Data Curation and Standards [Slides]
Data curation and standards are described for legacy, current, and future data storage and management.
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Data curation and standards are described for legacy, current, and future data storage and management.
If a behind-the-meter solar photovoltaic (BTM PV) system is adopted, how does that influence the total amount of renewable electricity in its state in the long run (i.e., after the existence of the generator is reflected in the relevant utility's generation mix)? Would we expect the total amount of renewable generation to increase on a 1:1 basis with the BTM PV's generation? Or could it be something more, or something less? We show in this paper that the answer can depend on two key elements of how BTM PV is accounted for in a state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS): (1) whether renewable energy certificates (RECs) from BTM PV can be used for RPS compliance, and (2) whether load served by generation from BTM PV counts as load covered by the RPS. These two elements combine into four possible accounting options, and we characterize the implications of each under the simplifying assumptions that the RPS is binding and the BTM PV RECs are used for compliance when allowed. For example, if load served by BTM PV generation counts toward the RPS load and BTM PV RECs cannot be used for compliance, the presence of BTM does not change the amount of RECs that the utility is required to retire, and yet additional RECs will be retired by the BTM PV owner - therefore, the total amount of renewable generation would increase on a 1:1 basis with the BTM PV generation. In contrast, under a common RPS design in which BTM PV RECs can be used for compliance and the load served by BTM PV generation is not covered by the RPS, the presence of BTM PV and transfer of RECs for compliance can actually decrease the total amount of renewable generation in the state, relative to a situation in which there is no BTM PV.
In support of continued operations of Savannah River Remediation’s (SRR) ion exchange process to remove radioactive cesium from Savannah River Site (SRS) dissolved saltcake, referred to as the Tank Closure Cesium Removal 1A process (TCCR-1A; containing the second set of at-tank ion exchange columns), SRNL was tasked with: 1) validating the field protocol planned for pretreating the crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media to be used in the columns, 2) preparing CST media for use in in-tank batch contact testing, and 3) developing a digestion standard to verify complete CST dissolution prior to characterization following each in-tank batch contact test. A procedure (SRNL L29 Manual, ITS-0229) was developed previously in support of the TCCR Demonstration (which contained the first set of ion exchange columns) based on evaluations of a different CST production lot with a larger particle size range to document the protocol for pretreating CST utilizing conditions similar to what will be performed in the field.
Berkeley Lab’s annual status report on U.S. renewables portfolio standards (RPS) provides an overview of key trends associated with U.S. state RPS policies. The report, published in slide-deck form, describes recent legislative revisions, key policy design features, compliance with interim targets, past and projected impacts on renewables development, and compliance costs. The 2021 Early Release, published in lieu of a 2020 edition, presents historical data through year-end 2019, with some limited results for the year 2020. Key trends from this edition of the report include the following: Evolution of state RPS programs: States continue to refine and revise their RPS policies. Among other significant changes since the start of 2019, eight states enacted higher RPS targets or created new clean-energy/zero-carbon targets (AZ, DC, MD, NM, NV, VA, WA), in most cases setting targets equal to at least 50% of retail sales. Historical impacts on renewables development: Roughly half of all growth in U.S. renewable electricity (RE) generation and capacity since 2000 is associated with state RPS requirements, though that percentage has declined in recent years, representing 23% of all U.S. RE capacity additions in 2019. However, within particular regions-namely, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic-RPS policies continue to serve a central role in motivating RE growth. Future RPS demand and incremental needs: RPS demand growth through 2030 will require roughly 90 GW of new RE capacity and will require total U.S. non-hydro RE generation to reach 17% of electricity sales (compared to 12% in 2019). Relative to EIA projections, this amounts to roughly one-third of projected RE growth over the next decade. RPS target achievement to-date: States have generally met their interim RPS targets in recent years, with only a few exceptions reflecting unique, state-specific issues. REC pricing trends: Prices for NEPOOL Class I RECs rose steeply over 2019, reaching $40/MWh and remaining at roughly that level over 2020. PJM Tier I REC prices continued to rise at a modest pace over the course of 2020, reaching $10/MWh by year-end. Prices for solar RECs remained relatively stable over 2020, and continue to exhibit wide variation across states, with the highest prices ($200-450/MWh) in NJ, MA, and DC.RPS compliance costs and cost caps: RPS compliance costs in 2019 averaged roughly 2.6% of retail electricity bills in RPS states, compared to 2.3% in 2018, with costs in most states ranging from 0.5% to 4.5% of retail electricity bills.
