 |
Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
Morey Wolfson |
September Seminar: Analysis of Colorado's Energy Economy Policy
On September 13, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing Colorado's new energy economy policy. In the November 2006 statewide election, Colorado residents voted overwhelmingly to make clean energy a priority for the state. During this seminar, Morey Wolfson, utilities program manager at the Colorado Governor's Energy Office, will describe the political precedence that resulted in what Governor Bill Ritter refers to as a "seismic shock" in voter demand for these resources. Wolfson will characterize how the governor and the Legislature partnered to pass more than a dozen major energy efficiency and renewable energy bills. He will then comment on how he expects these bills will be implemented at the state's electric and gas utilities, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and the Governor's Energy Office. He also will describe how these changes are affecting the strategies within Colorado's efficiency and renewable advocacy communities.
 |
Analysis of the Solar America Initiative
Analyst Robert Margolis was the technical monitor for the report "Energy, Economic, and Environmental Benefits of the Solar America Initiative," (PDF 700 KB) produced by ECONorthwest. The President's Solar America Initiative (SAI) was launched in January 2006 as part of the administration's Advanced Energy Initiative. The SAI is being led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP), with NREL providing analytical and technical support. The SAI has a goal of installing 5-10 GW of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States by 2015 and 70-100 GW of PV systems in the United States by 2030. To make PV cost-competitive with other energy resources, this requires that the installed cost of PV fall from approximately $8/Wdc in 2005 to $3.3/Wdc in 2015 and $2.5/Wdc in 2030. This report presents estimates of the potential energy, economic, and environmental benefits that could result should the SAI PV installation goals be achieved.
 |
Distributed Generation Wind Opportunities
SEAC staff members Alicen Kandt, Elizabeth Brown, and Jeffrey Dominick recently published "Making the Economic Case for Small-Scale Distributed Wind — A Screening for Distributed Generation Wind Opportunities" (PDF 416 KB) for the WindPower 2007 conference. This study was an offshoot of a previous assessment, which examined the potential for large-scale (greater than 50 MW) wind development on occupied federal agency lands. The study did not find significant commercial wind development opportunities, primarily because of poor wind resource on available and appropriately sized land areas, or land use or aesthetic concerns. The study did identify a promising —but less common — distributed generation (DG) development option. This follow-up study documents efforts to identify economic DG wind projects at a select group of occupied federal sites by an NREL/Global Energy Concepts team. The benefits and barriers of DG are discussed, and the screening methodology and results are included. The report concludes with generalizations about the screening method and recommendations for improvement and other potential applications for this methodology.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
SEAC staff member Andy Walker discussed zero-energy (100% renewables) life-cycle cost optimization during the Southwest Renewable Energy Conference, July 31-August 2, in Boulder, Colorado. The conference, which was sponsored by Northern Arizona University, provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information about renewable energy.
Also in early August, SEAC staff members David Kline, Shannon Cowlin, and Kelli Anderson hosted a delegation from the Chinese photovoltaics (PV) industry, including representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Gansu provincial government, and research organizations. The group discussed their plans for large grid-connected PV projects in Western China and heard from NREL staff regarding U.S. experience with grid-tied PV.
Several SEAC staff members presented at and led sessions during federal agency meetings at the GovEnergy conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, the week of August 6. GovEnergy is sponsored by the U.S. departments of Energy, Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, the U.S. General Services Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the conference was to provide federal agency energy managers with information on the latest energy-saving strategies and products, opportunities to network with colleagues, and training.
Sheila Hayter, of SEAC, developed a presentation on the status of NREL's work in feasibility analysis of 16 Veterans Administration (VA) sites for photovoltaic and solar hot water systems. Alicen Kandt, also of SEAC, gave the presentation on August 9 during a VA energy meeting, following the GovEnergy Conference in New Orleans. She also led a team performing energy audits on three New Orleans schools in support of NREL's Buildings Program.
