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AlphaStruxure and Montgomery County Break Ground on Nation’s Largest Renewable Energy-Powered Transit Depot

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Montgomery County, Maryland’s David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center will be the largest renewable energy-powered transit depot, the largest transit depot microgrid in the nation, and the first on the East Coast to produce green hydrogen on-site.This 5.65 megawatt microgrid project, delivered for zero upfront costs via Energy as a Service, will feature solar arrays, electric bus chargers, battery energy storage, and a County-owned hydrogen electrolyzer, thereby allowing the depot to operate indefinitely in “island mode.”Event photos, 3D renderings, B-roll and other media assets can be found here

DERWOOD, Md., June 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, AlphaStruxure, a leader in Energy as a Service (EaaS) microgrid solutions, and Montgomery County, Maryland (County) broke ground on an integrated microgrid infrastructure project. The project will feature electric bus charging and on-site green hydrogen production powered by solar and battery energy storage.

The County operates the second-largest bus fleet in the Washington, D.C. region. Its David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center is a major depot within Ride On Montgomery’s network and the fifth largest County-owned energy consumer. By 2035, the depot is projected to accommodate 200 zero-emissions buses, of which most will be hydrogen fuel cellNew electric buses (FCEBs). The County is using FCEBs in part because they have a greater range versus battery electric buses and can thus support longer bus routes. A hydrogen FCEB is a zero-emissions vehicle, powered by hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only water.

The microgrid’s construction is expected to be completed in 2025, when the system will begin sending renewable energy back to the grid and have the ability to power zero-emissions buses. This microgrid follows the launch of the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot in 2022, which was the County’s first fully constructed microgrid-powered bus depot and also led by AlphaStruxure. Together, the two depots will eventually power about 335 zero-emissions transit buses, according to the County’s latest fleet transition plan.

“It’s a joyous moment to be breaking ground on a project that is the new standard for public transit in the United States,” said Juan Macias, CEO of AlphaStruxure. “The County has proven itself as a national leader in zero-emissions transit, in part by prioritizing simultaneous procurement of both the buses and the sustainable infrastructure needed to power them. Both are fundamental to a successful fleet transition. Our Energy as a Service approach enables the County to achieve sustainable and resilient transit — without upfront capital, in a way that de-risks the financial, construction, and operations phases of the project.”

“This project is the largest renewable energy-powered transit depot and transit depot microgrid in the nation; it is also the first facility on the East Coast to produce green hydrogen on-site,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Montgomery County is providing a sustainable model for the nation to follow. It is great to see this bus depot microgrid move from concept to construction so quickly thanks to our ongoing partnership with AlphaStruxure and their related companies; we already have five microgrids in operation or development, with more underway. This project will both ensure that County services are prepared for the increasingly extreme weather due to climate change as well as increasing our production of clean energy.”

“Transitioning to green transit is better for our commuters and the health of our communities. That’s why I worked to secure funding to support Montgomery County’s efforts to move to a fully zero-emission bus fleet fueled by renewable power,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. “Projects like these are critical to achieving Maryland’s ambitious clean energy goals while making local public transit more reliable and cost-effective.”

“By breaking ground on America’s largest electric bus depot, Montgomery County continues to lead the country with investments in creating a clean energy future for our children and grandchildren,” U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin said. “I’m confident this project will serve as an inspiration for other local governments exploring sustainable energy transitions, and I’m committed to continue strongly advocating for commonsense pro-climate legislation in Congress to benefit Maryland and the nation.”

Fueling the County’s FCEBs with green hydrogen produced by the microgrid’s solar array advances the County’s goal of reaching a 100% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035. The microgrid also enables the County to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 4,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to approximately 780 homes’ annual electricity use. The County will also use the microgrid to advance equity. The microgrid will support zero-emissions buses for cleaner air and less congestion along its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network, which serves many minority and low-income riders. It will also support new career and training opportunities for underserved communities through a County apprenticeship program.

Like the Brookville depot, this existing depot will remain fully operational throughout its 28-phase construction process, with no impact on transit services. The microgrid will provide sustainable, resilient power to a mixed fleet of battery electric and FCEBs, along with the facility’s five buildings. It will also be interconnected to the Pepco utility grid and is engineered to operate in island mode indefinitely, ensuring uninterrupted service for the County’s constituents during extended grid or power outages and emergency situations. Specifically, the microgrid will include:

5.65 MWDC of rooftop and canopy solar generation2 MW/6.88 MWh battery energy storageUp to 2.25 MW of charging capacity1 MW hydrogen electrolyzerSoftware tools and IoT-connected hardwareA complete overview can be found here.

