CELEBRATE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY DAY WITH US - MARCH 21
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is driving for an energy future that accommodates new sources. These sources introduce real cost savings and improved performance, as well as new jobs.
WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY? Throughout the modern age, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas have powered homes and businesses. But to meet decarbonization goals, the world is increasingly seeking to add renewable sources of power into the generating mix. These renewable resources have traditionally included hydropower, terrestrial wind, and solar photovoltaic, and we envision newer resources—such as marine energy, wind energy, and geothermal—enabling a sustainable energy future for our nation.
But there are challenges to overcome. Integrating renewables into the grid is complex and there is a great deal of research and development to be done to make the most of these resources.
Our research encompasses a wide range of renewables, drawing on resources below ground, on the surface, and in the sky. Our partnerships with other national laboratories, industry, and universities are bringing renewable energy closer to an everyday reality.
In honor of National Renewable Energy Day checkout some of PNNL's research in this area, staff features, and other highlights.
(P.S. Stay with us until the end of this newsletter and register for our upcoming Energy Storage @ PNNL webinar on April 13. We're talking about energy storage for social equity.)
RENEWABLE INTEGRATION EXPLAINED
Renewable integration is the process of plugging renewable sources of energy into the electric grid. Renewable sources generate energy from self-replenishing resources—like wind, sunshine, and water—and could provide enough energy to power a clean future. These sources of energy are very different from fossil-based energy sources, which can create challenges when integrating renewable energy with the grid. Overcoming these challenges is key to increasing renewable integration and achieving a clean energy future. Learn more in the latest explainer article.
NEW SODIUM, ALUMINUM BATTERY AIMS TO INTEGRATE RENEWABLES FOR GRID RESILIENCY
A new battery design could help ease integration of renewable energy into the nation’s electrical grid at lower cost, using Earth-abundant metals, according to a study just published in Energy Storage Materials. A research team, led by DOE's PNNL, demonstrated that the new design for a grid energy storage battery built with the low-cost metals sodium and aluminum provides a pathway towards a safer and more scalable stationary energy storage system. Read more here.
NEW WEST COAST OFFSHORE WIND TRANSMISSION STUDY
A new study is being launched to support offshore wind development along the U.S. West Coast through 2050. This study will evaluate multiple pathways to meet offshore wind goals, while supporting grid reliability and resilience and ocean co-use. Led by PNNL and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this study will build on the West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission Literature and Gaps Analysis by addressing some of its identified gaps. Learn more and access the recently published gaps analysis report.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GRID STORAGE LAUNCHPAD (GSL) WITH VINCE SPRENKLE, PNNL ADVISOR
We talked with Vince about the role of energy storage in a clean energy future and how the GSL is a part of that. Read on!
Q: Can you explain the importance of energy storage in relation to achieving the nation’s energy goals?
A: The widespread adoption of variable renewable energy solutions like solar and wind, combined with a changing customer demand (e.g., EV charging, fleet EV charging, etc.) presents difficult challenges in matching electrical supply and demand. We need a critical buffer and that’s what energy storage technologies can do - they can store and release electricity as needed which will play a critical role in advancing the nation’s clean energy goals.
Q: How will the GSL help achieve the nation’s clear energy goals?
A: Today’s energy storage technologies face certain cost, performance, and duration limitations that must be overcome so they can play a pivotal role in our decarbonized energy future. The GSL is focused on accelerating the development of next-generation energy storage technology and validating that these new technologies can operate – as expected – when deployed. New storage technologies have typically taken decades of research and development to move from initial concept to functional system and accelerating this process is critical to meeting our near-term decarbonatization goals.
Q: Did you ever imagine opening the doors of a $75 million facility? And what does it mean to you?
A: Being involved in developing a mission-focused facility like the GSL is a once in a career opportunity. As researchers, rarely do we have to opportunity to design and construct a facility to meet a single goal, in this case, enabling greater adoption of energy storage. It has been gratifying to be involved in the entire process. It is exciting to be part of this new DOE capability where I wake-up every day thinking about solving our grid energy storage needs.
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) selected PNNL in Richland, Washington as the site for a new, national grid energy storage research and development facility.
The GSL will support research and boost clean energy adoption and make the nation's power grid more resilient, secure, and flexible.
The new facility will have approximately 91,000 square feet with capabilities ranging from basic materials research to testing and validating 100KW systems.
The GSL will foster collaboration between national labs and other stakeholders to support OE's mission and the Energy Storage Grand Challenge and the Long Duration Storage Shot.
The GSL will open in 2024 with a focus on accelerating the development of next-generation energy storage technology as a national priority for modernizing the power grid and unlocking a broad array of economic and societal benefits.
JOIN US FOR THE ENERGY STORAGE @ PNNL APRIL WEBINAR
What is energy storage for social equity?
Date: Thursday, April 13 | Noon – 1 p.m. (P.T.)
Expert Panel Discussion Topic: Energy Storage for Social Equity
Panelists: Abel Thompson (Together New Orleans in Louisiana), Marie Kills Warrior (Honor the Earth in Minnesota), and Victoria Flowers (Oneida Nation in Wisconsin)
For this interactive panel, PNNL Energy Justice and Equity Advisor Jennifer Yoshimura will host special guests from communities that are participating in the Department of Energy’s Energy Storage for Social Equity (ES4SE) program. The panel will discuss what communities envision as their energy futures, and what they need from technologies and public investment to build social value into future infrastructure development.
PNNL REPRESENTS DURING ENERGY STORAGE FOR SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL AT SXSW CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
On March 12, PNNL Energy Justice and Equity Advisor Jennifer Yoshimura moderated a community leadership panel from DOE’s OE Energy Storage for Social Equity (ES4SE) Program at SXSW’s first Energy Conference in Austin, TX. Councilman Treasurer Glenn Ellis from The Makah Tribe, Nicole Lee from Be Smart Home Solutions and the Harambee House, and Todd Yamashita from Ho’āhu Energy Cooperative Moloka’i shared their vision of an energy future for their communities; the healthy partnerships from industry, government, and academia that are needed to get there; and more importantly, a call to action of others to help achieve energy equity and resilience for their communities.
About Energy Storage at PNNL
PNNL research provides a clear understanding of the technology needs for integrating energy storage into the grid. We work with utilities and industry to assess the optimal role for energy storage installations under local operational and market conditions. Our research teams support field deployments where we work with stakeholders to characterize the value, understand usage and controls, and generally improve the benefits that energy storage systems provide to the grid. These data, provided to all stakeholders, assure that research development and deployment is working toward a cleaner power future for America.
Understanding the benefits of the wide variety of storage technologies and developing the critical advancements required to bring down the cost of energy storage will help integrate renewable power sources such as wind, solar, and marine energy…and energize a modern, flexible, and resilient power grid.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the PNNL's News Center. Follow us onTwitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, Richland, WA 99354
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