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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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This presentation summarizes the findings of a published paper on the first commercialization of four diverse energy technologies: thin film photovoltaics, wind turbine blades, dual-stage refrigeration evaporators, and fuel cells for material handling equipment.
A summary of California's and Maine's climate and marine energy laws, and proposal for other states to follow based on lessons learned from California and Maine.
Abstract Obligated parties have chosen to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by increasing the blending of biomass‐based biodiesel beyond originally targeted levels rather than increasing blending/consumption of ethanol to targeted levels that would have required pricing higher blends of ethanol (E85) at or below an energy‐equivalent level to E10. This paper develops a welfare‐economic framework to analyze the extent to which the nested design and the accompanying cellulosic waiver credit and biodiesel tax credit contributed to a compliance strategy by blenders that favored blending of biodiesel instead of inducing consumption of E85, and its implications for social welfare.
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Competitive wholesale electricity markets can help facilitate energy system decarbonization by incentivizing investments in clean energy technologies that meet evolving system needs. We explore market structure impacts on generator operations and deployment by risk-averse, heterogeneous investor firms using the Electricity Markets and Investment Suite - Agent-based Simulation (EMIS-AS) model. Here we apply clean energy targets of 45%-100% by 2035 considering energy, ancillary services, capacity, and clean energy credit products and pricing and eligibility rules. Results highlight a complexity conundrum, whereby finding the "right" market design to achieve decarbonization goals and avoid unintended consequences can be a highly-nuanced, non-incremental challenge. Carefully designed energy-only markets can achieve the same clean energy targets as capacity market structures but with different revenue and profitability outcomes. Operating reserve demand curve-based scarcity pricing can substitute capacity markets for similar deployment outcomes. Carbon pricing alone is most effective at achieving decarbonization levels at low clean energy targets, and clean energy credit markets and carbon pricing are substitutionary at high clean energy targets. Restricting technology participation in capacity and operating reserve markets can impact deployment and operations, even for nonrestricted technologies. Adding an inertia product with fast frequency response yields insufficient provision at high clean energy targets, but work is needed to understand frequency requirements and capabilities.
Large organizations wield considerable market power, their procurement activities can be leveraged to achieve social, economic and environmental goals by ‘pulling’ more desirable products into the market. However, while there is substantial research in individual consumer buying behavior and market barriers to sustainable technology adoption, less is known about large organizational buying behavior and the impact of institutional barriers in this area. To address these research gaps, in this work we conducted an exploratory study aimed at better understanding the process through which large organizations purchase sustainable energy technologies and what internal barriers they experience during that process. Additionally, we surveyed and interviewed 120 individuals involved in procurement from Californian organizations representing both public and private sectors. Survey results indicate the need to resolve the conflict between prioritizing lowest first cost and lowest life cycle cost, better engage multiple stakeholders involved in internal decision-making around purchasing, and improve existing procurement tools or offer new ones. We provide recommendations for how policymakers can apply our findings to increase the adoption of sustainable energy technologies in their own organizations and communities.
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Sensitivity analysis (SA) is en route to becoming an integral part of mathematical modeling. The tremendous potential benefits of SA are, however, yet to be fully realized, both for advancing mechanistic and data-driven modeling of human and natural systems, and in support of decision making. In this perspective paper, a multidisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners revisit the current status of SA, and outline research challenges in regard to both theoretical frameworks and their applications to solve real-world problems. Six areas are discussed that warrant further attention, including (1) structuring and standardizing SA as a discipline, (2) realizing the untapped potential of SA for systems modeling, (3) addressing the computational burden of SA, (4) progressing SA in the context of machine learning, (5) clarifying the relationship and role of SA to uncertainty quantification, and (6) evolving the use of SA in support of decision making. An outlook for the future of SA is provided that underlines how SA must underpin a wide variety of activities to better serve science and society.
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Abstract not provided.
China’s manufacturing sector generates 61% of the country’s CO 2 emissions, nearly three-quarters of which is related to industrial process heating. To meet China’s climate targets and attain a zero-carbon industrial sector, decarbonizing these industrial heating processes is a necessity. If China’s electricity grid is similarly decarbonized, direct electrification is the most practical means of supplying this heat efficiently at the required scale.
This report presents the proceedings and lessons learned at a conference workshop that discussed the role of energy storage in supporting electric system resilience, which took place at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority’s (NELHA) Conference on Energy Storage Trends and Opportunities in December 2018. Staff from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) made two presentations on the topic of resilience: the first covering a conceptual framework for incorporating resilience into resource planning processes, and the second covering a tool developed for microgrid planning that can assist in identifying resource mixes that will meet site-specific resilience needs. Throughout the presentations, presenters and workshop participants discussed the obstacles to improving electric system resilience and potential solutions for overcoming them. Following the workshop, the authors conducted additional research to further contextualize the topics discussed at the workshop and to frame the resulting recommendations for future engagement on this subject by the Department of Energy and the national laboratories.
Political decisions toward an increased role for renewable energy sources (wind & solar) in Europe will have an impact on the functioning of the electrical power systems that will have to be offset due to the inherent intermittent nature of renewable sources. The offset can be accomplished either through increasing non-renewable energy supply and production from other means, including purchasing Russian piped natural gas and LNG, or decreasing demand by curtailing power consumption. Europe likely will also need increased energy supplies to cover reduced gas production in the North Sea and Netherlands. Also, expected disconnection of Baltic states from the BRELL (Belarus-Russia-EstoniaLatvia-Lithuania) grid will force these countries to acquire electricity from Europe, resulting in increased demands on the European power grid that will require additional capacity to offset.
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A workshop co-hosted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Seattle City Light was held at the Seattle Municipal Tower on November 8–10, 2022. Participants from research organizations, utilities, professional associations, consultants, and government organizations attended. The purpose of the workshop was to develop a vision for addressing climate extremes that include improving forecasting and characterization, infrastructure resilience modeling, and investment planning and decision support. The workshop also aimed to provide a platform for sharing approaches and information and identifying possible collaborations.
The industrial sector is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and industrial decarbonization will be an essential component of limiting emissions and mitigating climate change (Rissman et al., 2020). This holds true for South Asian countries as they work toward their stated commitments to reducing emissions in the coming years. India has pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 33–35% by 2030 (Government of India, 2016) and announced at COP26 a target of reaching net-zero CO 2 emissions by 2070, a goal that will require rapid decarbonization of energy-intensive industries (WEF, 2021). Bangladesh’s Nationally Determined Contributions include a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6.73% to 15.12% by 2030 (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2021). While these Nationally Determined Contributions do not explicitly target emissions reductions in industry, Bangladesh’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Master Plan highlights industry as an important sector for EE&C (Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, 2015). Sri Lanka has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050, including a reduction in industrial greenhouse gas emissions (Ministry of Environment, 2021). Nepal’s commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 includes plans to establish guidelines and technology transitions facilitating industrial decarbonization (Government of Nepal, 2020).
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a unique and wide-ranging research portfolio. One focus of the department’s research mission is to develop and promote the adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and result in renewable and clean energy for the country. This research encompasses a surprisingly diverse array of studies, many of which involve the inclusion of human participants that go beyond traditional biomedical investigations. For example, individuals play an important role in DOE research on clean energy sources, development and testing of new energy-efficient technologies, and partnerships with local communities for equitable climate solutions.