AlphaStruxure and the County will leverage a close partnership with the local utility, Pepco, to deploy the large-scale microgrid on a rapid timeline. In addition to powering on-site production of green hydrogen, a resilient fuel source for FCEBs, the microgrid will also be able to send up to two megawatts (MWs) of renewable energy back to the utility grid via a Pepco net metering program.

“Because of their ability to accelerate adoption of clean power sources, microgrids are emerging as a key driver of the energy transition,” said Jana Gerber, Schneider Electric’s President of North America Microgrids. “And as extreme weather increases, a microgrid’s ability to withstand these events is critical for municipalities that need to deliver services to constituents around the clock. Schneider Electric is very proud to contribute to the key infrastructure of this benchmark project that further establishes Montgomery County’s leadership in microgrid and Energy as a Service adoption. The County continues to lead the way and show what is possible.”

AlphaStruxure, a joint venture of Carlyle and Schneider Electric™, will finance the project through the Energy as a Service (EaaS) business model. The Boston, MA-based company will deliver all aspects of design, construction, and long-term operations and maintenance. As a joint venture, AlphaStruxure combines Carlyle’s comprehensive financial capabilities and infrastructure expertise with Schneider Electric’s leading microgrid technology, software, and services.

AlphaStruxure serves as a trusted partner for the County, helping it to achieve its 2035 fleet sustainability and resilience goals. It is delivering the microgrid to the County without requiring capital expenditures via an EaaS contract, a long-term agreement ensuring predictable operating expenses, performance, and energy pricing.

Montgomery County’s Department of General Services, the Department of Transportation, and the Office of Energy and Sustainability are spearheading this ambitious drive toward achieving net-zero emissions by leading the transition of the County’s transit fleet and depot infrastructure. AlphaStruxure’s partners for this project include Mortenson for design-build; Schneider Electric for the battery energy storage system, microgrid controls, switchgear, and services; WSP as the engineer of record; AZZO for network and cybersecurity; The Mobility House for charge management software; and Heliox for EV charger hardware.

AlphaStruxure is a leading Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider and microgrid integrator. Its purpose is to decarbonize energy infrastructure at speed and scale. It does so by helping public- and private-sector organizations achieve ambitious, tailored energy transformations — without the CapEx or complexity. AlphaStruxure designs, finances, builds, owns, operates and maintains energy infrastructure, including microgrids, to deliver emissions reductions, reliability, and resilience. Its projects include two of the largest transit microgrids in the U.S. and a microgrid for John F. Kennedy International Airport’s New Terminal One. Unlike other EaaS providers, AlphaStruxure owns its clients’ systems for the entire lifecycle, making the company accountable to long-term guarantees on pricing and performance. AlphaStruxure’s joint-venture model harnesses Carlyle’s expertise in financing large-scale energy infrastructure projects and Schneider Electric’s 185+ year legacy of energy innovation, with more than 350 successful microgrid projects across North America. AlphaStruxure is based in Boston, Massachusetts, operates across North America, and leverages global capabilities. Learn more about the company at alphastruxure.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE AlphaStruxure

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About 20% of NFL Fans Say Their Loyalty Highly Influenced Their Home Search, New Realtor.com® Survey Finds

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Football fans say their choice of home features, house layout and specific locations were influenced by their ties to the sport.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — About 1 in 5 NFL followers say their loyalty played an extremely significant or highly significant role in their home search process, and a majority (55%) say that supporting a local team helps them feel more connected to their community and neighborhood, according to new research from Realtor.com®.

Among NFL fans surveyed, 18% say their loyalty highly or extremely influenced their search for specific home features, such as a covered porch or built-in bar, 20% say the same about house layout or rooms, such as a basement or theater room, and 18% say the same about specific locations, such as a certain city or neighborhood near a stadium.

The survey found that community plays a large role in football fandom. Among NFL fans, 66% say that having people in their community or neighborhood support the same team makes watching football feel more fun, 61% say supporting a local team was important to them, and 55% say they feel connected to their community and neighborhood because they support the same team.

“When it comes to NFL fans and the teams they support, a connection to their community is a major driving force and influence,” said Charlie Lankston, executive editor and real estate expert at Realtor.com®. “Creating a home is about so much more than buying a physical property—it is also about the community that we build around it. Our new survey shows that football and NFL play a vital role in how we see that community. And that team loyalty is actually less important to most people than their home and the people who surround it. So much so that nearly one-third of NFL fans would actually change teams if they moved to a new city or state.”

Team Loyalty
While good team performance is the reason most cited by NFL fans for supporting a team (44%), personal reasons matter almost as much. Among fans, 40% say the team represents the city or state where they were raised, 39% say their team loyalty was a family tradition, 38% say the team represents the city or state where they currently live, and 29% say their friends or community follow the team.

