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DOE OSTI2024

Predictive Models and Novel Accelerated Tests for the Reliability of Cell Metallization in Photovoltaic Modules (Final Report)

Studies of metallization corrosion m photovoltaics have mainly been limited to comparisons of modules placed in accelerated chambers to fielded modules [1]. Damp Heat accelerated tests and phenomenological equations [2] are used to assess metallization corrosion without understanding the effect of UV light and temperature and humidity cycles on encapsulant adhesion degradation. The roles of encapsulant in-and out-diffusions of moisture and encapsulant impurities are important. Furthermore, few photovoltaic metallization corrosion studies included the role of bias and leakage currents, which are crucial in the electrochemical reaction of metallization. Leakage currents can highly accelerate the corrosion mechanism and are important to include in the studies of corrosion. In our research plan, we will address the following gaps in the PV community's understanding of metallization corrosion: (1) metallization corrosion with bias, humidity, and impurities in the encapsulant or metallization; (2) humidity diffusion through fresh and degraded encapsulants; and (3) comparison of model predictions with outdoor field modules and SunPower's extensive data for its back-contact and front-contact fleets [2] along with NREL's store of >20 year old modules. Our goal is to build models and accelerated tests to predict long term degradation of metallization corrosion of photovoltaic modules in the field. Our studies will include metals used in c-Si solar cells (Cu, Ag, and Al) and commonly used encapsulants (EV A (ethylene vinyl acetate), TPO (thermoplastic olefin), and silicone).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Metrology and Standards Gaps and FY27 Work Focusing on Impact

This work focuses on the Heliostat Consortium (HelioCon) optical measurements and characterization, testing and modeling capabilities and infrastructure at NLR and Sandia supporting heliostat technology research, development, validation, and deployment in relevant industries. The development of standards in HelioCon requires a collective effort across the global heliostat community of industry, researchers, academia and other stakeholders.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

BeyondPlanck: I. Global Bayesian analysis of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument data

We describe the BEYONDPLANCK project in terms of our motivation, methodology, and main products, and provide a guide to a set of companion papers that describe each result in more detail. Building directly on experience from ESA’s Planck mission, we implemented a complete end-to-end Bayesian analysis framework for the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) observations. The primary product is a full joint posterior distribution P(ω | d), where ω represents the set of all free instrumental (gain, correlated noise, bandpass, etc.), astrophysical (synchrotron, free-free, thermal dust emission, etc.), and cosmological (cosmic microwave background – CMB – map, power spectrum, etc.) parameters. Some notable advantages of this approach compared to a traditional pipeline procedure are seamless end-to-end propagation of uncertainties; accurate modeling of both astrophysical and instrumental effects in the most natural basis for each uncertain quantity; optimized computational costs with little or no need for intermediate human interaction between various analysis steps; and a complete overview of the entire analysis process within one single framework. As a practical demonstration of this framework, we focus in particular on low-ℓ CMB polarization reconstruction with Planck LFI. In this process, we identify several important new effects that have not been accounted for in previous pipelines, including gain over-smoothing and time-variable and non-1/f correlated noise in the 30 and 44 GHz channels. Modeling and mitigating both previously known and newly discovered systematic effects, we find that all results are consistent with the ΛCDM model, and we constrained the reionization optical depth to τ = 0.066 ± 0.013, with a low-resolution CMB-based χ 2 probability to exceed of 32%. This uncertainty is about 30% larger than the official pipelines, arising from taking a more complete instrumental model into account. The marginal CMB solar dipole amplitude is 3362.7 ± 1.4 μK, where the error bar was derived directly from the posterior distribution without the need of any ad hoc instrumental corrections. We are currently not aware of any significant unmodeled systematic effects remaining in the Planck LFI data, and, for the first time, the 44 GHz channel is fully exploited in the current analysis. We argue that this framework can play a central role in the analysis of many current and future high-sensitivity CMB experiments, including LiteBIRD, and it will serve as the computational foundation of the emerging community-wide COSMOGLOBE effort, which aims to combine state-of-the-art radio, microwave, and submillimeter data sets into one global astrophysical model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

