Sustainable Electricity
Aligned under the Energy Efficiency and Electricity Technologies Program, ORNL's sustainable electricity program develops technologies to create a cleaner environment, a stronger economy, and a more secure future for our nation. The Program is committed to expanding energy resource options and to improving efficiency in every element of energy production and use, and to ensuring a reliable and secure grid that fully integrates central generation with distributed resources, manages power flows, and meets the nation's need for increasing electric power.
Programs
Energy Efficiency and Electricity Technologies research is directed and funded primarily by six programs from within the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and four programs from within the DOE Office of Electricity.
Through EERE's Building Technologies Program, ORNL supports the DOE goals of achieving zero energy homes by 2020 and zero energy buildings of all kinds by 2025.
ORNL supports the Federal Energy Management Program in the areas of financed energy projects, quality assurance for energy savings performance contracts, energy-efficient technology evaluations, industrial facility energy assessments, technical guidance and assistance, training, and utility partnerships.
ORNL supports EERE's Geothermal Technologies Program through R&D in goe-chemical analysis, materials in extreme environments, downhole tools and system modeling. ORNL's expertise has helped many buildings owners develop and implement ground source heat pumps cost effectively through optimal integration to their facilities.
ORNL supports EERE's Solar Technologies Program in the areas of photovoltaic material synthesis, characterization, and processing, as well as solar tracking devices, sensors and controls, electronics, and systems integration.
Through EERE's Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program, ORNL conducts research, training and analysis for the National Energy Audit and Manufactured Home Energy Audit (NEAT and MHEA) software tools. ORNL is leading a multi-year evaluation of DOE's State Energy Program and provides technical assistance covering alternative financing, building energy efficiency, and technology deployment activities.
Through EERE's Wind and Water Power Program, ORNL performs resource assessments, turbulent flow field measurement analysis, material development and testing for turbine blades and rotors, interconnection and reliability analysis, optimization modeling for multi-generation sources, and quantification of biological responses to environmental stresses.
ORNL actively develops innovative Electricity Delivery Technologies to improve grid reliability, efficiency, security, energy storage systems, and prevent cyber infiltration through the support of DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability.
