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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Sustainable Energy Solutions for Thermal Load in Buildings—Role of Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, and Hydrogen-Based Cogeneration Systems

Economic and population growth is leading to increased energy demand across all sectors—buildings, transportation, and industry. Adoption of new energy consumers such as electric vehicles could further increase this growth. Sensible utilization of clean renewable energy resources is necessary to sustain this growth. Thermal needs in a building pose a significant challenge to the energy infrastructure. Potential technological solutions to address growing energy demand while simultaneously lowering the carbon footprint and enhancing the grid flexibility are presented in this study. Performance assessment of heat pumps, solar thermal collectors, nonfossil fuel-based cogeneration systems, and their hybrid configurations is reported in this study. The impact of design configuration, coefficient of performance (COP), electric grid’s primary energy efficiency on the key attributes of total carbon footprint, life cycle costs, operational energy savings, and site-specific primary energy efficiency are analyzed and discussed in detail. In conclusion, heat pumps and hydrogen-fueled solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are highly effective building energy resources compared to traditional approaches; however, the carbon intensity of electrical energy and hydrogen production are keys to the overall environmental benefit.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Clean Industry in China: A Techno-Economic Comparison of Electrified Heat Technologies, Barriers, and Policy Options

China’s manufacturing sector generates 61% of the country’s CO 2 emissions, nearly three-quarters of which is related to industrial process heating. To meet China’s climate targets and attain a zero-carbon industrial sector, decarbonizing these industrial heating processes is a necessity. If China’s electricity grid is similarly decarbonized, direct electrification is the most practical means of supplying this heat efficiently at the required scale.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Factors Influencing Building Demand Flexibility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Roadmap for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) acknowledged that building demand flexibility (DF) is both an important strategy to decarbonizing the buildings sector and an important resource for meeting the changing needs of the electrical grid such as improving grid reliability. However, understanding the complexity and uncertainties in real building field performance of DF strategies is a large gap hindering stakeholders on both grid and buildings side to make investments on deploying such strategies. The research work in this report intended to advance understanding of the variability and influential factors in building demand flexibility. Adding such knowledge based on lab testing results and measured performance data from real buildings is an important contribution. The report uses standardized metrics and methods to quantify DF performance from field-measured DF datasets of two significant building groups of big-box retail and medium office buildings to present the challenge of building DF variability in multiple dimensions. The report presents findings related to how several key factors influence building demand flexibility from implementing a common, cost-effective DF control strategy (i.e., adjusting zone temperatures). The findings are supported by full-scale lab testing, field data analysis and simulation research. The authors also provided application-oriented recommendations to stakeholders such as building aggregators, utility program design professionals, sophisticated building portfolio owners, and more.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Connected Loads – Grid Connected Appliances: Commercial Refrigeration System Fault Detection and Diagnostics

As one of the most energy-intensive end-uses in the commercial buildings sector, supermarkets consume around 50 kWh/ft 2 (or 537.6 kWh/m 2 ) of electricity annually, or more than 2 million kWh of electricity per year for a typical store. The biggest consumer of energy in a supermarket is its refrigeration system, which accounts for 40–60% of its total electricity usage and is equivalent to about 2–3% of the total energy consumed by commercial buildings in United States, or around 0.5 quadrillion Btu (or 0.53 quadrillion KJ). Also, the supermarket refrigeration system is one of the biggest consumers of refrigerants. Current supermarket refrigeration systems rely on high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants. Reducing refrigerant usage or using environment friendly alternatives can result in significant climate benefits. Transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems have attracted more attention in recent years because of their zero-carbon emission advantages compared with traditional refrigerants. These systems are widely used in commercial buildings such as supermarkets. The refrigeration system can also be adapted to handle flexible building loads and be integrated into grid response transactive control to balance the supply and demand of the electric grid. Even minor improvements in the efficiency and operational reliability of supermarket refrigeration systems can create significant value in terms of saving energy, improving food quality, protecting the environment, reducing carbon footprint, and enhancing electric grid resilience.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Savings in Action: Lessons Learned from a Vermont Community with Solar Plus Storage

As the U.S. works to meet emissions reduction goals and modernize power sector operations, residential buildings - which account for 21% of the total U.S. electricity consumption - will play a key role. Residential buildings with energy efficiency and distributed energy resources are able to provide value to multiple stakeholders, including the occupant, utility, and society at large. To account for this, multiple metrics that capture the value each stakeholder gets are required. This report contains analysis of a unique solar plus storage community in Vermont, including the calculation of multiple metrics and a unique "score card" that succinctly captures all of the value in a single figure.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hydrogen Education for a Decarbonized Global Economy (H 2 EDGE) (Final Technical Report)

