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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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Report presents preliminary theoretical analysis of several alternative schemes for allocation of satellite resource among terrestrial subscribers of landmobile/satellite communication system. Demand-access and random-access approaches under code-division and frequency-division concepts compared.
Sandia National Laboratories/CA (SNL/CA) operates 14 diesel vehicles subject to the Off-Road Diesel Equipment Regulation; all the vehicles are classified as low-use vehicles. Annually, SNL/CA must report to the CA Air Resources Board (ARB) the hour-meter readings on our Off-Road Low-Use Diesel Equipment. This is to verify to the CA ARB that our equipment is being operated less than 200 hr/yr and therefore is considered “low-use” and not subject to the strict emissions standards for off-road diesel equipment. The reporting is done using DOORS, the CA ARB’s on-line reporting tool. The hour meter data for CY2017 has already been submitted using DOORS. The final step in the annual reporting process, which needs to be done by DOE, is to submit the Responsible Official Affirmation of Reporting (ROAR), which affirms that the information reported using DOORS is accurate. The ROAR is to be signed by a “Responsible Official” and can be submitted as a hardcopy ROAR or an electronic ROAR (e-ROAR) by March 1st, 2018. CA ARB’s preferred mechanism of ROAR submission is by using the e-ROAR.
The SunShot Initiative coordinates research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities aimed at dramatically reducing the total installed cost of solar power. The SunShot Initiative focuses on removing critical technical and non-technical barriers to installing and integrating solar energy into the electricity grid. Uncertainty in projected power and energy production from solar power systems contributes to these barriers by increasing financial risks to photovoltaic (PV) deployment and by exacerbating the technical challenges to integration of solar power on the electricity grid. The dominant contribution to uncertainty in projected power and energy from solar power systems arises from uncertainty in the estimated solar resource. Most often, the solar resource is estimated from satellite measurements which may be supplemented by on-site ground measurements. To project system power and energy, irradiance must be estimated over the system’s footprint, separated into direct and diffuse components, and translated into the array’s plane. Uncertainty in the estimated irradiance thus arises from uncertainty in the models that: translate satellite measurements to estimated irradiance; portray the spatial and temporal variation in irradiance over a power plant’s footprint, or over a fleet of solar power systems; and separate global horizontal irradiance into its beam and diffuse components.
The purpose of this report is to support the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) in assessing the technical potential of domestic energy resources for utility scale electricity generation in the Lao PDR. Specifically, this work provides assessments of technical potential, and associated maps of developable areas, for energy technologies of interest. This report details the methodology, assumptions, and datasets employed in this analysis to provide a transparent, replicable process for future analyses. The methodology and results presented are intended to be a fundamental input to subsequent decision making and energy planning-related analyses. This report is the second output of the Energy Alternatives Study for the Lao PDR (Energy Alternatives Study), a collaboration led by MEM and the United States Agency for International Development under the auspices of the Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong program.1 The Energy Alternatives Study is composed of five successive tasks that collectively support the project’s goals as shown in FIGURE ES-1. This work is focused on Task 2 – Assess technical potential of domestic energy resources for electricity generation . The work was carried out by a team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with MEM and other Lao power sector stakeholders. This work concentrates on domestic energy resources for utility-scale electricity generation and considers solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, biomass, and coal resources. This work does not consider potentially imported energy resources (e.g., natural gas) or domestic energy resources that are not present in sufficient quantity for utility-scale generation (e.g., geothermal resources). A technical potential assessment of hydropower resources is currently not feasible due to the absence of required data including site-level assessments of multiple characteristics (e.g., geology environment and access) as well as spatial data on estimated non-exploited hydropower resources (Lee et al. 2018). Previous studies estimated total hydropower resource potential to be between 23,000 and 26,000 MW, of which approximately 3,894 MW has been developed (IES and MKE 2016; MEM 2015b, 2011). MEM and Électricité du Laos have gained significant experience in the evaluation and development of hydropower resources and expect to develop close to 10,034 MW of additional capacity by 2025 (MEM 2017).
