 |
Analysis Activities by Organization
Representatives: Doug Arent, Ron Benioff, Karlynn Cory, Bobi Garrett, Thomas Jenkin, Brian Levite, Gail Mosey, Gian Porro, Walter Short, Alison Wise
Address: 1617 Cole Blvd.
Golden, CO 80401
Web site: www.nrel.gov/analysis
Organizational Objectives – Analysis
Analysis at NREL aims to increase the understanding of the current and future characteristics, roles, and interactions of government, markets, and technologies. The acquired understanding is used to inform technology, benefits, market, policy, and program decisions as energy efficient and renewable energy technologies advance from concept to commercial application.
NREL's technology analysis evaluates the attributes of renewable energy technologies, examining RD&D areas in terms of potential costs, benefits, risks, uncertainties, and timeframes. The Lab's benefits analysis looks at the economic, environmental, security, and other impacts of current renewable energy programs. NREL's market analysis helps key players increase the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in the marketplace through understanding of market responses. Through policy analysis, the Lab evaluates rules and regulations that can advance — or provide alternatives to — renewable energy technologies in meeting national goals. The Lab's program analysis conducts work that determines the goals of the Department of Energy's (DOE) budgeting, planning, and management functions.
The Strategic Energy Analysis and Applications Center (SEAAC) integrates and supports the energy analysis functions located in many of the Laboratory's research programs and technology centers. With offices in Washington, D.C., and Golden, Colorado, the Strategic Energy Analysis and Applications Center promotes understanding and collaboration through all of its analysis activities.
Analysis Activities – Relevance to Priority Topics
B) Improve Deployment Partnerships between Industry and Government
NREL supports a variety of programs and mechanisms to facilitate commercialization and technology transfer of emerging technologies to the market place. This includes Enterprise Growth Forums to bring venture capitalists together with renewable energy and energy efficiency entreprenuers, an active program of joint R&D with industry and licensing of new technologies and inventions with industry partners. NREL partners with DOE in engaging industry in development of program multi-year plans and joint implementation of program activities. NREL also works with DOE and other federal agencies on programs to overcome market barriers to technology acceptance and diffusion.
C) Augment Energy Technologies and Demand Response Representation in Energy Models
NREL is involved in several energy market modeling activities that will augment the energy technologies modeled and examine the demand response. To model the contribution of wind in a scenario of carbon taxes or caps, NREL is expanding its WinDS model to provide a partial equilibrium capability with feedback on energy demands and fuel prices, explicit representation of carbon sequestration opportunities for coal IGCC plants, coal-plant siting considerations (informal collaboration with NETL), and an improved representation of nuclear. NREL is also expanding the ability of the WinDS model to evaluate the possible synergies between the electric and transportation sectors afforded by plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) by joining the WinDS model and the NEMS alternative vehicle choice model. NREL is also helping DOE to coordinate a wide-ranging collaboration on the SEDS model to expand its treatment of uncertain market drivers from the current electric-sector-only version of SEDS to modules for all end-use sectors, refining and other energy conversion industries, and fuel supply.
D) Enhance Regional Technology Characterizations and Transmission Constraints in Energy Models
NREL has been examining the impacts of fine spatial resolution in energy market models and will be releasing a report in the next several months. NREL is also working with other national labs contributing to the SEDS model to determine the appropriate level of spatial resolution for the different modules of SEDS. NREL has been discussing better ways to model transmission expansion in energy market models.
E) Improve Impact Evaluation Tools: Economic Development, Energy Security, Environmental Impacts
NREL has developed tools such as the PV Clearinghouse, cost curves, HOMER, Hybrid2 and Energy-10 and JEDI, and others to evaluate impacts of EERE technologies. For example, JEDI is a tool for evaluating economic development impacts of renewable energy projects. NREL is also partnering with DOE and EPA to develop improved tools for evaluating environmental impacts of EERE technologies and programs.
F) Improve Policy Analysis Tools and Integration of Data and Tools at State and Federal Levels
NREL is involved in policy analysis and has developed tools and conducted analysis on such matters. Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future which assesses technologies and policies to meet energy-related challenges facing the United States is one example. NREL also maintains DSIRE, a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. NREL has also developed a variety of policy analysis tools, including resource assessment and GIS data and tools to identify renewable energy potential and opportunities.
G) Enhance Biofuel Resource Potential and Infrastructure Analysis
NREL worked with PBA to support the development of a biomass model for integrated analysis of pathways and impacts of the transition to large scale use of cellulosic ethanol in the U.S.
H) Improve Behavioral Factors in Market/Choice Models and Tools
NREL has worked with PBA to support consumer surveys evaluating consumer demand and preferences for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. In addition, NREL and PBA collect and evaluate data on consumer demand for green power.
|
|
