Welcome to the era of smarter, cleaner power

Picture this: You’re getting ready for the big game, your pregame playlist is in full effect…but then the music just stops. It’s a good thing sports fans aren’t superstitious, because this could be seen as a bad omen! Not only that, but if you lost power because you were running sound from your vehicle—draining its battery—your unlucky day is just beginning. What’s the alternative? Ideally, a s

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are advanced energy storage solutions that store electrical energy for later use. They can be recharged when there is an excess supply of electricity, often at lower costs, or when intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, are generating power. BESS can then discharge the stored energy to provide a dedicated power supply, support microgrids

The electricity grid is the largest machine humanity has ever made. It operates on a supply-side model – the grid operates on a supply/demand model that attempts to balance supply with end load to maintain stability. When there isn’t enough, the frequency and/or voltage drops or the supply browns or blacks out. These are bad moments that the grid works hard to avoid. The electricity grid consis

If you’re a homeowner, property value is likely something you think about a lot. Most know that home improvements are one of the most effective ways to increase your property value, but the question is: which ones are worth the effort (and money)? Some home improvement ideas will dramatically increase property value, but take a lot of work and upfront investment to pull off successfully. Conversel

As climate change continues to spark major weather events, an increase in the number of power outages around the world is expected. In fact, weather-related events, such as hurricanes and wildfires spread because of droughts, caused 83% of all reported power outages between 2000 and 2021. What’s more, the number of reported power outages over the past decade has increased 64% from the previous dec

Destination Zero is our winning growth strategy From the buses that take our kids safely to and from school to the trucks and trains that move goods around the world, backup power for critical infrastructure like hospitals and the distribution network that keeps them running, Cummins powers the world’s most demanding and economically vital applications. To innovate, we harness our deep techn

Imagine this: you’ve just arrived at what appears to be the picture-perfect spot to camp. Only a few little tasks separate you from the ideal weekend out in nature. Of course, you’ve got to take care of a couple things before you can fully relax. So you set up your tent and grab some firewood. Now, your plan was never to fully “rough it,” since you prefer having things like music to listen to, som

At Cummins Inc., we know the importance of having power when you need it. We’ve reliably powered vehicles, homes and businesses for decades, all through a variety of solutions. But one of the most versatile units we offer is our portable power stations: compact, off-the-grid energy sources that provide temporary power for one or more devices. Power stations have a lot of great uses—and the

As the transportation industry navigates through the energy transition and works to decarbonize fleets, power generation assets and businesses, certain terms have become vital to our environmental discussions.  Knowing the main environmental terms is important to fully understand this journey and talk about it effectively. Let's look at some of these important words. What are GHG and crite

In 2022, Cummins Inc. proudly celebrated the opening of a new microgrid laboratory, the Power Integration Center (PIC), at their campus in Fridley, MN. The PIC is one of the largest and most configurable microgrid testing facilities in the world. Regardless of your power system needs (hypothetical or planned), this marvel of a facility is built to test those possibilities in a zero-risk environmen

For the past decade, mining operations have been focused on lowering cost of production, merging together Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and amount of production achieved.   Today, a third factor is impacting the equation: sustainability. Lowering costs and boosting production only go so far, considering the increasing importance of protecting the environment and the communities where mines

For more than 100 years, Cummins Inc. has been dedicated to making people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world. As a company, we seek to be customer-driven, innovative, responsible, and trustworthy so that we can truly make a difference now and in the future. But exactly what does Cummins do? At a high level, we create power solutions. You’ll find Cummins products and solutions fo

There are several great reasons why you might be considering a standby generator for your home or small business. In the event of a power outage (caused by severe weather, for example), having a standby generator helps ensure ongoing safety and comfort. And in the case of a business, the ability to reduce downtime and maintain operations is a significant advantage. Standby generators—also known

When a freak winter storm struck Texas in February 2021, the state’s power grid couldn’t handle it. Nearly five million people suddenly found themselves without electricity in freezing temperatures, causing a humanitarian crisis.  The worst power outage in Texas’ history was a wake-up call. Winter power outages can be serious even if you live in a typically warm climate.  Here are

You may have been reading about alternative fuels on this blog—or elsewhere. We know it can be confusing. So here is a handy glossary to help you remember the difference between diesel, renewable diesel, biodiesel, and other fuels.  Ammonia in your decarbonization journey Ammonia is a chemical used industrially on a large scale as a precursor to a variety of nitrogen-containing substanc

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is a diesel-like fuel that can be produced without fossil resources by processing renewable waste lipids. Cummins offers an entire line of diesel generator sets that are approved for use with paraffinic fuels such as HVO in Power Generation standby applications. This provides a simple and efficient alternative to diesel for both new and existing fleets of generat

Distributed energy resources, or DERs, are small-scale electricity supply or demand resources that are interconnected to the electric grid. They are power generation resources and are usually located close to load centers, and can be used individually or in aggregate to provide value to the grid.  DERs include a variety of physical and virtual assets. Physical DERs are typically under 10 M

Internal combustion engines using traditional and alternative fuels are an integral part of life in all parts of the world. They are almost universally used in motor vehicles of all kinds, in power generation, and more. Traditionally, internal combustion engines run on liquid fuels. These fuels are distilled from petroleum. Think gasoline, diesel, kerosene or heavy fuel oil.  What are alte