SEAC's Doug Arent served as a panelist at the University of Colorado's "The Global Energy Crisis: Climate Change, Mitigation and Adaptation" event on August 30 in Boulder, Colorado. He discussed the status and opportunities of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
Andy Walker |
August Seminar: Achieving "Zero Energy" Facilities
On August 9, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing "net zero" utility energy use for a facility. This seminar, presented by Andy Walker of NREL, will address methods for determining the combination of renewable energy technologies that achieves "net zero" utility energy use for a facility, while minimizing life-cycle cost. Many organizations operate enough real property that it's affordable for them to take a "portfolio" approach and designate at least one of their facilities to demonstrate net-zero utility use. For example, a convenience food manufacturer, a major brewer, and the National Zoo have all asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to help them with this goal in 2007. NREL's unique capabilities put it in a good position to provide this service. The method described in this seminar uses the lab's expertise in technology characterization, geographic information systems (GIS), and resource assessment. Walker will discuss factors such as the appropriate values to use for technology characterization and the status of GIS information available for use in the analysis.
Analysis Seminars at EERE
The Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation (PAE) group at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) presents weekly seminars every Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. ET. These seminars bring together analysts from all the laboratories in the DOE system, as well as other groups working in energy analysis, to discuss their current projects and results. To find out more about these topics, access the Events page on the Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) Web site.
Analysis of ENERGY STAR
SEAC analysts Gail Mosey, Patricia Plympton, and Leila Dagher recently published "Home Performance with ENERGY STAR: Utility Bill Analysis on Homes Participating in Austin Energy's Program" (PDF 481 KB) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) is a jointly managed program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program focuses on improving energy efficiency in existing homes via a whole-house approach to assessing and improving a home's energy performance, and helping to protect the environment. As a local sponsor for HPwES, Austin Energy's HPwES program offers a complete home energy analysis and a list of recommendations for efficiency improvements, along with cost estimates. To determine the benefits of this program, NREL collaborated with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to conduct a statistical analysis using energy consumption data of HPwES homes provided by Austin Energy. This report provides preliminary estimates of average savings per home from the HPwES Loan Program for the period 1998 through 2006.
Home Energy Efficiency Technologies
Patricia Plympton and Leila Dagher of SEAC recently published "Industry Stakeholder Recommendations for DOE's RD&D for Increasing Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes" (PDF 1.1 MB). DOE directed NREL to solicit and obtain feedback from building practitioners on the direction of future DOE research and development in the area of improving energy use in existing residential buildings. The Building Technologies Program (BTP) within DOE specifically sought feedback from stakeholders on which technologies and best practices the program should pursue. Industry stakeholders included home remodelers and builders, home energy raters, HVAC contractors, home performance contractors, insulation installers, manufacturers, building scientists, and other interested stakeholders. This analysis report plots the feedback by end-use category, showing the areas where the industry participants see a need for increased existing homes R&D.
Resource Assessment for Afghanistan and Pakistan
In partnership with NREL's geographic information systems (GIS) group and the technology centers, SEAC staff recently produced two CDs — NREL Resource Maps and Toolkits for Afghanistan and Pakistan — featuring extensive analysis data specific to those countries. The products were developed by NREL for the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Cooperation (SARI/E). The resource assessment section of NREL's International Web site contains high-resolution wind and solar resource maps and data products, with individual sections for Pakistan and Afghanistan. The data were output in GIS format and incorporated into a Geospatial Toolkit (GsT). The GsT allows the user to examine the resource data in a geospatial context along with other key information relevant to renewable energy development, such as transportation networks, transmission corridors, existing power facilities, load centers, terrain conditions, and land use.
David Hurlbut |
Analysts in the News
David Hurlbut, senior analyst with NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center, was recently appointed to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's Renewable Resource Generation Development Area Task Force. The panel will produce maps detailing the opportunities for renewable energy development in Colorado. Hurlbut will be working closely with NREL's geographic information systems group to produce the resource information. The maps and supporting materials are scheduled to be delivered to the Governor's Office and the General Assembly by Dec. 31.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
Roger Taylor presented an overview of renewable energy resource and technology options to the Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Legislative Committee of New Mexico on July 12 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This committee is looking into the broad range of renewable energy options for the state, conducting two days of hearings covering everything from climate change to energy efficiency. Taylor covered the five main RE resources in New Mexico (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectric) and discussed the reliability and readiness of renewables for New Mexico.
NREL and DOE's Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP) hosted a State Biofuels Workshop on July 16-17, attracting more than 70 participants from DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, alongside 50 representatives from state energy offices, agriculture and transportation departments, and economic development offices. Workshop attendees, which represented 30 states, shared experiences in state biofuels policy and identified areas for federal-state and interstate cooperation in meeting the president's alternative fuels goals.
