Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “renewable energy technologies”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA)/Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) for Marine Energy (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The objective of the Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA) project was to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) energy by leveraging research, development, and testing capabilities at Oregon State University, University of Washington, and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ALFA is a project within the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC; formerly NNMREC), a multi-institution entity with a diverse funding base that focuses on research and development for marine renewables. The ALFA project aimed to accelerate the development of next-generation arrays of wave energy conversion (WEC) and tidal energy conversion (TEC) devices through a suite of field-focused R&D activities spanning a broad range of strategic opportunity areas identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: • Device and/or array operation and maintenance (O&M) logistics development; • High-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling technique development and validation; • Array-specific component technology development (e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components); • Array performance testing and evaluation; and • Novel cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation testing and evaluation. The objective of the Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) was to accelerate the development of next-generation marine energy conversion systems. The LCP aimed to achieve these project objectives in collaboration with the national laboratories by: • Developing concept generation and assessment tools; • Improving access to existing testing resources; • Validating collision risk models between fish and turbines; and • Advancing analysis and simulation capabilities for wave-WEC interactions and PTO analysis in nonlinear ocean waves. The ALFA portion of the project was comprised of six overarching technical tasks: • Task 1: Debris Modeling, Detection and Mitigation; • Task 2: Autonomous Monitoring & Intervention; • Task 3: Resource Characterization for Extreme Conditions; • Task 4: Robust Models for Design of Offshore Anchoring and Mooring Systems; • Task 5: Performance Enhancement for Marine Energy Converter (MEC) Arrays; and • Task 6: Evaluating Sampling Techniques for MHK Biological Monitoring. The LCP was divided into four overarching technical tasks: • Task 7: Project Management and Reporting • Task 8: Novel Design and Assessment Methodologies for Wave Energy Converter Design (Wave- SPARC) • Task 9: Testing Access for Commercial Marine Renewable Energy Technology Developers • Task 10: Quantifying Collision Risk for Fish and Turbines • Task 11: Nonlinear Ocean Waves and PTO Control Strategy Each ALFA/LCP task listed above functioned as a separate and discreet project. A final Technical Report was written for each individual task and these reports were uploaded to OSTI, after receiving DOE approval. The following document is a compilation of each of these final, approved reports arranged as individual chapters.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Channeling Engineering of Hydroxide Ion Exchange Polymers and Reinforced Membranes

In this project, a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed high performance alkaline conductors which can improve efficiency and lower cost of energy storage and conversion technology. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute team has developed a highly ion conductive, chemically stable, and mechanically durable alkaline membrane materials. Such membranes will serve as a critical component in electrochemical devices when energy was generated from renewable sources (e.g., sun and wind) or hydrogen fuel. The use of alkaline membrane in electrochemical reactions allows to replace expensive platinum catalyst to less expensive, earth abundant metals as catalysts, offering huge economic advantages in renewable energy technology.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cyclic Olefin Copolymer based Alkaline Exchange Polymers and Reinforced Membranes

In this project, a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed high performance, low-cost alkaline conductors which can improve efficiency and lower cost of energy storage and conversion technology. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute team has developed a highly ion conductive, chemically stable, and mechanically durable alkaline membrane materials. Such membranes will serve as a critical component in electrochemical devices when energy is generated from renewable sources (e.g., sun and wind) or hydrogen fuel. The use of alkaline membrane in electrochemical reactions allows us to replace expensive platinum catalysts with less expensive, earth abundant metals as catalysts, offering huge economic advantages in renewable energy technology.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Assessing the Performance of a Circular Economy for Wind Energy Technologies: A Summary of Three Analytical Tools

