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September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
September 2008
William Becker |
September Seminar: Presidential Climate Action Project
On September 11, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar (in Golden, Colorado) discussing energy and climate policy. Energy policy will be a major challenge facing the next president of the United States and Congress. The nation's energy profile is inextricably linked to the health of the economy and to global climate change. The next administration must preside over a transformation of the nation's energy use. During this seminar, William Becker will talk about the Presidential Climate Action Project (PCAP) and the plan it's creating for the president to jump-start federal leadership on energy and climate policy within 100 days of taking office. PCAP, a two-year initiative of the Wirth Chair at the University of Colorado-Denver, released a preliminary plan last December regarded as the most comprehensive federal climate action agenda to-date. The PCAP will issue a final action plan in October.
September 2008
State Clean Energy Policies Analysis Project
The Best Practices: State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project is a collaborative effort to better understand the environmental, economic, and energy security impacts of state policies using a uniform methodology. The intent of the project, funded by the Department of Energy/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE-EERE), is to assist state policy-makers and implementers in determining which policies will have the most beneficial impact on the priorities of the state. It is implemented by NREL and the Alliance to Save Energy, in partnership with DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state stakeholders.
The following reports represent analyses done for the SCEPA project in its initial stages:
Analytic Framework for Evaluation of State Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Policies with Reference to Stakeholder Drivers (PDF 388 KB)
Quantification of benefits from the implementation of state-level energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) policies is a complex process, because stakeholders have a variety of different drivers, specific geographic resources, and needs resulting in a large number of "in-policy" variables, such as solar set-asides in renewable portfolio standards (RPS). A state stakeholder process was completed in the spring/summer of 2007 to identify the primary drivers for EE and RE policy development at the state level, and the most likely policy choices to meet those drivers. The general drivers identified as most critical are: economic development, environmental, and energy security. The likely policy choices for use in meeting EE and RE drivers primarily fall into categories of mandated demand reductions or supply developments. This report presents the framework that was developed to analyze policies based on how well they meet the stakeholder drivers.
State Clean Energy Practices: Renewable Portfolio Standards (PDF 507 KB)
A renewable portfolio standard (RPS) mandates an increase in the use of wind, solar, biomass, and other alternatives to fossil and nuclear electric generation. This paper provides a summary of the policy objectives that commonly drive the establishment of an RPS, the key issues that states have encountered in implementing an RPS, and the strategies that some of the leading states have followed to address implementation challenges. The factors that help an RPS function best generally have been explored in other analyses. This study complements others by comparing empirical outcomes, and identifying the policies that appear to have the greatest impact on results.
State Clean Energy Practices: Renewable Fuel Standards (PDF 1.3 MB)
Renewable fuel standards (RFS) policies are a mechanism for developing a market for renewable fuels in the transportation sector. This flexible market-based policy, when properly executed, can correct for market failures and promote growth of the renewable fuels industry better than a more command-oriented approach. The policy attempts to correct market failures such as embedded fossil fuel infrastructure and culture, risk associated with developing renewable fuels, consumer information gaps, and lack of quantification of the non-economic costs and benefits of both renewable and fossil-based fuels. This report focuses on renewable fuel standards policies, which are being analyzed as part of this project.
September 2008
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Renewable Energy Price Stability
NREL staff members Lori Bird and Karlynn Cory, along with Blair Swezey of Applied Materials, have published the report "Renewable Energy Price-Stability Benefits in Utility Green Power Programs" (PDF 591 KB) The overall success of the voluntary green power market rests on the willingness of large numbers of individual consumers to pay a premium for these electricity products. Accordingly, electric utilities must present a compelling value proposition for their green power products. The stable-price characteristic of renewable energy generation offers an important and appealing benefit for many consumers, particularly as a hedge against increasing fossil fuel prices. Several approaches exist to provide price stability to green power customers, including (1) establishing a separate green power rate to substitute for a utility's energy or fuel rate, (2) exempting green power customers from fossil fuel-cost adjustments, or (3) revisiting green power price premiums frequently, particularly when base rates are adjusted. This report examines utility experiences when offering the fixed- price benefits of renewable energy in green pricing programs, including the methods utilized and the impact on program participation.
September 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
At the request of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, NREL hosted six visitors from Uzbekistan in August. The visit included discussions on solar, biomass, and wind technologies, as well as potential projects in the design of remote school power systems and cooperation under the Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention.
On August 5, eight students and three young-adult leaders from the Greensburg, Kansas, High School Green Club toured NREL to learn about energy efficiency and renewable energy and how it is being used in their community. The group toured the National Wind Technology Center, NREL's solar and biomass research facilities, and NREL's high-performance building research facility. Greensburg was destroyed by a tornado in May 2007, and DOE and NREL have been providing extensive technical assistance in all aspects of energy in the community's rebuilding efforts. The Green Club was formed after the tornado, as the students learned more about green technologies.
Doug Arent, SEAC center director, presented a paper on renewable energy technologies at the Economics of Technologies to Combat Global Warming Workshop, held in conjunction with the Energy Modeling Forum and Workshop on Climate Change Impacts and Integrated Assessment (CCI/IA) on August 4-5. The workshops bring together leading researchers on energy and climate modeling in support of global energy and climate scenario development and modeling.
On August 10-16, Doug Arent participated in a State Department-sponsored briefing for government, university, and industry officials from Chile and Argentina. The event provided information on the status of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and markets in the United States.
