Discover NREL Newsletter Archives — January 2007
Discover NREL is published by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This newsletter brings you news and information about the Laboratory.
In this Issue
Research Highlights
New World Record Achieved in Solar Cell Technology
A concentrator solar cell based on an invention by NREL researchers and produced by Boeing-Spectrolab recently achieved a world-record conversion efficiency of 40.7 percent, establishing a new milestone in sunlight-to-electricity performance. The results were confirmed by the National Center for Photovoltaics at NREL.
The 40.7 percent cell was developed using a unique structure to make a multi-junction solar cell. This type of cell achieves a higher efficiency by capturing more of the solar spectrum. In a multi-junction cell, individual cells are made of layers. Each layer captures part of the sunlight passing through the cell allowing the cell to get more energy from the sun's light. NREL's Jerry Olson and Sarah Kurtz invented and developed this solar cell in the mid-to-late 1980s and licensed the technology to Spectrolab in 1996. The record-setting cell was developed, in part, under an NREL High Performance Photovoltaic subcontract. Read More
NREL Dedicates New Wind to Hydrogen Project
The Wind to Hydrogen Project will look at the production of hydrogen from wind energy and converting that wind power to a stored fuel for later use.
NREL and Xcel Energy recently dedicated a new demonstration project at the National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colo., that will examine system integration issues with the production hydrogen from wind energy and the compression, storage and use of the hydrogen.
Currently, there are limitations to both wind power and hydrogen. Wind farms only generate electricity when the wind is blowing. Hydrogen, while the most common element in the universe, isn't found in its pure form on Earth and must be either electrolyzed from water or stripped out of natural gas. By combining the two technologies, researchers can convert intermittent wind power to a stored fuel for use at anytime.
Two NREL wind turbines will be connected to devices called electrolyzers, which pass the wind-generated electricity through water to split the liquid into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored and used later to generate electricity from either an internal combustion engine turning a generator or from a fuel cell. A trailer will house the electrolyzers and a device to compress the hydrogen for storage; four large, high-tech tanks to store the hydrogen; a generator run by an engine that burns hydrogen; and a control room building, where computers monitor all the steps of the process. NREL and Xcel are each paying part of the $2 million budget for the two-year project. Read More
Working with NREL
NREL's Innovation for a Safer Hydrogen Economy
Working with hydrogen is becoming a larger part of a clean energy future. That work will be safer, thanks to technology developed by NREL and commercialized by Nuclear Filter Technology (NucFil).
Many industries rely on the ability to quickly, easily and reliably sense the presence of hydrogen because of its naturally explosive and dangerous nature. NREL's fiber optic hydrogen sensor is an innovative technology that uses a thin glass or plastic fiber optic strand to transmit light to a thin-film material that changes color in the presence of hydrogen.
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the two organizations allows NucFil to work with scientists and engineers at NREL to further develop these new hydrogen sensors.
This agreement is an example of how a technology development at NREL can be moved into the marketplace. NREL's Technology Transfer team routinely works with private and public sector agencies to move NREL-developed technologies and expertise into commercially viable products and businesses. The Laboratory offers research and technology development opportunities with industry partners, utilities, state agencies, universities, and other economic development organizations to foster the transfer and application of NREL's research expertise and technology. NREL does not, however, provide funding assistance to potential research partners under these types of partnerships.
Agreements
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement is for companies looking to conduct joint research with NREL. A Work-for-Others agreement is appropriate when a company wants the Laboratory to conduct all the research work with no collaboration from their organization.
Facilities, Technology Licenses
NREL researchers and facilities are available for use by industry and research organizations and technologies are available for licensing for the development of commercial products using NREL discoveries that have been protected by patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
NREL's Economic Development program helps clean energy entrepreneurs develop business connections, and provides access to networks supporting the success of early-stage clean energy companies.
For more information on how to work with NREL, contact Rich Bolin in the Technology Transfer Office at 303-275-3028.