Alternatives to conventional diesel electric propulsion are currently of interest to rail operators. In the U.S., smaller railroads have implemented natural gas and other railroads are exploring hydrogen technology as a cleaner alternative to diesel. Diesel, battery, hydrogen fuel cell, or track electrification all have trade-offs for operations, economics, safety, and public acceptability. A framework to compare different technologies for specific applications is useful to optimize the desired results. Standards from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and other industry best practices were reviewed for applicability with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Some technical gaps relate to the physical properties of hydrogen, such as embrittlement of metals, invisible flames, and low liquid temperatures. A reassessment of material selection, leak/flame detection, and thermal insulation methods is required. Hydrogen is less dense and diffuses more easily than natural gas, and liquid hydrogen is colder than liquefied natural gas. Different densities between natural gas and hydrogen require modifications to tank designs and flow rates. Leaked hydrogen will rise rather than pool on the ground like diesel, requiring a modification to the location of hydrogen tanks on rolling stock. Finally, the vibration and shock experienced in the rail environment is higher than light-duty vehicles and stationary applications for which current fuel cell technology has been developed, requiring a modification in tank design requirements and testing.
The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Consequence Management Program was contacted by the Health Physics Chief of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) to review public radiation exposure calculations for an event that occurred on its Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus on February 3, 2021. Subject matter experts from the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) assets, specifically the Consequence Management Home Team (CMHT) and the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC), were selected to provide support. CMHT used three separate modeling codes to validate the results the scientists at NCNR calculated using the HotSpot model. The analyses were performed using NARAC’s in-house Lagrangian dispersion codes known as LODI and Aeolus, as well as the Turbo FRMAC software from Sandia National Laboratories. The team used parameters provided by the NCNR scientists regarding the site, applicable observable meteorological data, and environmental survey and sampling data to estimate public exposure. Each model estimated public dose at much less than 0.5 mrem. CMHT concurs with the NCNR public radiation exposure calculations which state that members of the public at the 400-meter boundary would have received a radiological dose of less than 0.5 mrem.
The accurate and precise analysis of impurities in uranium ore concentrates is an important aspect of nuclear forensics. Defensibility of analytical data requires the use of analytical reference materials as part of quality control. This report presents a compilation of the results of trace element concentration measurements of the CUP-2 Uranium Ore Concentration Standard from 11 different laboratories. Various dissolution methods, instrumental platforms, and analytical methods were employed. The resulting data set contains concentration of 66 impurities with up to 139 individual data points for each impurity. Consensus values have been assigned to each impurity following a statistical analysis of the data set.
The intent of this paper is to support local authorities in adopting the most current technical requirements for interconnecting distributed energy resources (DERs) to the electric distribution system as specified in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces (IEEE Std 1547-2018). To create interconnection rules that successfully address policy goals, market trends, and technical requirements, state regulators need to be well informed of DER integration considerations. Interconnection processes and technical issues often overlap; the two are not easily segregated, and they are often considered and evaluated concurrently within the context of interconnection rulemaking. Accordingly, this paper addresses both the technical issues and related process considerations. A lack of uniform and transparent procedures for addressing interconnection rule changes can result in implementation issues or inefficiencies, such as unclear, lengthy, and complicated interconnection rules that can increase distributed generation "soft costs" (i.e., non-hardware costs). This can further delay the deployment of DERs and jeopardize time-constrained national and state policy goals, such as renewable energy targets, or limit participation in emerging techno-economic trends. Additionally, misconstructed interconnection rules are at risk of becoming mired in stakeholder conflicts. This guide addresses the concerns of electric service regulators from both the process and technical standpoints by presenting a structured, step-by-step approach to developing and updating existing interconnection rules. In this document, the process of developing and updating interconnection rules is subdivided into three steps: (1) determining the context (stakeholders and major drivers); (2) developing the rule, including updating technical requirements; and (3) maintaining and revising the rule over time.