On August 14, NREL staff members Scott Haase and Tony Jimenez conducted a one-day training course for the Blackfeet Tribe (Browning, Montana) on wind energy development. There were 15 attendees, including Tribal Council members and senior tribal program staff.
SEAC analyst Garvin Heath and members of NREL's National Bioenergy Center met in August with representatives of ConocoPhilips to review preliminary results of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for a renewable diesel product. NREL researchers provided valuable feedback and suggestions for improvements to the ConocoPhilips LCA. Information was also presented regarding NREL's ongoing life-cycle assessment of the ethanol goals for the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). The group will continue sharing developments in each of their projects as they progress.
SEAC staff members David Renne and Shannon Cowlin met with V. Vijay Shankar and Anil Kapoor of Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (New Delhi), and Barbara and John Treat of Infrastructure World, on August 19 to discuss their interests in developing solar energy technology manufacturing and deployment capabilities, specifically for Rajasthan and Gujarat. Discussions focused on the resource assessment and analytical work that NREL is doing in Rajasthan as part of the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue. The visitors also met with Harin Ulall of the National Center for Photovoltaics, who provided a presentation on solar photovoltaic technologies.
SEAC analyst Gail Mosey attended the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Summer Study in Pacific Grove, on August 21-22. She presented an analysis conducted in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimating energy-consumption reduction benefits from Austin Energy's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program.
In August, NREL staff members Andy Walker, Kari Bureman, Doug Dahle, and Nancy Carlisle gave presentations to a delegation of state, local, and utility officials from the State of Hawaii, including Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii. The State of Hawaii is working with NREL on a plan to provide 70% of their energy from renewable sources by 2030.
Drury Crawley |
August 2008
August Seminar: Integrating Building Energy Performance into Design
On August 14, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar (in Washington, D.C.) discussing building energy performance and design. EnergyPlus—DOE's building energy simulation program—includes many building energy-simulation features that previously have not been available together in a mainstream program. Features include variable time steps, configurable modular systems integrated with a heat balance-based zone simulation, on-site power, hybrid natural/mechanical ventilation, and under-floor air distribution (UFAD). In 2007, DOE began working on a plug-in for Google's SketchUp software, which Google describes as "3-D for everyone." The Energy Design Plug-In integrates EnergyPlus with SketchUp, allowing easy evaluation of building energy performance. This presentation, by Drury Crawley of EERE, introduces EnergyPlus and its simulation methodologies, capabilities, utilities, and interfaces that facilitate using it.
August 2008
TAP Webcast: Solar Photovoltaic Financing
The Technical Assistance Project (TAP) for state and local officials will sponsor a Webcast on August 13 that outlines financing options for state and local governments to install PV systems. The presentation, which will be 3-4:15 p.m. (EDT), is titled "Solar Photovoltaic Financing: Deployment on Public Property by State and Local Governments." The speakers will be Karlynn Cory and Jason Coughlin of NREL.
Information about the presenters, as well as links to background materials and reports, can be found on the TAP Section of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Web site.
Contact Misty Conrad via e-mail or by phone at 303-384-7467 by August 8 to register or for additional information.
August 2008
AWEA Conference Papers
NREL staff recently participated in WINDPOWER 2008, sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Analysts Maureen Hand, Nate Blair, Walter Short, and Patrick Sullivan contributed papers related to the DOE report "20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply" (PDF 4.0 MB). All four analysts also were contributors to the main report, which examines the technical feasibility of harnessing wind power to provide up to 20% of the nation's total electricity needs by 2030.
Two AWEA conference papers — which describe the use of NREL's Wind Deployment System (WinDS) and Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) models in the analysis for the report — are featured below.
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Modeling Sensitivities to the 20% Wind Scenario Report with the WinDS Model (PDF 1.2 MB)
The "20% Wind Energy by 2030" report (cited above) describes the costs and benefits of producing 20% of the nation's projected electricity demand in 2030 from wind technology. The total electricity system cost resulting from this scenario was modestly higher than a scenario in which no additional wind was installed after 2006. NREL's Wind Deployment System (WinDS) model was used to support this analysis. For this paper, the analysis examined the sensitivity of the results to variations in those input values and model structure choices. These included wind cost and performance improvements over time, seasonal/diurnal wind resource variations, transmission access and costs, siting costs, conventional fuel cost trajectories, and conventional capital costs.
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Modeling the Benefits of Storage Technologies to Wind Power (PDF 1.6 MB)
Rapid expansion of wind power in the electricity sector is raising questions about how wind resource variability might affect the capacity value of wind farms at high levels of penetration. Electricity storage, with the capability to shift wind energy from periods of low demand to peak times and to smooth fluctuations in output, may have a role in bolstering the value of wind power at levels of penetration envisioned by the "20% Wind Energy by 2030" report (cited above). This paper, which quantifies the value storage can add to wind, talks about the analysis done using the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model (formerly known as the Wind Deployment System, or WinDS, model).
August 2008
Job and Economic Development Impact Model
NREL has added two new technologies to its Job and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models — coal and natural gas. Available for download from the Energy Analysis Web site, the JEDI models are easy-to-use, spreadsheet-based tools that estimate the economic impacts of constructing and operating power generation plants at the state level. First developed to model wind energy development impacts, JEDI recently expanded to offer more technologies, including dry mill corn ethanol and concentrating solar power plants — and now coal and natural gas. The site provides more information about JEDI, as well as free downloads.
