WATTMORE joins GTI Energy’s Illinois hydrogen microgrid research effort, putting its technology into a project testing how hydrogen can fit into resilient local power systems
The hydrogen sector continues to dramatically transform because of experimentation and the application of technology that allows companies to be ambitious in discovering new ways that energy can be generated. The abundance of new entities that are participating in the clean energy transition is a massive positive for the United States as it seeks to establish itself as a hydrogen energy powerhouse. China and the Asian continent are still seen as the leaders in that regard, but the U.S. is making an effort to reduce that gap. As of late, WATTMORE joined GTI Energy’s Illinois hydrogen microgrid research effort, putting its technology into a project testing how hydrogen can fit into resilient local power systems.
Assessing WATTMORE and its contribution to the hydrogen energy sector
WATTMORE is a Denver, Colorado-based energy technology company that is known for delivering a transformative platform of software and services for energy storage, solar systems, microgrids, virtual power plants, and grid and energy management for asset owners, utilities, and commercial customers around the world.
The company’s unique approach to energy generation is one of the reasons why it is seen as being among the companies expected to spearhead the next generation of the hydrogen industry.
WATTMORE is a team of energy veterans who are actively participating in building software that makes the modern grid work. These veterans have studied and learned from previous generations of the energy sector and are looking to not repeat the same mistakes while advancing the hydrogen industry beyond what was initially expected of it.
Prioritizing technology: WATTMORE joins GTI Energy’s Illinois hydrogen microgrid research effort
According to a press release from WATTMORE, the energy technology software company has been awarded a project with GTI Energy to support infrastructure energy security and resilience.
GTI Energy is a leading research and technology development organization that is mainly focused on scaling low-carbon, low-cost energy transition solutions. It was originally founded in the 1940s and has gone on to become an integral part of the energy industry’s progression. The company’s main objective is to develop, scale, and deploy cleaner, reliable, and affordable energy systems that reduce environmental impact and decarbonize economies.
Company collaborations can be challenging unless the entities involved are open to complementing each other effectively and playing a specific role to ensure that the project becomes successful. In this instance, WATTMORE will act as GTI Energy’s energy management partner. GTI Energy’s primary project is advancing hydrogen-based microgrid research by integrating battery energy storage into an existing microgrid testbed in GTI Energy’s facility in Des Plaines.
A general overview of Illinois’ quickly evolving hydrogen energy sector
Illinois is establishing a clean hydrogen economy in order to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like heavy-duty transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture, supported by state policy and regional hubs. Illinois is seen as a core part of the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, which is a multi-state federal hydrogen hub initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Energy to produce clean hydrogen using nuclear and renewable energy sources.
Research Institutions like the Prairie Research Institute are assessing geologic storage potential in the Illinois Basin while plans develop for an I-80 hydrogen trucking corridor connected to Chicago.
How far can the GTI Energy and WATTMORE Energy collaboration go?
Industry experts will be paying close attention to the companies’ collaboration and how it can shape the energy industry’s progression. Following the announcement, Kristine Wiley, Vice President of Energy Systems and Technology Integration at GTI Energy, stated the following:
“Building more resilient energy systems requires understanding how emerging technologies work together in an operational environment. This testbed allows us to evaluate the integration of hydrogen, energy storage, and advanced controls as a system, generating the practical insights needed to move promising solutions from development toward deployment.”
The influence that technology has had on the energy industry is unquestionable, and as it continues to advance, it will influence the industry even further. This, in turn, means more captivating projects are set to come.
Prince is a versatile writer focused on energy, automotive, environmental, and general news topics. He makes complex technical and policy issues clear, engaging, and accessible for a broad audience.
