Articles and Publications

Underground vs. Overhead

In the past, the largest obstacle to placing overhead power lines underground has been the higher cost of installation and maintenance for underground lines, but the risk of damage, expense, and outages in extreme weather may make underground lines more attractive. Learn more from SAIC’s Frank Alonso and Carolyn Greenwell in Powergrid International.
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Evaluating the Business Case for a “Dirty” MRF

SAIC’s Karl Hufnagel and Western Disposal Services’ Gary Horton describe a case study exploring commercial mixed waste processing opportunities in Boulder, Colo. in this Waste Advantage article. SAIC helped evaluate the feasibility of constructing a combined transfer and mixed waste processing facility, or “dirty” material recovery facility (MRF).
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FirstEnergy Utility Energy Efficiency Programs Save Energy and Money

SAIC’s John Hindman shares details on how FirstEnergy can help oil and gas exploration companies increase their energy efficiency and reduce long-term costs in an article in Marcellus Quarterly magazine.
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Key Tools, Programs Ensure Workplace Safety in Oil and Gas Operations

Safety intensity has grown as a result of recent economics and regulations, and now safety in the oil and gas industry has become a differentiator for selecting contractors. SAIC’s Chris Fontana shares several best practices for working safe in shale in the American Oil & Gas Reporter.
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March of the Microgrids

Microgrids have had a minor presence in the electric utility industry for years. Historically, implementation costs have kept microgrids from competing against the traditional electric grid, with its economy of scale. However, the growth of shale gas and the convergence of thermal, electric, and waste systems now are creating a compelling microgrid business case. Learn more about how utilities can take advantage of microgrids in the Public Utility Fortnightly article by SAIC’s Steve Schneider.
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Launch Pad

Learn how NASA furthers its trailblazing research in space exploration by simulating the stresses that vehicles experience in flight in this article by SAIC’s Dave Absher. The article provides a case study of the design and construction of NASA’s Vibro-acoustic Test Capability project, an innovative and award-winning facility featured in the Design Build Institute of America’s IQ: Integration Quarterly magazine.
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Preventing Tomorrow’s Blackout

Is there a case for tighter coordination among transmission planners and protection engineers? Read how as the grid becomes more complex, meeting NERC reliability standards and proper assessment of power grid reliability will require closer coordination in an article by Diwakar Tewari in Fortnightly’s Spark.
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Would a Microgrid Have Helped?

Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the United States was tremendous. The nation’s most heavily populated metropolis experienced electrical power outages, critical supply chain disruptions, and intermittent transportation in the days and weeks after the storm’s landfall. But how could the area have mitigated Sandy’s impact? Read how energy microgrids could have played a part in Steve Schneider’s article in ENR.
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Standard Bearings

Tremendous strides have been made in the development and adoption of standards for devices all across the utility automation landscape. Read about SAIC Vice President Don Schlenger’s experience with standards over his 30 years of experience in the utility industry and how standards can be both a blessing and a curse in the premier issue of Utility Horizons magazine.
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Forming Consensus on ESG Reporting

Organizations are striving for transparency by reporting environment, social and governance (ESG) data to stakeholders, but sustainability professionals may still be grappling with the tactical moves required to secure senior leadership commitment to ESG reporting. Learn how to develop a comprehensive corporate responsibility reporting process and elevate disclosure and transparency and why it may prove beneficial to your organization in the Environmental Leader article by SAIC’s Nick LiVigne.
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A Framework for Application of System Engineering Process Models to Sustainable Design of High Performance Buildings

Building owners, designers, and constructors are seeing a rapid increase in the number of sustainably designed high performance buildings. As the demand increases for higher building energy efficiency and environmental standards, application of a set of process models will support consistency and optimization during the design process. In this a Journal of Green Building article, SAIC’s Tom Bersson and two co-authors provide a framework for using system engineering process models for high performance buildings. Read more »

Formation of Regional Sewerage System Reclaims Value

Through a series of interlocal agreements, seven cities in central Texas created a regional wastewater treatment system, which recently completed its first major Capital Improvement Program since the formation of the entity in 2004. Learn more about this project in an article by SAIC’s Tara Hickey and the City of Waco’s Ricky Garrett in Texas WET. Read more »

The Right Integration Approach Can Turn Energy Management Into A Competitive Advantage

While technology advances are making it easier to install systems that make operations more energy efficient, many manufacturers may not realize that they can turn energy management strategies into a true competitive advantage. It can be done by making one critical decision: taking the right approach to systems integration. SAIC’s Brian Liebau and Corey Stefanczak share one successful example from an ongoing real-time commissioning and energy services program at General Motors in this Control Engineering article. Read more »

Will a Smarter Grid Help in Extreme Weather Events?

