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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Brownfields to Brightfields: A Sustainability Initiative at DOE'S East Tennessee Technology Park Cleanup - 16120

As DOE works toward completing their cleanup mission at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), the ultimate goal is to return property no longer needed for government use to the community for beneficial re-use. The vision for ETTP is to transform the former gaseous diffusion facility into a commercial industrial park, leveraging the site's infrastructure to attract businesses to the site. While hundreds of acres at ETTP have been transferred for re-use, areas within the former production footprint of the site have future use restricted due to the presence of residual contamination, underground structures and utilities and/or physical features that limit their reuse potential. Brownfield redevelopment with solar energy generation has proven to be an excellent option for beneficial reuse and sustainability thanks to the flexible nature of solar photovoltaic technology and design that can address the restrictions and limitations of the site. Developing a solar project on a cleanup site can be challenging due to a large number of stakeholders and regulatory compliance issues of the environmental legacy at DOE cleanup sites; however, the challenges can be offset by the available infrastructure and low cost property. The requirement for large amounts of land or surface area is a major constraint to the growth of photovoltaic solar systems. An average solar generating facility requires 2 or more hectares (5 acres) for each megawatt (MW) of power generated. Re-using land that is otherwise un-developable provides a cost effective site for renewable energy generation to innovative solar developers. At ETTP, DOE's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and the community reuse organization (Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee - CROET) supported a local small business (Restoration Services, Inc. - RSI) familiar with the site and environmental regulations to secure a power purchase agreement with the regional electric provider (Tennessee Valley Authority - TVA) for a 1 MW utility-scale photovoltaic solar facility. The solar facility, Powerhouse Six, was developed through a commercial partnership (RSI and Vis Solis, Inc.) that worked closely with the lead ETTP site cleanup contractor (URS-CH2M Oak Ridge LLC - UCOR) and the local government. The selected site at ETTP had limitations on subsurface disturbance to 10 feet below ground surface because of utility ducts and residual contamination. Near surface relics (facility foundation remnants) were also found to prohibit ground penetration. A photovoltaic solar design using a ballasted ground mount system was developed to conform to the restrictions. The ballasted system could follow existing land contours, eliminating the need for any extensive site preparation and avoiding the risk of ground penetration. The lead cleanup contractor's role in facilitating the completion of this project included making the necessary environmental assessment documentation available to obtain the construction notice to proceed from the regional electric provider. They accelerated the transfer of ETTP power lines and electric demand to the city electric department to accommodate connection to the electric grid and supplied the communication connection required for metering the electric power generation. DOE's support along with their cleanup contractor's re-industrialization program and power integration group provided regular communication with the project stakeholders for more than six months to facilitate the early transfer of the utility infrastructure. Powerhouse Six sustainability benefits: - Generates enough clean energy to power more than 100 homes or prevents pollution equivalent to removing 240 cars from the road annually (1,141 metric tons of carbon dioxide); - Provides Brownfield reuse/redevelopment at ETTP; - Eliminates the generation of wastes through excavation and saves money to cleanup other areas for re-use; - Supports regional electric provider's renewable energy initiative; - Offers community economic development/ jobs and property tax income to the City of Oak Ridge; - Demonstrates benefit of ETTP re-industrialization; - Provides long-term lease payments to the community reuse organization; - Supports DOE renewable energy goals; - Demonstrates collaboration between DOE and a public utility for renewable energy development. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

National Energy Education Development Project (NEED Project) (CRADA Final Report)

The U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO) funds student competitions that introduce students to careers in the building sciences and increase public awareness around high-performance buildings to support the goal of developing, demonstrating, and accelerating the adoption of cost-effective technologies, techniques, tools, and services that enable high-performing, energy-efficient and demand-flexible residential and commercial buildings in both the new and existing buildings markets. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® (DOE/SD) is a flagship, high-visibility international competition started in 2002 that advances the goals of BTO by introducing students to building science careers; educating students and the public about the latest technologies and materials in high-performance buildings; encouraging student-led projects and research centered around building science; and demonstrating to the public the comfort and savings of homes that combine energy-efficient construction, home systems, appliances and innovative design with onsite renewable energy production. SD is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners will be those teams that best blend architectural and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production. Solar Decathlon is comprised of two Challenges – Design Challenge (annual) and Build Challenge (biennial). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides competition management for Solar Decathlon. NREL and Participant establish this CRADA to enable the success of the overall Solar Decathlon program by managing sponsorship funds and creating a K12 education program. Participant is to act as an Education Partner to Solar Decathlon, which includes: 1) accepting and dispersing sponsorship funds for DOE/SD; and 2) providing K12 education program to support Solar Decathlon Competition Events in April each year.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Direct normal irradiance related definitions and applications: The circumsolar issue