The Geothermal Resource Portfolio Optimization and Reporting Tool (GeoRePORT) was developed as a way to distill large amounts of geothermal project data into an objective, reportable data set that can be used to communicate with experts and non-experts. GeoRePORT summarizes (1) resource grade and certainty and (2) project readiness. This Excel file allows users to easily navigate through the resource grade attributes, using drop-down menus to pick grades and project readiness, and then easily print and share the summary with others. This spreadsheet is the first draft, for which we are soliciting expert feedback. The spreadsheet will be updated based on this feedback to increase usability of the tool. If you have any comments, please feel free to contact us.
In this report, we introduce a methodology to achieve multiple levels of spatial resolution reduction of solar resource data, with minimal impact on data variability, for use in energy systems modeling. The selection of an appropriate clustering algorithm, parameter selection including cluster size, methods of temporal data segmentation, and methods of cluster evaluation are explored in the context of a repeatable process. In describing this process, we illustrate the steps in creating a reduced resolution, but still viable, dataset to support energy systems modeling, e.g. capacity expansion or production cost modeling. This process is demonstrated through the use of a solar resource dataset; however, the methods are applicable to other resource data represented through spatiotemporal grids, including wind data. In addition to energy modeling, the techniques demonstrated in this paper can be used in a novel top-down approach to assess renewable resources within many other contexts that leverage variability in resource data but require reduction in spatial resolution to accommodate modeling or computing constraints.
We report distributed energy resources (DERs) are poised to play a significant role in evolving power systems because of their flexibility to be sited in areas of high value to the grid. Traditional DER compensation frameworks, specifically net energy metering (NEM), inadequately communicate differences in the locational and temporal value of DER generation to the grid. As a transition from NEM, New York State's (NYS's) Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) framework provides a methodology for calculating different value components that DERs offer the grid. To study the impacts of VDER frameworks on DER deployment, we developed a model to assess the value of distributed solar and wind systems configured as either a behind-the-meter system or a front-of-the-meter system for each parcel of land in NYS. Using parcel-level granularity, we can closely evaluate DER locational value and siting availability, particularly in urban and suburban settings. Our analysis finds while most DER generators would be modestly compensated for deferred transmission and distribution infrastructure upgrades (~0.01 $\$$/kWh for solar PV), a subset of projects receive significant value from this component (0.035 to 0.089 $\$$/kWh for top 5% of parcels for solar PV). Finally, our analysis finds VDER provides less overall compensation than NEM to the average DER generator, however, it increases access to compensation for front-of-the-meter DERs - a large and emerging market.
The United States' energy future is being shaped by decades of technology innovation, rapidly changing consumer requirements, and governmental focus on securing reliable, low-cost energy sources. With expanded electrification and increased emphasis on grid reliability coupled with the heightened complexity and risks associated with transmission infrastructure, the use of distributed energy resources (DERs) is more commonly being considered a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way to maintain grid resilience and reliability. Amidst improvements in performance, decreasing costs, and unprecedented federal policy support for DERs, electric cooperatives are considering new opportunities to use these assets to ensure secure and reliable operations for millions of customers. In light of these developments, a series of workshops were held to collaborate on the development of business models for DERs in rural electric cooperative ecosystems. The first workshop was held July 11, 2024, at the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. headquarters in Westminster, Colorado (hereafter referred to as the "Tri-State Workshop"). The second workshop was hosted by PNGC Power on Oct. 9, 2024, in Portland, Oregon (hereafter referred to as the "PNGC Power Workshop"). These workshops convened representatives from G&Ts, distribution cooperatives,2 the energy industry, the financial community, the U.S. government, national and regional organizations, and national laboratories to share perspectives on the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities that they face as DERs are further integrated into the grid. The workshops were designed to address the following objectives: (1) develop the enabling attributes of electric cooperative DER business models, (2) explore pathways for generating community benefits from these assets, and (3) identify technical challenges and market risks for DERs in rural electric cooperative service territories. This report outlines key findings and major themes identified by workshop participants that federal agencies, G&Ts, distribution cooperatives, and other entities can consider to advance electric cooperative DER business models.
As a corporate workforce grows, managers need more information close at hand to make decisions for the company. As every scientist knows, we can’t judge, let alone improve, something that can’t be measured. Thus, firms that are committed to constant improvement generate reports on various business metrics in order to make informed decisions. Sandia National Labs is no exception. Enterprise business intelligence (BI) is very important to keep such a large organization on the right track, as it signals any adjustments that may be required to stay the course. Like teams in other fields, Sandia’s HR Reporting wants to provide the most valuable Workforce BI possible, and it is considering a change in reporting paradigm to achieve that.
