ways for the companies to be reimbursed for some of the savings from energy efficiency programs that are reducing demand for their services. It also is allowing them to reap more return on their investments in equipment needed to bring more renewable energy into the grid. And it is investing in entrepreneurs who are inventing the technology to make it all work.
The state is so gung-ho that its rules require utilities to come up with demonstration projects that test out a new business model, in partnership with at least one private sector company.
The result, say the state’s regulators, is that New York is already attracting hundreds of innovative companies of all stripes. The plum opportunities are not only in installing wind turbines and solar panels, which are generating new employment opportunities across the country, they are also in emerging technologies related to smart grid management and storage. These jobs are largely invisible to the public and, in some cases, didn’t even exist a few years ago.
While the state hasn’t yet projected overall how many jobs are in the new energy economy, they have released enticing tidbits. In January, the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) released a report projecting that by 2030, New York’s energy storage industry could realize annual revenues between $5.6 billion and $8.7 billion, with total job growth between 17,300 and 26,800 employees. Jobs in the energy storage industry already grew by 30 percent between 2012 and 2015 to 3,600.
“We are now the leading market for energy storage companies,” boasts John Rhodes, president and CEO of NYSERDA, pointing to companies like NOHMs Technologies in Rochester and BessTech in Troy. “And probably microgrid technology as well.”
One of the companies that has been drawn to New York’s new markets is Opus One Solutions. New York’s vision relies on distributed, independent power operations that ramp up and down with the intermittent sunshine and wind, as well as with the fits and starts of demand for power. Opus One has software that can understand how those waves of power from distributed resources interact with traditional power flows. Just as important, its software can make real-time price estimates for the value of those local power sources.
“Why New York?” asks Alison Smith, the start-up’s director of markets, gazing out at the Manhattan skyline from a conference room at the Urban Future Lab, a state-sponsored incubator for start-ups.
“It is the most forward-thinking state in North America in considering how we build the critical elements of a distributed grid,” she answers.
Three years ago, New York announced that it would spend $5.3 billion toward meeting its goal of having 50 percent of its electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. (The state only had 24 percent renewable generation in state this year.) Mandates related to these standards have resulted in significant additions of wind and solar to the grid—but that is just the most readily visible part of the changes New York is undergoing.
According to Richard Kauffman, the state’s chairman of energy and finance, it didn’t take long to figure out that “New York cannot cost effectively make this transition just by bolting wind and solar onto the grid of Westinghouse and Tesla,” referring to two of the original creators of the grid, George Westinghouse and Nicola Tesla. Instead, New York wants a new “hybrid grid” that integrates intermittent and distributed resources like wind or solar or microgrids.
At the core of the problem to getting that grid was a stodgy, legacy financial model for utilities that didn’t support innovation. Utilities have historically been rewarded with 9 percent rate increases when they add capital expenditure for transmission and distribution to new central power stations, which in New York are historically gas and coal with some nuclear and hydro. The result is that New York has added so much base load capacity to meet peak demand (largely in these traditional forms of energy generation) that on an average day the state uses just 54 percent of generation capacity.
“Technology is not what is holding us back,” said Kauffman. “Could I tomorrow install smart meters in every home and save energy? Absolutely. But until now, there has been absolutely no financial incentive to do this.”
So, New York began changing regulations to reward utilities for integrating new business models that support advances like battery storage that are needed to scale up wind and solar. It has mandated the demonstration projects. Seventeen are already up and running and another dozen or so are in the works for wp-contentroval.
It is also offering other stimulants such as grants and assistance through incubators like the Urban Future Lab.
Every few weeks, the state announces another competition. In February, it gave $15 million to develop renewable heating and cooling technology. In March it gave $11 million in grants to winners of a microgrid contest. In April it made $15.5 million available to support the most promising energy storage projects.
New York is distributing this money with the idea of leveraging as much from the private market as possible. Since 2009, NYSERDA says, it has invested $14 million in six clean energy incubators where clean tech start-ups get a boost by being connected to utility officials and investors. The return to the state on that $14 million investment: 155 of the new and emerging companies coming from those incubators have attracted over $284 million in private investment.
There is broad consensus that New York’s financial game plan is particularly sophisticated in theory. “New York is not the only one grwp-contentling with grid modernization,” said Lisa Frantzis, a senior vice president with Advanced Energy Economy, a business group working on alternative energy. “I can tell you that many states are dealing with the same issues but no one is dealing with it as holistically as New York.”
However, some clean energy advocates are not sure if the execution yet meets the ideals of the plan.