The direct irradiance received on a plane normal to the sun, called direct normal irradiance (DNI), is of particular relevance to concentrated solar technologies, including concentrating solar thermal plants and concentrated photovoltaic systems. Following various standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the DNI definition is related to the irradiance from a small solid angle of the sky, centered on the position of the sun. Half-angle apertures of pyrheliometers measuring DNI have varied over time, up to ≈10°. The current recommendation of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for this half-angle is 2.5°. Solar concentrating collectors have an angular acceptance function that can be significantly narrower, especially for technologies with high concentration ratios. The disagreement between the various interpretations of DNI, from the theoretical definition used in atmospheric physics and radiative transfer modeling to practical definitions corresponding to specific measurements or conversion technologies is significant, especially in the presence of cirrus clouds or large concentration of aerosols. Under such sky conditions, the circumsolar radiation—i.e. the diffuse radiation coming from the vicinity of the sun—contributes significantly to the DNI ground measurement, although some concentrating collectors cannot utilize the bulk of it. These issues have been identified in the EU-funded projects MACC-II (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate-Interim Implementation) and SFERA (Solar Facilities for the European Research Area), and have been discussed within a panel of international experts in the framework of the Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) program of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Task 46 “ Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting ”. In accordance with these discussions, the terms of reference related to DNI are specified here. The important role of circumsolar radiation is evidenced, and its potential contribution is evaluated for typical atmospheric conditions. Thus, thorough analysis of performance of concentrating solar systems, it is recommended that, in addition to the conventional DNI related to 2.5° half-angle of today’s pyrheliometers, solar resource data sets also report the sunshape, the circumsolar contribution or the circumsolar ratio (CSR).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Status and Trends in the Voluntary Market (2020 Data)

Green power refers to renewable electricity voluntarily purchased by retail electricity customers. Renewable energy sources for green power include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and small-scale hydropower. This report summarizes data on the various ways in which voluntary purchasers - including residential, commercial, and institutional customers - purchase green power. We summarize key historic trends in U.S. voluntary green power markets and the current status of green power sales through seven products: utility green pricing programs, utility renewable contracts, competitive suppliers, unbundled renewable energy certificates, community choice aggregations, and power purchase agreements. It includes discussion of how the voluntary market may impact the grid.

community choice aggregation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Status and Trends in the Voluntary Market (2021 Data)

Green power refers to renewable electricity voluntarily purchased by retail electricity customers. Renewable energy sources for green power include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and small-scale hydropower. This report summarizes data on the various ways in which voluntary purchasers including residential, commercial, and institutional customers purchase green power. We summarize key historic trends in U.S. voluntary green power markets and the current status of green power sales through seven products: utility green pricing programs, utility renewable contracts, competitive suppliers, unbundled renewable energy certificates, community choice aggregations, and power purchase agreements. It includes discussion of how the voluntary market may impact the grid.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

North Carolina Water Utility Builds Resilience with Distributed Energy Resources

As the frequency and duration of grid outages increase, backup power systems are becoming more important for ensuring that critical infrastructure continues to provide essential services. Most facilities rely on diesel generators, which may be ineffective during long outages owing to limited fuel supplies and high generator failure rates. Distributed energy resources such as solar, storage, and combined-heat-and-power systems, coupled with on-site biofuel production, offer an alternative source of on-site generation that can provide both cost savings and resilience (i.e., the ability to respond to catastrophic events with longer-term consequences). A mixed-integer linear program minimizes costs and maximizes resilience at a wastewater treatment plant in Wilmington, North Carolina. We find that the plant can reduce life-cycle energy costs by 3.1% through the installation of a hybrid combined-heat-and-power, photovoltaic, and storage system. When paired with existing diesel generators, this system can sustain full load for seven days while saving $664,000 over 25 years and reducing diesel fuel use by 48% compared with the diesel-only solution. This analysis informed a decision by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to allocate funds for the implementation of a combined-heat-and-power system at the wastewater treatment plant in fiscal year 2023. Finally, the benefits of deploying hybrid combined-heat-and-power technologies and the utilization of on-site biofuel production extend, on a national scale, to thousands of wastewater treatment facilities and other types of critical infrastructure.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2013