In March 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded White Pine County, Nevada, a grant to assess the feasibility of renewable resource-related economic development activities in the area. The grant project included a public outreach and training component and was to include a demonstration project; however, the demonstration project was not completed due to lack of identification of an entity willing to locate a project in White Pine County. White Pine County completed the assessment of renewable resources and a feasibility study on the potential for a renewable energy-focused economic sector within the County. The feasibility study concluded "all resources studied were present and in sufficient quantity and quality to warrant consideration for development" and there were varying degrees of potential economic impact based on the resource type and project size. The feasibility study and its components were to be used as tools to attract potential developers and other business ventures to the local market. White Pine County also marketed the County’s resources to the renewable energy business community in an effort to develop contracts for demonstration projects. The County also worked to develop partnerships with local educational institutions, including the White Pine County School District, conducted outreach and training for the local community.
The research focuses on utilizing a new anaerobic digestion (AD) configuration to treat the aqueous by-product generated by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sewage sludge. This report found that for Anaerobic Digestion for HTL By-product, Anaerobic biofilms can degrade some HTL wastewater contaminants, but co-digestion is essential to address nutrient deficiencies and optimize performance. Without AD, toxicity of HTL aqueous streams may limit broader adoption in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) used an innovative reactor design, involving a dynamic membrane anaerobic bioreactor to promote biofilm growth, improving contaminant degradation. The tree-like structure inside the reactor supports biofilm development with recirculation enhancing microbial activity. Overall, a 70% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was achieved, although nutrient supplementation is required for stability. The reactor achieved a diverse microbial community, including methanogens and bacteria capable of degrading phenols and aromatics.
Aerial remote sensing data for locating ground water areas
There are no author-identified significant results in this report.
Presentations at the conference covered the following disciplines: (1) agriculture, forestry, and range resources; (2) land use and mapping; (3) mineral resources, geological structure, and landform surveys; (4) water resources; (5) marine resources; (6) environment surveys; and (7) interpretation techniques.
Since 2005 the NREL Native American Tall Tower Loan program has assisted Native American tribes to assess their wind resource by lending tall (30m - 50m) anemometer. This program has allowed tribes a lower risk way to gather financeable wind data for potential utility scale wind energy projects. These projects offer Tribes a significant economic development opportunity.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a fast-growing, invasive aquatic species and represents a potential biomass resource for bioenergy production in the Togo and Kenya regions on the African continent. Literature shows multiple conversion pathways exist to produce energy from water hyacinth while supporting economic growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability. ECO2LIBRIUM (ECO2) is investigating the feasibility of developing feedstock logistics modelling capabilities to facilitate water hyacinth based bioenergy production. Developing a water hyacinth feedstock pipeline capable of supplying biomass at consistent quantity and quality requires sophisticated feedstock logistics modelling to minimize costs while maximizing ecosystem services. However, developing this type of modelling capability requires specific spatial data and analysis resources. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) maintains research capabilities in the areas of bioenergy, feedstock logistics, spatial analysis, and remote sensing. INL researchers have compiled spatial data and analysis resources in this report to back development of a water hyacinth biomass feedstock logistics model.
There are no author identified significant results in this report. Environmental and resources investigations in Kansas utilizing ERTS-1 imagery are summarized for the following areas: (1) use of feature extraction techniqued for texture context information in ERTS imagery; (2) interpretation and automatic image enhancement; (3) water use, production, and disease detection and predictions for wheat; (4) ERTS-1 agricultural statistics; (5) monitoring fresh water resources; and (6) ground pattern analysis in the Great Plains.
The Oklahoma Office of the Secretary of Energy and Environment (OSEE) seeks to address perceived challenges and barriers to the deployment of distributed energy generation resources (DERs), including solar and other technologies, in the state of Oklahoma. The Scope of Work (SOW) associated with CRD-18-762 covers two tasks: (1) Interactive Valuation Model Requirements Document and (2) Consumer Protection Assessment. Follow-on work was completed under a separate CRADA (CRD-19-00788).