Clean Energy Alliance to Expand NREL's Business Assistance Model
The National Alliance of Clean Energy Business Incubators (NACEBI) begun in 2000 by NREL has become the Clean Energy Alliance, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of clean energy businesses. The Clean Energy Alliance will take the successful model of the NACEBI and expand on it by offering greater resources and a broader geographic reach.
The Clean Energy Alliance, which will maintain close ties with NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy, plans to add 10 more incubators in 2007. It will offer expertise, business connections and information essential to accelerating the growth of clean energy businesses nationwide. The Alliance will host a variety of workshops and forums and develop assistance for refining company business plans. Other activities of the Clean Energy Alliance will include education and outreach, developing and recognizing markets, and helping define research and development strategies. Read More
Plextronics Receives Clean Energy Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Plextronics, Inc., a world leader in developing active layer technology for printed electronic devices, received the Clean Energy Entrepreneur of the Year Award at NREL's 19th Industry Growth Forum in October. The Entrepreneur of the Year competition was developed to promote and support the creation of world-class businesses delivering clean energy technology options into the energy market. The 20th Industry Growth Forum will be held in Denver, Colo., in November 2007.
Regional Mayors Pledge to Expand Efficiency and Conservation Efforts
The Denver Metro Mayors Caucus recently set an example for all local governments by signing a historic pact to expand upon current efforts promoting energy efficiency and conservation. The Metro Mayors Caucus is a voluntary regional organization comprised of mayors from throughout Colorado's Front Range.
Carol Tombari, manager of Stakeholder Relations with NREL's Public Relations Office, assisted in drafting the MOU that sets forth a commitment by mayors on behalf of their municipalities to take voluntary actions to: improve energy efficiency within their own operations; promote energy efficiency and conservation for residences and businesses; and increase awareness of programs that enable consumers and businesses to identify and implement cost-effective efficiency upgrades.
The Metro Mayors Caucus' efforts have been endorsed by organizations from across Colorado including NREL, Xcel Energy, the U.S. Green Building Council's Colorado Chapter, the Wirth Chair at the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Public Affairs and the Metro Denver Economic Development Commission. Read More
Spotlight On...
New Lab Offers Chance to Understand an Entire Biological System
Using robotics, researchers in NREL's Systems Biology Lab can simultaneously perform hundreds of experiments a day, saving both time and money.
Converting cellulosic biomass feedstocks such as corn stover, wheat straw or switchgrass into ethanol involves two fundamental steps: breaking the long chains of cellulose and hemicellulose molecules into glucose, xylose and other sugars, and fermenting those sugars into ethanol. Microorganisms are involved in both of these steps.
The breakdown of cellulose is performed by specialized enzymes (i.e., cellulases), typically produced by fungi, to "free" the sugars present in the cellulosic biomass while other organisms such as yeasts and bacteria are used to convert these sugars into ethanol. (For more information about converting biomass to ethanol and to watch a video, visit Learning About Renewable Energy - Biofuels.)
The National Bioenergy Center's new Systems Biology Lab contains specialized instruments that allow researchers to better understand how these microscopic biological systems function. The lab has been equipped with state-of-the-art capabilities in the areas of genomics (gene structure/function and gene expression profile analysis), proteomics (cataloging and analysis of cellular proteins) and metabolomics (profiling of small molecule metabolites). These capabilities allow researchers to identify and ultimately overcome bottlenecks in the performance of microbes involved in the biomass conversion process - thereby effectively reducing the overall cost of cellulosic ethanol production.
The Systems Biology Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art capabilities that allow researchers to analyze the performance of microbes involved in the biomass conversion process.
Through the use of high-throughput screening and modern robotics capabilities, researchers can simultaneously perform hundreds if not thousands of experiments in a single day. This becomes particularly important in protein engineering, enzyme improvement and activity screening studies.
One recent addition to the new lab, a single-crystal X-ray diffraction instrument, will allow researchers to determine the three-dimensional structures of cellulases, giving them a better understanding of how these important enzymes work.