High-Temperature Thermophysical Property Measurement of Proposed Gen3 CSP Containment Materials

Abstract The US Department of Energy (DOE) has sponsored an initiative to improve the thermal efficiency of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems. To approach parity with conventional fossil fuel-based electricity generation, the operating temperature of the CSP power cycle must exceed 700°C with integrated thermal energy storage. The materials used to house this high-temperature heat transfer media must be thermally stable and corrosion resistant. However, the temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of commonly used containment materials (nickel alloys and alumina-based firebricks) are either not well known or poorly understood. In this report, the high-temperature thermal properties of thirteen (13) candidate containment materials proposed by the CSP community are tested using laser flash analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

Brankovic, Sonja A.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Gerischer Electrochemistry Today

Semiconductor photoelectrochemistry is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field at the forefront of research in solar fuels, energy conversion, and catalysis. Here, this Perspective captures the collective insights from the second Gerischer Electrochemistry Today Symposium, held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, in August 2024, which convened leading researchers, early-career scientists, and industry partners to define the critical next steps for the field. Through interactive sessions, technical talks, panel discussions, and training initiatives─including a Semiconductor Electrochemistry Bootcamp─the symposium emphasized three pillars of advancement: (i) facilitating the exchange of new ideas in semiconductor electrochemistry and charge separation; (ii) fostering the development of future researchers, research topics, and participation in the semiconductor workforce; and (iii) building community. This Energy Focus distills key themes from the meeting and identifies major knowledge gaps in the following areas: mechanisms of charge separation and recombination, role of defects and disorder, dynamic and operando characterization methods, interfacial chemistry and surface passivation, theoretical and modeling limitations, and standardization and benchmarking. The inclusive and collaborative structure of the symposium enabled the generation of this comprehensive report that will serve as a roadmap for fundamental and applied research in the rapidly evolving field of semiconductor electrochemistry over the next decade.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Building the Case for Hybrid Energy Developments: Webinar Recording Day 1

INL, PNNL, and NREL, with support from our academic and industry partners, hosted a 2-day webinar to learn more about the benefits of hybrid energy systems, considerations for designing the right system for communities, and practical tools that can help with the design and development process. In Day 1 of this webinar, the focus was on why users might want to consider hybrid energy systems, and frameworks that could help inform design decisions for hybrid systems, including a valuation framework, resilience framework, and hybrid system design optimization framework.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Photovoltaic Analysis and Response Support (PARS) Platform for Solar Situational Awareness and Resiliency Services

The project's primary objective is to develop a digital-twin based Photovoltaic (PV) Analysis and Response Support (PARS) platform, which aims to provide real-time situational awareness and optimal response plans. This platform is designed to enhance the performance of hybrid PV systems, making them competitive with or even superior to conventional generation resources. The PARS platform enabled the project team to develop and evaluate an extensive suite of grid support functionalities for the hybrid PV systems to enhance grid performance, across key areas including visibility, dispatchability, security, resilience, and reliability. Given the global push toward achieving 100% clean energy by 2035, there is a significant increase in the integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) throughout the energy grid. Effectively managing the inherent variability and uncertainty associated with IBRs is crucial for ensuring cost-effectiveness, reliability, and security in both the main grid and islanded microgrids. Constrained to a limited array of IEEE test systems or standard feeder models, traditional IBR modeling struggles to assimilate new field data, accurately reflect system dynamics, and adapt to the evolving energy landscape. In our project, we embraced a Digital Twin (DT) strategy for crafting the PARS platform. A digital twin acts as a precise virtual counterpart of a physical system, built on historical data and continuously honed with real-time insights. This enables the high-fidelity DT to accurately mirror current system operations and forecast future scenarios. Consequently, the PARS platform becomes an ideal environment for testing and refining monitoring, control, power, and energy management algorithms designed to boost hybrid PV system performance. The defining feature of the PARS platform, distinguishing it from other advanced simulation tools, is its exceptional adaptability. This is achieved by employing actual network topologies and utilizing real-time field data for fine-tuning and calibration, ensuring a close emulation of real-world conditions. The project deliverables include: 1) High-fidelity IBR models and tools for real-time parameterization, utilizing real-time field measurements to refine IBR models for enhanced accuracy and performance; 2) Grid-forming and Grid-following capabilities to deliver resilience services, including blackstart, voltage and frequency support, cold-load pick-up, power reserves, and three-phase load balancing across grid-connected and microgrid settings; 3) Machine learning-based forecasting tools and methods for generating synthetic data and topologies, creating diverse and realistic simulation environments for evaluating varied operational scenarios; 4) Advanced microgrid power and energy management algorithms for optimizing the integration and operation of PV, storage, and demand response resources within both feeder and community scales. The power grid data sets are provided by four utility companies in North Carolina and the New York Power Administration. Acting as industry advisors, our industry partners communicated stakeholder needs and regulatory standards to the research teams, aiding technology transfer by incorporating the developed methodologies into their daily operations. This collaboration ensures that the PARS platform, functioning as a power system digital twin, enhances our understanding of IBR dynamic behaviors and enables the development and evaluation of IBR control functions that match or exceed the capabilities of conventional synchronous generators.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Energy flexibility of residential buildings: A systematic review of characterization and quantification methods and applications

