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Powering Progress Through Innovation and Insight

telemetry system shown with a space satellite probe with solar panels.

Mesa’s Proprietary Telemetry System

The design of Mesa’s generators keeps customers’ needs at the forefront. One of Mesa’s promises is to maintain a greater than 95% available uptime. To help us keep this promise, our generators regularly communicate with Mesa’s 24-hour Operations center via the onboard proprietary telemetry system. From this, local generator technicians can respond in a timely manner to address any issues that arise to keep your generator running or get it up and running again as quickly as possible. Each Mesa generator comes equipped with a proprietary telemetry system installed and ready to work for you. Via satellite or cell towers, the system sends regular messages about the generator’s health, containing over 20 critical parameters. This information is stored in Mesa’s database and processed for access. How does it work? GATHERS ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE DATA FROM THE GENERATOR Each generator telemetry computer is sampling large volumes of engine and electrical data and processing it onboard.  Through millions of hours of runtime experience, this proprietary system has evolved to focus only on key, relevant data, and get rid of the noise.  When

Photo showing a city with a river nearby.

Implementing a Microgrid for Demand Response

With increasing power outages and electricity rate volatility, you know you need backup power. You also know you need to offset the associated costs of your backup power and microgrid through your local utility-sponsored demand response programs. So, what’s next? Continue reading to learn the steps we walk our clients through for microgrid and demand response program implementation. Choosing the right demand response program Evaluate Site Load A site load energy audit will be one of the first steps toward implementing a microgrid for demand response. Determining load profile, peak demand, and identifying critical loads are essential first steps in installing the most efficient assets on site for a given load. Evaluating a site load requires looking at utility data over as long a relevant time span as possible. Many commercial businesses rely on a preferred demand response partner/asset manager like Mesa Solutions to help with their energy audit, analysis, and recommendations for a turnkey Resiliency-as-a-Service Program offering. Asset Management Strategy Most local utilities offer a variety of demand response programs. Not all may be the right fit for your

Mesa power solutions microgrid - energy costs cut in half.

Microgrid Solutions Reduce Energy Costs By Half

Microgrid solutions reduce energy costs by utilizing renewables, storing energy for later use, and operating independently or in conjunction with the power grid. Read the case study below to see how Mesa used many generators to create a microgrid and reduced unplanned downtime for the customer. The Customer A prominent Permian oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional fuel reserves in the Permian Basin. As an established Mesa Solutions customer, they were already familiar with Mesa’s superior power rental service. A less-than-satisfactory turbine rental arrangement prompted this customer to initiate a cutting-edge microgrid upgrade with Mesa. The Challenge A remote location, high peak demand, unique fuel gas characteristics, and a need to reduce unplanned downtime. This customer’s site is the central point of generation for a distributed network of 36 wells, two saltwater disposal systems, and 14 oil batteries – accounting for roughly 10MW of total power demand. With no connection available to the primary utility grid, the customer needed a power solution that could operate using only a local supply of low-pressure field

benefits of microgrid, image of a Mesa power solutions microgrid set up.

The Lesser-known Benefits of Microgrids

Hospitals, colleges, utilities, and more are resorting to microgrids to ensure their customers and facilities stay powered. A microgrid is like your own electricity grid, run with one or more fuel sources, including natural gas, wind, solar, and more. Microgrids produce power both while connected and disconnected from the main-utility grid and offer the ability to store energy – for when you need it most. Keeping you powered through storms, states of emergencies, and brownouts is the most known and celebrated benefit of a microgrid, but there’s plenty more reward to be reaped. Discover the remaining, lesser-known benefits below. Microgrids Help You Become Carbon Compliant  Top Fortune 100 companies, including Apple, Ford, and Verizon have committed to becoming carbon neutral within the next 30-40 years. To meet demanding legislation and aggressive timelines, they have turned to nontraditional sources of energy generation offering low carbon output and resorting to greener fuels to bridge the gap. Microgrids are the perfect solution with their ability to integrate renewable energy resources. When your microgrid blueprint includes a diverse mix of renewable energy, coupled with

natural gas powercore with a wind turbine and solar panels.