This summer, millions went without power in India’s largest outage in history, and currently, hurricane season still threatens the Gulf coast. Now more than ever, concerns about power delivery in extreme weather are real and increasing. SAIC’s Steve Root asks if a smarter grid is the solution in this Engineering News Record article. Read more »

Smart Grid Customer Acceptance

Meter automation and the broader smart grid are fundamental prerequisites to improve efficiency, reduce the environmental impact of our energy usage, and promote green initiatives. Most obstacles faced when implementing smart grid technology can be addressed with known and proven approaches, but another domain of obstacles has cropped up that could challenge progress and may be less readily resolved: customer acceptance. SAIC’s Zac Canders describes how understanding utility customers today can support the smart grid of tomorrow in this Electric Energy T&D article. Read more »

Alaska Villages Get Smart Grid with Smart Grid as a Service

To fight environmental and fuel barriers, four tribal villages in Alaska committed to cut their energy costs and diesel dependence. They got a smarter grid through SAIC’s Smart Grid as a Service solution. Read how the smart grid infrastructure in these villages will provide a complete community energy-management infrastructure in the POWERGRID International article by SAIC’s David Smith and Intelligent Energy Systems’ Dennis Meiners. Read more »

Why Home Baseline Water Testing Matters

Shale-gas drilling and its alleged impacts are very much in the news, particularly linked to water quality. Environmental activist groups claim that hydraulic fracturing poses a dangerous risk to drinking-water sources. But pre-existing conditions may be a bigger threat, one that simple home baseline tests may detect. Read more in this Viewpoint article in Engineering News-Record by SAIC’s Vice President of Strategic Energy Programs Jim Kohlhaas. Read more »

Building an Effective and Affordable Energy Efficiency Program in Public Power Markets

Public power organizations that have implemented energy efficiency or demand-side management programs, despite no obligation, have found that these programs provide beneficial services for their customers and serve as an effective energy resource. However, even with these positive features, the public power industry faces barriers to fully-embraced energy efficiency programs. Learn more in the Public Power article by SAIC’s Kristi Kezar and Thomas Giffin. Read more »

8 Steps to a Successful BIM Marketing Program

It's not enough to have BIM capability--you have to know how to sell your BIM expertise to clients and prospects. Learn how in the Building Design + Construction article by Joseph Joseph, SAIC’s managing director overseeing all BIM/CAD technologies strategies and initiatives. Read more »

Carbon Offset Credit Hurdles for Municipal Solid Waste Projects

Municipalities planning for solid waste carbon offset credit projects may think the biggest hurdles end with system construction. However, several factors, which may be expected or unexpected, can potentially throw obstacles up during the process. Learn more about potential hurdles in Cami Van Abel’s article in Waste Advantage. Read more »

Smart Grid Evolution, Not Revolution

The progress to date of smart grid projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as various other smart grid implementations across the United States, has taught the utility industry one clear thing: smart grid is all about evolution, not revolution. Learn more in the article by SAIC’s Dave Scott in Transmission & Distribution World. Read more »

Econometric Modeling of Waste

The current economic turmoil we are experiencing as a nation is no secret. Uncertainty in the general economy is at a near all-time high and these conditions have a direct impact on the timing and amount of tonnage flowing to landfills and diversion facilities. Read about the value proposing in an uncertain economy in the Waste Advantage article by SAIC’s Navid Nowakhtar. Read more »

The New Normal in Solid Waste Management

The “new normal” is a phrase that was coined shortly after the beginning of the present economic downturn to represent an economy with very slow growth, a high unemployment rate, and marginal returns on stocks and bonds. Read how understanding today’s macro trends is the key to creating tomorrow’s successes in the solid waste industry in a recent MSW Management article by SAIC’s Robert Craggs. Read more »

A Smarter Path to the Smart Grid

Smart grid is a challenge because it blends so many disparate parts of an organization together and forces utilities to excel in each of these areas. For utilities operating in the public power markets, the effort can be further compounded by the unique business and operating conditions under which they operate. Read how different approaches, such as Smart Grid as a Service, are being considered as opposed to the traditional version of utility asset ownership and deployment in a recent Public Power article by SAIC’s Tom Damon and Josh Wepman. Read more »