Doug Arent, of SEAC, participated in the Rothesay Energy Dialogue's "Alternative Energy Discussion" on July 17-18 in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada. Arent provided an overview of the range of renewable energy technologies, which included an assessment of technology status and the realistic options for reducing reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting energy sources. The audience, including senior ministers from Canada, discussed issues to help inform their energy policy debate.
The Nicholas Institute hosted a two-day symposium titled "Economic Modeling of Federal Climate Proposals: Advancing Model Transparency and Technology Policy Development," in Washington, D.C., on July 18-19. Doug Arent and other top experts addressed three goals: providing a transparent view of currents models and their analysis of legislation; identifying strengths, weakness, and needed improvements in each model; and identifying targets for complementary technologies policies. The event was geared toward content providers as well as a policy audience.
Andy Walker, in support of NREL's photovoltaics program, conducted site assessments of all U.S. House, Senate, and Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C, on July 23-27. This is the first step in evaluating large rooftop photovoltaic systems on the buildings. The site assessment team includes experts from NREL, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Florida Solar Energy Center.
SEAC staff Sheila Hayter and Otto Van Geet visited the Massachusetts Military Reserve on Cape Cod in late July to conduct an initial analysis of the potential for powering groundwater remediation systems for the Army Environmental Command.
Lori Bird |
July Seminar: Carbon Policies and Renewable Markets
On July 12, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing carbon policies and renewable markets. Many consumers today are purchasing renewable energy and renewable energy certificates (RECs), in large part, for the greenhouse gas emissions benefits that they provide. Emerging carbon regulation in the United States has the potential to affect existing markets for renewable energy. Carbon cap-and-trade programs are now under development in the Northeast under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI — pronounced "Reggie") and in early stages of development in California and five other western states. There is increasing discussion about carbon regulation at the national level as well. This presentation by Lori Bird, of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will summarize key issues for renewables markets that are emerging with carbon regulation, such as the implications for emissions benefits claims and voluntary market demand and the use of RECs in multiple markets. Bird also will explore policy options under consideration for designing carbon policies to enable carbon markets and renewable energy markets to work together.
Howard Herzog |
July "Bonus" Seminar: Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage
On July 23, SEAC and PBA will present a seminar discussing carbon dioxide capture and storage. Unheard of beyond a handful of researchers a decade ago, CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is emerging an important mitigation option in the fight against global climate change. In this presentation, Howard Herzog of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will attempt to separate the hype from the reality as well as attempt to give a realistic report on where CCS is today. He'll also talk about the challenges that must be addressed for CCS to play a significant role in the future, incorporating findings from a recently released MIT interdisciplinary study, The Future of Coal, of which Herzog was coauthor. The study looks out to the year 2050 and assesses technologies and policies that could be pursued in the short term to utilize coal in the longer term — and reduce its associated CO2 emissions by at least 1 GtC.
 |
The Potential for Offshore Wind
Analysts Walter Short and Patrick Sullivan recently published "Modeling the National Potential for Offshore Wind" (PDF 3.2 MB) for the WindPower 2007 Conference in Los Angeles. There is a national interest in the potential of offshore wind power due to the growing concern about climate change and the corresponding need for renewable energy. Offshore wind power is attractive due to the large and high-quality resource off the U.S. coasts as well as that offshore wind farms can be sited relatively close to load centers – more than half the population of the United States lives within 50 miles of an ocean or Great Lake – lowering transmission losses and expense. Additionally, wind farms off the coast of Europe have successfully demonstrated the technology. Offshore wind farms, however, have high up-front costs and are not seen as economical in the near term. There is interest, therefore, in examining under what economic, social, and technological conditions offshore wind becomes viable. This paper contributes to this examination, using the Wind Deployment System (WinDS) model.
Strategic Energy Management Plans
NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) produces energy management plans for federal agencies, helping them integrate their mission and requirements for energy, the environment, and sustainability. Examples include reports for the General Services Administration (PDF 1.7 MB) and the Department of Commerce (PDF 2.7 MB). These guidance documents provide federal agencies with information on how to reduce energy consumption through sound conservation practices and the greater use of advanced energy systems. For more information on how NREL can help with an energy management plan, contact Deb Beattie.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
A U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-sponsored event was held June 24 and 25, titled "Renewable Energy Symposium: Roll-Out of Wind and Solar Resource Maps for Afghanistan and Pakistan." Almost 200 representatives of government, industry, and the media attended this event in Islamabad, Pakistan. NREL's David Renné presented the methodology and tools developed under the USAID South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy and described the renewable resource potential for the region. With the power sector in Pakistan growing by over 8% per year, these renewable resource tools have the potential to stimulate much-needed renewable energy development in the region.