High Energy Yield Distributed Architecture for Large Commercial and Utility-Scale PV Systems

Photovoltaic energy has come a long way from its early days when small cells were fabricated in the labs in the early 50s. While it took a long time for PV modules to mature into what we now see in the market and in rooftops across the world, the power electronics has been lagging behind & was always the weakest point in the PV plant, being responsible for the majority of failures & robbing the PV plants of their full potential by losing precious Watts in the process of converting power from DC to AC. Since the early days of PV power, it has been recognized that the modules need to operate at their maximum power point in order to extract as much power as is available from the PV modules at a given time of day and year. Numerous maximum power point devices were developed to do just this. While effective at extracting as much power as they can, soon after there was a realization that in a PV installation where a central inverter is used, many losses occur, hence energy yield losses. This has led to thinking about alternative architectures where the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is performed much closer to the modules rather than at a central inverter. Several architectures were proposed ranging from a microinverter, microconverter, string inverter, string optimizer, and to a multi-string inverter or optimizer. While these architectures promise to increase the energy yield by 5% to 25% (depending where MPPT is located), & recovering losses due to shading, soiling, mismatch … there were no real studies and implementations in the field to corroborate these numbers. The program that GE Global Research proposed & received funding for is aimed at a type of distributed architectures, namely the dc architectures where only the MPPT function is distributed across the PV plant. Further, the project is concerned with choosing the right architecture for large scale commercial & utility scale plants but not residential installations. Findings from Task 1- Define Requirements & Develop Architecture- showed that for large scale commercial & utility PV plants, locating the MPPT at the string level with a string size of >3kW is the most cost effective solution & that the increase in energy yield of 6% to 8% is more than enough to make up for the increased cost due to additional power electronics. Our study also shows that in addition to an increase in energy yield, having a dc/dc converter at the string level brings additional benefits such as increased array visibility, allowing for increased monitoring and diagnostics; high and constant dc bus voltage which allows for reducing losses further and optimizing the inverter; and ability to detect ground and arc faults. Task 2 focused on designing a suitable dc/dc converter that meets the requirements defined in Task 1: Efficiency, Cost, & Reliability. For this task, we surveyed and simulated all candidate topologies known by the practitioners in the field. We also generated a novel topology, simulated it, & compared it to existing topologies. Our novel topology being a partial power processing converter came out on top due to its simplicity (fewer parts), it high efficiency, its reliability, and its lower cost. In the remaining tasks of the project, we built the hardware, tested it first in the lab, then in the field and once we worked out all the bugs and issues and were confident our system was robust, we installed it on the rooftop and started collecting the data by mid-Q3 2012. We shared our work with the scientific community in the form of conference & Journal papers, hence contributing to the general understanding of this technology area. The methods, techniques, and hardware developed under this project have all been tested in the field over long periods of time, and under many conditions and have been shown to be robust and reliable. The converters built and developed under this program have been in operation in the field since mid-June 2012, and no hardware failures have been recorded. While some software issues have been seen, none have been showstoppers. The cost analysis of the hardware showed that it meets the cost target set in the requirement document developed in the trade-off study. Improving the performance of solar installations for commercial and utility scale plants contributes to reducing their cost of ownership, hence spreading them to a larger section of the society and making them affordable. Our project contributed to the understanding of the distributed architectures, showed that PV plants’ cost of electricity can be reduced through additional power electronics which allows for harvesting more energy from the plant. When the project started in 2009, the cost of PV energy was still high, hence there was a real need to increase the energy yield, hence reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). While costs have come down significantly, the need for increasing the energy yield is still relevant, hence the project results, hardware, and techniques developed are still pertinent today. By taking this project from concept to rooftop demonstration, we showed that the technology is mature enough, robust enough, and has the potential to be used by many more customers, hence benefiting the public in general through the spread of PV energy, which ultimately contributes to reducing our dependency on fossil fuel, improving the environment, and creating more jobs.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Methods to Incorporate Energy Efficiency in Electricity System Planning and Markets

