A Year in Clean Energy Innovations: a Review of NREL's 2011 Feature Stories, NREL (National Renewable Energy Laborator

NREL: A Year in Clean Energy Innovations Innovations Energy in Clean Year A NREL: | A Review of NREL’s 2011 Feature Stories Feature 2011 NREL’s of Review A National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov NREL: A YEAR IN CLEAN ENERGY INNOVATIONS NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy A Review of NREL’s 2011 Feature Stories Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC NREL/MK-6A41-53920 • April 2012 Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste. Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. Cover photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 19795 CONTENTS 35 YEARS OF INNOVATION INTRODUCTION 1 LABORATORY OF THE FUTURE 54 Small Improvements to Make Big Difference 56 ADVANCED VEHICLES & FUELS 2 At NREL, Even the Ones and Zeros Are Green 59 Antarctica’s Ice Puts Electric Vehicles to Test 4 Best for Batteries: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold 6 NATIONAL AND Low Emission Cars Under NREL’s Microscope 8 INTERNATIONAL IMPACTS 62 Biden Says U.S. Will Lead Energy Revolution 64 Alternative Fuels Data Center Keeps Pace 10 Boulder Entrepreneur Rose From Ashes 66 BIOMASS 12 Clean Energy Top Priority, U.N. Chief Tells NREL 68 Searching for a Diamond in the Muck 14 Secretary Chu: We Can Win Clean Energy Battle 70 NREL Expands Biofuels Partnerships 18 Farm Fields Could Yield Jet Fuel of the Future 20 SOLAR 72 Super-Efficient Cells Key to Low-Cost Solar Power 74 BUILDINGS 22 Algorithm Positions Solar Trackers, Movie Stars 77 Retailers Checking ‘Nice’ on Energy Savings List 24 Prestigious Cherry Award Goes to NREL Scientist 80 NREL Invention Speeds Solar Cell Quality Tests 83 EDUCATION 26 Speed and Precision Keys to Large-Scale Colorado School Headed to Science Super Bowl 28 Manufacturing of Solar Cells 87 Solar and Hydrogen Car Races Spark Imaginations 30 Silicon Ink Is Spot On, NREL Experiments Show 89 New Magazine Highlights Clean Energy Innovations 32 Breakthrough Furnace Can Cut Solar Costs 92 Turning Warehouses into Solar Powerhouses 34 Light Has Multiple Advantages in Furnaces 94 NREL Mentors Keep It Real for Summer Interns 36 Sun Trackers Gather to Calibrate Instruments 95 NREL Intern Wants to Make a Difference Tiny Solar Cell Could Make a Big Difference 98 through Chemistry 38 TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER 100 ENERGY ANALYSIS 40 PV Incubator Pushes Solar Innovations 102 OpenStudio Visualizes Energy Use in Buildings 42 NREL Helping the Army Be as Green as It Can Be 106 Nationwide Utility Rates Now on OpenEI 44 NREL Partners Take Technology to Market 108 ENERGY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION 46 Growth Forum Boosts Cleantech Startups 111 A Better Way to Connect Solar, Wind to the Grid 48 New Lab to Help Utilities ‘See’ Grid of the Future 51 WIND 114 NREL Adds Giant Wind Turbine to Research Site 116 WWW.NREL.GOV INTRODUCTION The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL’s mission and strategy are focused on advancing DOE’s and our nation’s energy goals. The laboratory’s scientists and researchers support critical market objectives to accelerate research from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions. At the core of this strategic direction are NREL’s research and technology development competencies. These areas span from understanding renewable resources for energy to the conversion of these resources to renewable electricity and fuels, and ultimately to the use of renewable electricity and fuels in homes, commercial buildings, and vehicles. What follows is a compilation of articles featuring NREL research and development, deployment, commercialization, and education activities in 2011. The feature stories can be found online at http://www.nrel.gov/features/. Questions about these articles should be directed to NREL’s Public Affairs Office by calling 303-275-4090 or sending an email to [email protected]. NREL’s Research Support Facility is a model for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 17404 1 ADVANCED VEHICLES & FUELS Working in partnership with public and private organizations, NREL researches, develops, and demonstrates innovative vehicle and fuel technologies that reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil and improve our energy security and air quality. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 20037 3 WWW.NREL.GOV ADVANCED VEHICLES & FUELS The Polar Regions are pristine research environments and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs Antarctica’s Ice Puts Electric is working with NREL and DOE to incorporate more renewable Vehicles to Test energy and energy efficiency practices into its current facilities. In fact, NSF and Raytheon Polar Services own one of the vehicles and DOE/NREL own the other. “Each gallon of fuel NREL can demonstrate can be displaced with renewable energy will make a real difference,” Sears said. “At this point, it looks promising given that two renewable resources— The punishment your car endures on a cold winter commute solar and wind—are already on ‘the ice’ and can be used to pales in comparison to the veritable torture that researchers power vehicles. So, we’ve put two test electric utility vehicles at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable down there, to see how they function. Energy Laboratory (NREL) are inflicting on two electric utility “Of course, we’ll be examining the power needs of any proposed research vehicles—all in the name of science. McMurdo Station electric vehicle fleet to ensure it would not For these e-ride Industries EXV2s, commutes are short in dis- negatively impact the other power needs and operations at tance but long on darkness and temperatures that dip below McMurdo. It may be that a mix of vehicle types, electric and con- -50°F at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. However, if these ventional, is appropriate, depending on the operational needs electric vehicles (EVs) can prove they are tough enough to at the facility.” take on Antarctica, then they will help offset current fossil fuel use and pollution at the station. These more efficient and less Getting There Is Half the Battle resource intensive EVs could replace the base’s extensive fleet of “E-ride’s EXV2 was chosen mainly because of its truck frame diesel trucks, snowmobiles, and buses. and its design as a utility vehicle,” said NREL Senior Mechanical Engineer Ian Baring-Gould, who leads the laboratory’s work in “This project is specifically looking at reducing the amount of polar environments. petroleum used down in Antarctica,” NREL Senior Task Leader Ted Sears said. “Transporting vehicle fuel to Antarctica is costly Researchers thought these were the units that would best fit the and resource intensive, and requires great planning as well. kind of vehicle uses found in Antarctica where pickup trucks are Managing energy use very carefully is critical because of poten- currently the vehicle of choice. The e-ride EXV2 is designed as a tially harmful effects on the environment.” two-person vehicle with a truck-like bed and larger utility-style NREL is leading a project that will test two EVs at McMurdo Station. The goal is to reduce dependence on imported fuels in Antarctica and validate the performance of the vehicles in extreme conditions. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 18308 4 ADVANCED VEHICLES & FUELS ADVANCED VEHICLES & FUELS 35 YEARS OF INNOVATION tires for use on dirt roads. It has a maximum speed of 25 mph under “normal” driving conditions and uses an array of lead-acid It may be that a mix batteries. For deployment to Antarctica, the EVs were outfitted with insulation for the batteries as well as battery heaters. of vehicle types, electric and NREL worked closely with NSF and Raytheon Polar Services dur- conventional, is appropriate, ing the selection and manufacturing process. But, the work really depending on the operational started once the EVs made it to NREL’s campus in Golden, Colo. needs at the facility. “We did some initial testing at NREL using a cold cell and —TED SEARS, NREL Senior Task Leader dropped the temp to -9°F while the EVs were on a dynamom- eter,” Sears said. “We saw that the vehicles function as we expected, and were able to capture data during cold temps.” “Empirical data on the capability of the vehicle batteries in such Once the EVs were outfitted with initial data logging equipment, cold is critical,” Sears said. “As a result, we are trying to learn NREL took the vehicles to Raytheon to make sure the data log- everything we can about how the vehicle systems operate gers could communicate wirelessly with the NSF and Raytheon and respond in the extreme cold. Despite the vehicles being servers and get information back to NREL. From there, it was off equipped with battery warming devices, there are still going to to California via flatbed truck. These EVs cannot be driven on the be limitations on their capabilities.” highway because their top speed is only 25 mph. Once in sunny California, the EVs were put on a boat to Christchurch, New Not only in Antarctica but around the world, there are many Zealand, and from there, a transport plane to McMurdo. The remote locations looking at renewables to reduce fuel use. “That e-ride’s plane landed on the ice in February 2011, on one of the is one of the prime reasons we are testing this in McMurdo,” Bar- last flights in before the harsh winter season hit.

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