Doug Arent discussed energy challenges related to international security issues at the Joint Forces Command Innovations and Experimentation Planning Workshop in Suffolk, Virginia, on June 27. One hundred attendees from across the Defense Department attended and used the information to help inform their operational planning scenarios for the next two decades.
NREL hosted a workshop for the Energy Collaborative Analysis Initiative (ECAI) on June 27 and 28 in Washington, D.C. Sixty analysts attended from the Department of Energy (DOE); California Energy Commission (CEC); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Energy Information Administration (EIA); and many other national labs, universities, and institutions. Sessions focused on improving impact evaluation models and tools, incorporating risk and uncertainty in models, and helped inform further collaborative activities across the organizations. See the ECAI Web site for more about the collaborative.
Doug Arent was invited to speak about NREL's latest programs during the Washington Energy Briefing on June 28 in Washington, D.C. The event featured top congressional, government, and business leaders, providing the latest information on new and just-passed congressional energy legislation and new federal government energy programs.
Andy Walker presented a paper "Design and Analysis of a Large Solar Industrial Heat Plant for Frito Lay" in Modesto, California, at the 2007 Energy Sustainability conference in Long Beach, California. This work was funded by the Frito Lay Corporation.
Roger Taylor was interviewed by an affiliate of the University of New Mexico Public Broadcasting regarding renewable energy opportunities in New Mexico. Primary topics of interest were solar and wind opportunities for the state. Later in July, he will provide testimony to the New Mexico Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Interim Legislative Committee on renewable energy opportunities in Santa Fe.
Neal Elliott |
June Seminar: State Potential for RE and EE
On June 14, NREL and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing the state-level potential for energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) resources. More states are turning to EE and RE in the race for clean and secure energy resources. In doing so, these states are leading the way on many key policies that drive investment in these areas, such as building codes, energy efficiency resource standards, and renewable portfolio standards. However, as states face growing energy supply constraints, there is a growing need to balance the energy portfolio with efficiency and renewable resources. This presentation, given by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) researchers Neal Elliott and Maggie Eldridge, will focus on recent state-level assessments prepared by ACEEE on the potential for EE and RE in Texas and Florida, describing both the results of the analyses and the research process.
TAP Webcast: Trends in U.S. Wind Power
NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE's Technical Assistance Project (TAP) will present a webcast on "Trends in U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance" from 1-2 p.m. ET on June 19.
In this presentation, staff from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will summarize key findings from the U.S. DOE's "Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006." (PDF 2.4 MB) The wind power industry is in the midst of substantial growth and, with the market evolving at such a rapid pace, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with trends in the marketplace. The report summarized in this presentation is the first in what is envisioned to be an ongoing annual series, providing a detailed overview of developments and trends. Detailed data on actual wind power price, cost, and performance trends will be provided.
The webcast also will provide information on how state and local officials can receive assistance with renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and programs through TAP. For more information on TAP, access the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Web site.
Interested participants should contact Misty Conrad by e-mail or at 303-384-7467 for log-in information.
 |
PHEVs and Utilities in Colorado
Analysts Paul Denholm, Tony Markel, and Keith Parks recently published "Costs and Emissions Associated with Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging in the Xcel Energy Colorado Service Territory," (PDF 551 KB). The combination of high oil costs, concerns about oil security and availability, and air quality issues related to vehicle emissions are driving interest in "plug-in" hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). PHEVs are similar to conventional hybrid electric vehicles, but feature a larger battery and plug-in charger that allows electricity from the grid to replace a portion of the petroleum-fueled drive energy. The use of PHEVs would represent a significant potential shift in the use of electricity and the operation of electric power systems. Electrification of the transportation sector could increase generation capacity and transmission and distribution (T&D) requirements, especially if vehicles are charged during periods of high demand. This study is designed to evaluate several of these PHEV-charging impacts on utility system operations within the Xcel Energy Colorado service territory.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
Lori Bird presented a luncheon keynote address at the Environmental Markets Association Conference on May 8 in Boston, which highlighted the findings of a recent NREL report, "Implications of Carbon Regulation for Green Power Markets" (PDF 982 KB)
Phil Voss served as an instructor for the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Introduction to Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) Workshop in San Diego, California, on May 15-16. There were about 25 attendees from multiple federal agencies.