Electric utilities, independent system operators and regional transmission operators have acquired significant levels of energy efficiency over several decades. The predominant approach utilities use to consider energy efficiency in electricity system planning and ISO/RTOs use in wholesale electricity markets is to reduce load forecasts to account for estimated impacts of relevant policies and programs. But an increasing number of states and utilities are interested in improved analysis of energy efficiency in electricity system planning and wholesale electricity markets. This report describes how to consider energy efficiency as a potential resource for the future by allowing it to compete with all other electricity system resources. Increasing levels of wind and solar, growth in peak demand, and electrification of transportation and other new loads have increased the need for a more flexible and responsive electricity system. Considering energy efficiency as a resource option can support these and other electricity system objectives, including grid reliability, reduced electricity costs, energy efficiency targets, and lower air pollutant emissions. The October 2019 slides were presented at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Energy Efficiency as a Resource conference and provide an overview of the report. Portions of the report were included in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Energy Efficiency 2020 Summer Study paper, Planning for the Grid of Tomorrow: Energy Efficiency as a Resource in Utility Resource Plans.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Novel Molten Salts Thermal Energy Storage for Concentrating Solar Power Generation

The explicit UA program objective is to develop low melting point (LMP) molten salt thermal energy storage media with high thermal energy storage density for sensible heat storage systems. The novel Low Melting Point (LMP) molten salts are targeted to have the following characteristics: 1. Lower melting point (MP) compared to current salts (<222ºC) 2. Higher energy density compared to current salts (>300 MJ/m3) 3. Lower power generation cost compared to current salt In terms of lower power costs, the program target the DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program year 2020 goal to create systems that have the potential to reduce the cost of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) to less than $15/kWh-th and achieve round trip efficiencies greater than 93%. The project has completed the experimental investigations to determine the thermo-physical, long term thermal stability properties of the LMP molten salts and also corrosion studies of stainless steel in the candidate LMP molten salts. Heat transfer and fluid dynamics modeling have been conducted to identify heat transfer geometry and relative costs for TES systems that would utilize the primary LMP molten salt candidates. The project also proposes heat transfer geometry with relevant modifications to suit the usage of our molten salts as thermal energy storage and heat transfer fluids. The essential properties of the down-selected novel LMP molten salts to be considered for thermal storage in solar energy applications were experimentally determined, including melting point, heat capacity, thermal stability, density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, vapor pressure, and corrosion resistance of SS 316. The thermodynamic modeling was conducted to determine potential high temperature stable molten salt mixtures that have thermal stability up to 1000 °C. The thermo-physical properties of select potential high temperature stable (HMP) molten salt mixtures were also experimentally determined. All the salt mixtures align with the go/no-go goals stipulated by the DOE for this project. Energy densities of all salt mixtures were higher than that of the current solar salt. The salt mixtures costs have been estimated and TES system costs for a 2 tank, direct approach have been estimated for each of these materials. All estimated costs are significantly below the baseline system that used solar salt. These lower melt point salts offer significantly higher energy density per volume than solar salt – and therefore attractively smaller inventory and equipment costs. Moreover, a new TES system geometry has been recommended A variety of approaches were evaluated to use the low melting point molten salt. Two novel changes are recommended that 1) use the salt as a HTF through the solar trough field, and 2) use the salt to not only create steam but also to preheat the condensed feedwater for Rankine cycle. The two changes enable the powerblock to operate at 500°C, rather than the current 400°C obtainable using oil as the HTF. Secondly, the use of salt to preheat the feedwater eliminates the need to extract steam from the low pressure turbine for that purpose. Together, these changes result in a dramatic 63% reduction required for 6 hour salt inventory, a 72% reduction in storage volume, and a 24% reduction in steam flow rate in the power block. Round trip efficiency for the Case 5 - 2 tank “direct” system is estimated at >97%, with only small losses from time under storage and heat exchange, and meeting RFP goals. This attractive efficiency is available because the major heat loss experienced in a 2 tank “indirect” system - losses by transferring the thermal energy from oil HTF to the salt storage material and back to oil to run the steam generator at night - is not present for the 2 tank direct system. The higher heat capacity values for both LMP and HMP systems enable larger storage capacities for concentrating solar power.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of a 300 MWe Utility Scale Oxy-Fuel sCO2 Turbine

