DOEDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
Date: 2022-05-09
In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to allocate more than $2.3 billion to three different initiatives to advance approaches that reduce CO2 pollution.

One is a notice of intent for a $2.25 billion effort to accelerate geologic carbon storage projects capable of permanently storing at least 50 million metric tons of captured CO2. The other two are funding opportunities, which total $91 million, will increase the number of available CO2 storage sites and advance critical carbon management technologies.

. CO2 removal (CDR) pathways, like direct air capture with storage, remove CO2 pollution directly from the atmosphere to draw down the concentration of CO2. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies mitigate CO2 emissions from point sources such as power plants and industrial facilities by capturing and storing the CO2 they produce. CCS and CDR have the potential to reduce and remove hundreds of millions of tpy of CO2 emissions.

The $2.25 billion notice of intent will help address the feasibility, site characterization, permitting, and construction stages of CCS project development, including project siting processes that will emphasize active engagement of local communities and avoid the imposition of additional burdens on overburdened and under-served communities. The second is a $45 million funding aims to improve procedures to assess onshore and offshore CO2 storage sites at a commercial scale. The third is a $46 million funding opportunity called "Carbon Management" for technologies to remove, capture, and convert or store CO2 from utility and industrial sources or the atmosphere.

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) will manage the three opportunities. (Source: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Website PR, May, 2022) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, 202-586-5000, www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management,  

Zenith Energy
Date: 2022-04-29
Portland, Oregon-based independent liquid storage terminals operator Zenith Energy reports it will offset approximately 7,500 metric tpy of CO2 emissions for its Long Beach, California and Portland, Oregon operations through the purchase of carbon offsets for 2021 and 2022. The offsets investment will address: direct emissions that occur from sources controlled by the company; indirect emissions from the electricity consumed by the company; and indirect emissions that occur in the company's supply chain.

In 2021, Zenith announced a major increase in the storage of low carbon, renewable diesel at its Portland facility, which is currently 20 pct renewable fuels emit 80 pct less carbon than traditional fossil fuels.reducing emissions in the transportation sector. By lowering its greenhouse gas emissions and energy intensity 66 pct in just two years, Zenith's Portland Terminal earned US DOE Energy Star certification in 2022. (Source: Zenith Energy, PR, 28 April, 2022) Contact: Zenith Energy, Jeff Armstrong, CEO, www.zenithterminals.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offsets news,  Carbon Emissions news,  ENERGY Star news,  

AirCapture, OCOchem
Date: 2022-04-25
Berkeley, California-based carbon capture specialist AirCapture LLC and Washington-based carbon dioxide conversion company OCOchem are reporting receipt of $2.93 million in US DOE grant funding to design and engineer an integrated carbon dioxide capture and conversion plant co-located at Nutrien's Kennewick Fertilizer Operations plant in Kennewick, Washington State.

AirCapture develops on-site, modular technology that captures CO2 from the air using waste heat from manufacturing plants, enabling customer operations to go carbon neutral and even negative. OCOchem transforms recycled CO2, water and zero-carbon electricity to produce formic acid, a globally traded commodity chemical and emerging electro-fuel.

The goal is to use both companies' technology to design an integrated carbon capture and conversion plant that uses waste steam from Nutrien's fertilizer facility to extract CO2 from the air and then convert it, with water and electricity, to make formic acid. The formic acid can then be stored, transported, and used directly in many industrial, consumer, transportation, and agricultural industries. Additionally, it can be used to transport green hydrogen safely and cost-effectively in an energy-dense liquid carrier form to a customer site where the hydrogen can be released for industrial use or as an alternative transportation fuel.

Nutrien, one of the world's largest fertilizer manufacturers, has committed to achieve at least a 30 pct reduction in GHG emissions per ton of fertilizer by 2030. (Source: OCOChem, Website PR, 25 April, 2022) Contact: OCOchem, Todd Brix, Co-Founder and CEO , www. ocochem.com; AirCapture LLC, www.aircapture.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News AirCapture,  OCOchem,  Carbon Capture,  CO2,  

EPA
Date: 2022-04-22
In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathways for certain biofuels that are produced from canola/rapeseed oil and is providing an opportunity for comment on the Agency's lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of these pathways. With the approval, these fuel pathways would be eligible to generate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), provided they satisfy the other definitional and RIN generation criteria for renewable fuel specified in the RFS regulations.

The EPA's assessment considers diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas produced from canola/rapeseed oil via a hydrotreating process and proposes to find that these pathways would meet the lifecycle GHG emissions reduction threshold of 50 percent required to qualify to generate RINs for advanced biofuels (D5) and biomass-based diesel (D4) under the RFS program.

Pathways for Renewable Fuels details are HERE and HERE . (Source: US DOE, April, 2022) Contact: EPA Renewable Fuels Program, 800-385-6164, FuelsProgramSupport@epa.gov, www,doe.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News EPA,  Renewable Fuels,  Canola,  RFS,  Renewable Fuels Standard,  

City of Raleigh
Date: 2022-04-18
In the Tar Heel State, the City of Raleigh -- pop. 1.57 million -- is reporting receipt of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded SolSmart program SolSmart Silver designation.

The SolSmart program recognizes communities that grow solar energy, work to educate residents on the options available, and work to "address barriers, fees, and permit processing for solar installations."

The Raleigh City Council is aiming to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 pct by 2050. (Source: City of Raleigh, PR, April,2022) Contact: City of Raleigh, Patrick Young, Planning & Dev., www. raleighnc.gov; US DOE SolSmart Program,

More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar news,  

City of Madison. DOE Better Climate Challenge,ACEEE
Date: 2022-03-18
In the Badger State, the City of Madison reports it and and more than 90 other area organizations and companies -- Kohl's, Harley-Davidson, Johnson Control s and others -- have recently committed to cut their carbon emissions in half by 2030.

The pledge is part of the U.S. DOE Better Climate Challenge that aims to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, share solutions and provide technical assistance. The federal energy agency public-private partnership is part of reaching President Joe Biden's goal to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, according to the release.

In Madison, the city has committed to cutting emissions in half from its 2018 baseline and curbing energy use by 25 percent by 2030. The city has already set a goal to reach 100 percent renewable energy and net-zero emissions by 2030. In 2019, the Madison city council approved a $95 million plan to get there. 75 percent of the electricity for city operations comes from renewable sources, including 1.3 megawatts of solar installed on city buildings. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Madison was the most improved city out of 100 large and mid-size cities in terms of progress toward emissions reductions and energy efficiency. (Source: WPR, Mar., 2022) Contact: US DOE Better Climate Challenge, www.betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/climate-challenge; ACEEE, www2.aceee.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  DOE Better Climate Challenge,  ACEEE ,  

US DOE
Date: 2022-03-04
In Washington, the U.S. DOE has announced a commitment from over 90 companies and organizations to reduce their carbon emissions by 50 pct by 2030 through DOE's Better Climate Challenge. This national public-private partnership calls on organizations nation-wide to set bold, portfolio-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and share their innovative solutions and best practices with partners and across industries. To that end, DOE will provide technical assistance and convene peer-to-peer exchanges to facilitate solution sharing across their facilities and fleets. Inaugural partners in the Better Climate Challenge include IKEA Retail U.S., Hilton, Harley-Davidson, the Cleveland Clinic, and the State of Maryland and others. Public-private partnerships like the Better Climate Challenge are key to reaching a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 through an equitable clean energy transition.

DOE's Better Climate Challenge partners have committed to reducing their enterprise-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 pct within 10 years without the use of offsets. Partners will work with DOE to provide annual updates while working collaboratively to identify pathways and key areas for collaboration and improvement. By taking on this goal for their buildings and factories, partners in the Better Climate Challenge are helping the nation meet its economy-wide goal of a 50 pct reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. If all organizations in the commercial, public, and industrial sectors reduced their U.S. GHG emissions by 50 pct, it would save nearly 1.5 billion metric tpy of CO2e, more than the emissions from every home in the country.

DOE's Better Climate Challenge builds on over a decade of experience working with partners to set portfolio wide goals and to address barriers to greater energy efficiency though the Better Buildings Initiative. More than 950 organizations work with DOE as part of the Better Buildings Initiative and have shared more than 3000 innovative approaches and strategies for accelerating the adoption of energy efficient technologies and practices.

Download DOE Better Climate Challenge details HERE . (Source: US DOE, 28 Feb., 2022)

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE,  GHG,  Carbon Emissions,  

PNNL
Date: 2022-02-25
The US DOE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, is reporting the development of a new patent-pending electrocatalytic oxidation fuel recovery system for converting bio-waste into hydrogen fuel. The system turns sewage, food crops, algae and other wet biomass into high-grade bio-based fuels while simultaneously generating hydrogen.