Where Are They Watching?
The survey found that most NFL fans watch games at home. Of all followers, 67% report watching games in a shared or multipurpose room, such as a family room or living room, while 29% say they have a dedicated space for watching games, such as a finished basement or theater room and just 4% say they don’t watch games at home.

Super Fans
About 1 in 5 who follow the NFL are what’s considered super fans, and their fandom was more influential in their home search. When asked to think back to the last time they searched for a home, 20% of respondents were either extremely or highly influenced to look for a home with a layout or rooms conducive to watching football, like a home theater, basement or multi-purpose room, 18% were extremely or highly influenced to look for a home with specific home viewing features such as covered porch or built in bar, and 18% were extremely or highly influenced to look for a home within a specific location, for example neighborhoods close to stadiums or specific cities.

Generational Loyalty
Gen Z and millennial followers were the most likely to say that their fandom influenced their home search. Some 28% of Gen Z followers say they were highly influenced to search for specific home features, while 29% of millennials say they were highly influenced to look for specific house layouts or rooms.

Methodology
This poll was conducted on August 22-24, 2024, among a national sample of 2,201 adults ages 18+. The survey was conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of adults in the U.S. based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region.

About Realtor.com®
Realtor.com® is an open real estate marketplace built for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago. Today, through its website and mobile apps, Realtor.com® is a trusted guide for consumers, empowering more people to find their way home by breaking down barriers, helping them make the right connections, and creating confidence through expert insights and guidance. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a trusted partner for business growth, offering consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today’s on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com®.

Media Contact
Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/about-20-of-nfl-fans-say-their-loyalty-highly-influenced-their-home-search-new-realtorcom-survey-finds-302303351.html

SOURCE Realtor.com

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Allelica Presents New Method to Model Human Genetic Diversity Without Labels, Driving Increased Equity in Precision Medicine

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DENVER, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Last week at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, the leaders in clinical polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis at Allelica unveiled a groundbreaking approach to modeling human genetic diversity without predefined labels. This new method called “8 Billion” generates 8 billion unique risk models,  to represent each individual on the planet, marking a significant milestone in the company’s mission to make PRS more accurate and predictive across all varieties of human genetic diversity. Allelica’s innovative method is a big step forward to transform the traditional, restrictive “bucket” approach to genetic ancestry, which has long fallen short in capturing the genuine diversity of human beings.

“Up until now, risk models in genomics have relied on broad categories that overlook the specific and unique genetic makeup of each individual,” said Giordano Bottà, CEO of Allelica. “This innovation is a transformative step towards reducing disparities in healthcare, enabling a more precise and equitable approach to precision medicine.”

Current methods force each individual into a bucket defined by continental borders, even when the individual is admixed or originates from a place that does not clearly align with these constructed geographies. As a result, these misaligned individuals can experience exacerbated health inequities. The 8 Billion model’s 81% improvement in estimated risk probability (Brier score) compared to the bucket approach means far more accurate predictions, leading to 24% fewer misclassifications (as measured by net reclassification improvement) and more reliably identifying patients who need intervention as a result.

By further enhancing the predictive power of Allelica’s multi-ancestry PRS for individuals of diverse backgrounds, Allelica’s method once again raises the standard for addressing human genetic diversity in the implementation of polygenic risk scores. As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing equity in healthcare, the 8 Billion method will be integrated with existing products, in parallel with continuous improvements to risk models for diverse populations.

The method was presented by Allelica scientists at the ASHG Meeting with a poster titled 8 billion risk models: modelling human genetic diversity without labels improves risk model performance. The work generated significant interest among attendees, leading to numerous requests for additional presentation sessions. The presentation also covered how Allelica scientists are integrating the new method into the company’s proprietary clinical PRS tests and software, allowing third-party labs to develop their own clinical PRS tests. The ability to model individual genetic diversity through scalable solutions like Allelica’s software tools opens up vast potential for improved health outcomes, particularly for populations historically underrepresented in genomic research. A pending patent application protects the 8 Billion method, reinforcing Allelica’s position at the forefront of precision medicine innovation.

In addition to this presentation, Allelica showcased two other major findings in presentations titled: Integrating APOE haplotype and PRS to improve Alzheimer’s disease genetic risk prediction and a new method to identify drug targets using multi-omics and causal inference: Refraction of Causal Analyses upon Proteomics Data Into Bands of Efficacious Drug Targets. These results further highlight Allelica’s dedication to addressing complex genetic risk factors in healthcare and working to improve preventive medicine for all.