A circular economy emphasizes the efficient use of all resources and presents opportunities for addressing series of economic and environmental objectives at local, regional, and national levels. Despite anticipated overall benefits to society, the transition to a circular economy is likely to create regional differences in impacts. As a result, it is important to evaluate the performance and tradeoffs associated with circular economy transitions. This poster summaries three previously published analytical tools that were used to assess the performance of developing a circular economy for wind energy technologies: the Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database (REMPD), a circular economy agent-based model for wind blades (CE Wind ABM), and the Circular Economy Lifecycle Assessment and Visualization (CELAVI) framework. The REMPD is a comprehensive database of materials used in wind and solar plants, including material quantities and physical materials availability. The CE Wind ABM allows us to understand how wind stakeholders' end-of-life behaviors influence wind blade circularity and evaluate the impact of regional variables (e.g., logistics and transportation). And, the CELAVI framework is a modular framework that can be used to evaluate the impacts associated with circular economy transitions. These three analytical tools have been applied to evaluate circular economy transitions for wind energy technologies and they could be expanded to other technologies and products.

agent-based modeling↗
DOE OSTI2022

Circular Economy Modeling Efforts at NREL: Circular Economy Lifecycle Analysis and Visualization (CELAVI) and the Circular Economy Agent-Based Model (ABM)

Circular Economy (CE) aims at decoupling human activities from economic growth and resource use. While CE economic and environmental benefits are often touted by its proponents, increased circularity and improved sustainability do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. The Circular Economy Lifecycle Assessment and Visualization (CELAVI) framework simulates the transition of renewable energy technology supply chains towards circularity and quantifies spatially explicit environmental impacts and supply chain costs. Using wind blade end-of-life (EOL) management as a case study, this presentation will highlight CELAVI's features. Furthermore, envisioned extension to the framework could improve the stakeholder decision model by accounting for logistical and other factors. The CELAVI framework could be leveraged to answer crucial questions regarding renewables EOL management.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessing the levelized cost of energy in South Korea

This study evaluates the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for various energy technologies in the Republic of Korea (Korea) from 2023 to 2050, highlighting cost trajectories and potential crossovers among competing technologies. The analysis projects that, based on our set of assumptions, utility-scale photovoltaic systems achieve lower LCOEs than nuclear by 2030, while fixed offshore wind is expected to become cost-competitive with coal-fired generation around the same time. Floating offshore wind is projected to reach cost parity with coal in the late 2030s. Co-firing with natural gas and green hydrogen is identified as the highest-cost generation option due to high natural gas and green fuel costs and declining capacity utilization. This study further examines the potential for hybrid systems that integrate renewable energy with energy storage to serve as flexible, cost-effective, zero-emission alternatives to green hydrogen-based generation. Spatial LCOE assessments indicate that near-shore offshore wind sites may achieve lower costs despite modest capacity factors, contingent on site-specific factors such as grid integration and social acceptance. The findings indicate that renewable energy technologies are expected to experience continued cost declines, with solar photovoltaic becoming the most competitive energy source in Korea by 2030–2035. Incorporating social costs accelerates this shift from conventional alternatives.

Green hydrogen↗
DOE OSTI2021

National and Regional Initiatives to Promote Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Through State Energy Offices

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office (WIP) over a ten year period to provide technical assistance, research and analyses, and enhanced coordination between DOE and the State and Territory Energy Offices. Over the life of the agreement, NASEO worked with WIP and the states to provide statewide strategic energy plan analyses and recommendations, including customized technical assistance to the states; peer to peer financing assistance via NASEO’s Financing Committee and supporting activities; training on core energy policies and programs, including dialogues and resources to support energy-air coordination, a training for new State Energy Office Directors, peer to peer exchange via a rural energy taskforce, and support to states to enhance buildings efficiency, home energy labeling, and technology deployment opportunities; support for State Energy Program metrics; and regional coordination via regional coordinators and peer exchange opportunities both in-person and online. Over the life of the project, the position and role of State Energy Offices within state government has changed, with now 80 percent of State Energy Office Directors serving as their Governor’s energy advisor, or reporting directly to their Governor’s energy advisor. This shift in stature has made it ever more crucial for State Energy Offices to receive timely and relevant technical assistance across a range of energy issue areas. NASEO, in collaboration with WIP, was able to deliver this technical assistance, and energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment has accelerated across the country. The State Energy Office Directors and their staff continue to engage in NASEO’s Committees – many of which were supported through this agreement – and have provided formal and informal feedback on the value of the programs supported through this award (e.g., reporting via survey increased understanding of their roles and technical assistance offerings provided by WIP and NASEO following the New Director Trainings). Moreover, resources developed through this award (e.g., Comprehensive State Energy Planning Guidelines, State Energy Loan Fund Database, Rural Data Resources for State Energy Planning and Programs, The Value of Adding home Energy Score to Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs, etc.) have been cited by states as instrumental to their understanding of specific energy issue areas and in many cases led directly to enhanced program design within a state (e.g. Iowa citing their review of NASEO’s Comprehensive State Energy Planning Guidelines as a necessary first step in their planning process, later following may of the steps outlined in the guidelines). The priorities of the states and federal government have evolved over the last decade, with an increasing focus on climate mitigation and adaptation, equity impacts and considerations, energy security and resilience, and enhanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technology deployment, but the roots of these new priorities are based in the state and federal policies and programs, and research and analyses, that were supported in part through this award and other complementary initiatives. NASEO looks forward to continuing to support the states, and collaborate and coordinate with DOE, as we build on this important foundation in the years ahead.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Capacity Investment under Bayesian Information Updates at Reporting Periods: Model and Application