PNNL researchers tested the system using a sample of wastewater from an industrial-scale biomass conversion process for almost 200 hours of continuous operation, without losing any efficiency in the process. The system solves several problems that have hindered efforts to make biomass economically viable, according to PNNL researchers "We know how to turn biomass into fuel but we still struggle to make the process energy efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable -- especially for small, distributed scales. This system runs on electricity, which can come from renewable sources. And it generates its own heat and fuel to keep it running. It has the potential to complete the energy recovery cycle."

As part of PNNL's new process, unrefined biocrude and wastewater can be fed into the system directly from a hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) output stream or other wet waste. Researchers noted a 100 times or more higher conversion rates with the electrochemical system at atmospheric conditions than with the thermal system at intermediate hydrogen pressures and temperatures.

Portions of the research were conducted as part of an agreement with Southern California Gas Company. (Source: PNNL, PR, Website, Feb., 2022) Contact: PNNL, Juan A. Lopez-Ruiz, PNNL Project Lead, (509) 375-9756, www.energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/staff/staff_info.asp?staff_num=2779

More Low-Carbon Energy News PNNL,  Biomass,  Biowaste,  Hydrogen,  

US DOE
Date: 2022-02-23
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $150 million in research projects focused on advancing clean energy technologies. The open funding is specifically for research projects focused on increasing energy efficiency and curbing carbon emissions from energy technologies and manufacturing. It will support research underpinning DOE's Energy Earthshots Initiatives, which set goals for improvements in clean energy tech within a decade.

The funding includes hydrogen, long duration energy storage, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and is fundamental to the climate solutions for President Biden's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The funding will support an array of research topics including new clean energy approaches. This research is foundational to the development of solar and nuclear energy technologies, storage, carbon capture, novel manufacturing processes, and the use of critical minerals.

The funding will also support research underpinning DOE's Energy Earthshots Initiatives, including: the Hydrogen Shot, which aims to decrease the cost of producing hydrogen; the Long Duration Storage Shot, which seeks to reduce the cost and increase the duration of grid-scale storage; and the Carbon Negative Shot, which targets the decrease of costs to remove and durably store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Applications are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, and private sector companies. Total funding is up to $150 million, with up to $50 million in the fiscal year 2022. (Source: US DOE, Feb., 2022) Contact: Energy Earthshots Initiative, www.energy.gov/policy/energy-earthshots-initiative; DOE Carbon Negative Shot, www.energy.gov/fecm/carbon-negative-shot

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  CCS,  Clean Energy,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

DOE EERE
Date: 2022-02-16
In Washington, the US DOE has issued two notices of intent to provide $2.91 billion to boost production of the advanced batteries that are critical to rapidly growing clean energy industries of the future, including electric vehicles and energy storage, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. DOE intends to fund battery materials refining and production plants, battery cell and pack manufacturing facilities, and recycling facilities. The funding is expected to be made available in the coming months and will ensure that the U.S. can produce batteries, as well as the materials that go into them, to increase economic competitiveness, energy independence, and national security.

In June 2021, DOE published a 100-day review of the large-capacity-battery supply chain, pursuant to Executive Order 14017, America's Supply Chains. The review recommended establishing domestic production and processing capabilities for critical materials to support a fully domestic end-to-end battery supply chain. President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates nearly $7 billion to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, which includes producing and recycling critical minerals without new extraction or mining, and sourcing materials for domestic manufacturing.

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow DOE to support the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery recycling and the production of battery materials, cell components, and battery manufacturing. The funding will also support R&D and demonstration of second-life applications for batteries as well as new processes for recycling, reclaiming, and adding materials back into the battery supply chain. (Source: US DOE, PR, 14 Feb., 2022) Contact: DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE EERE,  Battery,  Energy Storage,  Lithium-Ion Battery,  

Vertimass, European Energy
Date: 2022-01-28
Irvine, California-based Vertimass and Copenhagen-headquartered European Energy are reporting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to integrate technologies for capturing carbon dioxide and converting it into hydrocarbon products. This combination takes advantage of European Energy's expertise in capturing carbon dioxide produced from anaerobic digestion, power production, fermentations, and other waste sources to produce methanol that can be processed into jet, diesel, and gasoline fuels and chemicals.

Vertimass' technology sustainably produces fuels and chemicals from methanol, ethanol, and other renewable alcohols with high yields that can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to products from petroleum. The technology originated from the US DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) operated by UT-Battelle, with Vertimass obtaining worldwide exclusive rights in 2014.

European Energy develops, finances, constructs and operates wind and solar farms as well as large-scale PtX plants in 24 countries. The company has a development pipeline of more than 20 GW of renewable energy projects and is currently constructing more than 1.2 GW of new energy capacity. European Energy has developed a new decentralized production technology that offers green e-methanol identical to fossil methanol, from renewable energy sources and CO2 from bio-waste. E-methanol provides the transport sector and chemical industry a convenient transition to environmentally friendly fuels and chemicals, according to Vertimass. (Source: Vertimass, PR, Website Jan., 2022) Contact: European Energy, +45 8870 8216, info@europeanenergy.com, www.europeanenergy.com; Vertimass LLC, John Hannon, CEO, www.vertimass.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Vertimass,  European Energy,  Methanol ,  

Montana State University
Date: 2022-01-24
In Bozeman, Montana State University (MSU) reports receipt of 6.4 million in US DOE and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant funding to identify ways algae can be used for biofuels and other products as it (algae) removes carbon dioxide from the air.

Building on more than a decade of MSU research on the topic, three funded projects seek to advance understanding of how the tiny, plant-like microorganisms interact with their aquatic environment. The project could lead to new ways of fine-tuning algae's ability to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into natural oils that can then be refined into vehicle fuels, plastics and other products.

Together with a related project funded with $2 million from DOE, the studies focus on algae adapted to living with high concentrations of sodium bicarbonate.

The DOE project, in collaboration with at University of Toledo, University of North Carolina, Clemson University, Ford Motor Co. and industrial products manufacturer Sonoco, is focused on potential production improvements using the natural advantages of the unique algae.

Other projects, which are seeking to make algae productive in conditions with low sunlight periods such as spring and autumn, includes collaborators at DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Hawaii-based biotech company Global Algae Innovations. According to Montana State University, Prof. Robin GerlachGerlach, "these projects could make significant contributions to moving us toward a new bioeconomy where algae play a major role in making fuel, plastics and other products while helping us reduce carbon emissions." (Source: Montana State University, PR, Jan., 2022) Contact: Montana State University, Prof. Robin Gerlach, (406) 994-1840, robin_g@montana.edu, www.montana.edu; National Science Foundation, Public Affairs, (703) 292-8070, www.nsf.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News BiofuelMontana State University,  Algae,  National Science Foundation,  Biofuel,  

Southwest Research Institute
Date: 2022-01-19
In San Antonio, the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) reports it is working with government and private collaborators to develop the world's first full-scale turbomachinery of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power systems for concentrated photovoltaic (CSP) plants. Performance and durability tests on the 10MW sCO2 turbomachinery, which combines the sCO2 power cycle with integrated thermal energy storage, have been satisfactorily completed in a closed loop environment, according to the SwRI release.

sCO2 is carbon dioxide that is retained above the critical temperature and pressure and acts like a gas with a liquid density. The supercritical fluid properties make sCO2 a highly efficient fluid for power generation due to its high density, low viscosity, and good heat transfer properties.

CSP technology uses mirrors or lenses to focus large amounts of sunlight on the receiver. Receivers typically convert concentrated light into heat and use a steam turbine to extract and generate heat energy. The system stores energy as heat and can convert it to on-demand energy using the sCO2 power cycle, improving efficiency and reducing operating costs.

The project was supported by the US DOE APOLLO program which aims to improve performance and reduce power costs from CSP plants. (Source: SwRI, PR, 17 Jan., 2022) Contact: SwRI, Dr. Tim Allison, Mechanical Div. Director, (210) 684-5111, www.swri.org

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US DOE BETO
Date: 2022-01-03
In Washington, the U.S. DOE has released a new request for information (RFI) on the scale-up and demonstration of renewable fuels. The RFI, titled Overcoming Barriers to Renewable Fuel Scale-Up and Demonstration seeks input from biofuels producers and technology developers about their readiness to scale process technologies to pilot- and demonstration-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel, and renewable marine fuels. The RFI also seeks input on how existing first-generation ethanol and other existing industries could be leveraged to provide low-cost feedstock and infrastructure for biofuels production, including information on practices that can reduce the carbon intensity of corn production.