August 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
SEAC analyst William Wallace represented DOE for a U.S. Department of Agriculture mission to China on July 6-12, led by Undersecretary Gale Buchanan. He and other U.S. representatives met with several Chinese counterparts working with the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission for joint cooperation for biofuels development in China.
NREL's Dave Renné participated in a recent meeting in Wels, Austria, of technical experts working on the International Energy Agency (IEA)/Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Program's Task 36 Solar Resource Knowledge Management project. He facilitated the meeting and took part in the technical discussions. Following the experts meeting, he also presented to the Executive Committee of the IEA/SHC.
SEAC staff members Roger Taylor and Scott Haase conducted a two-day renewable energy strategic planning presentation and discussion with 40 members of the Yakama Nation in the State of Washington in July. The group recently created a tribal utility, and is exploring a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy options. The Tribal Energy Program also conducted its final workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 21-24 for more than 100 registered participants from throughout the Southwest. The complete EERE portfolio was covered, as well as business development, project deal structures, and financing options.
NREL staff hosted Shlomo Wald, chief scientist for the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, on July 21. His visit was part of the formal follow-up to the Israel visit by Assistant Secretary Andy Karsner in May 2008, during which an implementation agreement to advance the new U.S.-Israeli joint Energy Research Cooperation program was signed. Wald's visit helped identify potential opportunities for NREL collaboration with Israeli researchers and industry. Areas of focus during the discussions and tours included solar power, biofuels, and energy storage technologies.
July 2008
David Kline |
July Seminar: Wind Supply Curves for China
On July 10, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing development of wind supply curves. China's national energy plans call for 30 GW of new wind installations by 2020, and many analysts believe that more aggressive targets could be reached. In support of China's wind efforts, analysts at NREL have recently worked with Chinese partners to assess the potential of specific wind-prospect areas. The group developed planning and assessment methods that combine economic calculations and geographic information into a "geospatial supply curve" (GSC).
This seminar, presented by David Kline of NREL, will describe the concept of the GSC, how it can be applied to China's wind power planning, and how it can be extended and applied elsewhere. (See the related publication below.)
July 2008
Developing Wind Supply Curves
NREL staff members David Kline, Donna Heimiller, and Shannon Cowlin have published the report, "A GIS Method for Developing Wind Supply Curves" (PDF 632 KB). This report describes work conducted by NREL as part of the Wind Technology Partnership sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This project has developed methods that the National Development and Reform Commission intends to use in the planning and development of China's 30 GW of planned wind capacity. Because of China's influence within the community of developing countries, the methods and the approaches here may help foster wind development in other countries. (See the related seminar above.)
July 2008
APEC Biofuels
SEAC staff member Anelia Milbrandt worked with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to develop a Web site on the development and deployment of biofuels in APEC economies. The APEC Biofuels site serves as a common platform for sharing biofuels information among members as well as the general public. The biofuels industry in the APEC region consists of two distinct sectors, ethanol and biodiesel. Fuel ethanol production within the region in 2007 was estimated at approximately 27,600 million liters, mainly produced in the United States, China, Canada, Australia, and Thailand. Biodiesel production in 2007 was approximately 4,400 million liters with the majority of the production coming from the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Australia, and Canada. The site provides an overview on biofuels, a summary of APEC biofuels activities, information on current biofuels status in each member economy, and information on the APEC Biofuels Task Force.
July 2008
Telecommunications Industry and Distributed Generation
SEAC analyst Alison Wise presented "Laying the Groundwork: Lessons Learned from the Telecommunications Industry for Distributed Generation" (PDF 341 KB) at the 2008 CTSI Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Conference and Trade Show on June 1-5. The presentation talked about the telecommunications industry, its growing pains in the past, and the lessons that can be applied to the growing distributed generation (DG) "industry." The technology shifts and stakeholders involved with the historic market transformation of the telecommunications sector mirror similar factors involved in distributed generation today. An examination of these factors may inform best practices when approaching the conduits necessary to accelerate the shifting of our nation's energy system to cleaner forms of generation and use. The paper explores potential correlation and outlines the lessons that can be learned from this comparison.
July 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
Bob Westby provided an invited presentation on "NREL Greenhouse Gas Management Strategies" at the White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) Federal Environmental East Symposium on June 2-4. Symposium participants shared experiences with federal agencies in the Implementation Progress of Executive Order 13423 — Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.
SEAC Center Director Doug Arent participated in the Council on Competiveness meeting on "Energy Security, Innovation, and Sustainability" in Virginia on June 3-4. The meeting was the third Progressive Dialogue hosted by Council President Debra Wince-Smith, and focused on key issues related to energy, sustainability, and effects on U.S. competiveness.
Ron Benioff accompanied DOE Assistant Secretary Andy Karsner and other key DOE officials on a visit to Israel, which resulted in signing of a bilateral implementation agreement to advance cooperation on joint public-private R&D projects. The initial emphasis will be on biofuels, solar, electric vehicle battery, and energy-water technologies and systems. NREL initiated an analysis of policies that Israel can use to accelerate renewable energy development, as well as enhanced collaboration with key companies and research institutions in Israel. The lab also is planning a U.S. visit for Israeli researchers, and developing draft guidelines for the U.S.-Israel working group.
SEAC staff member Alicen Kandt presented at the National Defense Center for Energy and Environment Information Exchange for Sustainable Facilities in Washington, D.C., on June 9. She discussed identifying potential renewable energy and energy efficiency applications and the integrated design process.
