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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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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring the design space of PV-plus-battery system configurations under evolving grid conditions

In this study, we explore how the energy and capacity values of coupled systems comprising solar photovoltaic arrays and battery storage (PV-plus-battery systems) could evolve over time based on the evolution of the bulk power system. Using a price-taker model with simulated hourly energy and capacity prices projected from the present to 2050, we simulate the revenue-maximizing dispatch of a range of DC-coupled PV-plus-battery configurations in three locations in the United States. These configurations are defined by the inverter loading ratio (ILR, the ratio of the PV array capacity to the inverter capacity, which we vary from 1.4 to 2.6) and the battery-inverter ratio (BIR, the ratio of the battery power capacity to the inverter capacity, which we vary from 0.25 to 1.0). Based on each configuration's total value, we estimate the breakeven costs needed to justify each incremental increase in ILR (holding BIR constant) or BIR (holding ILR constant). We find that, in a future with low-cost renewable energy technologies, PV-plus-battery system ILRs can be economically increased to around 2.0-2.4 at a BIR of 1.0, depending on solar resource. Our results indicate that a likely evolution of PV-plus-battery system design will be increasingly greater battery power capacity to mitigate the declining PV capacity value, which will, in turn, enable increasingly higher ILRs to further increase energy value. The extent to which PV-plus-systems will be deployed with increasingly higher ILRs depends primarily on whether PV cost declines outpace declining value and increasing curtailment over time.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

On-Sun Testing of a High-Temperature Solar Receiver's Flux Distribution

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising technology in transitioning to renewable energy because of its abundance in nature and thermal energy storage (TES) capability. Among the four types of available CSP technology, including parabolic trough, linear Fresnel, power tower, and parabolic dishes, a power tower using a central receiver has more potential to generate high-temperature heat in a scale supporting power cycles efficiency and achieve low levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Other than the conventional type of receiver design, the high-absorptive receiver concept developed and presented in this paper is novel in its design approach. The novel receiver design originated from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) consists of an array of solar flux absorb tubes. The solar absorb tubes require uniform flux distribution and in-depth flux penetration through the three different reflective sections of tubes in a hexagonal shape. To evaluate this unique receiver design and thermal performance, the flux distribution, flux uniformity, and intensity were numerically simulated using ansys fluent and SolTrace modeling program. On-sun testing has been done at NREL high flux solar testing facility, based on the computational analysis.

clean energy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Addressing the Split Incentive Challenge for Enhanced Solar Adoption in Multifamily Rental Properties [Abstract]

The split incentive problem is particularly pronounced in rental markets, where landlords prioritize investments that directly increase property value or rental income. Since energy savings from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems primarily benefit tenants, landlords may perceive little return on investment unless mechanisms exist to recapture some of the financial gains. The primary objective of this project is to develop a publicly available, web-based tool to analyze the U.S. Department of Energy’s ResStock database, which models the U.S. residential building stock. The tool allows users to filter buildings by location, type, HVAC system, square footage, and other characteristics, and outputs typical electric load profiles. By leveraging location-specific electric load data, Fram Energy aims to advance business strategies that address the split incentive barrier and promote the adoption of solar PV installations in rental properties. In addition, a machine learning model will be developed to weigh the marginal contribution of building features across the dataset in predicting electricity demand, supporting guided decision making in forecasting electric load profiles. Lastly, based on each building’s location, load profile, and utility’s electricity rate, an optimized solar photovoltaic array and battery energy storage system will be sized to provide energy arbitrage opportunities.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Delivery of a Solar-Powered Forward Osmosis Seawater Desalination Plant: Trevi’s 500 m3/day Zero-Carbon FO Seawater Desalination Plant at NELHA

This paper presents an account of Trevi’s delivery of a 500 m3/day solar powered forward osmosis (FO) seawater desalination plant at the Ocean Science and Technology Park of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA). The project aimed to demonstrate the viability of solar thermal-powered desalination for agricultural applications through the integration of a 2MW micro-dish solar thermal array with a state-of-the-art FO system. Highlighted in the paper are the three distinct project phases; Planning and Design, System Construction, Installation & Testing followed finally by System Operation and Optimization. Results and decisions which led to the final plant design will be shared, highlighting how Trevi Systems succeeded in producing a zero-carbon FO seawater desalination plant with a projected Levelized Cost of Water (LCOW) estimate competitive with existing carbon-intensive RO technologies (based on some assumptions and the cost of heat which is required for FO.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hawaii Solar Desalination Project