This RFI seeks input from biofuels producers and technology developers about their readiness to scale process technologies to pilot and demonstration-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and renewable marine fuels. This information is necessary for DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) to chart the potential growth of domestic renewable fuels production by 2030 and to understand the barriers in scaling renewable fuel production pathways. This RFI also seeks information on how DOE can best assist biofuels production stakeholders in their research and development (R&D) and scaling up of their technologies through demonstration scale. The RFI is seeking feedback on issues related to the following:

Biofuel Pathway Scale-Up Forecasts -- plans by developers to scale SAF, marine, and renewable diesel production

Barriers to Scale-Up of SAF, Marine, and Renewable Diesel Technologies -- input on technical, financial, legal, contractual, policy and other barriers

Leveraging First Generation Ethanol and Other Incumbent Industries -- information on technological improvements that could enhance low-carbon fuel production

BETO Scale-Up of Biotechnologies Strategy -- input on BETO's scale-up strategy and other forms of financial assistance to support biofuel scale-up and commercialization

Leveraging National Laboratory PDU to Scale-Up Renewable Fuels -- insight on how DOE National Laboratory capabilities can support biofuel scale-up and commercialization

Feedstock Production & Supply -- information on sustainable corn farming practices and challenges in establishing robust biomass feedstock supply chains.

This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses must be submitted electronically to Biofuels_FY22_RFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on January 31, 2022. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 10 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

In addition to, or in lieu of, providing written responses to this RFI, respondents may request a 30-minute individual discussion with a BETO staff member regarding the content of their written responses to the RFI questions via Biofuels_FY22_RFI@ee.doe.gov. (Source: US DOE, BETO, PR, 28 Dec., 2021) Contact: US DOE BETO, energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE BETO,  Renewable Fuels,  Biofuel,  

DOE BETO
Date: 2021-12-29
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new request for information (RFI) on the scale-up and demonstration of renewable fuels. The RFI, titled Overcoming Barriers to Renewable Fuel Scale-Up and Demonstration, seeks input from biofuels producers and technology developers about their readiness to scale process technologies to pilot- and demonstration-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel, and renewable marine fuels. The RFI also seeks input on how existing first-generation ethanol and other existing industries could be leveraged to provide low-cost feedstock and infrastructure for biofuels production. The RFI also seeks information on how DOE BETO can best assist biofuels production stakeholders in their research and development and scaling up of their technologies through demonstration scale.

Constructing and operating pilot- and demonstration-scale facilities is essential to de-risk technology and ensure the success of subsequent commercial scale projects. BETO recognizes the availability of financing for first-of-a-kind process systems can be a barrier to commercializing advanced biofuels.

Input is sought from bioenergy companies that are planning to scale up and demonstrate SAF, renewable diesel, and renewable marine fuel technologies from the lower Technology Readiness Levels) to pilot and demonstration stage and eventual commercialization. This information will inform a multi-year scale-up strategy resulting in the construction and operation of several SAF, renewable diesel, and/or renewable marine fuel production pathways.

Feedback is requested from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the scale-up of renewable fuel production technologies. Specifically, the DOE is interested in receiving information and input on:

Biofuel Pathway Scale-Up Forecasts -- plans by developers to scale SAF, marine, and renewable diesel production

Barriers to Scale-Up of SAF, Marine, and Renewable Diesel Technologies -- input on technical, financial, legal, contractual, policy and other barriers

Leveraging First Generation Ethanol and Other Incumbent Industries -- information on technological improvements that could enhance low-carbon fuel production

BETO Scale-Up of Biotechnologies Strategy -- input on BETO's scale-up strategy and other forms of financial assistance to support biofuel scale-up and commercialization

Leveraging National Laboratory PDU to Scale-Up Renewable Fuels -- insight on how DOE National Laboratory capabilities can support biofuel scale-up and commercialization

Feedstock Production & Supply -- information on sustainable corn farming practices and challenges in establishing robust biomass feedstock supply chains.

View the RFI details HERE . (Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 28 Dec., 2021) Contact: US DOE Biotechnologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE BETO,  Renewable Fuel,  SAF,  Ethanol,  Biofuel,  Renewable Diesel,  

US DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Date: 2021-12-15
The US DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) is challenging companies, states, municipalities, and other organizations to set ambitious, portfolio-wide, and near-term operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals to demonstrate leadership and share real-world pathways to address climate change.

Through the Better Climate Challenge, partners will commit to a portfolio-wide goal of at least 50 pct by 2030 and DOE will support their efforts with technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning to share solutions to reduce emissions from their facilities and through power purchasing decisions.

This effort will build on over a decade of experience through the Better Buildings Initiative to drive portfolio-wide accountable and transparent commitments across the public and private sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the commercial, industrial, and multifamily sector, while providing whole-of-government technical assistance to help those companies/organizations meet their targets. DOE has started engaging leaders across the U.S. economy. There are already 32 organizations that have joined Better Climate Challenge.

Details HERE . (Source: US DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Nov-Dec., 2021) Contact: US DOE, www. betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy news,  Carbon Emissions news,  Climate Change news,  

BIRD Energy
Date: 2021-12-13
In Tel Aviv, Israel's Ministry of Energy (MoE), the Israel Innovation Authority and the US DOE are reporting six battery, energy efficiency, and energy storage, projects will receive $5.48 million under the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program. The projects include:

AGM Communication & Control (Mitzpa, Israel) and Element 16 Technologies, Inc. (Glendale, CA) will develop sulfur thermal energy storage for industrial applications.

E.V.R. Motors Ltd. (Petach Tikva, Israel) and Continuous Solutions L.L.C. (Portland, OR) will develop "IMP" -- an Integrated Miniaturized Powertrain.

Environmental Services Company (Neot Hovav, Israel) and 374Water (Durham, NC) will develop energy and resource recovery systems from hazardous organic waste using supercritical water oxidation technology.

Kinetics (Airport City, Israel) and UAV Turbines, Inc. (Miami, FL) will develop an ultra-portable turbogenerator system.

An Israeli Company and Imprint Energy, Inc. (Alameda, CA) will develop safe, sustainable, and high-power zinc printed batteries and will manufacture and integrate them into thin and flexible cellular Internet of Things (IoT) smart tags for tracking packages, improving logistics processes, and reducing supply chain waste.

Synvertec (Herzliya, Israel) and Rhombus Energy Solutions (San Diego, CA) will develop the Synchronverter -- a dynamic and autonomous inverter utilizing a unique control algorithm -- allowing 100 pct of renewable generation by providing grid stability solutions for inverter-based applications.

Projects that qualify for BIRD Energy funding must include one U.S. and one Israeli company or a company from one of the countries paired with a university or research institution from the other. The partners must present a project that involves innovation in the area of energy and is of mutual interest to both countries. BIRD Energy has a rigorous review process and selects the most technologically meritorious projects along with those most likely to commercialize and bring about significant impact. Qualified projects must contribute at least 50 pct to project costs and commit to repayments if the project leads to commercial success.

BIRD Energy was launched in 2009 under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, supporting research and development, benefiting both the United States and Israel. The program focuses on commercializing sustainable energy technologies that improve economic competitiveness, create jobs, and increase energy security. To date, BIRD Energy has funded 60 cooperative Israel-U.S. clean energy projects totaling $47.5 million and approximately $62 million in funds matched by the private sector to commercialize clean energy technologies. (Source: BIRD Energy, PR, Dec., 2021) Contact: BIRD Foundation, Limor Nakar-Vincent, Deputy Executive Director of Business Development & BIRD Energy, +972-3- 6988-315, limorn@birdf.com, www.birdf.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News BIRD Energy,  Energy Storage,  Battery,  

Federal Energy Management Program
Date: 2021-12-01
In Washington, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is reporting the selection of federal agency projects to receive a combined total of $13 million in Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) funding. The grants, which are expected to lead to more than $737 million when leveraged with energy performance contracts from private industry, include the following:

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) -- USCG will implement the agency's first microgrid control system (MCS) coupled with solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) resilience energy conservation measures (ECMs), to provide 10 days of off-grid operation during a power disruption event.

Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic -- The project will provide a comprehensive approach to enhancing its climate change adaptation-resilience posture and energy efficiency across eight NIWC Atlantic sites located in South Carolina, Virginia, and Louisiana. NIWC will deploy solar PV and an MCS to enable renewable back-up generation while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Internal Revenue Service -- Internal Revenue Service is pursuing a near-net zero, comprehensive energy efficiency and resilience project that will empower up to 30 days of off-grid operation in the event of utility power disruption, amplify energy efficiency to substantially reduce baseload energy use and corresponding GHG emissions, and deploy solar PV coupled with an MCS, BESS.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst -- A large-scale, wholistic energy efficiency and climate change adaption-resilience project will deploy 40 MW of solar PV combined with a 12-MWh BESS and two unique MCSs alongside a wide range of key energy efficiency and resilience ECMs.

