Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “energy system transition”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

LA100 Equity Strategies. Chapter 12: Distribution Grid Upgrades for Equitable Resilience and Solar, Storage, and Electric Vehicle Access

The LA100 Equity Strategies project integrates community guidance with robust research, modeling, and analysis to identify strategy options that can increase equitable outcomes in Los Angeles' clean energy transition. As Los Angeles transitions toward clean energy, existing distribution grid infrastructure will need to be updated and expanded to support reliable service during routine operations, enable interconnection with distributed energy resources and electrified loads, and provide access to energy-related services during disasters. This chapter focuses on equity in distribution grid upgrades, reliability, and resilience in Los Angeles. Specifically, NREL performed grid upgrade and resilience analyses using a detailed model of the distribution grid and income-differentiated household load profiles, electric vehicle (EV) adoption patterns, distributed solar adoption, and grid reliability to explore two key questions to inform how the City of Los Angeles can ensure a resilient and reliable distribution grid for all communities during the clean energy transition: Where can distribution system upgrades can be prioritized to enable equitable access to, and adoption of, clean energy technologies and how can Los Angeles provide equitable, resilient access to electricity-related services (e.g., health care, food) during disaster events like earthquakes and flooding? The electric distribution system is the "last mile" of the grid, linking the multistate bulk power system with customers; new loads, including EVs; and distributed energy resources, such as customer and community solar and storage. This analysis focuses on the 4.8-kilovolt (kV) system, including service transformers that represent the utility-side of the grid connection for most residential customers. Chapter 17 looks at the customer-side of the grid connection with a focus on electric panel upgrade needs. The transition toward clean energy can put additional stress on the distribution system from distributed energy resources and electrification - especially EVs and increased use of electricity for heating, cooling, cooking, and hot water. This stress, measured here as the number of equipment overloads and voltage violations, correlates strongly to grid reliability and therefore is used as a proxy for understanding additional upgrades needed and to help ensure equitable access to electrification and distributed energy resources. NREL also conducted community resilience analysis to examine customer-level access to both electricity and a larger range of services, such as hospitals and grocery stores during a disaster. This analysis explicitly considers equity to understand differences in current resilience and resilience strategies to effectively improve critical services access for all Angelenos. Research was guided by input from the community engagement process, and associated equity strategies are presented in alignment with that guidance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

HYPSTAT (Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Transmission Analysis Tool) [SWR-23-04]

The Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Transmission Analysis Tool (HYPSTAT) is a modeling framework developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support the analysis of hydrogen systems. HYPSTAT focuses on key components of hydrogen infrastructure, particularly electrolytic hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, and hydrogen transmission, as part of the transition to decarbonized energy systems HYPSTAT operates as a supply-to-demand model, taking a fixed exogenous demand as input and optimizing the design and operation of the hydrogen system to meet that demand. It determines cost-optimal configurations based on specified technology options and system constraints.

Brauch, Joseph [National Renewable Energy Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilience in an Age of Increasing Electrification

The purpose of this paper is to outline considerations of global electrification trends that include the resultant system-wide and nation-wide impacts. How we incorporate resilience into the electrification plans that transition a nation from conventional energy sources to secure clean energy sources can impact the success of those transitions. Electrification of energy systems has the potential to impact power system planning, emissions, and security; however, little research has been done on comprehensive solutions for incorporating resilience into the electrification process. Research has been conducted on aspects of the energy system and electrification, but not holistically across disciplines and related to the interdependencies of different components of the grid system. This gap in research provides an opportunity for more analysis and a collection of best practices to incorporate resilience into electrification plans. Although clean energy is the goal of an increasing number of nations worldwide, there are many considerations in designing clean energy transitions and increased electrification. Resilience must be factored into clean energy transitions from planning, market design, and policies to modernized grid structures and new, location-specific dispersed energy and energy storage technologies.

clean energy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Broad range material-to-system screening of metal–organic frameworks for hydrogen storage using machine learning

Hydrogen is pivotal in the transition to sustainable energy systems, playing major roles in power generation and industrial applications. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising mediums for efficient hydrogen storage. However, identifying potential candidates for deployment is challenging due to the vast number of currently available synthesized MOFs. This study integrates molecular simulations, machine learning, and techno-economic analysis to evaluate the performance of MOFs across broad operation conditions for hydrogen storage applications. While previous screenings of MOF databases have predominantly emphasized high hydrogen capacities under cryogenic conditions, this study reveals that optimal temperatures and pressures for cost minimization depend on the raw price of the MOF. Specifically, when MOFs are priced at $15/kg, among the 9720 MOFs tested, 9692 MOFs achieve the lowest cost at temperatures between 170 K and 250 K and a pressure of 150 bar. Under these optimal conditions, 362 MOFs deliver a lower levelized cost of storage than 350 bar compressed gas hydrogen storage. Furthermore, this study reveals key material properties that result in low system cost, such as high surface areas (>3000 m2/g), large void fractions (>0.78), and large pore volumes (>1.1 cm3/g).