The energy sector is undergoing rapid growth and transformation, creating urgent demand for a skilled workforce to support emerging technologies and resilient systems. Hydrogen is an emerging solution for “hard to abate” sectors, including heavy industry and transportation that also provides optionality for the electric system and enables long‑duration energy storage. As hydrogen scales from traditional industrial uses to new applications, success depends on knowledgeable engineers, technicians, planners, and operators safely deploying hydrogen technologies across the full value chain: production, delivery, storage, and end use. The H 2 EDGE initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office from 2020 to 2025, was launched to prepare people for careers hydrogen and related technologies. Through its interactive approach, H 2 EDGE equipped stakeholders with knowledge and tools to build a reliable and sustainable energy future together. H 2 EDGE built a national network of academic and industry partners to deliver modular training, share open-access curricula, and engage diverse talent pipelines. The program leveraged EPRI’s extensive industry membership and expanded on the train-the-trainer model of the GridEd program to connect educators, employers, and community organizations across all regions of the U.S. New methods were introduced to more systematically map hydrogen competencies and assess curricula using traditional and AI-assisted approaches. Outcomes included delivery of professional short courses, developing university curriculum, sponsoring faculty and student projects, and engaging stakeholders through workshops, site tours, and webinars.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Challenges and Opportunities for Basic Efficiency Measures in Low-Income Homes: A Southeast Alaska Case Study

Juneau, Alaska is the state's capital city and has a renewable energy goal to reach 80% renewable energy for the space heating and transportation sectors by 2045. In practical terms, this indicates a need to electrify both sectors, to take advantage of the inexpensive hydropower available from the local electric utility, Alaska Energy Light & Power. In an effort to complement and enable electrification, researchers examined the feasibility to deploy storm windows via a case study of installing storm windows in two local low-income homes. Newer models of storm windows provide an extra layer of insulation over existing windows, while preserving operability and views. They can also improve comfort and reduce noise. Researchers worked with the regional housing authority and a local builder to install the storm windows and replace inoperable windows in the two houses in 2021, in addition to conducting pre- and post-installation air leakage tests, energy monitoring, and occupant interviews. The team encountered several challenges, including a lack of egress windows, energy data from a wide variety of heating systems, extremely leaky homes, and installation issues such as windows that were not square. These results point to several barriers to widespread deployment of storm windows in the area, but also open the door to opportunities to design deployment programs that improve safety as well as efficiency.

cold climate↗
DOE OSTI2024

Challenges and Opportunities for Basic Efficiency Measures in Low-Income Homes: A Southeast Alaska Case Study

Juneau, Alaska, is the state's capital city and aims to reach 80% renewable energy for the space heating and transportation sectors by 2045. This goal highlights a need to electrify both sectors to take advantage of the inexpensive hydropower available from the local electric utility, Alaska Electric Light and Power. To that end, researchers examined the feasibility of deploying storm windows via a case study of installing storm windows in two local low-income homes. Newer models of storm windows provide an extra layer of insulation over existing windows while preserving operability and views. They can also improve comfort and reduce noise. In addition to conducting pre- and post-installation air leakage tests, energy monitoring, and occupant interviews, researchers worked with the regional housing authority and a local builder to install the storm windows and replace inoperable windows in the two houses in 2021. The team encountered several challenges, including a lack of egress windows, energy data from a wide variety of heating systems, extremely leaky homes, and installation issues, such as windows that were not square. These results point to several barriers to the widespread deployment of window upgrades in the area and open the door to opportunities to design deployment programs that improve safety and efficiency.

cold climate↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessing the impact of demand response on peak demand in a developing country: The case of Ghana

Peak demand on electricity grids is a growing problem that increases costs and risks to supply security. Residential sector loads often contribute significantly to seasonal and daily peak demand. Demand response refers to consumer actions that change the utility load profile in a way that reduces costs or improves grid security by applying price signals and automated load shedding technologies. The methodologies that are used to achieve demand response can hardly be applicable in developing countries. Peak pricing of electricity, for instance, can hardly be implemented in many developing countries as high prices would disproportionately affect the many low-income households who do not have the capacity to take action to avoid paying high peak prices. This study aims to develop demand response methodology that can be applied in developing countries to achieve residential peak demand reduction. We use a consumer preference survey to develop a methodology suitable for developing countries. The method of diversified demand is used with energy audit and monitored data to estimate the potential peak load reduction and its cost-effectiveness for Ghana. Results show that peak reduction of 15-210 MW is expected by 2040 with a positive return on investment of 2-22% for all designed scenarios.