The Revitalization, Modernization of the Aging Transmission System

As electricity demand continues to rise and renewable energy mandates become more stringent, energy providers have placed an increased focus on the integration of baseload and renewable generation on the bulk electric system. Read SAIC Senior Transmission Planning Engineer Dwayne Stradford’s article to learn more about the action needed to ensure the transmission system will continue to meet the nation’s needs in Electric Light & Power. Read more »

Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects

Written for water and wastewater utility management, engineers, planners, city officials, utility policymakers, regulators, and design-build contractors, the book Design-Build for Waster and Wastewater Projects provides a basic template of how to plan, procure, and execute a design-build project. SAIC Vice President Neil Callahan wrote the chapter on “Engaging a Design-Build Consultant (Owner’s Representative) for Design-Build Projects” and several SAIC case studies are included in the book. Read more »

Leveraging Internal Energy to Achieve Sustainability Success

Sustainability programs cannot succeed without an engaged workforce invested in a unified vision. One of the best ways to engage employees is to employ them in the effort, but this can only be successful if a systematic approach is taken. SAIC’s Sustainability Program Lead Nick LiVigne shares more about this approach in this Environmental Leader article. Read more »

Opting Out

Some concerned citizens are seeking to opt out of smart metering and, instead, continue to have their energy metered by non-communicating meters that are read manually. If this trend continues, how can a utility allow some customers to opt out while preserving the benefits of smart meters and smart grid for all? Learn more in SAIC Managing Consultant Steve Hadden’s article in Public Utilities Fortnightly. Read more »

Innovating for Cleaner Air

Eglin Air Force Base’s air quality program combines web-based compliance tools, standardized procedures, and a knowledgeable compliance team to support base staff. Learn more about this innovative program in an article by Harry Fortenberry from the Air Force and Kevin Newman and Eric Banks from SAIC in The Military Engineer. Go to page 51 of the January/February issue. Read more »

Transfer Station Seeks the Best of Both Worlds

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Solid Waste Division is responsible for processing nearly 1 million tons of mixed municipal solid waste, organics, recyclables and household hazardous waste each year. Read a case study on how the County’s new recycling and transfer station will focus on material diversion in a Waste Age article by SAIC’s Karl Hufnagel. Read more »

Shale Gas Resource Plays Transforming Domestic, Global Energy Pictures

The transformative potential of shale gas is abundant and the impact may be profound. SAIC’s Vice President of Strategic Energy Programs Jim Kohlhaas shares 10 of the most significant global impacts of shale gas in the December cover story of American Oil & Gas Reporter. Read more »

Commercializing Algae—Challenges and Opportunities

Algae continue to be one of the more intriguing opportunities for expanding biofuel production and the food supply, production of specialty chemicals, wastewater treatment, and carbon capture. Learn more in this article in the AOCS member magazine, Inform, by SAIC’s Bryan Yeh. Read more »

Fostering Smart Grid Evolution

The grid’s intelligence has been developing since the beginning of the electric power industry. And most customers expect to continue benefitting from an ever-smarter grid that will readily support future demands for electrical energy. So how can a utility take deliberate steps that promote timely and efficient advancement of the full smart grid value proposition? Learn more in the Public Utilities Fortnightly article by SAIC’s Andrew Owens. Read more »

Assessing Residential Collection of Source Separated Organics

The State of Georgia has strategically invested in diversion tools and facilities based on the outcome of a statewide waste characterization study conducted by SAIC. Read more about the resulting Source Separated Organics Collection Performance Model in a case study in BioCycle by SAIC’s Abby Goldsmith and Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Joe Dunlop. Read more »

Transfer Stations

Health and safety considerations are an essential part of successful transfer station design, while maintaining a facility’s functionality. Learn how to incorporate these considerations into transfer station design in the recent Waste Advantage article by SAIC’s Ian Sutton. Read more »

NASA's CASI: Building Climate-Resilient NASA Centers

NASA Centers are currently experiencing heavy downpours, heatwaves and coastal flooding, and these are expected to increase in the coming decades due to climate variability and change. Learn about NASA's Climate Adaptation Science Investigator Work Group and its efforts to develop climate adaptation strategies in the recent Live Better magazine article by Cynthia Rosenzweig, Radley Horton, I. Sam Higuchi, and SAIC's Christina Hudson. Read more »

Solar Options for Public Power

Many utilities are considering solar power as a viable generation source. But how realistic is it to include distributed solar generation in a public utility’s energy mix? SAIC's Fred Jennings discusses solar options through a case study of our work with three Colorado utilities in Public Power. Read more »

