Energy Analysis Newsletter — May 2008
Energy analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) encompasses a broad range of energy analysis in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), NREL programs and initiatives, and the energy analysis community. Here is the latest news on energy analysis activities at NREL:
Upcoming Events
Robert Margolis
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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.
For more information on the seminar series — including log-in and call-in information for remote access — visit the Web site.
Upcoming seminars
July 10, 2008
"Geographic-Economic Analysis of Large-Scale, Grid-Connected Wind Projects in China" — David Kline (NREL)
Publications and Web Sites
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.
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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.
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.
For the latest updates on information regarding energy analysis, visit the Energy Analysis Web site.
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