Doug Arent was requested to give remarks related to biofuels and the global food crisis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Task Force meeting co-chaired by Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) on June 17 in Washington, D.C. His briefing focused on technical and government actions that might be considered in addressing perceptions of the impacts of biofuels on food pricing and availability.
June 2008
Paul Denholm |
June Seminar: Energy Storage in the Low-Carbon Grid
On June 12, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing energy storage in the low-carbon grid. Energy storage is seen by many as an important component of a future grid, which will derive a large fraction of its energy from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. During this seminar, Paul Denholm (of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) will discuss the role of energy storage in the current and future grid. He will emphasize the valuation of energy storage for providing a variety of grid services including energy, capacity, and ancillary services; and the potentially increasing opportunities for storage in a low-carbon grid of the future. The presentation also will discuss current storage technologies, those under development, and the potential role of energy storage in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a grid-enabling technology.
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June 2008
Solar Photovoltaic Financing
NREL staff members Karlynn Cory, Jason Coughlin, and Charles Coggeshall have published the report "Solar Photovoltaic Financing: Deployment on Public Property by State and Local Governments" (PDF 1.2 MB). State and local governments have grown increasingly aware of the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of taking a lead role in U.S. implementation of renewable energy, particularly distributed photovoltaic (PV) installations. Recently, solar energy's cost premium has declined as a result of technology improvements and an increase in the cost of traditional energy generation. At the same time, a nationwide public policy focus on carbon-free, renewable energy has created a wide range of financial incentives to lower the costs of deploying PV even further. Many state and local governments are considering deployment of solar photovoltaics (PV) on public-building rooftops, and also large-scale applications on public lands. This report examines ways that governments can optimize the financial structure of deploying solar PV for public uses.
A related presentation, given as part of the NREL/PBA seminar series, is available in the Archive section of the Web site. (Powerpoint 4.4 MB)
June 2008
ASES Conference Papers
A group of NREL analysts recently participated in SOLAR 2008, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), on May 3-8. Some key analysis papers are featured below.
Modeling Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power Trough Performance, Cost, and Financing with the Solar Advisor Model (PDF 373 KB)
This paper on the Solar Advisor Model presents an overview of each PV and inverter model, introduces a new generic model, and briefly discusses the concentrating solar power (CSP) parabolic trough model.
Impacts of Array Configuration on Land-Use Requirements for Large-Scale Photovoltaic Deployment in the United States (PDF 304 KB)
This paper examines the relationship between land-use requirements for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) deployment in the United States and PV-array configuration.
Solar San Diego: The Impact of Binomial Rate Structures on Real PV
Systems (PDF 450 KB)
This paper uses PV-system data from two San Diego facilities to illustrate the impacts of binomial rate designs on electricity bills.
Renewable Energy Planning: Multiparametric Cost Optimization (PDF 385 KB)
This paper describes a method for determining the combination of renewable energy technologies that minimize life-cycle cost at a facility, often with a specified goal regarding percent of energy use from renewable sources.
Future of Grid-Tied PV Business Models: What Will Happen When PV Penetration on the Distribution Grid is Significant? (PDF 535 KB)
This paper describes potential future PV business models in terms of combinations of utility ownership and control of the PV assets, and the various relationships between end users and third-party owners.
June 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
On May 1, NREL staff members Garvin Heath, Tom Foust, and Bob Wallace attended the Lab Summit on Sustainability, hosted by DOE's Office of Biomass Programs (OBP). All DOE national laboratories with sustainability-related biomass research programs attended, including NREL, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Idaho National Laboratory. The meeting helped inform the OBP and other national labs of each other's ongoing biomass sustainability-related research and helped identify gaps in research agendas. Heath presented on NREL's life-cycle assessment of the ethanol goals of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
SEAC staff members Nancy Carlisle and Jason Coughlin recently presented at the Salt Lake Sustainable Buildings Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a designated Solar America City. Coughlin discussed "Solar Financing Strategies," and Carlisle talked about "Solar Design and Integration in Commercial Buildings." Approximately 150 people attended each presentation.
Analysts Margaret Mann and Elizabeth Brown recently presented preliminary results of a study examining the economic development impacts of a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) to the Governors' Ethanol Coalition (GEC) spring meeting held in Chicago, Illinois. The study, sponsored by the GEC, assumes a 10% reduction in carbon intensity in light-duty transportation through the adoption of corn-based and cellulosic ethanol. Analyst Gail Mosey estimated the jobs creation benefits of such a policy using NREL's Job and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model. Oil and gasoline-use reductions were also evaluated for the study.
The NREL Tribal Energy Program recently held its regional "Renewable Energy Project Development and Financing" training for Alaska natives in Anchorage, Alaska. Attendees included 93 representatives from 30 different communities, making it the largest audience for any regional training through late April. The price of diesel-based power and heating oil is causing serious hardship in many of the 200-plus Alaskan villages, which has led to increased interest in renewable and energy efficiency technologies.
NREL staff supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 9006 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program provided a three-day training course (ending May 1) in Denver for 32 USDA state engineers, architects, and renewable energy coordinators. Lectures focused on primary renewable energy technology options including both electricity and fuels. Attendees also toured the NREL main campus and the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC).
