Friday, March 11, 2005

IBEW Local 332 (San Jose, CA) Aids Research into Utility "Distributed Generation" Future

Research and Markets: Distributed Generation Here to Stay
Press Release Source: Research and Markets
Thursday March 10, 10:09 am ET

DUBLIN, Ireland, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c13731) has announced the addition of Distributed Generation Case Studies to their offering.

The report provides a look at commercial distributed generation applications from the customer's viewpoint. It was developed through interviews with 33 organizations that have implemented or are in the process of implementing photovoltaic, fuel cell, gas turbine, microturbine, or wind systems.

This report is intended to provide significant value to companies who are considering implementing a distributed generation solution, companies who want to understand how distributed generation applications are working, and companies who want insight into customers' views on distributed generation.

For each of the case studies, the organization was asked to:

- describe the project, the system, and the service providers used - discuss the reasons why they selected the specific distributed generation solution - describe any issues they had to deal with in getting the project approved, funded, or implemented - evaluate how the system has performed - discuss the interconnection process and any net metering or sale back arrangements - provide lessons learned for others looking to implement distributed generation solutions to consider

The organizations which took part in the project represent a broad cross- section of energy consumers. They include colleges, offices, buildings, museums, energy service companies, government agencies, manufacturers, data centers, hotels, casinos, hospitals, ranches, and even a religious order. While these organizations are very different in their composition and decision drivers, there are a number of common threads that are evident in discussing their decisions to implement distributed generation.

Out of the case studies come a number of interesting findings. The most common reason for implementing a distributed generation solution was environmental concern. A number of the commercial organizations surveyed have organizational policies on reducing the environmental impact of their operations and view distributed generation as a means of demonstrating their commitment to these policies. In addition, some companies were looking to reduce emissions for regulatory reasons pertaining to their status under federal or local environmental protection rules. Many of the non-commercial organizations surveyed also wanted to demonstrate their commitment to the environment, as well as educate the public about distributed generation technologies.

Overall, the results in this report indicate that distributed generation is here to stay. While the technologies are generally not cost-competitive without grants and rebates, they are coming down in price. As more installations occur, "teething problems" will become less common, application expertise will increase, and installation/ interconnection will become simpler. It appears that a bright future awaits these technologies, and it's only a matter of time before they become commonplace.

Organizations surveyed include:

4 Times Square - The Condé Nast Bldg Atrium Hotel Bentley-Simonson Cape Charles Sustainable Tech. Park Chabot Space and Science Center ChevronTexaco Data Center City of Burbank, CA City of Jeannette, PA Dakota Station Fetzer Winery First National Bank of Omaha Fountain Valley City Center Harbec Plastics IBEW 332 La Quinta Inn and Suites Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Ledgewood Creek Vineyards Los Angeles Harbor College Masonic Village Mauna Lani Resort Mohegan Sun Casino Neutrogena OCM BOCES Parker Ranch Pasadena City College Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Pierce College Sacred Heart Monastery Santa Rita Jail SC Johnson South County Hospital Yale University Yosemite National Park

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c13731

Laura Wood Senior Manager Research and Markets press@researchandmarkets.com Fax: +353 1 4100 980

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