For more information on how to work with the Systems Biology Lab, contact Al Darzins at 303-384-7757.
Energy Evaluation Software Explores Wide Range of Design Questions
Developed by NREL researcher Peter Lilienthal, HOMER is a micropower optimization software model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems. Users supply information about electrical loads, renewable resources and component costs and HOMER simulates multiple designs and generates an optimized list of options that can serve those loads. It is valuable for evaluating remote, stand-alone and distributed generation power applications.
More than 14,000 people in 184 countries have downloaded the free software including energy planners, academics and engineers. NREL has provided HOMER training for energy planners to support rural electrification efforts in several countries including China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and Brazil. Read More
Events
Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory to host Author Hermann Scheer
Dr. Hermann Scheer
Dr. Hermann Scheer, a member of German Parliament, president of EUROSOLAR and author of Energy Autonomy will speak about his new book at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at the Old Main Chapel, University of Colorado at Boulder. Scheer has devoted the greatest part of his political and scientific life to the replacement of nuclear and fossil fuels with environmentally sound energy sources.
The lecture is hosted by the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, which includes NREL, the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. The Collaboratory was established in 2006 and will focus on the development of new technologies and the advancement of existing technologies for rapid transfer to private industry for commercial development.
This event is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase Energy Autonomy beginning at 1 p.m. A book signing will be held from 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. The purchase price of Energy Autonomy is $17.79, cash only.
Upcoming Events
For information on events sponsored by NREL, industry partners and universities, visit Meetings and Events.
Recent Publications
The following publications and other information products are available online through the NREL Publications Database. The database contains bibliographic information about publications developed or written by NREL staff and subcontractors from 1977 to the present. Many publications are available electronically as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Acrobat Reader.
Small Wind Electric Systems: A Maryland Consumer's Guide (January 2007) (PDF 1.5 MB)
This guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and economics.
National Bioenergy Center Biochemical Platform Integration Project: Quarterly Update #13, October-December 2006 (January 2007) (PDF 323 KB)
Volume 13 of this quarterly newsletter describes the activities of the National Bioenergy Center's Biochemical Processing Integration Task, which focuses on integrating the processing steps involved in enzyme-based lignocellulose conversion technology. This issue includes information on the upcoming 29th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, R&D progress, and related activities.
Building America - U.S. Department of Energy Research Toward Zero Energy Homes The New American Home® 2007, Orlando, Florida (December 2006) (PDF 882 KB)
This brochure describes The New American Home®, which each year demonstrates the use of innovative building materials, cutting-edge design and the latest construction techniques — providing production homebuilders with a model for producing more energy efficient, durable homes without sacrificing style.
Industrial Technologies Program Pumping Systems Tip Sheet #11 Adjustable Speed Pumping Applications (January 2007) (PDF 277 KB)
This two-page tip sheet provides practical tips on the application of Adjustable Speed Drives in industrial settings.
Wind Powering America New England Wind Forum, Volume 1, Issue 2 (December 2006) (PDF 798 KB)
This publication summarizes the latest news in wind energy development activity, markets, education and policy in the New England region.
Highlighting High Performance: Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, Upton, Massachusetts (October 2006) (PDF 1.2 MB)
This brochure describes key high-performance building features of the Blackstone Valley High School, including daylighting and energy- efficient lighting, indoor air quality, solar energy, building envelope, heating and cooling systems and water conservation.
Small Wind Electric Systems: A Colorado Consumer's Guide (December 2006) (PDF 1.6 MB)
This guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether small wind electric systems can provide all or a portion of the energy needed for homes or businesses based on their wind resources, energy needs and economics.
About NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle.
NREL's Public Relations Office publishes Discover NREL. For more information, contact Public Affairs or 303-275-4090.
You can subscribe to Discover NREL using our simple online form, and you can also update your e-mail address or unsubscribe online.