SEAC analyst Gail Mosey attended the brownfields conference on May 5-6 in Detroit, Michigan, as part of a panel invited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mosey joined the group discussing "Siting Renewable Energy on Contaminated Lands and Mining Sites." Brownfields are sites with suspected or known environmental contamination, including abandoned mine lands. The conference is an annual event designed to bring together federal, state, and local agencies; land developers; land owners; and others who are interested in remediation, monitoring, and revitalization of brownfields. Through the panel discussion, Mosey described some of the resources (including databases, tools, and analyses) that NREL uses to evaluate siting of renewables for power generation and implementing energy efficiency technologies at brownfield sites.
SEAC center director Doug Arent participated in a colloquium on "Managing R&D to Address Climate Change" in Chicago on May 6-7. Convened by the University of Chicago and the National Commission on Energy Policy, the colloquium explored various options on the organizational approaches for U.S. government research and development. Other participants included representatives from Argonne National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Harvard University, DOE Office of Policy, and DOE Office of Nuclear Energy.
NREL staff assisted with organization of an event on May 6 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) regarding clean energy investment in the Masdar Initiative. Spearheaded by Paul Dickerson at DOE, the event informed U.S. clean energy finance representatives of opportunities for clean energy investment through Masdar (a $15 billion United Arab Emirates clean energy program). Participants discussed how DOE and the national laboratories can support Masdar emerging technology investments and the Masdar zero-carbon city and regional project development activities.
NREL staff recently attended the Utility Energy Service Contract workshop in Dallas, Texas. The workshop promoted government support (such as work done by the Federal Energy Management Program) to federal agency customers including contracting officers, energy managers, and other personnel with utility company representatives in attendance. The work supports the DOE in providing alternative finance training to federal agencies and promoting projects implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures.
On May 15, SEAC analyst Lori Bird provided an overview presentation of federal and state policies that support the deployment of solar photovoltaics in the United States. Her talk was part of the Technology Velocity Forum at the IEEE PV Specialists Conference in San Diego.
On May 20, SEAC analyst Karlynn Cory gave a presentation on "Best Implementation Practices for RPS Success." It was part of the State/Federal RPS Collaborative organized by the Clean Energy States Alliance.
Analyst Karlynn Cory also presented "Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Financing Renewables" on May 22 to a group hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo). The Webinar also included a speaker from Johnson Controls talking about energy service performance contracting, and a county representative discussing a project in operation.
May 2008
Robert Margolis |
May Seminar: Evolution of Solar Energy
On May 8, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing solar energy technology. The Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) has seen significant changes during the past couple of years. During this seminar, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) analyst Robert Margolis will discuss the origins of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), provide an overview of the SAI's R&D pipeline, and examine the changing investment patterns in solar technology (in the United States and globally). Margolis will examine the changing technology development dynamics for solar technology in the context of rapidly expanding markets, increasing private investment, manufacturing scale-up/product R&D and associated cost reductions, and innovation in business models and government policy. He also will raise the question of what these changes mean for the SAI going forward, both in the short and long term.
May 2008
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Renewables Portfolio Standards
NREL staff members Lori Bird and Karlynn Cory were contributors to a new Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) report released in April, "Renewables Portfolio Standards in the United States: A Status Report with Data through 2007" (PDF 1.5 MB) Download Adobe Reader. This report provides a comprehensive overview of early experience with renewables portfolio standards (RPS) in the United States. State-level RPS programs are among the most important drivers for renewable energy deployment in the United States. As their popularity and importance have grown, so too has the need to keep up with the design, early experience, and projected impacts of these RPS programs. This report seeks to fulfill this need by providing basic, factual information on RPS policies. Drawing from a variety of sources, this report — the first in what is envisioned to be an ongoing series — provides comprehensive information on a broad range of RPS-related topics. The report concentrates on key recent developments, while also providing information on historical RPS experience and design.
May 2008
Job and Economic Development Impact Model
NREL has made several Job and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, available for download from the Energy Analysis Web site. The JEDI models are easy-to-use, spreadsheet-based tools that estimate the economic impacts of constructing and operating power generation plants at the state level. First developed to model wind energy development impacts, JEDI recently expanded to offer more technologies. Models have been developed and are now available for download to estimate job and economic impacts from dry mill corn ethanol and concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. Additional models estimating the jobs and economic impact from other technologies will be available in the coming months. The site provides more information about JEDI, as well as free downloads.
May 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
SEAC staff member Kathleen Nawaz participated in a meeting on April 1 discussing lessons learned from the alternative fuel experience for application to hydrogen transportation systems. Participants included DOE, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the California Energy Commission (CEC), petroleum and alternative fuel industry, academia, and other domestic and international organizations.
On April 7-8, SEAC analyst Karlynn Cory represented the United States at an International Energy Agency (IEA) meeting for Task 26 — The Cost of Wind Energy. The meeting provided a venue to share international data and expertise regarding the cost of manufacturing, installing, and operating wind turbines globally. Cory was the expert on U.S.-specific wind project economic and financing modeling and helped contribute to consensus recommendations to IEA on developing a standard methodology for cost of wind energy calculations.
In April, Karlynn Cory also met with Richard Eason, the U.S. economic counselor at the U.S. Embassy to Belgium. They discussed the status of renewable policies in the United States and Europe, how U.S. projects are structuring their financing, and the economics of implementing U.S. renewable power projects.
SEAC staff member Barry Friedman made an invited presentation to the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Conference in Raleigh on April 8. The presentation covered renewable energy certificate (REC) market status and current challenges for REC markets. The discussion also focused on lessons learned from states with both voluntary green pricing programs and renewable portfolio standards.