A 300 MWe direct-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) oxy-fuel turbine is being developed that will burn natural gas-fired, coal syngas and even hydrogen mixtures capable of 1,150ºC turbine inlet temperature at 300 bar. This design will significantly improve the state-of-the-art for thermal efficiency and results in a high-pressure stream of CO2 with 98%+ carbon capture, making the power plant near emission-free and more efficient than Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) plants with carbon capture. This power plant will be capable of burning coal through gasification and cleanup of the synthesis gas (syngas). sCO2 power cycles are a transformational technology for the energy industry, providing higher efficiency heat source energy conversion for conventional and alternative energy sources. This novel cycle significantly reduces capital costs because of smaller equipment footprints, design modularity, and allows for rapid cyclic load and source following to balance solar and wind energy power swings. Oxy-fuel sCO2 cycles take these advantages even further, utilizing higher firing temperatures, improved efficiency, and simpler carbon capture strategies. This turbine will require cooled turbine nozzles and blades as well as advanced thermal management systems to accommodate these high temperatures. The cooled blade heat transfer correlations required new test programs at higher Reynolds number than air-breathing gas turbines for impingement, serpentine, and pin-fin regions. Novel blade optimization was performed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, while minimizing cooling flows. A turbine layout was generated utilizing individual combustor cans with cooled liners feeding into a 6-stage axial flow turbine with cooled stator nozzles and turbine blades. The case design and thermal management preliminary design will be described.

Moore, Jeffrey↗
DOE OSTI2018

Assessing the PACE of California residential solar deployment: Impacts of Property Assessed Clean Energy programs on residential solar photovoltaic deployment in California, 2010-2015

A new study by Berkeley Lab found that residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) programs increased deployment of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in California, raising it by about 7-12% in cities that adopt these programs. R-PACE is a financing mechanism that uses a voluntary property tax assessment, paid off over time, to facilitate energy improvements and, in some jurisdictions, water and resilience measures. While previous studies demonstrated that early, regional R-PACE programs increased solar PV deployment, this new analysis is the first to demonstrate these impacts from the large, statewide R-PACE programs dominating the California market today, which use private capital to fund the upfront costs of the improvements. Berkeley Lab estimated the impacts using econometric techniques on two samples: -Large cities only, allowing annual demographic and economic data as control variables -All California cities, without these annual data Analysis of both samples controls for several factors other than R-PACE that would be expected to drive solar PV deployment. We infer that on average, cities with R-PACE programs were associated with greater solar PV deployment in our study period (2010-2015). In the large cities sample, solar PV deployment in jurisdictions with R-PACE programs was higher by 1.1 watts per owner-occupied household per month, or 12%. Across all cities, solar PV deployment in jurisdictions with R-PACE programs was higher by 0.6 watts per owner-occupied household per month, or 7%. The large cities results are statistically significant at conventional levels; the all-cities results are not. The estimates imply that the majority of solar PV deployment financed by R-PACE programs would likely not have occurred in their absence. Results suggest that R-PACE programs have increased PV deployment in California even in relatively recent years, as R-PACE programs have grown in market share and as alternate approaches for financing solar PV have developed. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office supported this research.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Montana Community-Scale Solar Strategy Project (Final Technical Report)

Grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) development began gradually in Montana, initially taking root in the early 2000s, largely in the form of small residential systems, rarely larger than two kilowatts. Utility support for solar technology through public benefit funding triggered the installation of the state’s first solar PV installations on community-owned facilities including schools, libraries, fire stations and local government buildings in the mid-2000s. By 2016, solar PV installations totaled approximately 28 megawatts of installed capacity, generating less than 0.05% of electricity sold in Montana. Montana’s solar fleet in 2016 included 17 megawatts of utility-scale solar farms, and three shared solar projects developed by rural electric cooperatives that ranged from 25 to 50 kilowatts in size. However, with only 3,000 households utilizing solar PV, either through an on-site installation or participation in a shared solar project, the potential benefits and reach of solar technology was limited. The Montana Solar Community Project (MSCP) was developed by the Montana Energy Office (MEO) at the Department of Environmental Quality in order to implement a “community-scale” solar energy strategy for the state that would cost-effectively expand Montanans’ access to solar PV. This project defines three types of community-scale solar projects: shared solar, community-sited solar, and group purchasing programs. The MSCP project conducted research and stakeholder engagement that helped to inform and develop model community-scale initiatives and an overarching community-scale solar strategy for Montana. Specifically, the project included a solar market assessment, stakeholder meetings across Montana, development of a menu of community-scale solar options, a study of solar potential on schools, community solar market research, and community-scale project implementation support. MSCP activities were successful in implementing solar projects and supporting solar development in communities across Montana. Project activities realized 280 kW of newly installed solar from two solarize programs, a shared solar array at a rural electric cooperative, and a solar array atop a Bozeman high school. The community-scale project implementation support and Solar on Schools components of the project resulted directly in the analysis and design of nearly 2 MW of distributed solar systems across the state. The Solar on Schools analysis alone produced solar designs for 25 schools, representing 920.8 kW of solar potential. Many of the deliverables from this project provide guidance on future development of community-scale solar in Montana, and resulted in a number of important conclusions about community-scale solar in Montana. There is strong interest in community-scale solar in Montana, as noted during stakeholder meetings, in response to solar market research surveys, and as seen by applications for implementation support grants provided by MEO. Project activities also suggest that Montanans demonstrated a desire and need for more information about solar energy technology, solar financing options, and the state’s policy and regulatory framework. Additionally, the project found that schools will be key partners for future community-scale solar programs. In addition to being excellent hosts for solar arrays, schools have the opportunity to use the installation of a solar array to develop educational materials and curricula to educate Montana’s future leaders about these technologies, which can be shared and replicated across the state. Project activities laid a clear path forward for solar energy in Montana. Certain activities have concrete next steps. For example, numerous solar arrays were designed for schools and other public buildings around the state. Many of those designs will be used as soon as funding becomes available. Other activities have less developed next steps, though lay the foundation for future work. The solar market assessment, solar market research, and community stakeholder meetings are good examples. These documents can be used as stepping stones to increase renewable energy education, increase stakeholder outreach, and support communities as they seek to develop community-scale solar projects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

SMUD HIBRED Closeout Report

In January 2013 SMUD, the electric utility of Sacramento Calif., began the conceptualization and pre-engineering for a small steam energy augmentation project that would use high temperature (1000 F) Concentrating Solar Power collection technology and thermal storage to increase output of its existing 527 MWe gas fired combined cycle power plant. SMUD generation technology planners worked together with NREL and the DOE SunShot Program to try to complete such a project. Though technical challenges ultimately prevented the project from going forward, several important lessons were learned along the way. This report is a summary of lessons learned and other information which may be of help for others contemplating an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) retrofit.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Building America Case Study: Pilot Demonstration of Phased Energy Efficiency Retrofits: Shallow Retrofit Results, Central and South Florida

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), in collaboration with Florida Power & Light (FPL), is pursuing a phased residential energy-efficiency retrofit program in Florida. Researchers are looking to establish the impacts of technologies of two retrofit packages -- shallow and deep -- on annual energy and peak energy reductions. Sixty homes have been instrumented to record total house power and detailed energy end-use data on all appliances as well as household interior temperature and relative humidity conditions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Influence of Business Models on PV-Battery Dispatch Decisions and Market Value