A Path Through the Maze

High gasoline prices, a desire for domestic energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are just a few of the current drivers for the expanded use of biofuels. SAIC's Keith Forbes looks at the issues surrounding the development and use of biofuels in this Point Carbon article. Read more »

Lighting the Fiber

To springboard its smart grid initiative, Green Mountain Power — Vermont's second-largest investor-owned utility — is leveraging a statewide “Light the Fiber” initiative that will interconnect a fiber-optic backbone to approximately 65 substations in the GMP territory. Read more about this innovative project in a recent article in Transmission and Distribution World by GMP’s Ken Couture and SAIC’s Keith Kerzel. Read more »

An EPA Refresher

Directors and environmental compliance managers at commercial service airports around the country face increased demands from ever-changing air quality regulations. Read Denise Scott and Matthew Milligan’s Airport Business article to keep up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Ambient Air Quality Standards and the related implications for airports. Read more »

Recycling After the Crash

Market prices for recyclables declined severely in 2008, creating serious issues for many local government recycling programs. In a MSW Management article, SAIC’s Scott Pasternak and Veronica Roof discuss strategic approaches used by two cities to develop competitive and successful recycling procurements. Read more »

New Wave of Direct Load Control

A great deal of change has occurred with utility-sponsored load control systems that operate in a direct load control (DLC) fashion. In a recent PowerGrid International article, SAIC's Heber Weller provides an update on today's DLC systems and technology. Read more »

Grasses and Gases

Are tidal wetlands ready for the carbon markets? In a recent Environmental Forum article, SAIC's Jette Findsen discusses how the restoration, conservation, or avoided loss of tidal wetlands carbon pools may help to mitigate climate change. Read more »

Use Less, Spend Less Concept Drives Energy Efficiency Bus

Spending less by using less energy is a straightforward yet seemingly elusive goal for many businesses. In an article in Electric Light & Power, SAIC's Lance Escue and Ameren Illinois' Leigh Morris discuss how the Ameren Illinois Act On Energy Program developed successful initiatives to reduce energy costs. Read more »

Green Power Control

Many wind and solar generation developers are seeking to connect large-scale renewable projects to utility transmission and sub-transmission systems. SAIC's Dwayne Stradford discusses how utilities can prepare the grid for these renewables in an article in Public Utilities Fortnightly. Read more »

Energy Efficiency Programs for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Water and wastewater utilities are facing increased pressure to improve efficiency and reduce costs. In an article in the Water Environment Federation's Utility Executive, SAIC's Joe Dysard discusses how utilities can develop strategies with the triple bottom line in mind. Read more »

Smart Grid as a Service

The process of selecting and implementing smart grid technology solutions can be quite a risky venture. SAIC's Tom Damon and Josh Wepman discuss an alternative approach to tackling smart grid challenges in a recent article in Electric Energy T&D magazine. Read more »

Selling Energy Efficiency in the Industrial Sector

SAIC's John Nicol suggests that to ensure effective use of funds in energy efficiency programs, utilities must sell to the industrial sector in an article in Power Grid International. Read more »

Making Room for Garbage

SAIC provided design and construction management services for the Houghton Transfer Station improvement project in King County, Wash. Read a case study about how the county extended the life of this transfer station with site improvements in the April issue of American City & County. Read more »

Moving Beyond the Enterprise Service Bus

Lakeland Electric will use business process management and complex event processing for a successful smart grid implementation. Randall Dotson of Lakeland Electric and Tim Crowell discuss the deployment process in an article in Transmission & Distribution World. Read more »

Reaping the Benefits of AMI: A Kansas City Case Study

By redesigning policies and procedures to take advantage of the wealth of data provided by advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), the Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department has eliminated approximately one third of its customer service field trips. Rob Thiemann, Jay Haas, and Don Schlenger discuss how AMI is a valuable tool in an article in Journal AWWA. Read more »

Taking Action Toward Sustainability — Energy Tactics and Strategies for Tough Times

Building codes and financing play important roles in green government. Thomas Jensen discusses strategies and tactics that local governments can put into place for energy efficiency programs in an article in American City & County. Read more »

C&D on my Mind

A waste-characterization study in Georgia sheds light on the market potential for construction-and-demolition debris. Abby Goldsmith and Roy Edwards discuss strategies for reducing the environmental impact of construction-and-demolition waste in an article in MSW Management. Read more »

