Test Your DER IQ

Posted on January 7th, 2019

DER IQ TestThink you’re knowledgeable about Distributed Energy Resources (DER)? See if you can answer the questions below. A link to the answers is at the end…no cheating!

Question #1

Which of the following is a DER technology? Select all that apply.

  1. Enhanced geothermal
  2. Green hydrogen
  3. Biomass gasification
  4. Compressed air storage
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Question #2

True or False? The supply of electricity from the local utility is more reliable than electricity from a Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system.

Question #3

Wind and solar are key elements of DER. More recently the concepts of wind “plus” and solar “plus” have emerged. What does the “plus” mean? Select all that apply.

  1. Storing renewable energy in Li-ion flow batteries or other types of batteries
  2. Selling excess renewable electricity
  3. Making ice in a thermal storage system
  4. Using renewable energy for thermal heating
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Question #4

What’s the most important factor to consider when evaluating a potential CHP application? Select one.

  1. The electrical load
  2. The thermal load
  3. The type of prime mover
  4. The amount of floorspace
  5. A and B should be considered equally
  6. None of the above

Question #5

One of the major benefits of DER is resilience or the ability to withstand long-duration power outages. Which of the following terms are related to DER resilience? Select all that apply.

  1. Blackstart
  2. Microgrid or nanogrid
  3. Islanding
  4. Critical infrastructure protection
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Question #6

True or False? CHP systems burning natural gas are no more sustainable than large utility power plants using the same fuel.

Question #7

How can DER help lower electricity costs? Select all that apply.

  1. Minimizing demand charges
  2. Limiting electrical consumption at peak load times
  3. Reducing the price of utility-supplied electricity
  4. Supporting demand response
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Question #8

Utilities and state governments offer tax and financial incentives to promote the installation of DER in commercial, industrial and other facilities. Why? Select all that apply.

  1. To help minimize the “stress” and capacity “bottlenecks” on the electric grid
  2. For the substantial environmental benefits
  3. To help meet state renewable portfolio objectives
  4. To make critical infrastructure more resilient
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Question #9

True or False? CHP systems can provide premium quality electricity and very high reliability.

Question #10

Why is the natural gas supply system more reliable than the electric grid? Select all that apply.

  1. The natural gas pipeline system is mostly located underground
  2. The electrical grid is much more vulnerable to single point, cascading failures
  3. The natural gas supply system doesn’t need electricity from the grid to operate
  4. The natural gas system doesn’t require the constant balancing between production and demand that the electrical grid requires.
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above

Bonus Question

We hear about an aging electrical system. So, what year did the first central power plant go into service in the U.S.? Select one.

  1. 1876
  2. 1882
  3. 1887
  4. 1891
  5. 1892

Answers to the DER IQ test are here…