We consider capacity addition decisions by a new product manufacturer faced with uncertain technology alternatives. The manufacturing capacity addition and technology development occurs in parallel, with preliminary results from a technology project's success providing valuable information to the manufacturer in adding capacity. We solve a stochastic dynamic program with Bayesian updates to obtain the manufacturer's expected profit‐maximizing capacity investment decision. Our model and applications are motivated by the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) (funded by the Department of Energy), which manages research projects focused on mitigating critical material constraints, vital to renewable energy technologies such as direct‐drive wind turbines, electric vehicles, and energy‐efficient lighting. We capture three unique aspects of the problem: first, the learning from project progress depends on task‐based stochastic outcomes and a project's percent‐done. Second, the underlying technology's profitability is based on a model of competition. Third, we evaluate the impact of progress across a portfolio of projects based on a manufacturer's capacity addition. We develop a heuristic that produces results that are close to optimal and can thus be used for large problem sizes. The managerial insights from an application of our model to CMI projects include: (i) technology projects that report the percent‐done of a project earlier increase expected manufacturer profit; (ii) careful choice of “safe bets,” that is, technologies with low profitability but a high probability of success, can increase expected manufacturer profit; (iii) a portfolio of projects can increase profits significantly over separate project evaluation; and (iv) dynamic management of project resources can increase overall profit.

Vedantam, Aditya↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advances in Solutions to Improve the Energy Performance of Agricultural Greenhouses: A Comprehensive Review

The increasing global population and the challenges faced by the food production sector, including urbanization, reduction of arable land, and climatic extremes, necessitate innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture. This comprehensive review examines advancements in improving the energy performance of agricultural greenhouses, highlighting innovations in thermal and energy efficiency, particularly in heating and cooling systems. The methods include a systematic analysis of current technologies and their applications in optimizing greenhouse design and functionality. Key findings reveal significant progress in materials and techniques that enhance energy efficiency and operational sustainability. The review identifies gaps in the current knowledge, such as the need for more research on the economic viability of new materials and the development of predictive models for various climatic conditions. The conclusions emphasize the importance of integrating renewable energy technologies and advanced control systems to achieve energy-efficient and sustainable agricultural practices

Castro, Rodrigues Pascoal↗
DOE OSTI2023

Renewable Thermal Energy Systems: Systemic Challenges and Transformational Policies (Report 2)