Diawuo, FA↗
DOE OSTI2025

Load-Shifting Strategies for Cost-Effective Emission Reductions at Wastewater Facilities

Significant hourly variation in the carbon intensity of electricity supplied to wastewater facilities introduces an opportunity to lower emissions by shifting the timing of their energy demand. This shift could be accomplished by storing wastewater, biogas from sludge digestion, or electricity from on-site biogas generation. However, the life cycle emissions and cost implications of these options are not clear. Here, we present a multiobjective optimization framework for comparing cost- and emission-minimizing load-shifting strategies at a California case study facility with a relatively low carbon intensity grid and high spread in peak and off-peak electricity prices. We evaluate cost and emission trade-offs from the optimal flexible operation of both existing infrastructure and optimally sized energy flexibility upgrades. We estimate energy-related emission reductions of up to 9.0% with flexible operation of existing infrastructure and up to 16.8% with optimally sized storage upgrades. Only a fraction of these potential savings are realized under actual industrial energy tariffs and the EPA’s recommended social cost of carbon. Energy flexibility may hold promise as a short-term emission-saving solution for the wastewater sector, but the extent of savings is heavily dependent on the cost of carbon, electricity tariffs, and emission intensity of the regional electricity grid.

climate↗
DOE OSTI2020

Process Heating Assessments Using DOE’s Manufacturing Energy Assessment Software for Utility Reduction (MEASUR) Tool Suite

Process heating is the most energy-intensive manufacturing process for most sectors of industry. To quantify energy savings from various energy conservation measures, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored the development of the Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST) and similar tools for other industrial systems in the early 2000s. It has been used extensively in the Save Energy Now Program’s Energy Savings Assessments and the Better Plants Program’s In-Plant Trainings. Since the initial development of the legacy tools, both computer operating systems and software development have evolved significantly. Thus, DOE has invested in the modernization of PHAST and other legacy software tools to create the Manufacturing Energy Assessment Software for Utility Reduction (MEASUR) tool suite. MEASUR offers a collection of software tools that can aid manufacturing facilities in improving the efficiency of energy systems and equipment (specifically pumps, fans, steam, and process heating) and in conducting “Energy Treasure Hunts”. Eventually, the tool will also add compressed air and process cooling systems. The Process Heating Assessment (PHA) module of MEASUR is an upgrade of the PHAST tool. PHA provides the means to model fuel-fired, steam-based, and electric process heating systems, covering process heating for most industrial plants in manufacturing sector. It also includes several key upgrades, including the ability to consider multi-component charge loads and account for several different areas of energy losses. The new tool includes a comprehensive flue gas calculator to quantify available heat and heat loss for various gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels and new heat loss calculators. It generates a report and a dynamic Sankey diagram to show the energy consumption in various areas of energy use. MEASUR has significantly improved the user experience by adopting a modern software design. This paper details the structure and workflow of PHA and presents a real-world case study to demonstrate energy savings quantification and MEASUR’s outstanding reporting capabilities.

Nimbalkar, Sachin U.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cross-sectoral impact of emerging technologies on U.S. manufacturing resilience and competitiveness

Introducing new technologies in one energy-intensive industry can affect how other industries operate and stay resilient, yet these cross-sector interactions are often underappreciated in conventional technology roadmaps. In practice, industrial systems do not evolve in isolation. They are linked through shared upstream and downstream dependencies, such as electricity and fuel supply, critical materials, transportation networks, and enabling infrastructure. As a result, large-scale technology deployment in one sector can reshape resource availability, infrastructure demand, and operational risk in others. These interdependencies mean that technology deployment decisions in one sector can create unintended bottlenecks or cascading benefits in others. Here, this article argues that a cross-sector, system-of-systems perspective is essential for evaluating and scaling emerging technologies in energy-intensive industries. By framing industrial transformation as an interconnected systems challenge rather than a set of isolated sectoral decisions, the study highlights how interdependence shapes technology feasibility, adoption pathways, and resilience outcomes. The article illustrates how cross-sector linkages can amplify both risks and benefits, and it emphasizes the importance of integrated planning approaches that account for shared dependencies, cascading impacts, and co-optimization opportunities. Adopting this broader perspective can support more robust technology roadmaps, improve strategic coordination across industries, and strengthen the long-term resilience of the industrial sector as a whole.

Nain, Preeti [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reducing Economy-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Electrofuels and Biofuels as the Grid Decarbonizes

Biofuels and electrofuels have the potential to complement electrification in speeding greenhouse gas emissions reductions, especially in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Concentrated waste CO 2 streams that can be used as a feedstock for electrofuels, however, may become less available as the share of renewable electricity increases and industries undergo decarbonization. Here, we conduct an analysis with detailed treatment of biofuels and electrofuels to probe their role in decarbonizing multiple industrial sectors and transportation. We examine how the changing availability of CO 2 could affect electrofuel production and the potential role of direct air capture in stabilizing the supply of CO 2 . The results indicate that biofuels could fulfill 12% of the total final energy demand across all U.S. sectors in 2050. Using seven industrial source points of CO 2 available in 2050, 15,388 PJ of electrofuels could be produced, which amounts to 25% of the total final energy demand. This result holds even upon decarbonization that requires direct air capture to boost the CO 2 supply. Biofuels and e-fuels have the potential to reduce economy-wide GHG emissions by 7 and 21% beyond electrification alone. However, electricity consumption and land use grow markedly with decarbonization at scale.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy Systems Decarbonization: Perspectives on Electric Vehicles and Grid Integration

