Thomas J. Bialek plenary: Challenges of Solar and Renewable Energy Technologies
A plenary talk from SPIE Optics + Photonics 2013.
California's aggressive energy policy goals include a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires 33% of energy produced must come from renewable resources by 2020.
In his plenary talk, "Challenges of Solar and Renewable Energy Technologies," Thomas J. Bialek of San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) (USA) notes that as of the end of March 2013, SDE&G has approximately 23,000 installations of rooftop photovoltaics with a nameplate capacity 171 MW that do not count towards the RPS goal. Renewable resources are intermittent power generators that introduce new challenges to planning, designing, and operating a utility grid. Bialek discusses some of SDG&E's solutions to these challenges.
Thomas J. Bialek is Chief Engineer on the Smart Grid Team at San Diego Gas & Electric Company. He is also the Principal Investigator on DOE and CEC funded Micro Grid projects. His experience includes electric utility design, planning and operation and equipment design, development and manufacturing.