Two important challenges for RTES are the need for significant further innovation and deployment, particularly in the United States. In the face of continued success of other renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and land-based wind energy for electricity, it is worthwhile to evaluate the current state of select RTES technologies in the context of technology innovation systems and energy transitions. This report marks a departure from the existing body of research we are aware of and have contributed to relating to RTES applications for industrial process heat in the United States. Our objectives for this report are fourfold: 1) Begin considering the challenges of RTES deployment in the United States through application of socio-technical and transitions frameworks; 2) Begin applying the theory of RTES as configurational technology innovation systems in the United States and for industrial process heat specifically; 3) Review RTES innovation, policies, and market formation activities in the contexts of Objectives 1 and 2; 4) Identify future paths for RTES research. Ultimately, the challenges associated with scaling the deployment of RTES in the United States are related to the need to develop a well-functioning innovation system that can overcome resistance from a highly stable socio-technical regime within a shrinking window of time to address the climate crisis, U.S. industrial competitiveness, and volatile energy commodity price shocks. Current efforts toward scaling for RTES applications in industry and buildings emphasize the need for further cost reductions, but not for interventions that support actors and their interactions and that increase the legitimacy of the technologies. As a result, there are significant opportunities to analyze the social contexts of RTES that can then be used to inform the design of effective, transformational policy portfolios.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

An Open-Source Framework for PV in the Circular Economy Evaluation

This open-source tool follows the dynamic Material and flows for each component and material in a PV system, from mining to end of life to evaluate the material and energy impacts of different paths. Following circularity principles, virgin material inputs can be offset by recovered materials to reduce impacts due to mining and extraction. Unlike consumer products, renewable energy technologies generate power over their useful life to quickly offset energy required for manufacturing. The model provides unique baselines of PV evolution, and allows us to evaluate the material and soon energy return on investment of decisions such as field repair, off-site refurbishment, reuse, or recycling. Energy layer and cost, as well as visual dashboard under development.

circular economy modeling↗
DOE OSTI2021

Computational Math Problems for a Clean Energy Future

Cutting edge computational mathematics are ubiquitous in renewable energy research. Problems in resilient and reliable electric grid operations, infrastructure planning, wind farm yaw control, and more demand sophisticated and scalable computational tools that enable the transition of renewable energy technologies from proof of concept to deployment into our energy system. The mission of the Computational Science Center at NREL is to lead the lab's efforts to solve energy challenges using high-performance computing (HPC), computational science, applied mathematics, scientific data management, visualization, and informatics. In this poster, we provide a short overview of three areas of computational mathematics research at NREL: wind power scenario generation for stochastic grid operations and infrastructure planning, improved rational function approximations for electromagnetic transients codes, and wind farm yaw control using a combination of the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) and reinforcement learning (RL). Increasing penetrations of renewable energy into power grids motivate the investigation of new approaches to characterizing uncertainty for five-minute economic dispatch problems. Similarly, as the penetration of distributed energy resources on power grids increases, it becomes important to revisit our methods of modelling transient phenomena, i.e. electromagnetic transients programs. Finally, the combination of ADMM and RL for wind farm yaw control presented here can potentially increase the efficiency of the deployed distributed controllers by orders of magnitude.

ADMM↗
DOE OSTI2022

Strategies for Optimizing WIP Investment in State Energy Offices

This report outlines strategies for Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office (WIP) investment aimed at improving state energy office programs. The project was funded by WIP within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). WIP aims "to enable strategic investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies through the use of innovative practices across the United States in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including state and local organizations and community-based nonprofits." Across its programs, WIP has created thousands of jobs, maintains an investment ratio of 4.1 to 1, and increases U.S. economic output by 1.2 billion a year. This project was funded in the FY21 budget cycle and originally focused on improving WIP energy efficiency funding and programs. The project gathered information from various state energy offices to understand how WIP funding and processes can be optimized to improve state-level energy efficiency programs. We propose that the conclusions are also broadly applicable to weatherization and renewable energy deployment programs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Geological Thermal Energy Storage Using Solar Thermal and Carnot Batteries: Techno-Economic Analysis

Energy storage is increasingly necessary as variable renewable energy technologies are deployed. Seasonal energy storage can shift energy generation from the summer to the winter, but these technologies must have extremely large energy capacities and low costs. Geological thermal energy storage (GeoTES) is proposed as a solution for long-term energy storage. Excess thermal energy can be stored in permeable reservoirs such as aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs for several months. In this article, we describe a techno-economic model that has been developed to evaluate GeoTES systems. The models are developed by combining the output of specialist models, which enables the performance and cost of both the subsurface and surface systems to be captured. Off-design models are developed so that the performance can be evaluated at each hour of the year. GeoTES can be charged with two different energy sources: (1) concentrating solar thermal and (2) renewable electricity using heat pumps (henceforth known as a "Carnot Battery"). The stored thermal energy can be used to generate electricity and, uniquely, also directly produce heat that can be used by industrial processes. Furthermore, Carnot Battery GeoTES can also be used to form a cold storage reservoir. Preliminary results that quantify the technical and economic performance of these two GeoTES systems are presented.