NREL and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) cosponsored the "Alternative Transportation Fuels, Session VII - Infrastructure" series on May 17 in Washington, D.C. The series surveys the transportation choices that will confront the U.S. consumer in the decades ahead. SEAC Director Doug Arent was chair for the meeting, which was attended by about 100 people.
Otto VanGeet, Jeff Dominick, and Michael Deru (all of NREL) participated in an Air Force Facility Energy Strategic Planning session held in mid-May at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. Strategic plans and work plans were developed in several key areas (new buildings, existing buildings, renewables, and energy purchasing). At the conclusion of the meeting, the preliminary plans were presented to and approved by Air Force Headquarters, and they will be fine-tuned and implemented during the next six years as part of a larger program addressing overall Air Force energy use.
Fourteen Afghan engineers, representing government, academia, nongovernment organizations, and universities in Afghanistan participated in a workshop in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on May 20-27. The workshop, which focused on successful renewable energy applications in South Asia, included a presentation by NREL on the lab's newly developed solar and wind maps and geospatial toolkit for Afghanistan. The workshop, funded by USAID, also provided further training on HOMER, NREL's hybrid power optimization model.
Robi Robichaud met with Navy and Air Force officials in Guam on May 20 to conduct siting analysis for installing towers and, eventually, wind turbines at military sites on the island. They also looked at PV applications for the Navy. This work is a continuation of efforts for a recent Air Force study.
Roger Taylor, Larry Flowers, and Doug Arent hosted the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) on May 22-23 at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). SWRR is one of four natural resource roundtables supporting the efforts of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to develop a comprehensive set of national environmental indicators.
NREL hosted an "Industry Forum on Biofuels Development in Brazil, China, and India" on May 24- 25 in Washington, D.C. A collaboration with DOE, the forum is designed to solicit input from U.S. biofuel companies on market opportunities and barriers in these three countries. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for EERE John Mizroch and NREL Director Dan Arvizu participated in the event, along with representatives from other U.S. government agencies and key industrial groups.
Doug Arent presented at the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Security Analysts' Conference in Colorado Springs on May 25. INGAA hosts this conference annually as part of its effort to build relationships between the financial analyst community and senior pipeline executives. Arent's presentation covered the changing energy landscape and advanced technologies.
John Sheehan was part of an expert panel for ethanol technology at the Simmons and Company Alternative Fuels Workshop in Sonoma, California, on May 30-June 2. Simmons and Company provides a complete line of investment banking services to its energy clients.
May "Bonus" Seminar: Real Options Analysis
On May 24, NREL and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a "bonus" seminar discussing "real options." Real options value the strategic flexibility that management has to change course with a project based on changing business conditions. However, the added project value that is reflected in real options analysis (ROA) is sometimes viewed with suspicion by management, often because of the perception that real options are complex and hard to understand. In this workshop, Steve Hoye (of Decisioneering Inc.), takes a management view of real options, dealing with high-level intuition around how ROA values strategic flexibility. Several real-life examples of real options analysis are used to illustrate the approach and de-mystify real options analysis.
 |
Green Power Markets and Carbon Regulation
NREL analysts, along with Ed Holt and Associates Inc., recently published "Implications of Carbon Regulation for Green Power Markets" (PDF 983 KB). While the implementation of policies to control or reduce carbon emissions is likely to provide market benefit to renewable energy sources by increasing the cost of production from carbon-emitting energy sources, the impact on voluntary renewable energy purchase ("green power") markets is not as clear. Because voluntary purchases are often premised on the ability to make environmental claims, the green power market could be negatively impacted if carbon policies are not properly structured. In this report, the authors review carbon regulation programs under development in the Northeast and California, as well as the experience in the European Union, where carbon is already regulated, and discuss the potential implications of these programs for the types of environmental claims currently made by commercial and institutional green power purchasers. The authors also explore the potential interaction between voluntary renewable energy purchase markets and voluntary carbon markets, such as the Chicago Climate Exchange. The report ends with policy options for regulators and other decision makers to consider in designing carbon policies that will enable carbon markets and voluntary renewable energy markets to work together.