Hydrogen storage↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experimental Characterization of Hydrogen Diffusion in Shale Rocks for Geologic Storage Applications

As global energy systems undergo a transition to cleaner alternatives, geologic hydrogen storage has emerged as a promising solution for large-scale energy storage. A critical factor in determining the feasibility of this approach is the effectiveness of caprock formations, such as shale, in preventing hydrogen migration. This study investigates the diffusion behavior of hydrogen through shale to assess its suitability as a caprock for geologic hydrogen storage. Using a novel double-seal core holder design and a through-diffusion apparatus, hydrogen diffusion was measured through shale rock from the Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp Formations under dry conditions. These measurements were complemented by microstructural and mineralogical analyses using low-pressure nitrogen adsorption and X-ray diffraction. The effective diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in these shale caprocks ranged from 2.51 × 10 –8 to 9.85 × 10 –8 m 2 /s. Notably, we observed that the diffusion behavior was more related to the pore network structure and could not be attributed to differences in the total pore volume between shale types alone. Here, to further understand the role of pore network complexity, a fractal pore model was developed to correlate tortuosity with the fractal dimension of the pore structure (a measure of pore network complexity). The proposed model closely matched tortuosity values obtained from diffusion experiments, outperforming existing theoretical tortuosity–porosity correlations. These findings provide key quantitative parameters needed to assess the feasibility of geologic hydrogen storage as well as insights that can be applied to hydrogen storage in a range of geologic formations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electrochemical Ammonia Compression

An electrochemical (EC) compressor is a solid-state compression device. For decades, researchers have been studying EC compressors for applications for a variety of energy systems. As the world transitions away from fossil fuel energy sources, EC compression emerges as a promising technique for energy storage, specifically energy stored in the form of pressurized ammonia. Ammonia is also a commonly used refrigerant. The present studies examine the viability of EC compression for ammonia storage and refrigeration. EC ammonia compression increases the concentration of an ammonia-hydrogen mixture via the input of electrical energy and a series of chemical reactions. A polymer electrolyte membrane separates the low-concentration side from the high-concentration side of the device. On the low-pressure (anode) side hydrogen atoms oxidize and react with ammonia molecules, forming positively charge ammonium ions. The ions traverse the membrane electrolytically. The ammonium ions are reduced and revert back to hydrogen and ammonia upon reaching the high-pressure (cathode). An external circuit provides the current needed to sustain the reactions. In this project, we studied the performance of the ammonia EC compressor under a variety of different conditions. We replicated preliminary data and using a small cell with 5 cm2 of active area. We demonstrated the operation of larger cells with 100 cm2 of active area. Further, we used a commercially available hydrogen EC compressor stack to analyze the scaled-up compressor performance. While previous experiments examined only the transient EC compressor performance, we developed test facilities that allowed the compressor to reach steady state. We analyzed the effects of pressure and current on the EC compressor performance. We measured the flow rates of gas leaving the compressors and analyzed the composition using gas chromatography. We tested methods of separating ammonia from the effluent vapor, which contained hydrogen and water vapor. We found that back diffusion adversely affected the performance, especially when we maintained high pressure lifts.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Can economic drivers enable an affordable, reliable, and resilient energy system in rural Alaska?

Price subsidies, such as the Alaska Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program, are intended to provide affordable energy. However, these economic drivers may be barriers to a clean energy transition and economic development, especially in rural Alaska. Reliable and affordable energy, a challenge in rural Alaska, is the foundation for individual and community security and economic development. Addressing the climate change crisis requires a sustainable transition to decarbonized energy systems that are more equitable, reliable, and affordable.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

From chromatin to crop: epigenetic innovations in bioenergy systems

Energy crops encompass a diverse array of plant species cultivated primarily as a source of biomass for energy generation and biofuel production. As such, they play a pivotal role in the transition to sustainable energy systems. However, their productivity is often limited by environmental stresses, nutrient availability, and the need for optimized yield. While traditional breeding and genetic engineering have driven improvements, challenges such as narrow genetic diversity, long development cycles, trait instability, and unexpected gene interactions remain. Epigenetics offers a largely untapped opportunity to overcome these constraints by regulating gene expression through mechanisms that are dynamic, finely tuned, and responsive to environmental and developmental cues. Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation, histone post-translational changes, and small non-coding RNAs influence nearly all aspects of plant development and physiology, including traits central to bioenergy crops. While these mechanisms are well characterized in model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, they remain underexplored in many purpose-grown energy crops. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of epigenetic regulation in bioenergy species, explores how these mechanisms can be leveraged to enhance crop resilience and productivity, and identifies gaps in our understanding. By characterizing epigenetic mechanisms and harnessing epigenetic variation, we can expand the toolkit for developing resilient, high-yielding bioenergy crops to meet future environmental and energy demands.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating the effects of a low-carbon energy transition on existing U.S. fossil energy communities