carnot battery↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating opportunity for distributed wind energy in rural and agricultural areas

Wind energy is among the most mature renewable energy technologies, accounting for 11% of the current US electricity generation in 2024, with the lowest average levelized cost. While it is known that substantial opportunity exists for further development, a key question has been where wind energy is best suited compared to other technologies. This study leverages an immense dataset of parcel-resolved technoeconomic potential for the contiguous United States, focusing on distributed wind (DW) energy—a configuration where one or more turbines, typically 30–60 m in height are used to satisfy nearby energy needs. The analysis is conducted at multiple spatial scales and considers land use, crop land, census, and incentive program data to determine the most opportune areas for market development. The results show that rural, agricultural and residential areas are most suited to DW. Connection type (in front of, or behind the meter) and regulations determine the best application, while siting constraints, economics, demand and the wind resource determines the optimal size of turbine.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Focal Fisheries Requirements for Floating Offshore Wind Co-Design in the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Floating offshore wind is an emerging renewable energy technology in U.S. waters and globally. Floating offshore wind technology is more complex than fixed-bottom installations, requiring platforms, moorings, and power cables that take up a larger footprint, both in the water column and along the seafloor. This complexity affects opportunities for compatibility between floating offshore wind and other ocean users, particularly fishermen, whose fishing gear also takes up space in the water column and along the seafloor. This report describes the results of semi-structured interviews with key fishing informants from two focal fisheries: (1) Gulf of Maine lobster (fixed gear) and (2) Mid-Atlantic Bight pelagic longline and recreational tuna (mobile gear). A total of six fishermen were interviewed: four from the Gulf of Maine and two from the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The interviews were designed to elicit information and opinions on the co-design of marine space for particular fishing gear and floating offshore wind infrastructure. Here, we provide an overview of participant fishing experience, the spatial requirements of specific gear types, self-reported comfort levels in different fishing scenarios, and concerns about accessing and operating within floating offshore wind arrays. This summary of fishermen s concerns around floating offshore wind infrastructure can guide future co-existence conversations.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measuring Sustainability of Solar Modules for Energy Transition: Mass, Energy, and Circularity

Transition to a carbon-free energy system is crucial for global decarbonization and underpins Circular Economy (CE) goals. Photovoltaic (PV) technology is required for Energy Transition, but manufacturing and circular pathways can be material, energy, and carbon-intensive. Therefore, we need a prioritization of sustainability strategies for PV evolution and lifecycle management in the context of Energy Transition. This study employs a suite of quantitative metrics to compare different proposed sustainability strategies for PV modules on their ability to achieve Energy Transition. Proposals for sustainable PV range from high-yield, high-efficiency paradigms, to short-lived and fully recyclable, to long-lasting, indestructible modules. We leverage a global decarbonization deployment schedule through 2100 with the open-source PV in Circular Economy (PV ICE) tool to quantify the impacts of different evolving module design scenarios covering the range of proposed sustainability strategies. First, modules are compared on effective capacity and required replacements to meet and maintain decarbonization capacity targets through 2100. We demonstrate the effects of lifetime, degradation, and reliability on effective capacity. Next, we quantify and compare virgin material demands and lifecycle wastes, examining the impacts of lifetime and recycling rates. Finally, and critically for renewable energy technologies, we quantify the energy demands required to achieve the decarbonization capacity targets and calculate energy balance metrics (net energy, energy return on investment). These results are then summarized into a metric matrix, demonstrating tradeoffs and the importance of longevity. Our suite of mass and energy metrics provides stakeholders and decision-makers with quantitative data on circular economy choices for PV in the energy transition, enabling informed evaluation of tradeoffs of different PV module designs and CE pathways.

circular economy↗