DoE, Office of Science -- A new project will bundle comprehensive traditional energy efficiency ECMs and resilience technologies such as lighting, water fixtures, simple HVAC controls, solar PV, BESS, and pumped water storage to reduce energy use and GHG emissions.

U.S. DoD, Pentagon -- Project will implement improvements to energy and water efficiency, as well as resilience to climate change-attributed severe weather events, via a comprehensive list of ECMs that will reduce baseload energy and water use and GHG emissions while adding renewable energy technologies. The project will achieve a net GHG reduction cost-effectively via combined reductions in baseload electricity (49 pct), water (8 pct), and sewer costs (40 pct).

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall -- The project will deploy an advanced, hybrid geothermal heat recovery chiller system coupled with energy efficiency and resilience ECMs to simultaneously reduce GHG emissions and address climate change adaptation-resiliency.

Eglin Air Force Base -- Within this integrated, comprehensive energy efficiency and resilience project, Eglin Air Force Base will implement various resilience ECMs including solar PV, an MCS coupled with a BESS, and natural gas generators while replacing aging chillers that serve critical loads such as data centers.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest -- A new project to integrate a cybersecurity-compliant MCS and 150-kW/600-kWh BESS with a total of 1.1 MW of solar PV to augment climate change adaptation-resilience, increase energy efficiency, and reduce GHG emissions, while allowing for full, continuous mission-critical operability of essential facilities and systems in the case of power disruption events.

GSA Region 4, Valdosta and Brunswick -- The project will deploy and demonstrate an advanced solar PV technology utilizing bifacial modules at two federal sites in Georgia, directly reducing GHG emissions and assisting GSA in meeting its internal agency commitment of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2025. The project will also build out capabilities for these sites to consider implementing complementary resilience ECMs such as a MCS or BESS in the future. It will also validate an advanced, bifacial module solar PV technology, which if successful could be replicated and scaled throughout not only GSA Region 4 and the Southeast, but also more broadly across all GSA Regions nationwide.

GSA Region 7 -- This project will implement resilience ECMs including an MCS and BESS to boost climate change adaptation-resiliency, reduce GHG emissions by 47 pct, and provide the means to demonstrate GEB concepts such as advanced energy load-shifting and management, and demand response at sites in Laredo and Houston, Texas.

Joint Base Langley-Eustis -- This project will augment the capacity of a BESS to 1MW/4MWh, which will be coupled with a recommissioned energy management control system, cybersecurity-compliant MCS, and 1-MW solar PV array to meet the U.S. Air Forces' resilience requirements for energy performance contracts, allowing the base to shed noncritical energy loads and support mission-critical operations should climate change-induced severe weather such as hurricanes or other external forces result in an extended power disruption event.

The project will also allow the joint base to reduce GHG emissions, improve energy efficiency, and provide peak shaving, demand response, energy time-of-use-shifting, dynamic frequency, and voltage regulation to reduce overall base electricity demand and energy costs.

Federal Aviation Administration -- A novel project to directly address federal building energy efficiency and load management, in coordination with their serving utility, to bundle electric vehicle supply equipment with a range of other energy efficiency and resilience ECMs including ground-mounted solar PV, LED lighting, HVAC upgrades, and variable frequency drives.

The project will reduce GHG emissions by 89 pct by coupling electrification of buildings and transportation, which are key priorities of the Administration's decarbonization goals. (Source: US DOE Federal Energy Management Program, PR 1 Dec., 2021) Contact: US DOE, Federal Energy Management Program, www.energy.gov/eere/femp/2021-assisting-federal-facilities-energy-conservation-technologies-affect-federal-agency

More Low-Carbon Energy News Federal Energy Management Program,  Energy Efficiency,  BESS,  Energy Storage,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-11-12
In Washington, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports it has upgraded one million American homes with energy efficiency improvements through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program. Since 2001, the program has helped American homeowners and renters save $7.7 billion on their energy bills and cut carbon emissions equivalent to a year's worth of 11 coal-fired power plants.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® is a national home improvement program administered by the DOE in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve the energy efficiency of single-family and low-rise multifamily homes. It connects homeowners with a network of over 1,300 home performance contractors and utility and nonprofit energy efficiency program administrators to make upgrades that save energy and improve the comfort, health, and safety of their homes. Together with its Weatherization Assistance Program, DOE has serviced almost eight million U.S. homes with the same home energy improvements that the transformative investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Build Back Better agenda will accelerate.

Sponsors and their networks of contractors follow a proven "whole-house" approach set by DOE guidelines to assess and improve home energy use with the most comprehensive and economically feasible upgrades, such as sealing leaks to control outside air from entering the home, adding insulation, or installing a new clean heating and cooling system like an ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump. Additional savings can be achieved by installing rooftop solar panels, EV chargers, or connected home products like smart thermostats that can monitor and adjust energy use. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will invest in the American workforce to ramp up the manufacturing of solar panels, wind farms, batteries and other clean energy technologies for export.

Additionally, the EPA has launched new residential sector partnerships to accelerate efficiency and electrification retrofits with a focus on under-served residential households through its ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade Program. With rebates for home weatherization and electrification in the President's Build Back Better agenda, these inter-agency efforts will provide consumers, utility programs and energy efficiency service providers with greater access to residential energy efficiency solutions and technologies, which will enable many more households to lower their energy burden, which is especially high for low-moderate income households. (Source: US DOE, PR, 11 Nov., 2021) Contact: DOE, Building Technologies Office , www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office; Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/home-performance-energy-starr

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  ENERGY STAR,  ,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-11-08
In Washington, the U.S. DOE is touting "Carbon Negative Shot", the third project under its Energy Earthshots Initiative. The new program aims to remove gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere and store it at a cost of less than $100 per ton of net CO2-equivalent.

The initiative is the DOE's first major effort in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and a call for innovation in the expanding field of CDR -- a key facet of the plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. CDR technology captures CO2 directly from the atmosphere for storage in geological, biobased, and ocean reservoirs or in value-added products to create negative emissions. CDR technology still requires a significant R&D investment to be cost-effective, economically viable and deployed at scale.

According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, "By slashing the costs and accelerating the deployment of carbon dioxide removal -- a crucial clean energy technology -- we can take massive amounts of carbon pollution directly from the air and combat the climate crisis. With our Carbon Negative Shot, we can help remove the greenhouse gases already warming our planet and affecting our health -- positioning America as a net-zero leader and creating good-paying jobs for a transitioning clean energy workforce. The combination of the Carbon Negative Shot with our massive investments in hydrogen, battery storage, renewables, and decarbonized fossil energy, can make net-zero emissions a reality here and abroad." (Source: US DOE, PR, InceptiveMind, 8 Nov., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  Carbon Capture,  Direct Air Carbon Capture,  Carbon Storage,  

NREL
Date: 2021-11-05
According to Optimal Strategies for a Cost-Effective and Reliable 100 pct Renewable Electrical Grid, a research study conducted by the US DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), "incorporating energy efficiency measures can reduce the amount of energy storage needed to power the nation's buildings entirely with renewable energy." As more communities aim for 100 pct renewable energy, the study offers a strategy that could guide their paths -- one that shifts away from long-duration storage.

The NREL researchers considered solar and wind as the source of renewable energy, given that most plans for meeting the 100 pct renewables target take those into account. They also used the DOE EnergyPlus and OpenStudio building energy modeling tools to simulate energy demand, considering such factors as building size, age, and occupancy type. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration informed the scientists about the existing building stock characteristics and energy load used by the buildings. Further, the researchers separated the country into five climate zones, ranging from the hot and humid (Tampa, Florida) to the very cold (International Falls, Minnesota)along with New York City, El Paso, and Denver. Knowing the extremes of heating and cooling demands in each zone enabled the researchers to select the appropriate mix of renewable power sources to minimize any needed storage.

The researchers define long-duration storage as "energy storage systems that meet electricity demands for more than 48-hour durations." Therefore, long-duration energy storage provides power days or months after the electricity is generated. However, most long-duration storage technologies are either immature or not available everywhere. The NREL researchers calculated reaching the last 75 pct to 100 pct of renewable energy would result in significant increases in costs associated with long-duration energy storage. Instead of focusing on storage, the researchers emphasized the optimal mix of renewable resources, oversized generation capacities and investments in energy efficiency. The researchers note that multiple pathways exist to reach 100 pct renewable and, as the costs and performance of technologies change, new pathways will emerge, but they identified a key pathway that is achievable today.