 |
Reducing Fossil Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Solar Water Heating
NREL also published "The Technical Potential of Solar Water Heating to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States" (PDF 571 KB). Use of solar water heating (SWH) in the United States grew significantly in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as a result of increasing energy prices and generous tax credits. Since 1985, however, expiration of federal tax credits and decreased energy prices have virtually eliminated the U.S. market for SWH. More recently, increases in energy prices, concerns regarding emissions of greenhouse gases, and improvements in SWH systems have created new interest in the potential of this technology. SWH, which uses the sun to heat water directly or via a heat-transfer fluid in a collector, may be particularly important in its ability to reduce natural gas use. This report provides an overview of the technical potential of solar water heating to reduce fossil fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. residential and commercial buildings.
 |
GPRA Benefits Analysis Report
The Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) has released its FY 2008 benefits analysis report, "Projected Benefits of Federal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs – FY 2008 Budget Request." This report summarizes the results of the benefits analysis, which was led by NREL, of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs, as described in the FY 2008 budget request and developed under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. EERE estimates benefits for its overall portfolio and for each of its nine Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (RD3) programs. Benefits for the FY 2008 budget request are estimated for the midterm (2008-2030) and long term (2030-2050). EERE annually assesses the contribution of its work to DOE's goals of providing affordable, clean, and reliable energy. Two energy market models are used in this assessment—one that looks in detail at the midterm (through 2030) and one that looks more generally at trends in the long term (through 2050).
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
Doug Arent attended the Utah Energy Summit on April 16-17 in downtown Salt Lake City. The Utah Energy Summit examines how cutting-edge, next-generation technologies reshape America's energy policy and our future. The summit focused throughout the event on how to reconcile the need to increase energy supply while limiting environmental impacts, including those related to climate change.
Blair Swezey presented on "Trends in Utility Green Pricing Programs" at the Electric Utility Consultants Inc. (EUCI) Marketing Green Power Conference in Chicago on April 19-20.
Peter Lilienthal attended the Alaska Rural Energy Conference the week of April 22, where he presented on the economics of distributed generation, hosted an "Expert Table" on Community Energy Planning, and performed all-day training on the HOMER micropower optimization model for wind-diesel applications.
Doug Arent attended the 2nd Annual Renewable Energy Finance and Investment Summit at Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix, Arizona, on April 23-25. The FRA's Summit explored innovative, new financing methods stimulating high growth in renewable fuel and renewable power projects.
NREL hosted a high-level Chinese delegation on April 25 from the National Development and Reform Commission. The delegation was accompanied by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kathy Fredriksen from DOE's Office of Policy and International Affairs. The delegation members received briefings on NREL's biofuels and other research programs, and discussions were held on ongoing and potential future NREL collaboration with China.
Nancy Carlisle, along with Geoffrey Bell from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, were co-instructors for the Labs for the 21st Century introductory course on April 25. Approximately 60 architects and engineers (25% from foreign countries) attended a four-day seminar series focused on laboratories and sponsored by the Eagleson Institute of Sanford, Maine. The attendees design labs for both federal and private clients.
Walter Short attended the Energy Show in Ireland where he presented on NREL analyses on the impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the grid and wind. On April 27, he presented on the same subject at the offices of Sustainable Energy Ireland.
 |
NREL Releases "Top 10" Utility Green Power Program Rankings
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released its annual ranking of leading utility green power programs. Using information provided by utilities, NREL develops "Top 10" rankings of utility programs in the following categories: total sales of renewable energy to program participants, total number of customer participants, customer participation rate and the lowest price premium charged for a green pricing service using new renewable resources. For more information, see the Top Ten Utility Green Power Programs item on the Green Power Network.
 |
April Seminar: Evaluating Nonenergy Benefits
On April 12, NREL's Energy Analysis Center and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing nonenergy benefits. Research indicates that nonenergy benefits (NEBs) are important — but often omitted — effects from energy efficiency programs. This seminar will discuss the latest in nonenergy benefits for residential and nonresidential programs — and what research from around the country is finding about NEBs. Lisa Skumatz, of Skumatz Economic Research Associates (SERA), will introduce the three perspectives for NEBs — utility, societal (including economic multipliers), and participant effects — and the main benefit categories included in each perspective. The presentation will also focus on participant NEBs, explaining basic measurement principles, as well as provide results, comparisons, and implications from residential, nonresidential, and renewables programs around the nation.
