Posted March 4, 2024

What is the role?
Michaels Energy is seeking a Proposal Manager with experience in proposal preparation and writing along with a passion for energy efficiency. The Proposal Manager oversees all aspects of proposal delivery including RFP discovery and review, leading Go/No-Go internal meetings, coordinating partners/sub-contractors, crafting and editing proposal content, managing deadlines, and driving the proposal process through submission. This position must coordinate with the talent and resources of multiple departments to ensure a quality proposal is delivered on time.  We are looking for someone with strong organizational and communication skills who will thrive in a team environment and will exemplify our core values.  

• Proposal Management
  • Review requests for proposals (RFPs) to understand the scope of work and requirements.
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to complete a go/no go analysis and establish proposal win points.
  • Assemble a proposal team to develop a production schedule and delegate tasks.
  • Oversee proposal process and ensure proposal team (including external sub-contractors/partners) is meeting assigned deadlines.
  • Submit intent to bid, questions, final proposal, and all supplemental documents by RFP deadlines.
  • Review/edit all components of the proposal to the specifications of the client.
  • Coordinate post-proposal activities including best-and-final interviews and debriefs for losses.
  • Run weekly proposal meetings to provide updates on active proposals, wins/losses, and RFPs for consideration.
  • Monthly reporting on proposals submitted, won, and lost.
• Content Development
  • Write key components of the proposal such as the executive summary, company qualifications, and staff bios.
  • Create graphs, tables, and graphics,, in partnership with the Marketing team, to develop an eye-catching, easy to comprehend, and compelling proposal.
  • Collaborate with internal Subject Matter Experts and proposal writers to create technical content and strategies for each proposal.
  • Edit all documents for readability, consistency, branding, grammar, and styling.

CLICK HERE to read the job description and to apply.

Introducing Sophisticated, Hierarchical Grouping Structures to Unlock Localized Dispatch and Broader DER Value  

Posted February 26, 2024

February 26, 2024; Louisville, KY – Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based SaaS company empowering modern utilities with the friendliest distributed energy platform on the planet, today introduced sophisticated, advanced grouping capabilities to unlock localized dispatch and stack DER value to enhance and streamline its end-to-end distributed energy resource management system (DERMS), Shift, at the DistribuTECH International conference, February 26–29 in Orlando, FL. 

The latest Shift DERMS feature transforms load shifting by enabling utilities to align distributed energy resources (DERs) more effectively with grid requirements. This new advanced, hierarchical grouping structure will allow a much friendlier and more flexible dispatch experience to meet a range of different utility client needs. 

The new feature is ideal for multiple utility teams and types: 

• DER program managers – maximize efficiency and effectiveness with a more flexible way to group and call DER events. Value stack DER device types across different programs.
• Grid operations and planning staff – manage distribution constraints with the ability to design and execute DR events tailored to align seamlessly with utility feeder and distribution structures.
• Generation and transmission co-ops and joint action agencies – achieve more flexible and localized dispatch capabilities by operating across companies and programs in the same Shift DERMS platform.

“Utilities are navigating a more complex grid every day. With increased distribution constraints, like the influx of transportation electrification, utilities need ways to unlock further DER value and support multiple use cases by value stacking,” said Dr. William (Bill) Burke, Founder and CEO of Virtual Peaker. “For the first time, this new DERMS suite feature gives utilities the power to do just that. Now they can seamlessly unlock and deploy all DER assets across their footprint—utilizing the energy when and where they need it most.” 

CLICK HERE to read the full press release.

Posted February 22, 2024

Connecticut, USA, Thursday 22nd February – Piclo, the global leading marketplace for grid flexibility, will collaborate with local stakeholders including United Illuminating (UI), a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. and one of Connecticut’s largest electric distribution companies (EDCs), to establish a new local DER-enabled grid flexibility market - the first of its kind in New England.

The new market will enable DER aggregators and Virtual Power Plant operators to earn revenue from flexing their electricity consumption and generation. Connecting them with utilities via a simple, digital marketplace saves time, reduces overall grid costs and boosts grid resiliency.

When utilities do not have sufficient supply to match their demand or identify bottlenecks on their grid, instead of having to purchase expensive bulk power from peaker plants on the wholesale market or shut off customer supply, they could instead pay DER aggregators to provide flexibility. For DER owners, this extra revenue stream represents new business opportunities and access to new markets.

Aggregating residential and commercial demand and supply can also offer new income avenues to support underserved communities in line with Connecticut’s equity goals and the federal community benefit and Justice40 Initiative. As harnessing DER flexibility can be a cheaper alternative, the savings can be passed onto customers, particularly as affordability is a key issue in Connecticut, which has some of the highest electricity rates in North America. Additionally, this will help the state meet its ambitious electrification and 100% zero carbon electric sector goals by 2040 and Connecticut's Framework for an Equitable Modern Grid.

CLICK HERE to read the full press release.

The utility-targeted Lumin Edge pre-release focuses on delivering behind-the-meter analytics and superior load management tools.

Posted February 21, 2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lumin, the pioneer of responsive energy management solutions, today announced the pre-release of its newest residential load control platform, Lumin Edge. This innovative product merges Lumin’s intelligent load management software with a groundbreaking modular design, providing unparalleled functionality, flexibility, and value. The Lumin Edge pre-release program focuses on grid services such as high-resolution, behind-the-meter analytics, and advanced demand-side management tools. At the end of March, Lumin will ship units to co-op and investor-owned utilities across the U.S. and Canada, including California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, and British Columbia. Several global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners will also receive shipments. The company plans to release Lumin Edge to the broader public in the second half of 2024.

As cities and states enact policies to transition homes away from fossil-fueled appliances and towards electrification, utilities face mounting pressure to maintain grid stability. Lumin Edge’s behind-the-meter analytics and real-time load management capabilities enable grid operators to shape demand with precision while allowing customers to respond to increasingly complex utility rate structures. It addresses the need for a responsive, high-capacity demand-side management resource, providing a flexible, cost-effective solution to support grid stability.

Its innovative modular design allows each Lumin Edge Controller to be placed anywhere along the wire from the service panel to the targeted appliance, offering unmatched installation flexibility. The Edge Controllers communicate wirelessly with the Edge Hub through a secure mesh network, creating a quick and seamless installation process that can take an electrician less than twelve minutes per load and ten minutes for commissioning. By managing the homeowners’ largest and most important loads, Lumin Edge delivers the ultimate combination of convenience, performance, and affordability.

Lumin Edge provides utilities with a dependable, high-capacity demand-side management resource, offering unparalleled control and visibility over household loads. With instant, circuit-level responsiveness and high-resolution insights across the Lumin fleet, utilities can effectively operate enhanced demand response programs and grid-stabilizing virtual power plants (VPPs). Through enhanced customer engagement, Edge enables increased demand response event frequency and duration while employing push notifications and participation opt-outs. Utilities can then manage the Lumin fleet through Lumin’s software platform or integrate them directly into their distributed energy resource management system (DERMS), resulting in substantial cost savings in distribution infrastructure without compromising energy sales.

CLICK HERE to read the full press release.