On-going efforts and the growing movement to transition from our current energy systems towards low-carbon and renewable sources have uncovered a range of challenges and concerns communities may face under this transition. An understanding of the current relationships and dynamics within communities can offer critical insights that stakeholders, as well as decision and policy makers can use to better support and affect the outcome of these transitions. To support this need, the National Energy Technology Laboratory has been developing a data-driven framework to aid in the characterization of fossil energy communities across the U.S. and offer insights to comprehensively address energy transaction concerns by different stakeholder groups and various stages associated with a low-carbon energy system. This presentation will offer details on our current work to integrate multiple environmental, social, and economic data variables, as well as key trends and insights that are being used to characterize these communities at a local and regional scale. These insights will be used to evaluate with alternative opportunities, including, but not limited to, hydrogen, rare earth elements and critical minerals, and energy storage, that could be aid in the transition for these communities from conventional energy resources.

Bauer, Jennifer↗
DOE OSTI2024

Resilient Energy Transition Planning for Ouzinkie, Alaska

This report documents an energy system planning study for the village of Ouzinkie, Alaska, conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP). Ouzinkie is a small remote community located on Spruce Island, Alaska, in the Kodiak Archipelago. The Ouzinkie community is served by a local electrical system powered by a combination of diesel generators and a hydroelectric turbine. Due to aging assets, however, the power system reliability has declined in recent years, while the cost of operating the diesel generators has increased significantly. To address these problems, Ouzinkie asked ETIPP to provide technical assistance to develop an updated integrated plan for improvements to the Ouzinkie power system, in order to transition to a more reliable and resilient system powered by renewable energy resources.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Experimental flow-through a single fracture with monolayer proppant at reservoir conditions: A case study on Caney Shale, Southwest Oklahoma, USA

Global energy systems are undergoing a crucial transition to clean energy sources, thereby moving away from fossil-fuel based energy with the ultimate aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It is essential to continue to advance in exploring and developing shale gas resources as this will underpin the global supply of natural gas that is needed to support the energy transition. The challenge hereby is that the slow fluid flow of the shale matrix due to its very low permeability requires large-scale volume fracturing to produce a conductive fracture network that enhances the connectivity between the shale formation and the wellbore. This work examines the influence of a thin proppant layer on a single fracture using a flow-through experiment, and also explores whether proppant embedment in the Caney shale is affected by the rock mineralogy, surface roughness, fluids, confining stress, time, temperature and bedding. The experiment was conducted for a duration of nine days (216 h), experimental temperature was varied from ambient temperature to reservoir temperature of 125 °C (257 °F) and confining stress was varied from 367 psi (2.53MPa) to a maximum of 4011.82 psi (27.66 MPa). Here, we find that the conductivity of the fracture is primarily influenced by the layer of proppant used, surface roughness, mineralogy, fluids, temperature and closure stress.

Caney shale↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bridging the Energy Future: The Role and Potential of Hydrogen Co-Firing with Natural Gas

In the transition toward sustainable energy systems, the co-firing of hydrogen (H2) with natural gas emerges as a critical technology for cleaner power generation. This study examines its benefits, including emissions reduction, enhanced efficiency, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. Concurrently, it addresses the inherent challenges, such as combustion dynamics, necessary infrastructure modifications, and economic considerations. Incorporating global case studies, the review explores recent advancements in hydrogen production and co-firing, evaluating their practicality and operational efficiency. It also provides a critical examination of the economic implications and societal acceptance, which are crucial for the adoption of hydrogen technologies. Moreover, the review investigates the synergy between hydrogen and renewable energy technologies, assessing potential impacts on energy policy and regulation. Ultimately, this comprehensive analysis underscores the essential role of hydrogen co-firing in the energy sector and advocates for a comprehensive strategy that synergizes technological progress, economic viability, regulatory support, and public engagement to promote a resilient and sustainable energy future.

hydrogen co-firing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Component Identification of Solid Biomass Fuels Using Reflected Light Microscopy: Interlaboratory Study 2