With building electric demand becoming increasingly dynamic, and a growing percentage of intermittent renewable power generation from solar photovoltaics and wind turbines, the power grid is facing increasing challenge to manage the real time balance between the supply and demand. With advancements in smart sensing and metering, smart appliances, electric vehicles, and energy storage technologies, demand side management of residential buildings can help the grid to improve stability by optimizing flexible loads. This paper reviews recent studies on residential building demand side management, with a focus on characterization and quantification of energy flexibility covering various types of flexible loads, metrics, methods, and applications. The reviewed studies showed four levels of applications: building level (45%), district or community level (29%), system level (19%), and building sector level (7%). Shifting loads is the dominant flexibility type in 60% of applications, followed by shedding (19%), generation (16%), and modulating (6%). Depending on the technology and application scope, flexible operations have a wide range of performance, with peak power reductions of 1%~65%, energy savings up to 60%, operational cost reduction of 1%~48%, and greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to29%. More than half (51%) of the studies employed control strategies to achieve flexibility; among those 72% used optimal controls, while 28% used rule-based controls. About 58% of the studies used mathematical formulation to quantify energy flexibility. Most studies were based on simulation, while less than 15% of the studies had measurements from experiments or field tests. The review reveals research opportunities to address significant gaps in the existing literature: (1) establishing a common definition and performance metrics for energy flexibility of buildings that are technology and application agnostic, (2) developing an ontology to standardize representation of flexibility resources for interoperability, (3) integrating occupant impacts into the quantification and optimization of energy flexibility, and (4) developing requirements and credits of energy flexibility in building energy codes and standards. Findings from the review can inform future research and development of energy flexible buildings which are essential to a reliable and resilient power grid.

Li, H↗

DOE OSTI2023

Building the Case for Hybrid Energy Developments: Webinar Recording Day 2

INL, PNNL, and NREL, with support from our academic and industry partners, hosted a 2-day webinar to learn more about the benefits of hybrid energy systems, considerations for designing the right system for communities, and practical tools that can help with the design and development process. In Day 2 of this webinar, the focus was on tools that can be used to help inform design decisions for hybrid systems, including resource analysis, siting, resilience, valuation, and resource optimization. Day 2 also highlighted funding opportunities for hybrid systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Building the Case for Hybrid Energy Developments: Webinar Recording Day 2

INL, PNNL, and NREL, with support from our academic and industry partners, hosted a 2-day webinar to learn more about the benefits of hybrid energy systems, considerations for designing the right system for communities, and practical tools that can help with the design and development process. In Day 2 of this webinar, the focus was on tools that can be used to help inform design decisions for hybrid systems, including resource analysis, siting, resilience, valuation, and resource optimization. Day 2 also highlighted funding opportunities for hybrid systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Experimental testing of particle attrition in CSP systems at high temperature