The researchers also determined that over-sizing renewable capacities by a factor of 1.4 to 3.2 and aiming for 52 pct to 68 pct in energy savings through building energy efficiency measures lead to cost-optimal paths depending on region of the country. The report notes that making homes and offices more energy efficient reduces the amounts of renewable resources needed, decreases the amount of storage, and cuts transmission costs, ultimately supporting the implementation of a carbon-free energy system.

The NREL study was funded by the DOE Building Technologies Office (BETO). NREL is the U.S. DOE's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

Download the NREL report HERE . (Source: US DOE, NREL, 2 Nov., 2021) Contact: NREL, Report Authors Sammy Houssainy, William Livingood, 303-384-7490, William.Livingood@nrel.gov, www.nrel.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News NREL,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Storage,  

EnerSys
Date: 2021-10-29
Reading, Pennsylvania-based EnerSys , the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, reports it is partnering with the U.S. DOE Better Plants Program.

The Better Plants program works with leading manufacturers to boost their resilience and economic potential through energy efficiency improvements. Through Better Plants, manufacturers commit to setting ambitious energy saving goals, develop energy management plans, and track and report annual progress against those goals.

To date, over 250 industrial organizations have joined Better Plants and pledged to reduce energy intensity across their facilities. As of 2021, organizations participating in Better Plants have collectively saved more than 1.9 BTUs and $9.3 billion in cumulative energy costs. (Source: EnerSys, Website PR, 25 Oct., 2021) Contact: EnerSys, Michael J. Schmidtlein, CFO, 610-236-4040, investorrelations@enersys.com, www.enersys.com; US DOE Better Plants Program, www.betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/better-plants

More Low-Carbon Energy News EnerSys,  Battery,  Energy Storage,  nergy Efficiency ,  

ClearFlame Engine Technologies
Date: 2021-10-29
Geneva, Illinois-headquartered ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a startup dedicated to the development of net-zero engine technology, reports it has secured $17 million in Series A financing led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mercuria, John Deere and Clean Energy Ventures. The funding will help enable commercialization of the company's innovative engine technology for the long-haul trucking, agriculture and power generation sectors.

ClearFlame's unique engine technology enables low-carbon, renewable fuels such as ethanol to be easily integrated into existing diesel engine platforms, offering a lower-emission, lower-cost solution than diesel fuel. A ClearFlame-enabled engine meets the performance and efficiency requirements for diesel engines while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, helping to improve air quality and mitigate climate change.

ClearFlame previously received $4 million in non-dilutive and grant funding from the Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas and Illinois Corn Growers Associations, the National Science Foundation, the US DOE and others. The company completed its $3 million Series Seed financing in early 2020, led by Clean Energy Ventures.

"At ClearFlame Engine Technologies, we're breaking the bond between the diesel engine and diesel fuel, accelerating the path to true emissions reduction for the heavy-duty and off-highway markets. Our technology meets global sustainability goals using decarbonized liquid fuels available throughout the world while lowering costs by negating the need for complex after-treatment technologies without compromising the practicality or performance of traditional diesel engines." according to the release. (Source: ClearFlame Engine Technologies, PR, 28 Oct., 2021) Contact: ClearFlame Engine Technologies, BJ Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO, www.clearflame.com, LinkedIn and Twitter @ClearFlameEng)

More Low-Carbon Energy News ClearFlame Engine Technologies,  Low-Carbon Fuel,  Ethanol,  Renewable Fuel,  

GSA
Date: 2021-10-29
In Washington, he U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the General Services Administration (GSA) are calling for a request for information (RFI) to identify "evaluation ready" and adaptable technologies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings. This RFI covers three broad categories:

High-Performance/Low-Carbon Building Technologies and Solutions -- Technologies of interest include electrification of major building loads; larger scale and integrated heat pump systems, retrofit heat recovery systems, electrification of major loads, and building envelope retrofits.

Onsite Energy Generation and Storage Systems -- Technologies of interest include building-integrated photovoltaics, high-efficiency PV, solutions to better integrate PV and storage into building management systems, solar and geothermal, on-site distributed wind, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Carbon Reducing or Capture -- Technologies of interest include on-site carbon capture for fuel-fired processes and technologies that use next-generation, low, or no global warming potential refrigerants.

December 7, 2021 is the deadline for response. Download the RFI details HERE . (Source: US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy , General Services Administration, 28 Oct., 2021) Contact: GSA, gpg@gsa.gov, www.gsa.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-10-18
In Washington, the US DOE is reporting $20 million in funding to four projects working to accelerate regional deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The Regional Initiatives to Accelerate CCUS Deployment are designed to identify and address regional storage and transportation challenges facing the commercial deployment of CCUS.

The Regional Initiatives are university-led partnerships with academia, non-governmental organizations, industry leaders, and local and state governments. The initiatives identify and promote carbon storage and transport projects by addressing key technical challenges; facilitating data collection, sharing, and analysis; evaluating regional storage and transport infrastructure; and promoting regional technology transfer. Each of the following Regional Initiative lead organizations were awarded approximately $5,000,000 in DOE federal funding:

Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, OH) is leading the Regional Initiative to Accelerate CCUS Deployment in the Midwestern and Northeastern US project in 20 Midwestern and Northwestern states to review regional infrastructure and technical challenges to deploying CCUS in three sedimentary basins and the Arches province. www.battelle.org

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM) is leading the Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership of the Western UU project in 15 Western states to focus on compiling geologic datasets in the region for storage resource analyses and identifying data gaps. www.nmit.edu

Southern States Energy Board (Peachtree Corners, GA) is leading the Southeast Regional Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership project in 15 Southeast states to identify at least 50 potential regional sites to evaluate storage resource potential and infrastructure needs. www.sseb.org

University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (Grand Forks, ND) is leading the Plains CO2 Reduction project in 13 Northwest states and four Canadian provinces to identify and address onshore regional storage and transport challenges facing the commercial deployment of CCUS in an expanded region. www. undeerc.org

The Regional Initiatives continue the work of predecessor projects funded under DOE's Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative, supporting efforts to validate geologic storage technologies and support the commercialization of carbon capture and storage.

The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) funds research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to decarbonize power generation and industrial sources, to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. (Source: US DOE, PR, 15 Oct., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management; National Energy Technology Laboratory, www.netl.doe.gov/coal/carbon-storage/regional-initiative-to-Accelerate-CCUS-deployment

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  CCUS,  US DOE,  Battelle,  

DOE Building Technologies Office
Date: 2021-10-15
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $61 million for 10 pilot projects that will deploy new technology to transform thousands of homes and workplaces into state-of-the-art, energy-efficient buildings. These Connected Communities can interact with the electrical grid to optimize their energy consumption which will substantially decrease their carbon emissions and cut energy costs.

Connected communities of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) use smart controls, sensors, and analytics to communicate with the electrical grid, reducing the amount of energy they require during periods of peak demand. This capability is used to optimize buildings and distributed energy resources to maintain the comfort of the building occupants, lowers utility bills, and reduces grid system costs.

A recent DOE study estimated that by 2030, GEBs could save up to $18 billion per year in power system costs and cut 80 million tpy of carbon emissions -- more than the annual emissions of 50 medium-sized coal plants or 17 million cars. DOE's first two connected communities in Alabama and Georgia have already demonstrated this potential by using approximately 42-44 pct less energy than today's average all-electric home.

The 10 pilot projects include:

Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.(PRI) (New York City, Seattle, San Diego) $5.27 million -- will be used to transform multi-family buildings in affordable housing developments into GEBs that will demonstrate different ways to decarbonize buildings, make them more resilient, and reduce utility bills.

IBACOS, Inc. (NC) $6.65 million -- will deploy a coordinated control program to optimize the energy use of a comprehensive mix of distributed energy resources in 1,000 new and existing homes, including single-family and multifamily homes and both owner-occupied and rental properties.

Open Market ESCO Limited Liability Company (MA) $6.65 million -- will bring the benefits of efficiency, demand flexibility, renewable generation, and energy storage with more affordable renovations in up to 20 low-to-moderate-income apartment communities.

PacifiCorp (UT) $6.24 million -- to establish a program to manage solar photovoltaic, batteries, electric vehicle charging in a diverse community of all-electric buildings and a mass transit transportation center, equipped with the latest market-leading efficient technologies to optimize their collective energy use and provide grid services at scale.