As nations transition toward sustainable energy systems, biomass has become a vital component of global energy portfolios. Derived from organic materials such as wood, agricultural residues, forestry byproducts, and organic waste, biomass is a renewable energy source with significant environmental and economic benefits. Responsible biomass energy production can improve waste management, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and mitigate environmental pollution. However, as the diversity of biomass-derived fuels increases, robust quality assessment methods are essential to ensure their efficiency, safety, and minimal environmental impact. Reflected light microscopy (RLM) is one such technique with the potential to complement conventional physico-chemical analyses by enabling a rapid identification of material constituents and impurities. To refine this methodology and evaluate the reproducibility of solid biomass component identification using RLM, an interlaboratory study (ILS) was conducted. The study involved the recognition of 58 components across 45 photomicrographs, with the participation of 65 scientists and students from 25 countries. The participants faced high difficulty identifying some of the marked components, and as a result, the percentage of correct answers ranged from 19.0 % to 98.3 %, with an average correct identification rate of 62.7 %. The most challenging aspects of the identification process included distinguishing between woody and non-woody (agro) biomass, accurately identifying petroleum-derived materials, and differentiating agro biomass from inorganic matter. The results suggest that while RLM is an important tool for characterizing solid biomass, further development of methodology guidelines and training are necessary to enhance its effectiveness. Future research should prioritize preparing detailed, image-rich, microscopic morphological descriptions of biomass fuel components, which could improve the accuracy and reliability of using RLM in biomass fuel characterization.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Designing robust energy policy packages under deep uncertainty: A multi-metric decision support framework

The complexity of transitioning to sustainable energy systems requires policy frameworks capable of balancing multiple objectives while addressing deep uncertainty. However, existing approaches often lack systematic methods to identify combinations of policy levers that remain effective across a wide range of uncertain futures. This paper presents a novel decision support framework that guides the selection of robust policy packages based on their performance across multiple objectives under uncertainty. Our method leverages a large ensemble of scenarios and applies scenario discovery techniques to identify influential policy levers. Here, we introduce new indicators to assess the robustness of policies by evaluating their ability to mitigate adverse outcomes across metrics. These indicators support an iterative process to build a robust policy package. Finally, we map the technological and energy pathways associated with the robust policy package by leveraging an energy system optimization model. We illustrate the application of this framework to the Spanish energy system, providing insights into how specific combinations of policy levers shape decarbonization pathways under uncertainty.

Decision-support method↗
DOE OSTI2024

Grid connection barriers to renewable energy deployment in the United States

Bulk-power grid connection is an emerging bottleneck to the entry of wind, solar, and storage but has been understudied due to a lack of data. We create and analyze two novel interconnection datasets with more than 38,000 project-level observations that provide new information documenting interconnection challenges in the United States. Active grid connection requests are more than double the total installed capacity of the US power plant fleet (2,600 vs. 1,280 GW). The time required to secure a connection has increased by 70% over the last decade, and withdrawal rates remain high at 80%, suggesting a constrained transmission system that jeopardizes energy transition targets. Wide distributions of interconnection costs indicate the inherent uncertainty of the interconnection process. Interconnection requests that identify large transmission upgrades tend to withdraw from the process. These findings suggest the need for interconnection reforms, tighter links between long-term transmission planning and project-level interconnection processes, and more interconnection outcome transparency.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Hexahalo Complexes

Halogenated inorganic complexes A x [MHal y ] (A = alkali metal or alkaline earth, M = transition or main group metal, x = 1–3, and y = 2–9) are an archetypal class of compounds that provide entry points to large areas of inorganic and physical chemistry. All of the hexahalo complexes adopt an octahedral, O h , symmetry (or nearly so). Consequently, one of the bending modes is forbidden in both the infrared and Raman spectra. In the solid state, many of the complexes crystallize in the cubic space group Fm3̅m, which preserves the octahedral symmetry. Even for those that are not cubic, the octahedral symmetry of the [MHal 6 ] n- ion is largely retained and, to a good approximation, so are the selection rules. In the present work, we show that by using the additional information provided by neutron vibrational spectroscopy, in combination with conventional optical spectroscopies, we can generate complete and unambiguous assignments for all the modes. Comparison of the experimental and calculated transition energies for the systems where periodic-density functional theory was possible (i.e., those for which the crystal structure is known) shows that the agreement is almost quantitative. We also provide a linear relationship that enables the prediction of the forbidden mode.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-Resolution Simulations of Geological CO 2 Injection: Application to the SPE11 Benchmark

Geological carbon sequestration (GCS) will play a critical role in decarbonization and in facilitating the transition to clean energy systems. Because CO 2 is highly mobile, ensuring its safe and permanent injection into subsurface geological formations involves monitoring over larger spatial domains and longer time periods than is typical for hydrocarbon reservoirs. This can benefit from simulation tools capable of modeling key CO 2 trapping mechanisms, particularly those optimized for speed and scalability on high-performance computing systems. Using isothermal versions of the SPE11B and SPE11C benchmark cases, we conduct a mesh refinement study simulating CO 2 injection into kilometer-scale rock formations at centimeter resolution with the GEOS open-source simulation framework. We focus on how mesh refinement improves the accuracy of convective mixing in both 2D and 3D simulations. The computational costs associated with achieving a converged solution highlight the need for predictive upscaling techniques. A systematic performance scaling analysis—including both central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) architectures—complements the “Results” section.

Geosciences↗