David J. Unger

ENN

Q&A: How batteries can help personalize our energy system

Facebook and Google personalized the news. Uber and Lyft tailored transportation to individual needs. Now, advances in battery technology promise to introduce a similar kind of customization and independence into energy, says George Crabtree.

By David J. Unger . 6 September 2016
ENN

At an Illinois gym, a new chapter in the Tesla vs. Edison battle

More than 100 years after alternating current became the standard for electricity transmission, direct current is enjoying a revival of sorts at an Illinois Institute of Technology project.

By David J. Unger . 22 August 2016
ENN

Q&A: Why smart grids are the mobile phones of the electricity world

If you want to know how microgrids will transform energy, just look at what cellphones did to communication, says Dr. Mohammad Shahidehpour, the professor and engineer who oversees a microgrid at a university on Chicago’s South Side.

By David J. Unger . 17 August 2016
ENN

How an obscure piece of technology will help put more solar on the grid

An esoteric smart-grid technology is gaining prominence as expanded solar capacity poses new challenges to utilities and grid operators.

By David J. Unger . 9 August 2016