The imperative for strong and rapid emissions reductions to mitigate global warming and enhance air quality necessitates a transition to net-zero emissions. This shift requires significant changes throughout the entire energy supply-demand ecosystems, tailored to various sectors. Transportation stands as the least-diversified energy sector and the largest source of U.S. GHG emissions. As the primary catalyst for vehicle decarbonization when paired with clean electricity, electric vehicles (EVs) will play a pivotal role in the future. EVs are poised to drive substantial growth in electricity demand and presents a unique opportunity to provide demand-side flexibility that is crucial for future renewable-dominated electricity systems. Smart integration of EVs can strengthen the grid, reducing costs and enhancing resilience. At NREL, laying the scientific groundwork to actualize this vision: our research is finding ways for EVs to support grid planning and operations across several timescales and to fully exploit the synergies between EVs and renewables.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,POWER TRANSMISSION AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Key Goals and Innovations Needed for a U.S. Compact Fusion Pilot (Final Technical Report)

Fusion energy offers the prospect of addressing the nation's energy needs and contributing to the transition to a low-carbon emission electrical generation infrastructure. Technology and research results from U.S. investments in the major fusion burning plasma experiment known as ITER, coupled with a strong foundation of research funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), position the United States to begin planning for its first fusion pilot plant. Strong interest from the private sector is an additional motivating factor, as the process of decarbonizing and modernizing the nation's electric infrastructure accelerates and companies seek to lead the way. At the request of DOE, Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid builds upon the work of the 2019 report Final Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research to identify the key goals and innovations - independent of confinement concept - that are needed to support the development of a U.S. fusion pilot plant that can serve as a model for producing electricity at the lowest possible capital cost.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

The U.S. Energy System and the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel From Clean Electricity

Jet fuel is relatively small in terms of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (10% of U.S. transportation sector in 2021, expected to increase to 14% by 2050). Still airlines have ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse footprints from carbon-neutral growth beginning this year to reducing greenhouse gas emission for international flights by 50% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. The challenge is heightened by the longevity of the current fleet (30–50 years) and by the difficulty in electrifying the future fleet because only 5% of the commercial aviation greenhouse gas footprint is from regional flights that might, conceivably be electrified using foreseeable technology. Therefore, large amounts of sustainable aviation fuel will be needed to reach the aggressive targets set by airlines. Only 3 million gallons (11.4 ML) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) (with a heat of combustion totaling about 400 TJ = 0.0004 EJ) was produced in the U.S. in 2019 for a 26 billion gallon per year market (3.6 EJ/year). Fischer-Tropsch and ethanol oligomerization (alcohol-to-jet) are considered for producing SAF, including the use of renewable electricity and carbon dioxide. In sequencing the energy transition, cleaning the U.S. grid is an important first step to have the largest greenhouse gas emissions reduction. While carbon dioxide and clean electricity can potentially provide the SAF in the future, an ethanol oligomerization option will require less energy.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Solution for Transportation Systems

The imperative for strong and rapid emissions reductions to mitigate global warming and enhance air quality necessitates a transition to net-zero emissions. This shift requires significant changes throughout the entire energy supply-demand ecosystems, tailored to various sectors. Transportation stands as the least-diversified energy sector and the largest source of U.S. GHG emissions. As the primary enabler for vehicle decarbonization when paired with clean electricity, electric vehicles (EVs) will play a pivotal role in the future. This talk summarizes current status of EV technologies and markets, future projections, and opportunities associated with a conversion to EV for all on-road vehicles. Moreover, EVs are poised to drive substantial growth in electricity demand and presents a unique opportunity to provide demand-side flexibility that is crucial for future renewable-dominated electricity systems. Smart integration of EVs can strengthen the grid, reducing costs and enhancing resilience.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,POWER TRANSMISSION AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Poster: Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Electric Grid Operations

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the utility transmission and distribution (T&D) sector is revolutionizing traditional grid management practices. As utilities encounter complexities from evolving consumer behaviors and energy integration, AI becomes a critical solution for enhancing grid monitoring, fault detection, and operational optimization. However, increased reliance on interconnected technologies introduces significant cybersecurity risks, regulatory compliance challenges, and human factors concerns. This study proposes a strategic, responsible and consequence-driven approach to AI implementation, examining the dual nature of AI adoption by highlighting its transformative benefits for utilities and associated risks. It provides utilities with a framework for evaluating AI integration, enabling them to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities to achieve greater reliability, efficiency, and resilience in an increasingly complex energy landscape.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