About Allelica
Allelica is the leading platform enabling precision medicine for common disease. Allelica’s technology combines world-class datasets with the most advanced algorithms to build polygenic risk scores (PRS) with the highest predictive power for estimating disease risk in diverse populations. Allelica’s tools translate the enormous potential of genomic data into practical tools that physicians can use to identify individuals with a high genetic susceptibility for life-threatening diseases. Through the incorporation of genetics into disease risk assessments, Allelica is building the foundations of precision medicine for common disease. To learn more, visit allelica.com.

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SOURCE Allelica, Inc.

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Zeplyn Raises $3M Seed Funding for AI Assistant to Streamline Wealth Management Workflows and Improve Client Experience

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Zeplyn saves financial advisors an average of 10-12 hours per week while meeting security and compliance standards for financial industry

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Zeplyn, the AI assistant for financial advisors, today announced a $3M seed funding round. Led by Leo Capital, with additional investing from Converge and angel investors, the funding will be used to support the company as it rebuilds wealth management from an AI-native perspective.

Founded by two former Google engineers, Zeplyn reduces the administrative burden placed on financial advisors, improving the advisor-client experience by automating time-consuming tasks and making client intelligence more accessible. The company’s AI Meeting Assistant, designed specifically for financial advisors and wealth management firms, takes unstructured conversational data and turns it into highly accurate notes. Streamlining meeting prep, note-taking and post-meeting workflows while fulfilling compliance requirements, Zeplyn saves financial advisors an average of 10-12 hours per week.

“60% of client data gathering happens over meetings, yet less than 25% of client meetings are properly documented, because manual note-taking is time-consuming, distracting and prone to errors,” said Era Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeplyn. “Financial Advisors spend anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half per client meeting consolidating their notes and doing follow-up work. Many bring an associate advisor to these meetings just to take notes. Despite spending several manual hours, incomplete client data still remains a challenge as details fall through the cracks.”

“Zeplyn enables financial advisors to streamline meeting admin from prep to follow-up, automatically updating client records while protecting PII,” added Divam Jain, CTO and Co-Founder of Zeplyn. “It is built to meet the unique workflow requirements and security and compliance standards of the wealth management community.”

Zeplyn provides a time-saving toolkit for advisory firms to prep for client meetings, accurately capture financial data and key client insights, and seamlessly trigger follow-up tasks – which, in turn, improves the client experience.

“Zeplyn enhances our ability to deliver personalization at scale by providing a time dividend advisors can reinvest in client service and growth,” said Trevor Chuna, CTO at Sequoia Financial Group. “Multiple team members have reported time savings of 30-60 mins+ on meeting follow-up activities. We selected Zeplyn not just for their omni-channel note-taking capabilities, but also for their long-term vision in supporting the over-all client meeting process—the most frequent and expensive activity of an RIA.”

Zeplyn is a platform-agnostic solution that can be used across virtual and in-person meetings, as well as for dictations. It has multiple out-of-the-box integrations, including Salesforce, and wealth-specific CRMs such as Redtail, and Wealthbox, enabling it to plug into existing infrastructure and integrate with the advisor technology stack.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Era and Divam as they build Zeplyn. Zeplyn brings the Wealth Management industry into the age of AI, enabling better outcomes for advisors, RIAs, wealth management firms and ultimately, investors,” said Shwetank Verma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Leo Capital. “Zeplyn allows advisors to spend more time advising and elevating their client experience.”

“Zeplyn is bringing AI into a real-world context and having a real-world impact,” said Nilanjana Bhowmik, Converge Co-Founder and General Partner. “Unstructured data has long presented problems for the heavily regulated financial world, providing limited or time-consuming insights and posing potential compliance issues. But with Zeplyn, financial advisors can quickly extract accurate information while staying in compliance.”

About Zeplyn
Built by former Google engineers, Zeplyn is an AI platform purpose-built for wealth management firms to streamline advisor workflows, cutting down manual work by more than 90%. Zeplyn is rebuilding wealth management from an AI-native perspective, automating time-consuming admin tasks and creating space for foundational work and relationship-building.

Co-Founders Divam Jain and Era Jain met at Google, where they spent a decade building AI before leaving to start Zeplyn. Passionate about the potential of AI to transform workflows and empower professionals, Era and Divam realized that AI could benefit the relationship-driven and largely still manual Wealth Management industry.

Zeplyn’s flagship product, Zeplyn Meeting Assistant, streamlines the time-consuming admin tasks of meeting preparation, note-taking, client follow-ups, managing tasks/workflows, and updating CRMs. With Zeplyn, advisors save 10-12 hours per week and invest time where they earn the highest return: building client relationships.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zeplyn-raises-3m-seed-funding-for-ai-assistant-to-streamline-wealth-management-workflows-and-improve-client-experience-302303666.html

SOURCE Deep Insights Ai Inc

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