This project built the world’s largest Forward Osmosis (FO) solar thermal desalination plant at the NELHA Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park for a high visibility “on sun” demonstration of seawater desalination for agricultural applications. The project included re-commissioning an existing 2MW micro-dish solar thermal array and coupling it to a next-generation 500m3/day FO system. The purpose of the project was to validate FO at commercial scale; to verify that the water produced is safe for potential downstream agricultural users; to gather data on capital cost, energy consumption and operating expense for the technology; and to demonstrate that FO can be successfully coupled to low-grade thermal resources. The plant implemented advancements in FO component technology, including hot nano-filtration, polymeric heat exchangers, draw solutions, and improved FO membranes, and operated from June 2022 to September 2023 - producing 30gpm of permeate water. Thermal energy was below 30kWh/m 3 during operation, establishing a new benchmark in thermal desalination technology, with recovery rates at times exceeding 65%, well above what commercial RO systems can achieve. Combining the plant capital cost (CAPEX) and the operating expenses (OPEX) yields a Levelized Cost of Water (LCOW) that is competitive with existing carbon-intensive technologies such as RO. The ability of the plant to operate from a renewable resource paves the way toward a low-carbon desalination future using low-grade thermal resources.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Engineering giant excitonic coupling in bioinspired, covalently bridged BODIPY dyads

Strong excitonic coupling in photosynthetic systems is believed to enable efficient light absorption and quantitative charge separation, motivating the development of artificial multi-chromophore arrays with equally strong or even stronger excitonic coupling. However, large excitonic coupling strengths have typically been accompanied by fast non-radiative recombination, limiting the potential of the arrays for solar energy conversion as well as other applications such as fluorescent labeling. Here, in this work, we report giant excitonic coupling leading to broad optical absorption in bioinspired BODIPY dyads that have high photostability, excited-state lifetimes at the nanosecond scale, and fluorescence quantum yields of nearly 50%. Through the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and computational modeling of a series of dyads with different linking moieties, we show that the strongest coupling is obtained with diethynylmaleimide linkers, for which the coupling occurs through space between BODIPY units with small separations and slipped co-facial orientations. Other linkers allow for broad tuning of both the relative through-bond and through-space coupling contributions and the overall strength of interpigment coupling, with a tradeoff observed in general between the strength of the two coupling mechanisms. These findings open the door to the synthesis of molecular systems that function effectively as light-harvesting antennas and as electron donors or acceptors for solar energy conversion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

HOMP (Hybrid Operation and Maintenance Platform) [SWR-22-81]

The HOMP software module is contained within NREL's Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP) at this URL: https://github.com/NREL/HOPP/tree/feature/HOMP. HOMP is a python-based software module which can be used concurrently with the Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP) to model, simulate, and optimize degradation, reliability, and operations and maintenance of hybrid power plant components. The program currently models lithium ion battery, PEM electrolyzer, wind turbine, and solar PV array components, which enables users to understand the design and operation tradeoffs of hybrid power plants. For instance, HOMP enables users to answer questions like: how large does a battery bank need to be to achieve optimal charge/discharge rates for performance and reliability? How does plant design change for different objectives (e.g., profit versus resilience)? Under what conditions is it better to produce electricity versus hydrogen? How do we optimally control hybrid power plants to reduce downtime and increase performance?

Clark, Caitlyn↗
DOE OSTI2018

NREL Integrate: RCS-4-42326

OMNETRIC Corp., Duke Energy, CPS Energy, and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) created a project team to execute the project 'OpenFMB Reference Architecture Demonstration.' The project included development and demonstration of concepts that will enable the electric utility grid to host larger penetrations of renewable resources. The project concept calls for the aggregation of renewable resources and loads into microgrids and the control of these microgrids with an implementation of the OpenFMB Reference Architecture. The production of power from the renewable resources that are appearing on the grid today is very closely linked to the weather. The difficulty of forecasting the weather, which is well understood, leads to difficulty in forecasting the production of renewable resources. The current state of the art in forecasting the power production from renewables (solar PV and wind) are accuracies in the range of 12-25 percent NMAE. In contrast the demand for electricity aggregated to the system level, is easier to predict. The state of the art of demand forecasting done, 24 hours ahead, is about 2-3% MAPE. Forecasting the load to be supplied from conventional resources (demand minus generation from renewable resources) is thus very hard to forecast. This means that even a few hours before the time of consumption, there can be considerable uncertainty over what must be done to balance supply and demand. Adding to the problem of difficulty of forecasting, is the reality of the variability of the actual production of power from renewables. Due to the variability of wind speeds and solar insolation, the actual output of power from renewable resources can vary significantly over a short period of time. Gusts of winds result is variation of power output of wind turbines. The shadows of clouds moving over solar PV arrays result in the variation of power production of the array. This compounds the problem of balancing supply and demand in real time. Establishing a control system that can manage distribution systems with large penetrations of renewable resources is difficult due to two major issues: (1) the lack of standardization and interoperability between the vast array of equipment in operation and on the market, most of which use different and proprietary means of communication and (2) the magnitude of the network and the information it generates and consumes. The objective of this project is to provide the industry with a design concept and tools that will enable the electric power grid to overcome these barriers and support a larger penetration of clean energy from renewable resources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

