Ameren Corp. is collaborating with the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) Incubatenergy Labs startup challenge to demonstrate and explore today's and tomorrow's technologies, products, and services that have the potential to benefit Ameren's customers.
Ameren, the EPRI, and 12 other utilities are hosting a set of accelerated technology demonstrations with 10 startup companies that may provide utility customers with effective energy management solutions and Ameren with new tools to maintain system quality, reliability, and efficiency using sustainable methods. The collaborative effort is a core program in the Ameren Accelerator, which teams with public universities, private companies, and industry associations to invest, mentor, and host pilot projects with energy technology startups.
"Ameren Accelerator 2020 evolves our successful energy innovation model to incorporate more energy technology demonstrations," said Warner Baxter, chairman, president, and CEO, Ameren Corp. "We have confidence that our engagement with these promising startup companies will help us deliver the kinds of clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions our customers are looking for."
Ameren will host the following companies for technology demonstrations:
- ev.energy (Palo Alto, California): Wireless platform that optimizes electric vehicle (EV) charging to save customers money and fully use renewable energy, and delivers flexibility services to the grid
- IND Technology, Inc. (New York, New York State): Technology that remotely detects and locates electrical faults before they occur, which could prevent power losses, wildfires, and other consequences
- PingThings (El Segundo, California): Artificial intelligence (AI) platform that processes, stores, and uses high-definition sensor data in real time at grid scale
- Recurve (Mill Valley, California): Software-as-a-service tool that analyzes how to use energy more efficiently and effectively in response to cost, carbon reduction, and other customer goals
Ameren is also supporting startup companies that are demonstrating their technology with the other utilities and Ameren customers may also benefit from their innovations. These companies include:
- Grid Fruit (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): Grid-responsive scheduling of machine cycles to provide demand management and flexibility from commercial foodservice refrigeration systems
- Kognitiv Spark (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada): Augmented reality (AR)-enabled tool to help utility workers and supervisors solve problems and learn new skills on the job
- LineVision (Somerville, Massachusetts): Non-contact, overhead line sensor technology that provides situational awareness and asset health monitoring, and increases capacity
- RWI Synthetics (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada): AI-driven intelligent systems modeling tool to help grid planners with scenario planning and distributed energy resource (DER) integration
- Sharc Energy Systems (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada): Multifamily building wastewater heat recovery systems
- Switched Source (Vestal, New York): An alum of the 2017 Ameren Accelerator, Switched Source has continued to develop its power electronics-based distribution-automation solutions to help manage distribution system load and improve power quality
Demonstrations will begin remotely over the next several weeks. Results of the projects will be presented at the Ameren Accelerator Demo Day in St. Louis this October.
