DOE Awards $92 Million for Groundbreaking Energy Research Projects
DOE announced on July 12 that it awarded $92 million in Recovery Act funds for 43 cutting-edge research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy.
DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is coordinating the work in 18 states. The research projects are designed to accelerate innovation in green technology while increasing U.S. competitiveness in grid-scale energy storage for renewables, power electronics, and building efficiency.
This round of ARPA-E grants focuses on three areas: Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (GRIDS), Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology (ADEPT), and Building Energy Efficiency Through Innovative Thermodevices (BEET-IT).
GRIDS projects seek affordable, large-scale energy storage needed to enable widespread use of wind and solar power. This program is searching for revolutionary new storage technologies that exhibit energy, cost, and cycle life that is comparable to that of pumped hydropower but which are modular and can be widely implemented at any location across the power grid.
Ultimately, technologies developed through this program will be scalable to the gigawatt and gigawatt-hour levels of power and energy capacity. On one GRIDS project being funded, General Atomics and the University of California, San Diego will collaborate to develop a novel flow-battery technology that pumps chemicals through a battery cell when electricity is needed. The battery revolutionizes a century-old, lead-acid battery technology to achieve the low cost, high efficiency, and reliability needed for use on the electric grid.
ADEPT is focused on dramatically improving the efficiency and cost of power conversion and switching, which are among the main causes of electrical efficiency loss across the grid and in electrical applications from cars to computers.
ADEPT projects explore integrated circuits that incorporate high-voltage transistors and high-performance magnetic materials. For example, Cree, Inc., a semiconductor manufacturer, is exploring silicon carbide power modules for grid-scale power conversion. The project will develop advanced transistors for electrical substations that can make the grid more flexible. With advanced transistors, electrical substations could replace today’s massive distribution transformers with suitcase-sized electronic transformers.
BEET-IT will focus on cutting building energy consumption. Structures now consume 40% of U.S. primary energy, that is, energy embodied in resources prior to undergoing any human-made conversions, and account for 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions. New, more efficient methods of cooling represent a great opportunity to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions from buildings.
Battelle Memorial Institute will research the absorption-osmosis cooling cycle to develop an air conditioning system that uses water as a refrigerant and salt as the heat absorber. The system uses reverse osmosis to efficiently separate water from the salt solution. The project will receive $400,000 in funding.
These awards complete ARPA-E’s grants under its Recovery Act funding, which in three rounds since last year has selected 117 projects for $349 million in funding. See the DOE press release, the project selections (PDF 459 KB), the technical descriptions (PDF 545 KB), and the ARPA-E Web site.
DOE, DOI Pick Solar Demo Site in Nevada Desert
DOE and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced on July 8 that they will collaborate on a new "solar demonstration zone" to demonstrate cutting-edge concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies.
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will act as facilitator. The 25-square-mile demonstration zone is in the southwest corner of the Nevada Test Site, a former nuclear testing site, on land owned by DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and administered by DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Following planning and reviews, construction of demonstration projects is scheduled for September 2011. The zone will serve as a proving ground for new solar technologies, providing a critical link between DOE’s advanced technology development activities and full-scale commercialization efforts.
The demonstration zone will complement BLM’s establishment of 24 "solar energy study areas" on federal lands across the Southwest by helping to ensure the most advanced CSP technologies are ready for commercial deployment.
Plans are underway to create a new DOE funding opportunity for demonstration projects at the Nevada Test Site that will include matching investments from the private sector. DOE selected the demonstration zone after evaluating 26 locations for suitable solar conditions, terrain, and infrastructure to support solar projects. BLM and DOE are working closely with the U.S. Air Force to identify and address potential problems with operating the demonstration zone. See the DOE press release, the MOU (PDF 135 KB), DOE’s CSP page, and BLM’s renewable energy Web site.