An alternate and sustainable form of energy is CSP systems, which capture and store the sun’s energy in the form of heat. Increasing the operational temperature of CSP systems will increase the efficiency of electricity production while operating at temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Celsius also creates novel operational problems. One approach for high-temperature CSP systems is to utilize solid particles as the primary heat transfer medium. As particles flow through this system, the movement of particles creates erosion in the forms of impact, abrasion, and attrition erosion. In the real world, while all three forms of erosion will occur simultaneously, it is imperative to understand the individual effect of each erosion over the lifetime of the powerplant. Besides material erosion and long-term durability concerns, thermal cycling of the particles could also introduce changes in particle thermal performance due to alterations in particle morphology. Current research on the issue of erosion has been limited to industrial applications and does not necessarily coincide with the operating conditions in CSP systems. We focus on attrition erosion resulting from particle-to-wall and particle-to-particle interactions. Research has shown that besides material hardness affecting how fast particles break down, attrition erosion increased as the size of the particles increased due to a higher chance of collision between the particles. Particle attrition is relevant to the CSP community as it may result in material loss, change the system's thermal performance, and generation of fines which could pose an environmental hazard. In this work, we focus on developing a test set up that can isolate and measure particle attrition when subjected to conditions relevant to Gen3 CSP systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

BACKFLIP Project: Determination of BACKsheet Material Properties: A Comparison of Market-Benchmark Technologies to Novel Non-Fluoro-Based Co-Extruded Backsheet Materials and Their Correlation and Impact on PV Module Degradation Rates

Quantifying degradation rate of backsheets will help procuring materials for 30+ years. Today most backsheets on the market have a laminated PET core; polyolefin materials may provide better properties for backsheets (barrier to water, mechanical properties through UV and hydrolytic environments, etc.). End-of-life regulations may require fluorine-free backsheet products in future global markets. Parametrized equation predicting the service life of backsheets, and validated by both lab and outdoor extensive testing. Technical and commercial confidence to the entire value chain: from backsheet and module manufacturers to the downstream community (IPP, banks, developers) that materials of higher quality can help reduce finance costs, therefore driving down LCOE. A fast track PV module market adaptation for novel high-quality materials, such as co-extruded polyolefin-core backsheets, by obtaining unbiased durability data.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - Guyana

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape for Guyana, a country on the northern mainland of South America that is culturally tied to the Caribbean. In the Nationally Determined Contributions, Guyana has committed to develop a mix of wind, solar, biomass and hydro-power to supply both demand of the national grid and the energy requirements for towns and villages in Guyana’s hinterland. Guyana has set an ambitious target of achieving close to 100% renewable energy in the power sector by 2025.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2023

PV Validation Hub

The Validation Hub will be a clearinghouse for the transfer of novel algorithms and software from the PV research community to industry. Potential algorithms tested in the Hub could include the estimation of various PV loss factors and the detection of various operational issues. The primary function of the Hub will be for developers to submit executable code which will run on hosted data sets. Developers will receive private reports on the accuracy and performance (e.g., run-time) of the submitted algorithms, and public high level summaries will be hosted. These summaries will indicate the organization who submitted the algorithm (e.g., links to GitHub pages, documentation websites, etc.), high-level accuracy metrics, and standardized performance metrics. These results will be stored in a publicly available database, accessible through the Hub, with the ability for users to sort and filter the results. In short, the Hub will be presented to public users as a collection of interactive leaderboards, organized around specific analysis tasks pertinent to the PV data science community. These tasks include things such as the estimation of various PV loss factors and the detection of various operational issues. We will present progress on the development of this hub, including preliminary results of comparative validation of PV data science algorithms and progress towards building the platform itself.

algorithm↗

DOE OSTI2024

Pushing the Envelope-Moving Dynamic Building Envelope Thermal Energy Storage Systems Mainstream: Preprint