Also in April, SEAC analysts Lori Bird, Karlynn Cory, and Barry Friedman participated in the first stakeholder meeting of the Environmental Tracking Network of North America (ETNNA). The group is a voluntary association of certificate tracking systems and interested market participants created to help increase cooperation and coordination among existing and emerging systems that issue, track, or register environmental attributes and certificates. During the meeting, Cory was elected to be the (non-voting) representative from the Governmental Advisory Committee on the ETNNA Board of Directors.
NREL Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Manager Bob Westby made an invited presentation to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)/ National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Measuring Up conference in Boulder, Colorado, on April 9. The presentation covered compliance requirements for the Energy Independence and Security Act and the use of private-sector funding such as power purchase agreements (PPAs) to help achieve compliance.
In April, SEAC staff member Otto Van Geet represented NREL and Solar America Cities during a "Solar Boston" event at Fenway Park, which was also attended by Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and the mayor of Boston. As part of the Solar American Cities activities, Van Geet also conducted a solar feasibility assessment of the Boston Police Headquarters building.
SEAC staff member Karen Thomas participated in the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Spring National Accounts Workshop held in Orlando, Florida, in April. EEI, which represents approximately 70% of the United States power industry, sponsored the event to help utility account representatives engage with their customers and assist them in meeting their energy objectives.
On April 18, NREL hosted a delegation from Sinopec, a large state-affiliated oil and petrochemical company. The 12-member delegation includes Sinopec's chief engineer (who is also an academician in the Chinese Academy of Sciences), as well as the presidents of several Sinopec research institutes. The delegation requested a visit with NREL to explore potential collaboration in biofuels areas.
On April 21-22, SEAC staff member William Wallace participated in the U.S. DOE/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mission to Beijing, China. The meeting discussed the details for joint U.S.-China cooperation under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) supporting biofuels development in China.
Bolko von Roedern |
April Seminar: Advances in Photovoltaic Technology
On April 10, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing photovoltaic (PV) technology. This seminar, presented by Bolko von Roedern of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will discuss the options and pathways for deploying photovoltaic energy generation. Emphasis will be on different module technologies, summarizing recent developments, and projecting future enhancements based on what is known today. The presentation will outline current and past Department of Energy (DOE) programs to accelerate PV development. Von Roedern also will review the approaches and roles of the most significant commercial PV producers worldwide.
David Hurlbut |
TAP Webcast: Texas Renewable Portfolio Standard
The Technical Assistance Project (TAP) for State and Local Officials will sponsor a Webcast on April 16 discussing Texas' experience in establishing its renewable portfolio standard and the "lessons learned." The presentation, which will be 3-4:15 p.m. (ET), is titled "A Look behind the Texas Renewable Portfolio Standard." The presenter is David Hurlbut, a senior analyst at NREL.
Information about the presenter, links to background materials and reports, and access to the speaker presentation (available April 14) can be found on the TAP Section of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Web site.
Contact Misty Conrad via e-mail or by phone at 303-384-7467 to register (by April 11) or for additional information.
Renewable Energy Communities
NREL staff members Nancy Carlisle, Jennifer Elling, and Terry Penney have published the report "A Renewable Energy Community: Key Elements" (PDF 731 KB), which assesses the feasibility of developing renewable energy communities. NREL is analyzing how these communities can help Americans overcome a high level of fossil fuel use and ever-increasing dependence on foreign oil. This project focuses on changing the way we design new communities using a renewable energy systems approach—with sustainable planning, net zero-energy homes, advanced vehicles, and innovative utility interconnections.
April 2008
Solar Analysis Reports
NREL recently published several analysis reports relating to solar technologies and their application:
"Photovoltaics Business Models" (PDF 1.0 MB)
This report summarizes work to better understand the structure of future photovoltaics business models and the research, development, and demonstration required to support their deployment.
"Photovoltaics Value Analysis" (PDF 1.3 MB)
This report identifies best practices in methodologies for estimating the value of distributed PV technologies, identifying gaps in existing knowledge, and outlining R&D opportunities.
"Production Cost Modeling for High Levels of Photovoltaics Penetration" (PDF 756 KB)
This report evaluates the likely avoided generation, fuels, and emissions resulting from photovoltaics (PV) deployment in several U.S. locations and identifies new tools, methods, and analysis to improve understanding of PV impacts at the grid level.
"Rooftop Photovoltaics Market Penetration Scenarios" (PDF 3.5 MB)
This study models the market penetration of rooftop photovoltaics (PV) in the United States under a variety of scenarios, on a state-by-state basis, from 2007 to 2015.
"Solar Resource Assessment" (PDF 1.1 MB)
This report covers the solar resource assessment aspects of the Renewable Systems Interconnection study. The status of solar resource assessment in the United States is described, and summaries of the availability of modeled data sets are provided.
April 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
NREL staff members Deb Beattie, Andy Walker, Sara Farrar-Nagy, Bob Westby, and Mary Werner participated in the Department of Defense (DOD) Energy Management Forum on March 17-19 at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The forum discussed renewable technologies and implementation strategies, sustainable design, financing, and other topics. It included representatives from the DOD, DOE, General Services Administration, and State of Hawaii.
SEAC analyst Andy Walker presented the results of a "renewable energy screening" report to Anheuser-Busch in March. This screening helped identify the combination of renewable energy technologies at each company site that minimizes life-cycle cost. Technologies considered include photovoltaics, wind, solar ventilation air preheating, solar water heating, daylighting, biomass gasification, and anaerobic digestion. Results identify measures totaling $63 million in implementation cost that could save more than $7 million per year in utility costs.