 |
Geothermal Analysis Publications Released
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with Black Mountain Technology, recently published "Updated U.S. Geothermal Supply Characterization" (PDF 877 KB). This paper, presented at the 32nd Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering at Stanford University, documents the approach taken to characterize and represent an updated assessment of U.S. geothermal supply for use in forecasting the penetration of geothermal electrical generation in the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). This work is motivated by several factors: The supply characterization used as the basis of several recent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) forecasts of geothermal capacity is outdated; additional geothermal resource assessments have been published; and a new costing tool that incorporates current technology, engineering practices, and associated costs has been released.
 |
NREL analysts, along with Princeton Energy Resources International (PERI), also published "Preliminary Technical Risk Analysis for the Geothermal Technologies Program" (PDF 1.4 MB). This report explains the goals, methods, and results of a probabilistic analysis of technical risk for a portfolio of R&D projects in the DOE Geothermal Technologies Program. The main challenge in the analysis lies in translating R&D results to a quantitative reflection of technical risk for a key Program metric: levelized cost of energy (LCOE). This requires both computational development (i.e., creating a spreadsheet-based analysis tool) and a synthesis of judgments by a panel of researchers and experts of the expected results of the Program's R&D.
 |
Resource Assessment Sent to Congress
NREL and the Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) recently released the "Report to Congress on Renewable Energy Resource Assessment Information for the United States" (PDF 11.2 MB) Download Adobe Reader. This report was a requirement of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), which directs DOE to prepare a report to Congress presenting a detailed inventory of U.S. renewable resource assessment information. The report includes data on solar, wind, biomass, ocean (including tidal, wave, current, and thermal), geothermal, and hydropower energy resource technologies. Resource assessment products include reports, maps, in-situ measurement data, remotely sensed data, and modeled data that characterize the physical potential for renewable energy generation. This report also reviews the status of available resource assessment products, along with related data and tools that integrate resource information with other factors influencing renewable energy development and considers how well these products meet user needs.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
NREL's Energy Forecasting and Modeling group hosted a one-day meeting on March 21 kicking off a project to expand the Stochastic Energy Deployment System (SEDS) model to incorporate energy end-use sectors, energy supply sources, and additional energy conversion sectors. SEDS, a capacity expansion forecasting model of the U.S. energy market, developed initially for the electricity sector, represents the impacts of major market drivers and explicitly incorporates uncertainty. Once complete, the model will be used to examine the implications of possible energy futures and to assist DOE in assessing the impact of its research and development investments in energy technologies. Analysts from the following organizations attended the meeting and will contribute their expertise to the project: DOE/EERE/PBA, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
In mid-March, NREL analyst Ron Benioff testified before the Colorado Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee on the subject of renewable energy development on state lands.
Also in March, NREL's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) hosted 25 energy managers, base commanders, and electrical and civil engineers from Schriever Air Force Base (AFB), Buckley AFB, Peterson AFB, Air Space Command, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, educating them on wind and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The group visited the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) where they learned more about resource assessment, turbine technology, and project financing. The managers and facilities representatives hope to invest in on-site wind and solar projects.
 |
March Seminar: Energy Systems Analysis
On March 8, NREL's Energy Analysis Center and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing energy systems analysis. This presentation, given by Paul Meier of the University of Wisconsin, will discuss MyPower, a model that uniquely blends research, education, and public outreach. This Web-based program performs integrated resource planning, evaluating existing and proposed technologies (e.g., base-load power plants, intermittent renewables, energy efficiency, pollution controls). It also provides continuous feedback on the system cost and compliance with emission limits, portfolio standards, and planning reserve margins. Near-term goals for this initiative are to: 1) create collaborations aimed at populating a shared database of technologies, policies, and site-specific resources, and 2) initiate networking capabilities through development of an energy game geared to high school students.
NREL Publishes Analysis Reports
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently published "Regions in Energy Market Models" (PDF 1.3 MB). This report explores the different options for spatial resolution of an energy market model — and the advantages and disadvantages of models with fine spatial resolution. It examines different options for capturing spatial variations, considers the tradeoffs between them, and presents a few examples from one particular model that has been run at different levels of spatial resolution.
NREL analysts also published "Understanding and Informing the Policy Environment: State-Level Renewable Fuels Standards" (PDF 612
KB). Renewable fuels standard (RFS) policies are becoming a popular public policy mechanism for developing the market for renewable fuels in the transportation sector. During the past decade, U.S. states and several countries began implementing these more market-based (less command and control) policies to support increased biofuels production and use. This paper presents an overview of current and proposed U.S. state-level policies, as well as selected electric sector policies and international fuel standard policies. Understanding and building on the experiences from these previous policies can improve the policy mechanism and further develop a market for renewable fuels to meet the goals of improved economy, environment, and fuel self-sufficiency.
