Electrification

  There are different scales of battery energy storage systems (BESS): Utility Scale Commercial & Industrial Building Scale Residential Scale Utility Scale BESS U.S. utility-scale battery storage is expanding at an enormous pace, averaging 70% annual growth over the past three years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s preliminary generator inventory data. The country [...]

  As EV charging programs mature, the industry is placing greater emphasis on equipment that is not just available, but proven to meet utility, interoperability, and program requirements. That is a role now being played by the Electric Power Research Institute’s Vetted Product List, or VPL, which has become an important reference point for utilities, [...]

  The Electric Vehicle Charging Accessibility Network (EVCAN) is a nonprofit-led, multi-stakeholder technical network focused on EV charging accessibility, interoperability, and deployment support. EVCAN is an emerging framework for addressing one of the EV industry’s most persistent barriers: equitable, reliable, and standards-based access to charging infrastructure. As EV adoption increases across North America, EVCAN represents [...]

  “Rolling power plants” — electric vehicles used as flexible grid resources through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and managed-charging programs — may provide a meaningful, lower-cost way to support grid reliability, reduce peak demand, and avoid expensive infrastructure upgrades. GM is expanding its V2G plans and utility pilots with PG&E and DTE to show that the concept [...]

  Briteswitch has pulled together the latest rebate trends for Commercial Lighting Controls and EV Chargers, in separate articles. Rebate Trends For Commercial Lighting Controls Commercial lighting controls are moving from an add-on feature to a central part of rebate strategy as utilities push for deeper energy savings and look beyond simple LED retrofits. In [...]

  EV charger rebates in 2026 are at record coverage and dollar levels, but the programs are more volatile, complex, and time‑sensitive than ever, especially with a key federal tax credit expiring mid‑year. 85% of the US is now covered by a rebate or incentive for installing an EV charger, up from 78% a year [...]

  EC&M Magazine recently published an article about the top 25 changes to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC). Here are their top seven lighting and EV charger changes to the 2026 NEC.   NEW Section 120.82(B) General Lighting Demand, First 8kVA Analysis of the change: The demand load for optional dwelling unit load calculations [...]

The passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) will significantly impact the landscape for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Here’s a breakdown of the key impacts: Reduced Incentives: The OBBB eliminates the federal tax credit for new EVs ($7,500) and used EVs ($4,000), potentially making EVs less affordable for consumers and impacting adoption rates. Federal [...]

Last week, Espen Technology introduced an entirely new product category at its LightFair booth: Battery Energy Storage Systems aka BESS. I’ve written many articles in LightNOW about how numerous manufacturers in the lighting industry are managing the effects of a contracting LED lighting market by diversifying into non-lighting product categories, especially electrification products. The most [...]