Bruce Lindsay
PE, CEM
Trane Technologies | Business Development, Thermal Storage Systems
Speaker
Track I: Decarbonization and Electrification
Session I2: Energy Storage
September 26, 2024 | 10:00 am - 10:30 am
Evolution of Utility Rebates for Energy Storage
Utilities began promoting thermal energy storage as a way to avoid construction on new coal and nuclear plants starting in 1990. They offered large rebates. With utility deregulation, utilities could bid for new generation provided by combustion turbines. Regulators switched rebates to focus on kWh savings. Some utilities continued to offer rebates. In 2022, the federal government recognized that energy storage was essential if we are to achieve 100% renewable energy on the grid. Rebates for energy storage began to emerge. Rates were modified to encourage storage. To qualify for the new rebates, thermal storage was rebranded as thermal batteries. Thermal batteries qualify for a 40% investment tax credit and are now the lowest first cost option for central plants.
Speaker Bio
Bruce B. Lindsay, PE, CEM is currently the Business Development Leader for Trane’s Thermal Storage Systems (CALMAC ice tanks) and focuses on the investment tax credits in the US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Mr. Lindsay has been involved in thermal storage for over 30 years and was the Executive Director of the Electric Power Research Institute’s Thermal Storage Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was recently the Energy Manager for Brevard County Public Schools (Florida), where he had 84 schools of which 20 had ice storage systems. He is an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer and Program Chair for ASHRAE TC6.9 Thermal Storage.