Nate Blair (NREL)
Chris Cameron (Sandia NL)
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March 2008
March Seminar: The Solar Advisor Model
On March 13, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing the Solar Advisor Model (SAM). The tool is a comprehensive solar technology systems analysis model that supports the federal R&D community and the solar industry. SAM allows users to investigate the impact of variations in performance, cost, and financial parameters. This capability increases understanding of the impact on key figures of merit — system output, system efficiencies, levelized cost of energy, return on investment, and system capital and O&M costs — especially through parametric and sensitivity analysis. SAM is also the official model for the Solar America Initiative (SAI), and some applicants for SAI funding opportunities use SAM to calculate benchmark and projected performance and cost metrics. This seminar will include an overview of SAM as well as background on its uses for the SAI.
March 2008
Innovations in Renewable Energy Financing
NREL analysts Karlynn Cory, Jason Coughlin, and Thomas Jenkin recently published the report "Innovations in Wind and Solar PV Financing" (PDF 731 KB). There is growing national interest in renewable energy development based on the economic, environmental, and security benefits that these resources provide. This study surveys some of the current issues related to wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy project financing in the electric power industry, and identifies both barriers to and opportunities for increased investment. Historically, greater development of our domestic renewable energy resources has faced a number of hurdles, primarily related to cost, regulation, and financing. With the recent sustained increase in the costs and associated volatility of fossil fuels, the economics of renewable energy technologies have become increasingly attractive to investors, both large and small. As a result, new entrants are investing in renewable energy and new business models are emerging.
March 2008
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RE Development on DOE Legacy Management Lands
NREL staff members Doug Dahle, Dennis Elliott, Donna Heimiller, Mark Mehos, Robi Robichaud, Marc Schwartz, and Andy Walker recently published the report "Assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy Development on DOE Legacy Management Lands" (PDF 5.6 MB) This report represents an initial activity for the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) to identify and evaluate renewable energy resources on LM-managed federal lands. The final assessment provides DOE LM with information to consider when assessing alternatives of land-reuse options for current and future LM lands. DOE LM and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) established a partnership to conduct an assessment of renewable energy resources on LM lands in the United States. The LM/NREL team used geographic information system (GIS) data to analyze and assess the potential for concentrating solar power (CSP), photovoltaics (PV), and wind power generation on LM lands. The analysis helped gauge the renewable industry's interest in pursuing renewable power development on LM Lands.
March 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
SEAC group manager Maggie Mann recently participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Scoping Meeting on Renewable Energy Sources. Participants determined whether an IPCC special report on renewables is needed, and also started drafting the outline of such a report. The case for the report will be made by the conference chair (Olav Hohmeyer, Germany) at the 28th Session of the IPCC in Budapest in April. The meeting consisted of two days of presentations followed by two days of break-out discussions. The presentations were meant to introduce the concepts, state-of-the-art research, and issues associated with each topic chapter of the proposed report. If approved, the report and its subsequent reviews are expected to take about two years.
Doug Arent, SEAC director, participated in a meeting of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA) on February 3-5 in Vienna, Austria. The GEA is a major initiative established by The International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in late 2005. It helps decision makers address the challenges of providing energy services for sustainable development, while alleviating existing and emerging threats associated with: security of supply; access to modern forms of energy for development and poverty alleviation; local, regional and global environmental impacts; and securing sufficient investment.
February 2008
Nancy Carlisle
Jim Leach |
February Seminar: Community and Sustainability
On February 14, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing renewable energy communities. This concept focuses on changing the way we design new communities using a renewable energy systems approach—with sustainable planning, net zero-energy homes, advanced vehicles, and innovative utility interconnections. During this seminar, Nancy Carlisle (NREL) will describe the concept of "renewable community" and how sustainability planning extends beyond technology solutions. Jim Leach (Wonderland Hill Development Company) will talk about results from 30 years of developing sustainable neighborhoods including cohousing communities.
February 2008
TAP Webcast: Hawaii's Green Energy Zone
The Technical Assistance Project (TAP) for State and Local Officials will sponsor a Webcast on February 13 about the Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaii Authority (NELHA) experiments in ocean thermal energy, aquaculture, and renewable energy development on the Island of Hawaii. The presentation, which will be 3-4:15 p.m. (EST), is titled "NELHA Creates the 'Green Energy Zone.'"
Information about the presenters, links to background materials and reports, and access to the speaker presentations (available February 11) can be found on the TAP Section of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Web site.
Contact Misty Conrad via e-mail or by phone at 303-384-7467 to register or for additional information.
February 2008
Air Quality Initiative
SEAC analysts Laura Vimmerstedt and Gail Mosey worked with the Department of Energy to publish a series of fact sheets for the Clean Energy and Air Quality Integration Initiative. This fact sheet series outlines how renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies can and are being used to reduce air emissions and meet environmental goals, showcasing pilot studies and technology-specific topics. The primary fact sheet highlights examples of DOE-EERE pilot projects that partnered with states to use RE and EE technologies to improve air quality in their regions. Featured states include Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas. These fact sheets can be accessed from the Air Quality section of EERE's Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP) Web site.
February 2008
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Analysts Karlynn Cory and Blair Swezey recently published the report "Renewable Portfolio Standards in the States: Balancing Goals and Implementation Strategies" (PDF 664 KB) Download Adobe Reader. This report examines renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and how the RPS rules vary from state to state. This variation presents important challenges to successful implementation. Key issues are discussed in terms of resource availability, solar-specific provisions, and political and regulatory consistency — and their impacts on the ability to finance new renewable energy projects. This report emphasizes the fact that a successful RPS policy must balance a state's goals for fuel diversity, economic development, price effects, and environmental benefits.