Bridging the Gap to a Net Zero Carbon Footprint

Fossil fuel impacts on climate change are driving aggressive timelines for local and state governments to eliminate fossil fuels from electricity production. Oil and gas companies, automobile manufacturers, investor-owned utilities and other fossil fuel-reliant companies are pledging to reduce or eliminate their reliance on emission-generating products by 2050, 2040 and even 2035. Is a more rapid conversion to renewables and elimination of natural gas-powered energy production better for the environment? Mesa Solutions Energy Specialists are taking a more holistic look at the impact of power and finding that may not be the case. Methane Occurs Naturally Methane is a result of natural processes. No amount of solar, wind, fuel cell or geothermal transition will stop methane production. In fact, electrical generation only accounts for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).¹ While 50-65% of methane emissions are caused by human activity.²36% of methane emissions are from mining, natural gas and oil extraction.³ The extraction of oil isn’t going away anytime soon. Oil is used to develop and manufacture nearly all household and industrial items. Despite current, concentrated efforts to reduce

Kids walking on a staircase in a school.

How Microgrids Save Schools Money

Introduction Microgrids, while still in the early stages of adoption, are being widely utilized at a rapidly growing rate. As more resources become available and research expands on the benefits of this power solution, trends are appearing that highlight the unique situations in which microgrids are most effective. This paper will focus on one of those trends, gathering some of the widely available information demonstrating why schools and universities are in a unique place to benefit from the growing deployment of microgrids. And not only are schools well-positioned to benefit, but they can be a decisive asset to the advancement of efficient, cutting-edge, and environmentally friendly energy that microgrids bring. When it comes to why schools are a particularly good place for saving money with microgrids, it’s important to take the path of stone-cold economics: downtime costs, energy costs and environmental costs will be the main focus. This paper will first describe why schools experience these costs. Then it will explain how a microgrid could mitigate them, concluding with a short section on the options for financing a microgrid, including

Ice on a Texas sign due to a power outage.

Lessons From the Texas Power Outages

4 million Texans experience power loss as temperatures reach record lows below zero. Texas is facing major power outages while record-low temperatures sweep across the United States. Tuesday afternoon 5NBC Dallas Fort Worth reports 4 million North Texans are experiencing power loss as temperatures reach record lows below zero. Another winter storm is forecasted to hit from northwestern and north-central Texas to northern Maine (AccuWeather). ERCOT, The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is now requiring local utilities to institute controlled power shutoffs to relieve the grid and ensure emergency services remain in operation. What has this taught us… 1. Plan for the worst Many Texas communities never planned for long outages like the one they’re experiencing, with some communities going into day 3 without power. One thing we’ve learned is that not only do you need to be proactive in planning your standby power solution but assume your next outage will be four months, not 4 days. When planning for the worst, it is important to consider how long your backup power can last… Some backup generators are only designed

Gas turbine electrical power plant with sunset.

Natural Gas Vs. Diesel Emissions: Standards & Regulations

It is becoming more common for our customers in the oil and gas industry to ask questions regarding the emissions of our products. Understanding emissions both at the state and federal levels can be challenging – Mesa understands that. Often in sales meetings we get the question: How do natural gas generator emissions compare to Diesel generators? We understand the need for clarification in this area, and this article should help you understand the issues better. When it comes to implementation, you have a partner in Mesa as we have taken the time to understand the requirements and will work with you to be compliant. An Overview of Natural Gas Generators and Diesel Generators Emissions for both natural gas generators and diesel generators are largely determined through federal and state regulation. Since the passage of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the United States has consistently sought to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air. The various regulatory frameworks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established to accomplish these objectives have not only drastically changed the landscape of the