DOE-Funded Clean Energy Projects Win 8 R&D 100 Awards
DOE national labs and researchers won 39 of 100 awards this year by R&D Magazine for outstanding technology developments with promising commercial potential, including eight awards for energy efficiency and renewable energy research projects.
The sought-after "R&D 100 Awards" are presented annually in recognition of exceptional new products, processes, materials, and software developed throughout the world and introduced to the market the previous year. An independent panel of judges selects the award receipients based on technical significance, uniqueness, and usefulness of projects and technologies from across industry, government, and academia. See the DOE press release for the full list of DOE-funded award winners, and R&D Magazine for all R&D 100 Award winners for 2010.
Six of DOE’s R&D 100 Awards went to renewable energy research projects, including three for biofuels and biobased products. The Idaho National Lab won for its Supercritical/Solid Catalyst (SSC), which converts wastes, such as fats and oils, into biodiesel. SSC turns the worst of wastes into high-quality biodiesel fuels using a single step – a breakthrough that could replace 20% of petroleum diesel used in the U.S., representing crude imports of 800,000 barrels per day.
Los Alamos National Lab was honored for its Ultrasonic Algal Biofuel Harvester, a one-of-a-kind device that uses extremely high-frequency sound waves to extract oils and proteins from algae, separating out and recycling the water, all in one integrated system.
And Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) was recognized for its development of a process to make propylene glycol from renewable sources. PNNL researchers developed a chemical catalyst that converts a plant-based compound into the additive. See press releases from INL and LANL, and PNNL.
Three awards went to solar breakthroughs, including two for the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). NREL’s "black silicon" solar cells, which have been chemically etched with a nanocatalytic solution, can better absorb the sun’s energy. The one-step method, which reduces light reflection from silicon wafers to less than 2%, could reduce manufacturing production costs and capital expenses.
NREL also won an award for the Amonix 7700 Solar Power Generator, a concentrating photovoltaic system that produces 40% more energy than conventional fixed PV panels. The 53 kW device, developed in partnership with Amonix, pairs an Amonix Fresnel lens with high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells.
Micro Power Source, an ultra-small solar cell, was developed jointly by Sandia National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, and Front Edge Technology, Inc.
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. won an award for its commercially manufactured monolithically integrated CIGS thin-film modules – they use a plastic substrate for various applications including automotive, portable power and rooftops. See the press releases from NREL and Sandia, and Ascent Solar.
And, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) won awards for two energy efficiency contributions. Home Energy Saver is a free online tool that identifies a range of energy-saving upgrades specific to each user’s home construction and location. The tool, known as Hohm, received over 6 million unique visitors as of January 2009. LBNL researchers also created rough silicon nanowires, thermoelectric material that can be used to recover waste heat from cars, airplanes, power plants, and other sources to cut energy use. See the LBNL press release.
EPA Proposes Percentages for 2011 Renewable Fuel Standards
On July 12, the U.S. EPA proposed the 2011 percentage standards for four fuel categories in its Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the annual renewable fuel volume targets, which reach an overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022.
To achieve the targets, the EPA calculates a percentage-based standard for the following year. Based on the standard, each refiner, importer, and non-oxygenate blender of gasoline determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel they must use.
Under the proposed overall volumes and standards for 2011, biomass-based diesel will make up 0.68% of overall volume, totaling 0.80 billion gallons; advanced biofuels will make up 0.77%, a total of 1.35 billion gallons; cellulosic biofuels will range from 0.004% to 0.015%, totaling 5-17.1 million gallons; and total renewable fuels will equal 7.95%, or 13.95 billion gallons.
In this latest update, EPA proposes a 2011 cellulosic volume that is lower than the EISA target, based on current market information. However, the agency will continue to evaluate the market before finalizing the cellulosic standard in the coming months.
The EPA is also proposing changes to RFS2 regulations that would potentially apply to renewable fuel producers who use canola oil, grain sorghum, pulpwood, or palm oil as a feedstock. This program rule would allow the fuel produced by those feedstocks dating back to July 1, 2010, to be used for compliance should EPA determine in a future rulemaking that such fuels meet certain GHG reduction thresholds.