PV-battery hybrid projects dominate interconnection queues in some regions in the United States, but few projects have been operational long enough to assess how the hybrid capabilities may be used in practice. We interview plant operators and analyze empirical dispatch data for eleven large-scale PV-battery hybrids in three organized wholesale markets in the United States. We use the dispatch data and wholesale market prices to estimate the market value of our sample hybrids in 2020. The empirical increase in market value of a PV-battery hybrid relative to a standalone PV plant varies by project and ranges from $\$$1 to $\$$48/MWhsolar. The premium is driven by market, location, technical characteristics of the PV and battery asset, and battery dispatch strategies. In contrast to the widespread assumptions in the PV-battery hybrid modeling literature, only three of the eleven project operators optimize battery usage for wholesale market revenue as merchant plants. Instead, the majority of operators in the sample have alternate objectives. For example, load-serving entities target peak load reductions, incentive program participants focus on compliance with program requirements, and large energy consumers prioritize resiliency and utility bill minimization. Understanding prevalent dispatch signals and the degree of alignment with system-wide grid needs can increase the market value of PV-battery hybrids.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Accelerated Scaling to Rapid Open-Air Fabrication of Durable Perovskite Solar Modules

The goals of this SETO project (DE-EE0008559, Accelerated Scaling to Rapid Open-Air Fabrication of Durable Perovskite Solar modules) are to address the principal challenges towards the successful commercialization of perovskite solar modules utilizing scalable, high-throughput open-air spray deposition. The successful outcome of the project will provide the foundation of an all open-air spray deposited perovskite solar module with hole transport layer (HTL), perovskite, electron transport layer (ETL), and barrier layer development while establishing a fundamental understanding of perovskite device behavior under accelerated aging conditions. Through this program, we have made significant progress towards a commercializable pathway for perovskites. (1) We’ve demonstrated the successful open-air deposition of perovskite and transport layer materials. These deposition methods were chosen for their inherent scalability, and open-air processing enables a significant reduction in processing costs. These methods are also compatible with high throughputs, demonstrating the fastest perovskite film deposition at these performance levels. (2) Development of a unique all-fiber laser scribing procedure provides a high-performance, low-cost method for further improvements in scalability. (3) Our group has also placed a unique emphasis on device stability. The development of testing standards for perovskite modules is required to thoroughly evaluate potential candidates for commercialization, and we’ve taken inspiration from current industry standards to provide an honest insight into the performance and reliability of our devices. (4) An extensive cost model detailing the specific contributions of each device layer and production component provides the most thorough evaluation of any perovskite technology against conventional silicon and compound semiconductor solar devices. The cost model is a critical advancement that will provide the foundation for evaluating the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of this technology.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pennsylvania Residential Energy Code Field Study: Baseline Report

A research project in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania identified opportunities to reduce homeowner utility bills in residential single-family new construction by increasing compliance with the state energy code. The study was initiated in October 2014 and continued through July 2015. During this period, research teams visited 171 homes during various stages of construction, resulting in a substantial data set based on observations made directly in the field. Analysis of the data has led to a better understanding of the energy features present in homes, and indicates over $2.7 million in potential annual savings to Pennsylvania homeowners that could result from increased compliance with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (and equivalent compliance options). Public and private entities within the state can use this information to justify and catalyze future investments in energy code training and related energy-efficiency programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2019

Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources (FEEDER)

Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources (FEEDER), as one of the four Distributed Technology Training Consortia (DTTCs) of the Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED) National Network, provided programs to meet the project goals, and works closely with the GEARED National Network Administrator (NNA) to foster student competence and career interest in advanced engineering and professional skills that support a robust electrical utility sector. This educational effort also included annual gatherings to share best practices and specific advances in knowledge, instructional best practice and educational integration throughout disciplines supporting power systems analysis and integration of distributed generation, with a focus on renewable energy. This effort aligned with the goals and objectives of the Department of Energy SunShot initiative. The project goals included the creation of a larger skilled electric grid workforce that is able to manage widespread deployment of distributed energy resources by developing and sharing new courses and curricula across the participating FEEDER institutions. FEEDER was expanded to add four institutions under the Solar Training & Education for Professionals (STEP) program, with the title Strategic Expansion to Achieve GEARED Goals and award number DE- EE0007327. Program components were selected based on gap analysis and advices of FEEDER industry advisory board, with a focus on student participation in power programs, research and formative experiences that led them to successful careers in power-related industries.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