Jamie Howland, director of the Climate and Energy Analysis Center at the Acadia Center, an advocacy organization, said this is all still a work in progress. “It is going to take some time to know how well it’s working.”
Meanwhile, he worries about what New York hasn’t done to prime the economy. “New York has to import all its fossil fuels, so for every dollar spent on energy efficiency, the economy grows by five dollars. And New York can clearly do more on energy efficiency. It is lagging states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island.”
The partnership between Opus One and National Grid is a prime example of how the new demonstration model is supposed to open up New York’s power grid to innovation that speeds renewable energy.
Last year, the company was looking to aggressively expand operations out of Canada and into the United States. The key was to find a home base with utilities that were both able and willing to integrate radical new technologies.
For the highly regulated industry, it was a tall order. But because of those mandates that utilities partner with third parties, New York fit the bill.
And, in fact, no sooner had Opus settled on New York State than it was picked in September 2016 by National Grid, the utility for greater Buffalo, to partner on a two-year project on cutting-edge technology that could help Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus expand its back-up energy supply to include an expansive portfolio of renewables.
With seven institutions on 120 acres and 17,000 employees, the medical campus is practically a small town. Like all critical care facilities, BNMC is required by law to have a backup power generation system, and like many hospitals, it has relied on one of the dirtiest forms of fuel: diesel.
As BNMC considers how to upgrade its power structure, one option is to invest beyond its own needs and become a clean power producer for the local region.
“There is no doubt to us now that the technology is out there to provide energy from zero-emissions sources,” said Paul Tyno, director of energy investments for BNMC. “The question is the economic feasibility of it.”
“We need to know what kind of return we will get for our investments,” he said.
This is where Opus One comes in. Opus can take just a few limited pieces of information from the grid and, using advanced computer modeling, show comprehensive power flows in real time—as well as accurately predict them in the future.
The transparency also allows Opus to calculate demand for supply and then come up with prices for energy based on where it is being distributed. This is potentially a big breakthrough. One of the problems states like California and Nevada have faced is that they have not yet calculated what they should be paying individual customers for the solar power they generate.
National Grid asked Opus to work on a demonstration project with BMNC to provide a model of a real-time market for its distributed clean power.
“This demonstration is essential in providing us with a better understanding of the technical requirements required to integrate, operate and fully optimize a distributed system,” said Carlos Nouel, vice president of National Grid’s New Energy Solutions group. If it works, he added, there is potential to scale to the entire area.
Tyno said that New York’s insistence on pilot projects is the foundation of all this experimentation.
“To me, the ability for a customer asset to provide relief to the central grid strengthens that central grid,” he said. “If you’ve got a strong grid that is consistent and reliable and has manageable costs in this day and age, I think you are going to attract business to your area.”
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A plan to create a more self-contained power grid on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that would enable it to better maintain operations during blackouts moved forward Thursday when the state awarded nearly $1 million in funding to the project.
The Medical Campus plan was one of 11 projects statewide to win funding from a state-sponsored program to encourage the development of microgrids as a way to introduce more renewable energy into the power grid, while also creating stronger backup systems at essential facilities.
The funding, through the second round of the state’s NY Prize microgrid competition, will fund a study that will develop a blueprint for the Medical Campus microgrid and outline its costs, said Paul Tyno, the Medical Campus’ director of energy initiatives.
A microgrid would allow the Medical Campus to continue to function and provide critical services during a prolonged blackout. While hospitals are required to have backup generation, those generators have limited capacity and can only run for as long as their fuel supply lasts.
In contrast, a microgrid would include those generators, as well as renewable energy, such as solar power. That would allow the Medical Campus to operate more systems and for a longer period, perhaps as long as a week, Tyno said.
“We want the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to be a safe haven in the event of a problem,” Tyno said.
A microgrid, because of its more self-contained nature, also can help the region’s power grid during times of peak demand by reducing its use of conventionally generated electricity.
The study that the $950,000 in funding will allow the Medical Campus to undertake is a precursor to a third and final round of the NY Prize competition, which will provide funding to build the microgrids that are selected as winners, likely by the end of 2018. The project received $100,000 in state funding for a feasibility study through the contest’s first round in 2015.
Tyno said the scope of the Medical Campus microgrid means that the NY Prize funding probably would not cover all of its construction costs.
State officials also view the microgrid contest as a way to study the impact those systems can have on the power grid, as more lower capacity, highly localized sources of renewable energy are added to New York’s generating capacity.
“It’s absolutely huge. It really, really is,” Tyno said. “It’s got an impact here in Western New York as a whole, because this is how energy is going to work in the future.”
