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June 28, 2012

SEPTA Announces a World 'Brake'-Through

Whenever the commuter trains on the Market-Frankford Line in Philadelphia stop at a station, they make money—not just from customer receipts, but from the energy it takes to put on the brakes. In a pioneering pilot project, the transit line is capturing the kinetic energy its trains use to grind to a halt and integrating that power into the regional electric grid.

On June 27, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)—the sixth largest U.S. rapid transit system, serving 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia—unveiled its innovative recycled energy and optimization project. The program represents a world first for public transit and showcases the still-untapped potential of the smart grid.

Until recently, the transit authority was aware that the kinetic energy produced by braking could be converted into electricity—but there was no way to capture and retain that power for other purposes. Now, next-generation, large-scale battery storage has offered a solution. What’s more, it has been demonstrated that energy storage can provide support to the electric grid, profitably, through the frequency regulation market. 

As a result, SEPTA is able to captures the regenerative braking energy of its trains through a large scale battery storage system and then deploy that energy as virtual power into PJM’s wholesale power frequency regulation and energy markets. PJM is a regional transmission organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia

“Through this pilot project, SEPTA will become even more energy efficient, which will help control operating costs—benefiting both customers and taxpayers. We’ve made our system cleaner, greener, and more efficient in recent years,” said Joe Casey, general manager at SEPTA. “These measures are helping us control costs in tough economic conditions— and making us a better neighbor in the communities we serve.”

SEPTA launched the pilot project in partnership with Philadelphia-based Viridity Energy; a smart grid technology firm that helps customers convert existing energy assets into new revenue streams. Viridity‘s VPower software optimization system facilitates the simultaneous processes of regenerative capture and regulation performance; even as it selects which energy market to participate in, based upon market pricing, battery state-of-charge, and availability of regenerative energy from the trains.

“We are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking achievement,” said Audrey Zibelman, CEO and president of Viridity Energy. “In a smart grid world, two-way digital information exchange opens up new horizons. This project truly showcases the potential of that smart-grid world, particularly as it applies to the transportation industry. By harnessing the regenerative braking power of the trains and empowering SEPTA to become a virtual power generator that can provide valuable and environmentally responsible service to the electric grid, we can fulfill the promise of interconnected systems on the grid and behind the meter responding dynamically to reliability and economic signals to strengthen the grid.”

Saft (News - Alert), a provider of advanced-technology lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with headquarters in Bagnolet, France , was selected to provide the design, manufacturing, and commissioning of its Intensium Max20 P System—and has provided the project with one of the first dual-purpose trackside energy storage systems in the United States.

“As a fully integrated, containerized Li-ion solution, the Saft system provides efficiency of greater than 95 percent and maximizes system availability, as well as helps to manage power flows,” said Thomas Alcide, president of Saft America. “

Envitech Energy— a Quebec based provider of electrical equipment and solutions for rail infrastructure and a member of the ABB group—was chosen to provide power controls, power conversion, and system integration using its ENVISTORE System.

 “This project has high visibility within our company because it bridges two of the key industries we serve— transportation and energy, “said Daniel Cotton, general manager, ABB-Envitech. “It is a model that is perfectly aligned with our vision of the smart grid and greener transportation for the future.”

The project has been funded, in part, through a 2010 Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) grant; as well as by support from University Park, Pennsylvania-based Ben Franklin Technology PArtners.

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, who represents  Pennsylvania's second congressional district and has been a leader in Congress for energy efficiency and innovation in manufacturing through the U.S. Energy and Commerce Departments, praised Viridity Energy for its latest technological advance. “Conceived in America, saving energy and dollars in Philadelphia – what an unbeatable combination we’re seeing today from the partnership of SEPTA, Viridity Energy, Saft and Envitech,” Fattah said. Viridity is Philadelphia home-grown and bursting with smart, innovative technology. This is the kind of American can-do innovation that will keep our nation number one in the world.”


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Edited by Brooke Neuman
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