Buildings contribute to nearly 40% of the U.S. national energy consumption and a significant portion of CO2 emissions. More importantly, disadvantaged communities are disproportionately affected by energy burden and thermal discomfort in their homes. This paper will discuss two novel DOE's BTO supported thermal energy storage (TES) integrated dynamic building envelope technologies, their ability to harvest ambient energy, and improve energy efficiency by reducing HVAC loads and peak electricity demand while enhancing energy and thermal resilience in buildings. The paper will also discuss the recent advancements that have made these systems more affordable and easier to integrate into new and existing buildings. The first solution is a thermally anisotropic building envelope (TABE) system that can redirect ambient thermal energy (heat or coolness) from diurnal outdoor conditions, solar irradiance, and night sky radiation from the envelope to a hydronic loop. The redirected thermal energy can be stored in a TABE-integrated thermal energy storage system and use the stored energy to offset HVAC energy use and peak demand. The second solution is an innovative plug-and-play thermal switch in the form of insertable plugs integrated with a phase change material (PCM). The plug can vary its thermal resistance based on the indoor and outdoor conditions, thus allowing preferential directional heat flow, and enhancing utilization of free ambient cooling and heating to charge/discharge the PCM, much like a solid-state economizer. While the fist solution can be actively controlled, the second solution is passive, requiring no external power, and work solely based on the ambient temperature.

anisotropic envelope↗

DOE OSTI2024

Pushing the Envelope—Moving Dynamic Building Envelope Thermal Energy Storage Systems Mainstream

Shrestha, Som↗

DOE OSTI2021

Final Scientific Technical Report for "Microgrid RD&D and Testing of PIDC and PWD Systems"

Alstom Grid Inc’s (ALSTOM Grid) Research Design and Development (RD&D) project, “Microgrid RD&D and Testing for PIDC and PWD” was conducted in partnership with Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) in its role as owner’s representative and manager of a vibrant commercial and industrial community, involving critical loads in one of the nation’s largest unregulated, non-military electric distribution systems. PIDC needed to develop solutions to address the planned considerable growth in Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Combined Heat Plan (CHP), Renewables, Distributed Generation (DG), Demand Response (DR) and Storage. In supporting the corporate objective, PIDC needed a new class of control systems for achieving enhanced energy resilience of their critical infrastructure operation during adverse conditions together with carbon emission reduction and optimization of the overall system operation economics through system energy efficiency during normal and emergency operating conditions. Additionally, PIDC anticipated the need to support a new class of commercial agreements with tenants, such as those for Urban Outfitters, for guaranteed one hundred percent (100%) grid resilience and electric power supply in case of utility outage conditions. The project was designed to address the challenges for the commercial & industrial (C&I) communities. But more importantly, the project included development of scalable and replicable solutions intended to target a multitude of the nation’s electric distribution communities. The project researched and developed a fully comprehensive prototype consisting of microgrid operation and control functions including islanding, synchronization and reconnection, protection, voltage, frequency, and power quality management, dispatch, and system resiliency. The project provided the foundation required to significantly enhance the overall national objectives set by the DOE for energy resilience, emission reduction and system energy efficiency improvement, including protection of critical infrastructure and public resources.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Feedback and Oscillations: Constructing Feedback Systems for Root Cause Analysis of Oscillations in Power Grids

Dynamic phenomena linked to inverter-based resources (IBRs) have gained global attention. Several IBR-induced dynamics have caused bulk power system-connected wind or solar power plants to trip, and some have even led to widespread outages. In addition, many oscillations have been observed involving IBR power plants. In 2023, the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) IBR Subsynchronous Oscillations (SSO) task force published a journal article, “Real-World Subsynchronous Oscillation Events in Power Grids With High Penetrations of Inverter-Based Resources,” in which 19 IBR oscillation events were examined for their causation. Earlier in 2020, another PES task force article, “Definition and Classification of Power System Stability-Revisited & Extended,” authored by prominent academics, introduced converter-driven stability as a new category of stability. The international power grid industry community also took action by publishing the CIGRE Green Book, Power System Dynamic Modelling and Analysis in Evolving Networks (led by Babak Badrzadeh and Zia Emin) in 2024. In August 2024, the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) released a practical guide led by Nick Miller, “Diagnosis and Mitigation of Observed Oscillations in IBR-Dominant Power System: A Practical Guide.” The goal of the guide is to assist practicing engineers in making initial judgments and conducting detailed analyses about oscillations. Finally, when addressing the classification of stability and oscillations, the guide emphasizes a causality-based taxonomy for grouping, such as voltage control-induced oscillations, synchronization-induced oscillations, and frequency or active power control-induced oscillations.

Fan, Lingling [Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (↗