Search NASA⌕ Search

DOE OSTI · 1336819

EPSCoR Final Report

Abstract

Alaska is considered a world leader in renewable energy and microgrid technologies. Our workplan started as an analysis of existing wind-diesel systems, many of which were not performing as designed. We aimed to analyze and understand the performance of existing wind-diesel systems, to establish a knowledge baseline from which to work towards improvement and maximizing renewable energy utilization. To accomplish this, we worked with the Alaska Energy Authority to develop a comprehensive database of wind system experience, including underlying climatic and socioeconomic characteristics, actual operating data, projected vs. actual capital and O&M costs, and a catalogue of catastrophic anomalies. This database formed the foundation for the rest of the research program, with the overarching goal of delivering low-cost, reliable, and sustainable energy to diesel microgrids.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Holdmann, Gwen. 2016-12-20. EPSCoR Final Report. https://doi.org/10.2172/1336819

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

A framework and tool for designing cost-effective, resilient, and circular net-zero supply chains under uncertainty with an application to multilayer plastic films

While 55% of Fortune 500 companies have committed to achieving net-zero emissions and/or zero-waste operations by 2035, only 2% are currently on track, revealing a critical gap between ambition and action. Designing supply chains that reduce both emissions and waste is a complex non-intuitive, multi-objective challenge, compounded by the high costs of new technologies and the need for resilient, profitable solutions. This paper aims to address this challenge by presenting a generic framework and multi-objective optimization formulation for designing cost-effective, circular, and resilient supply chains under uncertainty, implemented through a user-friendly decision-support tool with intuitive data visualization capabilities, enabling communication of results to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. We demonstrate the application of this framework in the context of multilayer plastic films (barrier films), which are widely used in food packaging and composite materials. The model quantifies trade-offs across three objectives: minimizing global warming potential, maximizing circularity, and minimizing cost. A key contribution of this work is the explicit modeling of technological resilience, the ability of supply chains to maintain function under disruption. In the cost-minimization case, the resilience constraint makes the design approximately three times more expensive in the short-term metric, but shifts the system from relying on a single recovery pathway to a portfolio of four recovery pathways, improving the robustness of the optimization solution under uncertainty. Lastly, we introduce TranZero, a decision-support tool that integrates material flow analysis, hotspot identification, and optimization-based scenario planning to support net-zero and circularity decisions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Local Air Quality Impacts of a Peak-Shaving Diesel Generator Unit in Waynesville, North Carolina

The Waynesville Electric Department in Waynesville, North Carolina, operates a 2,000-kW diesel generator with a 4% capacity factor, emitting less than 1 ton annually of PM2.5, VOCs, carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and approximately 1.8 tons of NO. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) conducted high-resolution, near-source air-quality modeling to evaluate the generator's impacts. Results indicate minimal effects on ambient pollutant concentrations: annual PM2.5 increases are below 0.0004 microgrm/m3 for local census tracts, while CO and SO2 levels increase by less than 0.00004 ppm and 0.0002 ppb, respectively. Estimated annual premature mortality attributable to PM2.5 exposure is less than 0.001 cases across Haywood County, with an associated economic impact of approximately $12,000. This report complements a separate technoeconomic analysis to inform Waynesville's investment strategies for demand reduction.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (Bilingual)

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) helps coastal, remote, and island communities increase the affordability, reliability, and security of their energy systems through energy planning and deep-dive technical assistance. This is a English and Spanish translation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