February 2008
State Clean Energy Policies Analysis Project
NREL analyst Elizabeth Brown is leading the State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project, which is a collaborative effort to better understand the environmental, economic, and energy security impacts of state policies using a uniform methodology. The intent of the project, funded by the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP) at DOE-EERE, is to assist state policy-makers and implementers in determining which policies will have the most beneficial impact on the priorities of their states. NREL's Applying Technologies Web site includes a SCEPA section, which includes extensive information on the project's goals and deliverables, a project timeline, a Webcast schedule, and other resources.
February 2008
 NREL analysts Nate Blair (right) and Walter Short are the originators of the Wind Deployment System (WinDS), a software tool for modeling the deployment of wind power technologies. |
Wind Deployment System (WinDS) Model
The Wind Deployment System (WinDS) model, developed by SEAC analysts Walter Short and Nate Blair, is featured on the home page of NREL's Web site. The WinDS model, which started out as a simple spreadsheet, analyzes the feasibility of low-speed wind turbines in the United States by evaluating capacity and transmission requirements. The story highlights how the model was developed, some of the research being done with WinDS, and plans for expanding the model to analyze different technologies. WinDS was previously featured in the laboratory's Research Review.
February 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
NREL staff members Dave Renné and Larry Kazmerski met with Salem M. Ghurbal (director of the Renewable Energies Research Branch) and his senior staff during a visit to the Renewable Energies and Water Desalination Research Center in Tripoli, Libya, on January 13-14. Discussions focused on possible areas of mutual collaboration in wind and solar resource assessment; exchanges and visits by technical staff; and testing of photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and solar water heating components.
On January 15, SEAC director Doug Arent briefed a team of executives from Toyota (including president Katsuaki Watanabe), on U.S. energy technology and policy. The meeting was held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
The DOE Tribal Energy Program held the first of five regional Tribal Renewable Energy Development Training Sessions in Sacramento, California, on January 21-24. Focused on California tribes, the training course covered strategic energy planning, the EERE portfolio of technologies, project economics, business development, and financing options. Presenters included DOE, NREL, Sandia, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the California Energy Commission, tribal groups, and private-sector personnel.
January 2008
Wallace Tyner |
January Seminar: Integrated Energy and Agricultural Markets
On January 10, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing policy alternatives for integrated energy and agricultural markets. This seminar will examine the issue from two perspectives: 1) the economics of ethanol production from the perspective of a typical firm; and 2) a partial equilibrium model incorporating crude oil, gasoline, ethanol, corn, and distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Both of these perspectives provide valuable insight on the functioning and impacts of ethanol policy alternatives, and both approaches illustrate quite well the newly emerging integration of energy and agricultural markets. During this presentation, Wallace Tyner of Purdue University will discuss his research and how it demonstrates "why" and "how" the markets are now becoming tightly integrated.
January 2008
Green Power Marketing
Analysts Lori Bird, Leila Dagher, and Blair Swezey recently published the report "Green Power Marketing in the United States: A Status Report (Tenth Edition)" (PDF 2.1 MB). This report documents green power marketing activities and trends in the United States, focusing on consumer decisions to purchase electricity supplied from renewable energy sources and how this choice represents a powerful market support mechanism for renewable energy development. The report presents aggregate green power sales data for all voluntary purchase markets across the United States. It also provides summary data on utility green pricing programs offered in regulated electricity markets, on green power marketing activity in competitive electricity markets, and green power sold to voluntary purchasers in the form of renewable energy certificates. It also includes a discussion of key market trends and issues.
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Solar Electric Footprint
SEAC analysts Paul Denholm and Robert Margolis have published the report "The Regional Per-Capita Solar Electric Footprint for the United States" (PDF 1.7 MB). Solar photovoltaics (PV) offer a renewable alternative to traditional sources of electricity generation. The potential resource base for PV in the United States is enormous; however, there are a number of challenges related to realizing this potential including relatively high cost, intermittent output, and potentially significant land use. This report quantifies the state-by-state per-capita "solar electric footprint" for the United States. The analysts use state-level data on population, electricity consumption, economic activity and solar insolation, along with solar photovoltaic (PV) array packing density data to develop a range of estimates of the solar electric footprint. They found that the solar electric footprint, defined as the land area required to supply all end-use electricity from solar photovoltaics, is about 181 m2 per person in the United States. The solar electric footprint is about 0.6% of the total land area of the United States with state-level estimates ranging from less than 0.1% for Wyoming to about 9% for New Jersey.
January 2008
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
In early December, SEAC staff members Deb Beattie and Karen Thomas represented the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Utility Program as instructors at a utility-focused workshop. The event, which attracted nearly 80 participants, was held in conjunction with the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group meeting, hosted by San Diego Gas & Electric. Several of the utilities are considering offering utility energy services contracts (UESCs) to their customers as a new service and asked the NREL-FEMP team for training.
Doug Arent, director of SEAC, attended the Energy Security, Innovation, and Sustainability (ESIS) Initiative Advisors Session in Chicago, Illinois, on December 13. The Council on Competitiveness is a unique group of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and labor leaders committed to the future prosperity of all Americans through enhanced U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and the creation of high-value economic activity in the United States.
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