DOE Plasma Science Center - Predictive Control of Plasma Kinetics: Multi-Phase and Bounded Systems (Final Report DE-SC0001939)

Low temperature plasmas (LTPs) are the plasmas of electron-volt (eV) physics and eV technologies. LTPs have characteristic electron temperatures of a few eV and fractional ionizations that are typically small. Since LTPs have electron temperatures commensurate with the threshold energies of excited states in neutral atoms and molecules, power transfer from electrons to these atoms and molecules efficiently produces activated species (e.g., radicals, excited states, photons). Acceleration of ions in the sheaths of LTPs to energies of tens to hundreds of eV enable activation of surface modifying processes – sputtering, etching, deposition. With such properties, LTPs are often and beneficially used in technological devices, ranging from etching and deposition in microelectronics and solar cell fabrication, to hardening of surgical instruments. LTPs harbor fundamental science issues that are intellectually challenging and rewarding. At the same time, there are enormous societal benefits that are enabled by LTPs. The entire present-day and future information technology infrastructure owes its very existence to LTPs. Renewable energy sources, such as solar cell arrays, could not be economically produced in the absence of deposition and etching by LTPs. In acknowledgment of the importance of LTPs, the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences supported the Plasma Science Center for Predictive Control of Plasma Kinetics: Multi-Phase and Bounded Systems from August 2009 to July 2021, consisting of an initial 5-year grant, 3 funded extensions and 2 no-cost extensions. This is the final report of the Center in which the productivity of the Center is discussed in terms of publications, impact and personnel. High-lights of the research performed in the Center are provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Community Solar Project Database

This database represents a list of community solar projects identified through various sources as of Spring 2018. The list has been reviewed but errors may exist and the list may not be comprehensive. Errors in the souces e.g. press releases may be duplicated in the list. Blank spaces represent missing information. NREL invites input to improve the database including to - correct erroneous information - add missing projects - fill in missing information - remove inactive projects. Updated information can be submitted to Eric O'Shaughnessy at eric.oshaughnessy@nlr.gov.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Concentrator-type photovoltaic (CPV) modules, receiver and sub-receivers and methods of forming same

CPV modules include a back plate having an array of 1 mm2 or smaller solar cells thereon. A backplane interconnect network is also provided on the back plate. This backplane interconnect network operates to electrically connect the array of solar cells together. A front plate, which is spaced-apart from the back plate, is provided. This front plate includes an array of primary lenses thereon that face the array of solar cells. The front plate can be configured to provide a greater than 1000× lens-to-cell light concentration to the array of solar cells. To achieve this 1000× lens-to-cell light concentration, the primary lenses can be configured as plano-convex lenses having a lens sag of less than about 4 mm. An array of secondary optical elements may also be provided, which extend between the array of primary lenses and the array of solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

GaSb solar cells grown on GaAs via interfacial misfit arrays for use in the III-Sb multi-junction cell

We present that growth of GaSb with low threading dislocation density directly on GaAs may be possible with the strategic strain relaxation of interfacial misfit arrays. This creates an opportunity for a multijunction solar cell with access to a wide range of well-developed direct bandgap materials. Multijunction cells with a single layer of GaSb/GaAs interfacial misfit arrays could achieve higher efficiency than state-of-the-art inverted metamorphic multi-junction cells while forgoing the need for costly compositionally graded buffer layers. To develop this technology, GaSb single junction cells were grown via molecular beam epitaxy on both GaSb and GaAs substrates to compare homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial GaSb device results. The GaSb-on-GaSb cell had an AM1.5g efficiency of 5.5% and a 44-sun AM1.5d efficiency of 8.9%. The GaSb-on-GaAs cell was 1.0% efficient under AM1.5g and 4.5% at 44 suns. The lower performance of the heteroepitaxial cell was due to low minority carrier Shockley-Read-Hall lifetimes and bulk shunting caused by defects related to the mismatched growth. A physics-based device simulator was used to create an inverted triple-junction GaInP/GaAs/GaSb model. Lastly, the model predicted that, with current GaSb-on-GaAs material quality, the not-current-matched, proof-of-concept cell would provide 0.5% absolute efficiency gain over a tandem GaInP/GaAs cell at 1 sun and 2.5% gain at 44 suns, indicating that the effectiveness of the GaSb junction was a function of concentration.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

