IN-PERSON CLASSROOM SEMINARS

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The Microgrid: How Distributed Generation and Renewables Work Together


A One-Day Classroom Seminar (CPE Approved)

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This PGS seminar will focus on Microgrid commercialization, where renewable energy fits into this equation, and what's on the horizon for investor owned utilities in this space.

Microgrids are emerging into a commercialization phase and present an opportunity as distributed energy resources are now rising to prominence. To date, knowledge of microgrid market developments has been highly dispersed in technical publications and restricted to academic, utility industry, government and equipment manufacturing audiences. Microgrids are now creating value by aggregating distributed energy resources, bringing private capital to the market, and improving energy efficiency as they are sited close to end use.

Superstorm Sandy and other weather related occurrences have focused more attention on "hardening" the grid infrastructure. These occurrences also offer a unique opportunity to look at the electric utility infrastructure and a reversion to an older model of onsite electric power generation through smaller scale power generation. The Microgrid is actually more cost effective and is a competitive strategy for small scale electric power production close to end use. The Microgrid offers increased electricity reliability, operational flexibility and more intelligent load management.

The challenge to electric utilities is load and revenue erosion. Their focus of attention has been primarily on small scale solar energy projects under power purchase agreements and net metering. The utility cost recovery model is turned on its head in this new electric power world. In a perfect world, large investor owned utilities and municipal utilities would build out this small scale infrastructure; but most today are purchasing the power generated under traditional power purchase agreements. Some estimates are that the US could lose one major utility per year due to the microgrid. This may be wildly optimistic but the competitive threat is real as microgrid technology gets better with energy efficiencies rising and costs coming down. The key breakthrough may be to allow Microgrid to participate in wholesale power markets.

What You Will Learn
  • What is a Microgrid
  • The present state of commercialization of Distributed Generation resources
  • The Microgrid challenge at present
  • Scaling multiple Microgrid projects
  • How Renewable energy fits into this equation
  • How close we are to grid parity for renewables
  • Investment opportunities
  • Examples of viable projects
  • LCOE: How the economics have changed
  • Bending the cost curves for distributed energy
  • The shifting of capital costs for new Microgrid generation
  • Rebuilding for resiliency and climate change
  • Where Commercial PACE fits into this equation
  • Where Combined Heat and Power (CHP) fits in
  • Some new technologies on the horizon
Your Instructor
Peter C. Fusaro - Chairman of Global Change Associates and Founder of Wall Street Green Summit

Peter C. Fusaro wrote the New York Times best seller “What Went Wrong at Enron” and is an international expert on sustainable finance, carbon markets and renewable energy, His knowledge of the energy industry goes back almost 5 decades as both a policy maker at the US Department of Energy in Washington DC and as a senior executive at a multinational oil company and at an original equipment manufacturer. Peter founded and runs the Wall Street green Summit, the oldest sustainable finance event in North America.

Peter has been very involved in ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) and impact investing for the past decade. Formerly, he was a member of trading and markets committee of the voluntary Chicago Climate Exchange and on the board of Carbon Trade Exchange in the UK and Australia. Peter was also involved in implementation of AB32, California’s Climate Change law, and Clean Development Mechanism projects under the Kyoto Protocol. Through PGS and other entities such as the Swiss Finance Institute in Geneva, he has taught over 1,000 people on carbon markets and carbon finance. Today, carbon markets are in an upsurge with over 65 mandatory markets as well as voluntary markets throughout the world. Peter offers unique insights into their market development and maturation.

Peter has been on the Advisory Board’s of the University of Michigan Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise and Bard College’s MBA in Sustainability. He was an adjunct professor at Columbia University and developed and taught a popular renewable energy project finance course. He is a graduate of Tufts University with an MA and Carnegie-Mellon University with a BA.

Hotel and Seminar Information
This one-day seminar will be held at the hotel listed below or can be conducted on-site at your facilities. The seminar will start promptly at 8:30 AM and will finish at 4:30 PM. The program includes continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks. Attendees also receive a professionally produced seminar manual that can serve as a valuable office reference. Dress is casual for all seminars.
COVID 19 Information: Please click here for the PGS Covid-19 policy. You can confirm each hotel's specific COVID 19 policy using the link(s) provided below.
Registration Fee and Discounts
The price for this comprehensive two-day seminar is $995 (USD).
Register online or Call (440) 853-1038.
  • Additional attendees and government employees receive a 10% discount.
  • Register 4 or more attendees and receive 20% Off. Special pricing is available for groups of 5 or more.
    If you want attendees to pay with separate credit cards or have other questions, please call (440) 853-1038 for assistance.
Payments and Cancellations
Payment is due prior to the start of the seminar by Visa, Master Card, American Express, or corporate check. Seminar fees will be charged to your credit card at the time of registration unless other arrangements have been made. Please make checks payable to "PGS Energy Training" 26 Teal Lane • Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. Cancellations will result in a credit that is good for 2 years which can be transferred to a colleague. Substitutions may be made at any time. For more information on PGS policies regarding administrative matters and complaint resolution, please contact our offices at (440) 853-1038.
CPE Credits in Specialized Knowledge

This live group seminar is eligible for 7.0 CPE credits. Be aware that state boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. As of January 1, 2002, sponsored learning activities are measured by program length, with one 50-minute period equal to one CPE credit. One-half CPE credit increments (equal to 25 minutes) are permitted after the first credit has been earned in a given learning activity. You may want to verify that the state board from which your participants will be receiving credit accept one-half credits.

PGS Energy Training is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. CPAs interested in attending any seminars should contact our offices for details on CPE credits granted and any prerequisite requirements.
PGS Energy Training is registered with GARP as an Approved Provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits. If you are a Certified FRM or ERP, please record this activity in your Credit Tracker at http://www.garp.org/cpd. Please inform PGS Energy Training that you are a GARP CPE participant upon seminar registration.

The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to preparing professionals and organizations for making better-informed risk decisions. GARP's membership represents more than 150,000 risk management practitioners and researchers at academic institutions, banks, corporations, government agencies, and investment management firms in 195 countries and territories. GARP administers the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Energy Risk Professional (ERP) Exams – certifications recognized by risk professionals worldwide. Visit www.garp.org/cpd.
Who Should Attend

Professionals from natural gas and electric utilities, investors, banks and hedge funds, venture capitalists, real estate executives, entrepreneurs, attorneys; government regulators, traders & trading support staff, energy producers and marketers, government regulators, accountants & auditors, industrial trade groups, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, environmentalists, and anyone needing a solid overview and foundation of what the Microgrid is, where it is going and what opportunities there are for investors, technologies, and end-users.

Prerequisites and Advance Preparation

This fundamental level group live seminar has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar.

Why Choose PGS?

PGS seminars are known for their clear explanations and in-depth content. Register for a PGS class today, and join the over 10,000 energy professionals who have already attended one of PGS's proven programs.

Program Level & Delivery Method
Basic level. This fundamental course begins with basic material and then proceeds to the intermediate level. Delivery method is "Group-Live.”