The Reality of Electric Vehicles and the Grid

Electric vehicles promise numerous and diverse benefits ranging from reduction in vehicle operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions to energy arbitrage that supports electric utility peak-load reduction and auxiliary services. Christina Davies Waldron and Peter Kobylarek suggest that given the opportunities electric vehicles promise, proactive utilities might want to entice early adopters in an article in Electric Light & Power. Read more »

Day in the Life of a Utility Operations Manager in a Smart Grid World

In the final article of a Smart Grid News series, SAIC's Louis Szablya explores some of the benefits and impacts the smart grid may have on utility operations managers. Read more »

Space Heating with LFG: Small Project, Big Savings

SAIC's Michael Cook discusses how the Crow Wing County Landfill in northern Minnesota heats its two maintenance buildings using landfill gas in the February 2011 issue of Waste Advantage magazine. Read more »

Day in the Life of a Customer Service Rep in a Smart Grid World

In the third of a four-part Smart Grid News series, SAIC's Louis Szablya explores some of the benefits and impacts the smart grid may have on utility customer service representatives. Read more »

Maximizing the Value of Landfill Gas

Before exploring a landfill gas to energy project, landfill owners, particularly municipal and independent private owners, should be well informed about the options, and the impact of decisions. In this recent MSW Management article, SAIC's Seth Cunningham provides landfill owners with an overview of the LFTGE project development process. Read more »

Day in the Life of a Distribution Engineer in a Smart Grid World

In the second of a four-part Smart Grid News series, SAIC's Louis Szablya explores some of the benefits and impacts the smart grid may have on distribution engineers.
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Day in the Life of a Lineman in a Smart Grid World

As we move closer to a smarter grid, it becomes apparent that the innovative systems and technologies will touch nearly every utility department and employee. In the first of a four-part Smart Grid News series, SAIC's Louis Szablya explores some of the benefits and impacts the smart grid may have on utility linemen. Read more »

SAIC Looks at Energy Efficiency Design for Utilities, and the ESCO Sector

SAIC's energy, environment, and infrastructure experts address a variety of industry issues ranging from energy efficiency and conservation to greenhouse gas emissions to the energy service company segment in the Executive Review edition of Climate Change Business Journal. Read more »

On the Same Page

Many landfill owners and operators have been monitoring and tracking emissions data for months in preparation for meeting the March 31, 2011, reporting deadline established under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas rule. SAIC's Chris Minnucci discusses tips for integrating environmental management systems with EPA's greenhouse gas reporting tool in this recent Waste Age article. Read more »

A Look into Georgia C&D Waste

In a recent article in Resource Recycling, Abby Goldsmith and Veronica Roof discuss the opportunities and challenges the State of Georgia faced when studying how to better divert construction and demolition debris from landfills. Read more »

Managing Uncertainty Through Strategic Planning

The U.S. electric power industry finds itself at a critical moment balancing aging infrastructure and emerging environmental regulatory actions. Michael Mondshine and Scott Weaver share insight on how electric utilities can proactively manage the risk from future regulations and continue to move business forward in an article in Power Engineering. Read more »

Voltage Optimization

Voltage optimization, the combination of distribution system efficiency and conservation voltage reduction, is becoming recognized in the electric utility industry as a valued, low-cost resource for energy conservation. Read how BPA's Energy Smart Utility Efficiency program helped two counties implement voltage optimization projects in KC Fagen's recent article in T&D World. Read more »

Production Advances Slowly, Making CTL and BTL Competitive with Crude

The national discussion on reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources has always been balanced by the price of imported oil versus the cost of producing a domestic alternative. Advances in liquid fuel production may have the potential to produce transportation fuels from domestic resources more efficiently and economically. Learn more in Herb Kosstrin's article in Natural Gas & Electricity. Read more »

Case Study: Potential Value of Distributed Solar Technologies

As solar technology costs decrease and the technology becomes more feasible for residential and small commercial customers, utilities face unknown challenges and effects of large-scale deployment of small distributed generation facilities. Read a case study about the related work with Arizona Public Service by Joni Batson in the October issue of Electric Light & Power. Read more »

Making a Distribution Automation Business Case

The adoption of metering and smart grid technologies is moving rapidly across the country, and in this recent article in Powergrid International, Executive Consultant Fred Jennings describes six steps to move toward smart grid integration. Read more »

How Maryland Engaged Stakeholders in its Statewide Program

The EmPOWER Maryland initiative set stringent goals to save taxpayers money, reduce stress on the state's energy markets, and improve the environment. In a recent article in Powergrid International, Vice President Keith Kerzel discussed how the state was able to reach out to and engage stakeholder's in this initiative. Go to page 10 to read the full article. Read more »