This report documents the 2021 Standard Scenarios for the U.S. electricity sector. It includes 50 scenarios for electricity sector evolution through 2050.
This memorandum for the Governor of Alaska evaluates the technical feasibility of reaching 80% renewable electricity by 2040 in the Railbelt corridor of Alaska, which represents 75% of Alaska's electric load. This analysis was developed to inform renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) legislation.
The originally proposed work under this award sought to develop a theoretical basis for previous experimental observations in free-electron laser (FEL) physics involving certain non-classical effects in the light produced by these devices. A sound and valid theoretical interpretation of these experiments would represent a transformational understanding of free-electron lasers, and of electron-photon interactions in general. The specific objective of the completed work, as described in the attached progress report by Jeongwan Park, was to perform a detailed analysis of an experiment by Chen and Madey (Physical Review Letters; volume 86 number 26, 2001) concerning the purported sub-Poissonian photon statistics in an FEL. Since that published work contradicted FEL theory as presently understood, the purpose of the work under the present subcontract was to obtain a better understanding of the quantum nature of the FEL, to investigate the possibility of theoretical and experimental evidence for the non-standard photon statistics of the FEL, and to critically examine the experimental evidence through a re-evaluation of the data analysis of Chen and Madey. The results of this study showed that there were numerous experimental conditions under which the observed photon statistics could be explained by combining both the photon clustering property and the dead-time effect, and consequently, that the observed photon statistics in the Chen-Madey experiment did not require sub-Poissonian photon statistics for their explanation.
In 2016, the development of an Energy Efficiency Roadmap (USAID, 2017) undertaken by Agency for International Development (USAID) showed that an energy-saving potential of 310 MW by 2030 was possible at a cost lower than the current supply of electricity. However, the energy efficiency potential is spread out across many technologies and requires the establishment of enabling policies to stimulate efficient use of energy. Chief among these is the establishment of energy- efficiency standards and labeling (EESL) for electric equipment as indicated by Uganda national energy policy legislation (MEMD, 2002). This report first includes an assessment of energy consumption in the residential sector to identify priority products of focus for the EESL program followed by an assessment of the legal and administrative capacity needs of Ugandan institutions to operate and enforce Uganda’s EESL program.
Each grain is a single crystal of differing orientation. ASTM E112 is a standardized method for measuring and communicating grain size, which is suitable for equiaxed grains, but less so for columnar grains. The stretch project goal is to propose a method to measure and evaluate AM grains using a novel method.
Starting in 2026 Washington State building performance standards will come into effect that require commercial buildings larger than 50,000 sf to meet site energy use intensity targets. To support a state incentive program designed to encourage building owners to start complying early, we characterized the building stock energy use of 11 building types, analyzed 43 energy upgrade measures, and developed seven packages of energy upgrade measures using the ComStock energy analysis tool. Each energy upgrade package included from 4 to 17 energy measures consisting of lighting, HVAC, and envelope upgrades. Package savings were calculated for four priority building types using a sample of 35,000 buildings characterized by four building area bins, three climate zones, and two county types (urban and rural). Of the 28 package and building type combinations analyzed, 17 (61%) met or exceeded program energy savings targets and two packages met targets for all four building types.
This is the Snowmass2021 Energy Frontier (EF) Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) report. It combines the EF topical group reports of EF08 (Model-specific explorations), EF09 (More general explorations), and EF10 (Dark Matter at Colliders). The report includes a general introduction to BSM motivations and the comparative prospects for proposed future experiments for a broad range of potential BSM models and signatures, including compositeness, SUSY, leptoquarks, more general new bosons and fermions, long-lived particles, dark matter, charged-lepton flavor violation, and anomaly detection.
This Whitepaper provides an overview and synopsis of relevant standards for Control Center, Cyber Security and Continuity of Operations for electric power utilities. It also provides suggestions and recommendations for the outline of a cybersecurity plan and a business continuity plan, and suggests training and certification opportunities for both cybersecurity and business continuity.