The dye-sensitized solar cells based on the interconnected ternary cobalt diindium sulfide nanosheet array counter electrode

Highlights: • The ternary CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} CE was fabricated by in situ solvothermal synthesis. • The CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} CE displays an interconnected nanosheet array structure. • The solvent and In{sub 2.77}S{sub 4} intermediate play key roles on the formation of CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}. • DSSC based on the CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} CE gives an efficiency of 8.83%. - Abstract: The ternary cobalt diindium sulfide (CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}) counter electrode (CE) with interconnected nanosheet array structure is fabricated on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by in situ ethanol solvothermal synthesis. The ethanol solvent and In{sub 2.77}S{sub 4} intermediate play important roles on the formation of the interconnected nanosheet array structure. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with the optimized ternary CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} CE gives an energy conversion efficiency of 8.83%, which is much higher than that of DSSCs based on the binary CoS{sub 2} (6.47%), and In{sub 2.77}S{sub 4} (0.46%) CEs and can be comparable with that of Pt CE (8.19%) under full sunlight illumination (100 mW cm{sup −2}, AM 1.5 G). Except for the intrinsically electrocatalytic activity from the CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}, the higher conversion efficiency of CoIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} based DSSC can be attributed to that the interconnected nanosheet array structure provides plentiful catalytic active sites, abundant electron transport channels, and fast electrolyte diffusion.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Grassland carbon-water cycling is minimally impacted by a photovoltaic array

Agrivoltaic systems, whereby photovoltaic arrays are co-located with crop or forage production, can alleviate the tension between expanding solar development and loss of agricultural land. However, the ecological ramifications of these arrays are poorly known. We used field measurements and a plant hydraulic model to quantify carbon-water cycling in a semi-arid C 3 perennial grassland growing beneath a single-axis tracking solar array in Colorado, USA. Although the agrivoltaic array reduced light availability by 38%, net photosynthesis and aboveground net primary productivity were reduced by only 6–7% while evapotranspiration decreased by 1.3%. The minimal changes in carbon-water cycling occurred largely because plant photosynthetic traits underneath the panels changed to take advantage of the dynamic shading environment. Our results indicate that agrivoltaic systems can serve as a scalable way to expand solar energy production while maintaining ecosystem function in managed grasslands, especially in climates where water is more limiting than light.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of Solar Panel Recycling for Indigenous Communities

In recent years, Native tribes across the country have embraced solar energy to power their communities. However, in approximately 25-30 years after installation, the solar panels will enter end-of-life (EOL) status, meaning that they will begin to operate less efficiently than upon initial implementation. At this point, tribes can determine the outcome: they can continue to operate the array, or they can dispose of the panels. Recycling is an option that promotes the use of high-value recyclable materials in solar panels in the circular economy. There are several companies across the US that offer recycling of solar panels, but at various costs. It is important that a hazardous waste expert makes an initial assessment of the solar array to identify any solar panels that cannot be recycled. Currently, recycling solar panels is not cost-effective or environmentally sustainable, but significant research into improving the cost and carbon footprint is ongoing.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

NuSTAR Hard X-Ray Observation of a Sub-A Class Solar Flare

We report a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array ( NuSTAR ) observation of a solar microflare, SOL2015-09-01T04. Although it was too faint to be observed by the GOES X-ray Sensor, we estimate the event to be an A0.1 class flare in brightness. This microflare, with only ∼5 counts s{sup −1} detector{sup −1} observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager ( RHESSI ), is fainter than any hard X-ray (HXR) flare in the existing literature. The microflare occurred during a solar pointing by the highly sensitive NuSTAR astrophysical observatory, which used its direct focusing optics to produce detailed HXR microflare spectra and images. The microflare exhibits HXR properties commonly observed in larger flares, including a fast rise and more gradual decay, earlier peak time with higher energy, spatial dimensions similar to the RHESSI microflares, and a high-energy excess beyond an isothermal spectral component during the impulsive phase. The microflare is small in emission measure, temperature, and energy, though not in physical size; observations are consistent with an origin via the interaction of at least two magnetic loops. We estimate the increase in thermal energy at the time of the microflare to be 2.4 × 10{sup 27} erg. The observation suggests that flares do indeed scale down to extremely small energies and retain what we customarily think of as “flare-like” properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