Portland General Electric (OR) $6.65 million -- will renovate over 500 buildings in North Portland's historically underserved neighborhoods to reduce their energy burden with numerous energy efficiency measures and connected devices that provide the grid with a range on energy services. (Award amount: $6.65M)

Post Road Foundation (ME, NH) $6.65 million -- will investigate the capacity of a novel Transactive Energy Service System to harmonize communications and optimize energy use among the distributed energy resources, local energy markets, and buildings of three rural communities.

Slipstream Group Inc. (WI) $5.18 million -- will convert approximately 15 facilities in Madison, Wisconsin into GEBs that connect with nearby electric vehicle charging stations to establish a scalable business model for utilities to install demand flexibility and energy efficiency upgrades across multiple building sizes in public and private sectors.

Spokane Edo LLC (WA) $6.65 million -- to unlock demand flexibility up to 2.25 megawatt (MW) using flexible loads in residential and commercial buildings augmented by distributed energy resources within Spokane, Washington's Opportunity Zones of vulnerable populations.

SunPower Corporation (CA) $6.65 million -- to build tomorrow's homes today in two communities of all-electric homes in Menifee, California that meet DOE's zero-energy-ready home qualifications and feature solar energy, home energy management systems, and community-scale battery storage.

The Ohio State University (OH) $4.2 million -- will investigate the capacity of Ohio State's existing on-campus connected community to provide essential but overlooked ancillary grid services from a diverse range of grid-interactive technologies in a cyber- and data-secure environment.

The Connected Communities funding opportunity is led by DOE's Building Technologies Office. (Source: US DOE Building Technologies Office, PR, 13 Oct., 2021) Contact: US DOE Building Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE EERE,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Efficiency Software,  DOE Building Technologies ,  DOE Energy,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-10-13
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) is a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.

This comprehensive set of solutions requires concerted action, guided by an aggressive goal: to develop and domestically manufacture energy storage technologies that can meet all U.S. market demands by 2030.

The ESGC leverages the expertise of the full spectrum of DOE offices and the capabilities of its National Labs to enable independent testing, verification, and demonstration of energy storage technologies, allowing them to enter the market more quickly. To maximize the speed at which early stage concepts develop into commercial scale deployments, DOE created a comprehensive inventory of lab capabilities that allows energy storage stakeholders to easily identify resources that can assist with their R&D needs.

Download the US DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge details =facilities&sort=relevance&facets=fkaa,fkhhg,fkhhc] HERE, (Source: US DOE, PR, Oct., 2021) Contact: US DOE, 202-586-5000, www.energy.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage,  US DOE,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-10-08
In Washington, the US DOE is reporting $45 million has been earmarked for 12 research projects to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for natural gas power plants and industrial facilities. The funding aims to advance point-source CCS technologies that can capture at least 95 pct of CO2 emissions generated from natural gas power (plants) and "high emissions" industrial facilities such as cement and steel.

Organizations and projects to be funded include: Sustainable Energy Solutions in Utah to process 30 tpd of CO2 to demonstrate CO2 capture of more than 95 pct of carbon in industrial or power plant exhaust; $5 million will allow a foundation at The University of Kentucky to test a CO2 capture system that treats gas from an electric arc furnace used in steel production; $1.5 million is going to General Electric's research unit in New York State to design a system to capture 95 percent of carbon from exhausted emitted by gas-fired power plants. (Source: US DOE, Urdue Point News, Oct., 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Natural Gas,  

US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
Date: 2021-09-22
In Washington, the US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) is reporting the availability of up to $3 million to four national public power associations -- the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the American Public Power Association (APPA).

The funding, which will be managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), will support the development of new technologies, tools, educational resources and training for communities most impacted by historical fossil fuel use and benefit from a transition to a cleaner energy economy. In particular, the DOE seeks to increase regional and state-level engagement in the larger process.

NARUC will receive up to $200,000 per year for five years as part of the DOE-NARUC Coal Modernization and Carbon Management Partnership. The same amount will be available to NASEO, through the State and Local Innovation and Analysis in Support of Long-Term Energy Planning and Policy.

NRECA could receive up to $100,000 per year for five years, along with an additional $25,000 per year for five years in non-DOE funding, for work on Outreach for Advanced Storage Integration and Support (OASIS). APPA will receive a similar package for work on Energy Storage Accessibility for Public Power Utilities, a program to unite municipal utilities for discussion of opportunities and barriers alike on the road to integrating energy storage technologies at power plants. (Source: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management,www.energy.gov/fe; American Public Power Association, www.publicpower.org; National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, www.electric.coop; National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, www.naruc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News NASEO,  NETL,  National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,  US DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management,  Carbon Capture,  American Public Power Association ,  

Argonne National Laboratory, GEVO
Date: 2021-09-22
Englewood, Colorado-headquartered energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons -- sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable petroleum -- producer GEVO Inc. reports it is partnering with the US DOE Afgonne National Laboratory to perform a critical lifecycle analysis of GEVO's next-generation technology.

Using data provided by Gevo, ANL's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Technologies Model (GREET) is expected to yield results regarding carbon footprints of these fuels within a few months.

GREET's lifecycle analysis considers a host of different fuel production pathways including energy use, emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, water consumption related to the production processes, as well as the whole of the fuel pathway system from capturing carbon via photosynthesis to the final burning of the fuel.

The effort is being funded by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), which is part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). (Source: ANL, GEVO, PR Sept., 2021) Contact: Gevo, Dr. Chris Ryan, CEO, 303-858-8358, cryan@gevo.com, www.gevo.com; Argonne National Lab, 630-252-2000, www.anl.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Argonne National Laborator,  GEVO,  Biofuel,  SAFy ,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-09-17
Since 2013, the DOE Housing Innovation Awards have honored the very best in innovation on the path to zero energy ready homes by recognizing forward-thinking builders delivering American homebuyers with a better homeowner experience.

Award winners are selected in each of the following categories : Affordable Homes; Attached Homes; Custom Homes for Buyer; Custom Homes on Spec; Multi-Family Homes and Production Homes .

Download 2021 Housing Innovation Awards details HERE.

Tour of Zero details HERE. (Source: US DOE, EERE, PR, Sept., 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Energy news,  Energy Efficiency news,  US DOE EERE news,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-09-08
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award's criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost.

Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Energy Efficiency,  US DOE,  

Date: 2021-09-08
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award’s criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost. Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

NREL
Date: 2021-09-08
The US DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reports it is in the late stages of prototype testing a new thermal energy storage technology that uses inexpensive silica sand as a storage medium. Economic Long-Duration Electricity Storage by Using Low-Cost Thermal Energy Storage and High-Efficiency Power Cycle (ENDURING) is a reliable, cost-effective, scalable and can be constructed using existing infrastructure such as retired coal- and gas-fired power plants.

ENDURING uses electricity from surplus solar or wind to heat silica sand as a thermal storage material. Particles are fed through an array of electric resistive heating elements to heat them to 1,200 degree C. The heated particles are then gravity-fed into insulated concrete silos for thermal energy storage. The baseline system is designed for economical storage of up to a 26,000 MWh of thermal energy. When energy is needed, the hot particles are gravity-fed through a heat exchanger, heating and pressurizing a working gas inside to drive turbines and spin generators that create electricity for the grid. Once discharged, the spent, cold particles are once again fed into insulated silos for storage for charging.

As a storage medium, abundant silica sand is stable and inexpensive at $30-$50/ton, and has a limited ecological impact both in extraction and end of life. Particle thermal energy storage is a less energy dense form of storage, but is very inexpensive ($2-$4 per kWh of thermal energy at a 900 degrees C charge-to-discharge temperature difference). The energy storage system is safe because inert silica sand is used as storage media, making it an ideal candidate for massive, long-duration energy storage. (Source: NREL, , Sept., 2021) Contact: NREL ENDURING Project, Zhiwen Ma, Principal Investigator, 303-275-3784 Zhiwen.Ma@nrel.gov, www.nrel.gov/research/staff/zhiwen-ma.html, www.nrel.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News NREL,  Energy Storage,  Thermal Energy Storage,  

DOE Science
Date: 2021-09-03
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award’s criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost. Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-25
The City of Bellevue Washington and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) have developed a toolkit to give cities more detail on what is driving changes in local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from year to year. Supported by a financial assistance award from the Department of Energy Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning project.

the toolkit allows cities to attribute changes between two inventories to the impacts of policies and programs along with external drivers, such as growth or decline in the level of economic activity and changes to weather. This analysis will support policy-makers to better communicate about their progress and refine their policy approaches.