The second change would set criteria for foreign feedstocks to be treated like domestic feedstocks in terms of the documentation needed to prove they can be used to make qualifying renewable fuel under the RFS2 program.
Public comment on the renewable fuel standards and the proposed changes to the RFS2 regulations will be due 30 days following publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register. As of July 13, the proposal had not yet been published. See the EPA press release, the proposed renewable fuels rules (PDF 492 KB), and the Renewable Fuel Standard Web site.
Swiss Solar Plane Makes First Night Flight
A solar-powered aircraft that flew over Switzerland for more than 26 continuous hours on July 7-8 achieved an important milestone in a project that aims to launch a zero-emission flight around the world in 2012.
The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, a lightweight prototype with the 208-foot wingspan of a Boeing 747-400, completed what organizers say is the first-ever full night-time flight by a solar-powered aircraft.
Solar Impulse CEO Andre Borschberg was in the cockpit. The aircraft’s nearly 12,000 silicon mono-crystalline solar cells-mounted on its wings and on its horizontal stabilizer-absorbed the sun’ rays on the ascent and supplied the craft’s four electric engines and lithium-polymer batteries, enabling Impulse to average about 26 miles per hour for the flight. Organizers say the flight set records for both the longest and highest solar-powered flight by a piloted aircraft, with the craft reaching just over 28,000 feet above sea level.
Solar Impulse, seven years in the making, took its maiden flight on April 7 in Switzerland, staying aloft for more than an hour as a test pilot put it through its paces. During the night flight, Borschberg told his ground control crew that the cold caused his water supply to freeze and his iPod battery to fail. A second Solar Impulse aircraft, the HB-SIB, has been developed to attempt several consecutive 24-hour flight cycles and will be built this summer, according to the Solar Impulse team.
Success in its day-and-night trials would enable the aircraft to attempt its first trans-Atlantic crossing, possibly by 2012. See the Solar Impulse press release and Web site.
U.S. Utilities Must Embrace Clean Energy to Remain Competitive
Several key trends in the U.S. electric utility industry are making it essential for them to provide cleaner, low-carbon electricity while enabling customers to better manage and reduce their energy use, according to a new report.
"The 21st Century Electric Utility: Positioning for a Low-Carbon Future," was prepared by Navigant Consulting, Inc. for Ceres, a coalition of organizations that works with companies to address sustainability challenges.
The report identifies four key industry trends toward cleaner energy:
- growing imperatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
- increasing policy and regulatory momentum that will make coal-based generation less competitive,
- increasing use and policy support for energy efficiency and Smart Grid technologies,
- and declining renewable energy costs.
Key Roadblocks that are preventing utilities from acting more quickly:
- uncertainty about future policies for carbon emission reduction;
- rates based on electricity sales, which reduce utility incentives to promote energy efficiency;
- the limitations of today’s power grid to integrate large amounts of renewable energy and to enable energy management for utility customers.
The report concludes that utilities should manage carbon emissions based on existing and foreseeable carbon-reduction requirements; pursue all cost-effective energy efficiency measures; integrate cost-effective renewable energy resources into the generation mix; incorporate Smart Grid technologies, and conduct robust and transparent resource planning. Utilities that implement these practices with support from legislators and regulators will be more likely to attract low-cost capital. See the Ceres press release and the full report (PDF 2.9 MB).
Ceres was also involved with a recent report that examined the emissions performance of the top 100 electric power producers in the U.S. The report notes that since 1990, power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides decreased 54% and 52%, respectively, while carbon emissions increased by 30%.
The report also finds that relatively few power producers are responsible for significant percentages of the air emissions from U.S. power plants. For example, five of the top 100 U.S. power companies emit nearly 25% of the industry’s carbon emissions. The report also summarizes the trends affecting the industry. See the Ceres press release and the full report (PDF 8.1 MB).
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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