As a science writer, I sometimes describe my job as taking 500 pages that no one can understand and turning them into five pages that anyone can.

 

Trade press articles, white papers, and technical reports are aimed at a specialized, well-informed audience, and typically demand extensive research and close attention to detail. This work is often done in close collaboration with, and even ghostwritten for, respected industry experts. Some of my past projects are proprietary or confidential, and are therefore not presented here.

This article surveys the current state of the photovoltaics industry and examines its technological, economic, and practical prospects, particularly as a distributed resource that could challenge the traditional central-station power plant utility model.

 

 

 

After decades of development, solar power is an increasingly competitive electric generation option around the world. This article is a look at markets for both existing and emerging solar technologies, including disruptive technology that could help build a new business model for the industry.

 

 

 

This article covers the history and status of various solar energy technologies used to generate electricity, from the familiar photovoltaic solar cell to more exotic solar thermal devices. It is written for a professional audience assumed to be familiar with the general issue, if not the specific technologies.

 

 

 

One mission of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is providing members of its international collaborative with reports, white papers, and case studies concerning energy-related research, development and demonstration. The audience for these reports includes utility engineers, energy company decision makers, and local, state, and federal policy makers.

 

My role varies with each report, but typically involves writing, editing, and distilling research results into a readable and informative package, occasionally with original interviews or research. Reports I have produced include:

 

          Distributed Renewable Energy Generation Impacts on Microgrid Operation and Reliability

 

 

 

The TAG is an energy industry standard reference that characterizes key renewable technologies and their operation, cost, environmental impacts, and other features. My responsibilities included updating information, editing for style and consistency, and integrating information from expert sources.

A portion of every California ratepayer's bill goes to support programs that benefit the public, such as energy efficiency, appliance rebates, technology research, and low-income assistance. This publication summarizes state legislative policy and provides many case study profiles of local programs.

 

 

 

Knowing when to replace a worn part is a critical issue in the power industry. Plant operators must strike a balance between the expense of performing maintenance too often and the danger of not doing it often enough. This article describes techniques used to determine component condition and lifetime.

 

 

 

This article summarizes the conclusions of EPRI research on rooftop and building-integrated PV systems for distributed generation, outlining how far such distributed applications have come, where they might go, and some of the obstacles barring the way.

 

 

 

Written-pole technology provides an innovative means of improving the performance and efficiency of electric motors and uninterruptible power supplies. ElectricNet is a Web-based resource for news, features, products and services for electric power professionals.

 

 

 

Increasing electrical demand is stretching some power transmission and distribution systems to the breaking point. Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) are electronic control technologies that allow the switching of megawatts of power in fractions of a second to respond to such demands.