Download the Drivers of Change Analysis HERE. Download the toolkit HERE. (Source: US DOE EERE,Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere; ICLEI-USA, www.icleiusa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHGs,  Greenhouse Gas,  Climate Change,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-25
Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning demonstration project teams are led by local governments and have been selected to develop and pilot data-driven decision frameworks. To develop these frameworks, the local governments have partnered with academic institutions, technology companies, utilities, regional planning bodies, and non-governmental organizations for the following demonstration projects:

Drivers of Change for Local Greenhouse Gas Emissions Toolkit -- The Bellevue, WA and ICLEI-USA developed a toolkit to give cities details on what has been driving year-to-year changes in GHG emissions inventories. Report and details HERE

Powering Energy Efficiency and Impacts Project Framework (PEEIF) -- The Upper Coastal Plain COG team piloted a new framework to enhance low income energy service delivery to households in northeastern North Carolina. Report and details HERE

Policy, Permit, Perform: Using City Benchmarking Data and Building Construction Permit History to Identify Energy Performance Improvements -- Portland, OR evaluated the use of the DOE Building Energy Asset Score Tool and rating system to commercial buildings disclosing their energy use. Report and details HERE. (Source: US DOE EERE,Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere; ICLEIUSA, www.icleiusa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE/EERE,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Benchmarking,  

University of Toledo,US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office
Date: 2021-08-23
In Ohio, the University of Toledo is reporting receipt of $3.2 million in US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office grant funding to advance technology that speeds up the capture of atmospheric CO2 to grow algae, a critical part of the process of turning algae into biofuel.

The award supports ongoing research by Dr Sridhar Viamajala, professor of chemical engineering, to speed up the production of microalgae using a farming technique called direct air capture, which minimises the loss of organic carbon, an issue that slows down algae production.

Oils and carbohydrates produced by the algae, which use sunlight and nutrients to grow, can be turned into fuels and commodity goods such as plastics -- products otherwise produced from petroleum. "This technology improved sustainability by removing CO2 while simultaneously creating pathways for the displacement of petroleum," according to Professor Sridhar Viamajala, Chemical Engineering, at the University of Toledo. (Source: University of Toledo, PR, 20 Aug., 2021) Contact: University of Toledo, Professor Sridhar Viamajala, www.utoledo.edu/engineering/chemical-engineering/facultystaff/sridharviamajala.html; US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae. Algae Biofuel,  Carbon Capture,  US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office,  Algae,  Biofuel,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-18
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $24 million in funding for nine research projects to explore and develop new materials, processes, chemistries and methods of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

The nine awards are led by two national laboratories and seven universities, including North Carolina A&T State University. Projects were chosen based on peer review under a DOE funding opportunity announcement open to universities, national laboratories, industry and non-profit research organizations. {Source: US DOE, Website PR, 18 Aug., 2021)Contact: US DOE, www.energy.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Carbon Capture,  Direct Air Carbon Capture,  CCS,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-08-16
In Washington, the US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has awarded $82.6 million in funding to 44 projects that will lower Americans' energy bills and help meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by investing in new energy efficient building technologies, construction practices, and the U.S. buildings-sector workforce.

The 44 projects across 20 states will improve building energy efficiency through innovations in thermal energy storage, building envelopes, lighting, HVAC, water heating -- as well as by bolstering the energy efficiency workforce with trainings, educational programs, and other technical support. The following are among the 44 funded projects:

North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota will develop a novel absorption material that will efficiently store thermal energy.

Baryon Inc. based in Wilmington, Delaware will develop an innovative air-conditioning system based on a new method of evaporative cooling combined with dehumidification that can consume 50 to 85 pct less energy than traditional air conditioning systems.

In Sidney, Ohio, Emerson Commercial and Residential Solutions will design, fabricate, and validate a highly efficient refrigerated display case for use in supermarkets.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark will design, prototype, install, test, and evaluate a high-performance residential wall retrofit that can achieve estimated heating and cooling energy savings of 30 pct or more.

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance in Atlanta, Georgia, will develop training resources on electrified building systems such as electric heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, electric vehicle charging systems, and battery storage systems. These resources will help members of the workforce learn how to educate consumers on the benefits of these technologies.

Download the full list of funded recipients HERE.

The mission of the DOE EERE is to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050, and ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans. (Source: US DOE EERE, PR, 13 Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, Building Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news,  DOE Building Technology Office news,  DOE EERE news,  

DOE Building Technology Office
Date: 2021-08-13
New DOE Health and Home Performance Infographic -- The Better Buildings Residential Network launched a new Health + Home Performance Infographic that illustrates the link between efficiency and health to better engage homeowners. Efficiency and also home health programs and contractors can use the infographic's easy-to-follow question-and-answer format to discover a homeowner's needs.

The infographic is ideal for the "kitchen table" conversations where people decide what to do -- and who they want to do it. It also has links for homeowners to find a qualified contractor if they do not already have one. Details: Health + Home Performance Infographic, www.energy.gov/eere/better-buildings-residential-network/articles/new-doe-health-home-performance-infographic

Map Offers Details of Energy Efficiency Careers -- An interactive career map funded by the DOE Building Technologies Office allows job seekers to explore 55 energy efficiency careers and provides information such as salary range, education requirements and future opportunities. Developed by the Interstate Renewable Industry Council and other industry groups, the Green Buildings Career map targets a broad group of workers with a variety of skills and education levels, providing hundreds of potential pathways to jobs in the green building industry. Details: Green Buildings Carrer Map, www.greenbuildingscareermap.org

CLEAResult Completes Over 263,000 Home Energy Upgrades -- Austin, Texas-based CLEAResult reports in fiscal year 2020, it completed 263,284 home energy upgrades, direct installations, and benefits to homes in 22 states, with 20 pct of upgrades completed in low-income homes. Contact: CLEAResult, 888-812-6146, www.clearesult.com

Efficiency Maine Completes 18,953 Upgrades -- Efficiency Maine reported 18,953 home energy upgrades in fiscal year 2020. Their residential customers are able to leverage a variety of programs, including Home Energy Savings, Low Income Initiatives, Retail Initiatives, and Distributor Initiatives. Contact: Efficiency Maine, 866-376-2463, www.efficiencymaine.com

DOE Home Energy Score Recognizes Partner Achievements, Upgrades Modeling Capabilities -- The DOE Home Energy Score™ team recognized three of its partners this month for their outstanding efforts to provide homeowners and renters with a Home Energy Score -- a miles per gallon-type rating that measures a home's energy efficiency. Award winners include the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which produced nearly 6,000 scores over the past year; Detroit-based Walker-Miller Energy Services, which used the score to reach under-served households in Michigan; and Energize Connecticut, which helped lead Connecticut's innovative efforts to expand Home Energy Score, including to renters. Currently 25 Home Energy Score Partners exist with a network of nearly 300 assessors actively producing scores nationwide.

The latest improvement to Home Energy Score™ enhances the tool's modeling capabilities by incorporating EnergyPlus™, a whole-building energy simulation already considered the standard by engineers, architects, and researchers for measuring energy consumption in buildings. The switch to EnergyPlus enables Home Energy Score to produce more accurate energy estimates through comprehensive modeling calculations. Details: Home Energy Score, www.betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/home-energy-score. (Source: US DOE Building Technology Office, 11 Aug., 2021) Contact: DOE Building Technology OfficeBetter Buildings Residential Network, www.bbresidentialnetwork@ee.doe.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Building Technology Office,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-08-11
In Washington, the U.S. DOE has announced nearly $34 million in funding for 11 projects that will support high-impact research and development to improve and produce biofuels, biopower and bioproducts from municipal solid waste (MSW) streams and algae for conversion into low-carbon transportation fuels.

Selected projects will both research and develop waste for energy conversion, improve algae farming practices to increase production, and further understanding of MSW potential as a fuel and energy source.

Awardees across six projects will investigate various strains and farming practices of algae and explore new ways to improve their growth.

Recipent list and details HERE. (Source: US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy , PR, Aug., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE EERE,  Algae Biofuel,  Municipal Solid Waste,  Alternative Fuel,  

Michigan State University
Date: 2021-08-09
In East Lansing, Michigan State University (MSU) reports it has been awarded $2.25 million over the next five years from the U.S. DOE for the creation of an Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) to work with Michigan manufacturers to shrink carbon footprints, improve energy efficiency and cut energy costs. The funding is part of a 1976 DOE initiative that presently supports 32 IACs nationwide.

The MSU College of Engineering with provide the nucleus for the IAC which will capitalize on the experience found in MSU Extension, the Office of Sustainability, Infrastructure, Planning, and Facilities and the Construction Management programs. The IAC will also utilize the Construction Management Education and Research Lab space for student training and will capitalize on existing teaching, outreach and research efforts related to safety, green building, sustainability, and energy efficiency at all the partner institutions.