The Lab also published "Experience Scaling-Up Manufacturing of Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies" (PDF 726 KB). This report examines two important generic photovoltaic technologies at particularly revealing stages of development, i.e., the stages between R&D and stable commercial production and profitable sales. Based on two historical cases, it attempts to shed light on the difference between: 1) costs and schedules validated by actual manufacturing and market experience, and 2) estimated costs and schedules that rely on technology forecasts and engineering estimates. The experience reported here can be instructive to those managing comparable efforts, and to their investors. It can also be instructive to R&D managers responsible for positioning such new technologies for commercial success.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
Analyst Doug Arent co-hosted the 6th Session on Future Fuels with the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C. Representatives from General Motors, Toyota, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) participated in the briefing on the status of transportation technologies, which was attended by 75 representatives from business, government, and the media.
The NREL Tribal Energy Program presented an overview of renewable energy opportunities for Alaska villages to the Alaska Village Initiative annual rural business conference, and the Alaska Forum on the Environment, both held in Anchorage in mid-February.
 |
February Seminar: Evaluating Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
On February 8, 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 certificates. This presentation, given by Jurgen Weiss of LECG, will examine potential theoretical explanations of some of the problems observed with renewable power development, exploring similarities with other types of electricity markets. It shows how market design in the context of a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) might explain the observed pattern of prices for renewable energy certificates (RECs), which are a part of several RPS regimes. The seminar will also point to potential alternatives to the currently typical approach.
Groups Launch Energy Collaborative Analysis Initiative
A multiorganizational group has initiated a collaborative effort with federal and state officials and research organizations to identify opportunities to enhance collaboration on energy analysis — an effort that would ultimately inform policy making. Through the development of a shared strategy for addressing high-priority energy issues, the Energy Collaborative Analysis Initiative (ECAI) aims to inform decision-makers, improve analysis assumptions and methodologies, and increase interagency collaboration. These analysis collaborations may ultimately expand to include participants in other sectors as well (private sector, nongovernmental organizations, etc.).
For more information on the priority energy topics, background on the collaborators, and outcomes from the inaugural workshop, visit the ECAI Web site.
 |
January Seminar: Transportation Policy and Planning
On January 25, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar discussing issues that affect future urban transport — and have implications for transport policy and planning. This presentation, given by Todd Littman of Canada's Victoria Transport Policy Institute, will discuss various energy and environmental problems, how they can be evaluated, and options for addressing them. This seminar also will address "Win-Win Transportation Solutions," which are technically feasible reforms justified on market principles.
 |
 |
NREL Publishes Analysis Reports
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently published the "Photovoltaic Incentive Design Handbook" (PDF 1.0 MB) Download Adobe Reader. This handbook is designed for agencies and utilities that offer or intend to offer incentive programs for customer-owned PV systems. Its purpose is to help select, design, and implement incentive programs that best meet programmatic goals. The handbook begins with a discussion of the various available incentive structures and then provides qualitative and quantitative tools necessary to design the most appropriate incentive structure. It concludes with program administration considerations.
NREL also recently published "Burbank Transportation Management Organization: Impact Analysis" (PDF 472 KB) Download Adobe Reader. The Burbank Transportation Management Organization (BTMO) — a private, membership-based, nonprofit organization in California, dedicated to traffic reduction and air quality improvement — contracted with NREL to analyze its member programs and their benefits and effects. This report uses trip data collected by the BTMO, and defines and implements a methodology for quantifying non-traffic benefits such as gasoline savings, productivity, and pollution reduction.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
As part of an NREL initiative, Doug Arent is meeting this month with a group of world-renowned scientists and energy experts to discuss what type of energy (and perhaps, more broadly, general economic) infrastructure will be sustainable in 100 years. Hosted by the Santa Fe Institute, the meetings aim to answer a few fundamental questions: Given long-lived infrastructure and competing drivers for change in the energy sector, how might our energy (food or other goods) economy evolve during the next 100 years? And what scale(s) will emerge as truly sustainable solutions? This core team will define the vision and possible pathways for continued research — we'll continue to update you through this newsletter.
|
|
