Capabilities
From early analysis to field demonstrations, NREL's research staff and facilities can provide the geothermal community with the expertise, technical support, and equipment it needs to develop successful advanced geothermal energy systems. At present, NREL's research and development (R&D) work in geothermal technologies emphasizes analysis, modeling, and systems integration, but efforts in prior years has included technology research and demonstration projects resulting in award-winning innovations.
Geothermal Analysis and Modeling
NREL has substantial capabilities in the area of systems analysis and modeling and market and economic analysis, including expertise in technical analysis. These capabilities are used to support geothermal R&D efforts that take place at NREL, but also research that is occurring at other DOE laboratories, including Sandia National Laboratories and Idaho National Laboratory
The market analysis capabilities of NREL help the geothermal community increase the use of the resource in the marketplace. NREL strives to help increase the understanding, promotion, and facilitation of the use of geothermal energy, and other renewable energy sources in producing power in electricity markets.
NREL has a dedicated team of experienced utility industry analysts, who provide strategic information to clients focused on rapidly changing electricity markets. We conduct high-quality and objective crosscutting assessments and analysis to support informed decision-making by our clients and other industry stakeholders.
NREL also performs analyses of federal and state policy options to broaden market opportunities for renewable energy. Among the policies that we have analyzed are integrated resource planning, environmental externalities, competitive bidding, and net metering.
More can be learned about NREL's market analysis capabilities at Energy Analysis' Market Analysis Web page and particularly in the Market and Policy Analysis section of that page.
At present, NREL's geothermal projects are focused in the areas of systems demonstration and decision support analysis and modeling. Learn more about NREL's capabilities and expertise being applied to geothermal projects in the areas of technology analysis. Models and software tools developed using NREL expertise that apply not only to geothermal energy, but to a wide range of renewable energy technologies can be found on the Energy Analysis' Models and Tools Web page.
Systems Integration
NREL collaborates with electric utility stakeholders to ensure renewable energy issues are considered in the best use of existing and future expansion of the nation's energy delivery infrastructure. NREL's systems integration experts provide data, analysis, and techniques that address power grid integration issues related to increasing the penetration of renewable energy technologies throughout the country.
NREL's Systems Integration strategy is to assist regional electric system planning and operations personnel to make informed decisions about the integration of power from geothermal and other renewable energy sources into their systems. Applying these systems integration concepts and capabilities to geothermal power is only now in its initial stages, but, at NREL, it is building on a strong track record of similar work in the areas of distributed energy resources (PDF 292 KB) and wind energy. Download Adobe Reader.