Download US DOE IAC details HERE (Source: Michigan State University, PR, dbusiness, 9 Aug., 2021) Contact: MSU College of Engineering, www.egr.msu.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Michigan State University news,  Energy Efficiency news,  Green Building news,  

GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power
Date: 2021-07-30
GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power and GE Research, in partnership with the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are reporting completion of the 2020 Automated Blade Finishing programme aimed at improving wind turbine blade quality, manufacturing, advancing knowledge of composite processing together with sensing, robotics and automation to develop low-cost solutions for wind blade finishing with potential to increase throughput by 30 pct.

The programme is supported by the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) , Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) . AMO, through the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation awarded NREL $800 000 which was matched by $400 000 from OEDIT and $600 000 in company matching contributions. (Source: GE Renewable Energy, PR, July, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News GE Renewable Energy news,  LM Wind Power news,  Wind Blade news,  Wind Energy news,  NREL news,  

GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power
Date: 2021-07-30
GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power and GE Research, in partnership with the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are reporting completion of the 2020 Automated Blade Finishing programme aimed at improving wind turbine blade manufacturing auomation, quality, and advancing knowledge of composite processing to develop low-cost solutions for wind blade finishing with potential to increase throughput by 30 pct.

The programme is supported by the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) . AMO, through the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. (Source: GE Renewable Energy, PR, July, 2021) Contact: LM Wind Power, www.lmwindpower.com; GE Renewable Energy, www.ge.com/renewableenergy/home

More Low-Carbon Energy News GE Renewable Energy,  LM Wind Power ,  Wind Blade,  

Titan Advanced Energy Solutions
Date: 2021-07-28
Salem, Mass.-based Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, focused on using ultrasound technology to help make batteries run better, safer, and longer lasting, is reporting receipt of $1.1 million in Phase II SBIR funding from the US DOE to develop and build a production-ready prototype of an early warning system that detects hazardous conditions in lithium-ion batteries.

The Titan award is one of 110 innovative projects from American small businesses and entrepreneurs that the DOE is funding for a total of $127 million.

The Phase II awards from the DOE's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program go to support the research and development of innovative clean energy technologies toward commercialization.

Statista, a global business data platform, projects that between 2020 and 2030, the global demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase elevenfold to more than 2 terawatt hours. (Source: Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, PR, 27 July, 2021) Contact: Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, (978) 414-5538, info@titanaes.com, www.titanaes.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Li-IonBattery,  Lithium Ion Battery,  Energy STorage,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-07-28
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in collaboration with Modelon and Objexx Engineering, have released the initial version of the Spawn of EnergyPlus (Spawn)

Spawn is not a replacement for EnergyPlus, at least not in the foreseeable future. Although it does perform whole-building energy simulation, it targets new use cases in advanced controls, district systems, and grid integration.

Spawn supports these new use cases by making fundamental use of coupled simulation via the Functional Mockup Interface standard. Spawn reuses the weather, envelope, lighting, and loads models from EnergyPlus and packages them as a single model. However, it replaces EnergyPlus' traditional, imperative, implicit, load-based HVAC and controls models with explicit declarative state-based models from the Modelica Buildings Library which are translated and automatically linked with the EnergyPlus model. By combining models in different configurations, Spawn is able to simulate either a single building or a collection of buildings linked by shared thermal, electrical, and control systems.

Spawn also fundamentally leverages the Modelica, a standard for equation-based modeling. The use of Modelica to model HVAC and control introduces capabilities that are not found in traditional energy simulation engines such as EnergyPlus. The most significant of these is the ability to simulate physically realistic control sequences using the same specification that is used in controller implementations. The ability to use a single control specification for both energy simulation and implementation aims to bridge these traditionally separate domains and promote the use of high-performance control sequences. Modelica also enables modeling of novel HVAC and district system components and configurations. Spawn HVAC and control models have been developed as part of a multi-year international effort led by IEA EBC Annex 60 and IBPSA-World Project 1 to develop Modelica models for building and community systems.

Spawn-of-EnergyPlus details HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 27 July, 2021) Contact: DOE, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE EERE,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Efficiency Software,  DOE Building Technologies ,  DOE EnergyPlus ,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-07-16
In Washington, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm has announced the U.S. DOE's new goal to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration -- 10 hours or more -- energy storage by 90 pct within the decade -- the second target within DOE's Energy Earthshot Initiative.

Developing the technology and manufacturing to reach the Long Duration Storage Shot cost targets will also establish a new, U.S.-based energy storage related products manufacturing industry, increase local control of the power system and build resilience for communities, including by minimizing power grid disruptions.

The Long Duration Storage Shot will consider all types of technologies -- whether electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, chemical carriers, or any combination that has the potential to meet the necessary duration and cost targets for grid flexibility. Currently, pumped-storage hydropower is the largest source of long duration energy storage on the grid, and lithium ion is the primary source of new energy storage technology deployed on the grid in the United States, providing shorter duration storage capabilities.

ESGC and the Long Duration Shortage Shot are linked with integrated efforts across the DOE's Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Electricity, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Science, Nuclear Energy, and Technology Transitions, as well as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Energy). (Source: US DOE, PR, 14 July, 2021) Contact: DOE Energy Earthshot Initiative, www.energy.gov/policy/energy-earthshots-initiative

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage,  DOE Energy Earthshot Initiative,  ,  

DOE Better Building Initiative
Date: 2021-07-14
In Washington, the Secretary of Energy has announced sweeping actions to power more American homes and buildings with cleaner, smarter, and more affordable energy services that sharply reduce the buildings sector's energy consumption and contributions to the climate crisis.

Residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of the climate-altering carbon pollution America releases each year, use about 40 pct of the nation's energy and waste more than $100 billion annually due to energy inefficiency, according to the DOE. To address energy waste and inefficiency the DOE Better Building Initiative "whole-building" solution calls for the following:

Investing in Buildings' Workforce of the Future -- New investments of up to $30 million for the American workforce will expand DOE's support for organizations -- including unions, trade associations, and educational institutions -- that train and support career pathways for a diverse, qualified, and well-paid workforce that enables high-performance buildings.

Advancing Efficiency in Heating and Cooling Systems -- A new national initiative focused on clean and efficient heating and cooling systems in buildings called the Initiative for Better Energy, Emissions, and Equity (E3) will advance the research, development, and deployment of clean heating and cooling systems like heat pumps, advanced water heaters, low-to-no global warming potential refrigerants, and smarter HVAC diagnostic tools.

Driving Adoption of Smart Building Technologies -- A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings will chart a path to triple the energy efficiency and demand flexibility of U.S. buildings within the decade -- worth $100 to $200 billion in energy cost savings -- by implementing 14 practical recommendations that accelerate the ability of buildings to both reduce and change the timing of energy use through smart building operations sensitive to broader grid dynamics.

Collaborating with Industry to Decarbonize Buildings -- The Better Buildings Low Carbon Pilot, a project of the Better Buildings Initiative, will work with commercial, industrial, and multifamily organizations to set commitments and share pathways to low and no carbon emission buildings.

Opening Up Windows for Collaboration -- The Partnership for Advanced Window Solutions (PAWS) will accelerate the national availability and adoption of advanced and highly efficient windows and window attachments that improve comfort and reduce building energy use.

Started in 2011, the Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with leaders in the public and private sectors to make the nation's homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy efficient by accelerating investment upgrades and products and sharing successful best practices. Better Buildings partners represent more than 30 of the country's Fortune 100 companies, 12 of the top 25 U.S. employers, 12 pct of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and 13 pct of total commercial building space, as well as 17 federal agencies, 8 national laboratories, and more than 80 states and local governments. (Source: US DOE Building Technologies Office, PR, June, 2021) Contact: US DOE Building Technologies Office, 202-586-9127, buildings@ee.doe.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Better Building Initiative,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOEm
Date: 2021-07-14
In Washington, the U.S. DOE reports it is considering new energy efficiency standards for "manufactured" -- pre-assembled -- housing and will release a supplemental notice of proposed rule-emaking in August that will be based on the 2021 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

The new manufactured home standards would cover: the building thermal envelope; air sealing; installation of insulation; duct sealing; HVAC; service hot water systems; mechanical ventilation fan efficacy; and heating and cooling equipment sizing.

Energy conservation portions of current manufactured housing regulations have not been adjusted since 1994. Roughly 7 million manufactured homes are in the U.S, Manufactured homes use 70 pct more energy per square foot than traditional "stick-built" homes, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). (Source: US DOE, ACEEE, 14 July, 2021) Contact: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, www2.aceee.org; International Energy Conservation Code, www.iccsafe.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  ACEEE,  International Energy Conservation Code,