Road-ready and final disposition packaging configurations for the advanced test reactor (ATR) fuel dictates storage within helium backfilled sealed DOE standard canisters. These sealed canisters are intended for extened (>50 year) dry storage). The typical packaging configuration for the 15-foot DOE canisters places 10 ATR elements within a Type 1a basket, and three baskets are loaded within each DOE canister. During in-reactor operations and cooling pond storage conditions, oxyhydroxide layers form on the surface of the aluminum clad fuel. These layers produce hydrogen gas over time due to the fuel’s radiation field. As part of the packing procedure, the ATR fuel should be dried to remove any residual physio-/chemi- sorbed water from the surface. As testing to the effectiveness of the drying procedure is still underway, this modeling will include results at fully saturated and fully dried conditions. In previous modeling efforts, the G-value for the production of hydrogen from the oxyhydroxide layers was assumed to be in argon environments as measured by Task 2 - Oxyhydroxide Layer Radiolytic Gas Generation Resolution. Previous experimental testing showed differences in the hydrogen generated based on the gaseous environment. In the associated experimental work, Task 2 - Oxyhydroxide Layer Radiolytic Gas Generation Resolution, additional tests were completed in a helium environment, and updated G-values for the radiolytic production of hydrogen from the oxyhydroxide layers were provided. These values are 28% and 58% higher than values for argon. In addition, a change to the modeling of the oxyhydroxide radiolysis has been made from previous reports. This change assumes the dependency of the dose rate on the overall reaction rate is applied to the total weight of the sample, rather than to just the weight of the oxyhydroxide layer. This decreases the dependency of the radiolytic reaction on the thickness of the oxyhydroxide layer. For a nominal scenario of stored ATR fuel, assuming the chemi-/physio- sorbed water have been fully removed, the internal canister pressure increases to 1.61 atm over a 50 year period, with a hydrogen mole percentage of 21%. As in previous modeling, any oxygen present is in negligible amounts (<1 ppt). If a small amount residual air is present, nitric acid can form up to 1300 ppm. For a scenario with high fuel decay heat, the model shows internal pressure increasing to 2.1 atm, with 39.3 mole percentage of hydrogen. In a scenario where significant chemi-/physio- sorbed water is present within the corrosion layer, the nominal scenario shows a pressure increase to 2.54 atm, with 21.1 mole percent hydrogen. The high decay heat case shows a pressure increase to 3.18 atm with 39.9 mole percent hydrogen.
For this analysis, regionalized life cycle assessment (LCA) results for environmental impacts (using the Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts [TRACI] 2.1) and cumulative energy demand (using the Federal Life Cycle Analysis Commons Elementary Flow List [FEDEFL] Inventory Methods v1.0.0) were evaluated for the production and utilization of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and propane as commodities within residential and commercial buildings. These results can used as a framework for future research into net zero, high-performance buildings, such as done here for the Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability (BIRDS) database by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory. The geographical results were assigned to each United States (U.S.) Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code based on the ZIP code location and corresponding Balancing Authority Area, natural gas basin, and Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs). Additionally, previously developed models were utilized to develop future life cycle profiles. Projections were based on data available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration Annual Energy Outlook 2022 through 2050 (AEO 2022). Electricity LCA models were updated based on AEO 2022 projected annual generation mixes, while the natural gas baseline model was updated based on projected shares of natural gas types (conventional, shale, tight, and coalbed methane). Projections of crude oil production rates and export rates were applied to the petroleum baseline model in five-year increments to investigate their effects on the life cycle profile of fuel oil and propane. While only 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP-100) with climate carbon feedback (CC-FB) and Cumulative Energy Demand are shown in Section 4: Results, the complete results, including Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential, Freshwater Ecotoxicity Potential, GWP-100 without inclusion of CC-FB, Human Health Impacts Potentials (Cancer, Non-Cancer), Ozone Depletion Potential, Particulate Matter Formation Potential, and Photochemical Smog Formation Potential, are tabulated for each ZIP code in the Excel worksheets that accompany this analysis. For the Excel spreadsheet tools associated with this report, please go to https://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analysis/details?id=f8890fac-be55-44ac-aaa9-e2888bfabe93