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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 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

DOE Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating: Market Research and Program Direction

This paper presents the development of a voluntary energy asset rating system, to evaluate the physical characteristics and as-built energy efficiency of new and existing commercial buildings. The energy asset rating system is intended to enable commercial building stakeholders to directly compare expected as-built energy performance among similar buildings and to analyze the potential for capital improvements to increase energy efficiency cost-effectively. Market research has been performed to understand the market demand and how to communicate energy and cost savings to owners, investors, financiers, and others to overcome market barriers and motivate capital investment in building energy efficiency. The paper discusses the findings of the market research. Building owners are concerned about redundancy, conflicting requirements, and cost. They also pointed out a data gap and desire a rating program that identifies improvement opportunities. A meaningful linkage between the energy asset rating and other rating systems is essential. Based on the findings, criteria for a successful energy asset rating program have been developed to direct the program design, including validity of ratings, actionable, cost effective recommendations, effective quality control, integration with other rating systems, and necessary training and education. In addition to the rating system, an asset rating tool is being developed to reduce cost and increase standardization, allowing for consistent and reliable comparisons among and between buildings. The asset rating tool is the first step in the process by which owners can enter information about their building structure and receive information on the building’s modeled performance and recommended efficiency measures.

commercial building, energy asset rating, market r↗
DOE OSTI2021

Transfer-Learnt Energy Models for Predicting Electricity Consumption in Buildings with Limited and Sparse Field Data

Modeling energy consumption is critical for energy-efficient utilization of the electric appliances in a building, smart grid programs (like demand-response), and many other smart home applications. State-of-the-art energy modeling techniques either rely on theoretical models, or extensive instrumentation of the building envelope to gather ``big" data to train a deep neural network. While theoretical models are often limited by their estimation accuracy, it is not always feasible to gather a significant amount of field data. In this paper, we explore transfer learning-based strategies to train much more accurate model for energy estimation when using a sparse field data. We transferred knowledge, in the form of data and parameters, from the simulation framework to the field data. We evaluated the efficacy of our approach on field data collected from six commercial buildings and our results indicate that transfer learning-based models trained over one month data can perform comparative (and in some cases better) than the state-of-the-art machine learning and deep learning solutions.

Jain, Milan↗
NASA NTRS1993

Catalysis and biocatalysis program

This final report presents a summary of research activities and accomplishments for the Catalysis and Biocatalysis Program, which was renamed the Biological and Chemical Technologies Research (BCTR) Program, currently of the Advanced Industrial Concepts Division (AICD), Office of Industrial Technologies of the Department of Energy (DOE). The Program was formerly under the Division of Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) until the DOE reorganization in April, 1990. The goals of the BCTR Program are consistent with the initial ECUT goals, but represent an increased effort toward advances in chemical and biological technology transfer. In addition, the transition reflects a need for the BCTR Program to assume a greater R&D role in chemical catalysis as well as a need to position itself for a more encompassing involvement in a broader range of biological and chemical technology research. The mission of the AICD is to create a balanced Program of high risk, long-term, directed interdisciplinary research and development that will improve energy efficiency and enhance fuel flexibility in the industrial sector. Under AICD, the DOE Catalysis and Biocatalysis Program sponsors research and development in furthering industrial biotechnology applications and promotes the integrated participation of universities, industrial companies, and government research laboratories.

Ingham, J. D.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Iowa: Iowa's Clean Energy Resources and Economy [Brochure]

By harnessing its vast natural resources, Iowa has become a leader in renewable energy production. Iowa was the largest producer of ethanol in the United States in 2011—accounting for more than a quarter of the nation’s fuel ethanol production. Iowa, home to nine wind industry manufacturing facilities in 2010, ranks second in the country in installed wind capacity, with 4,322 megawatts installed at the end of 2011. This installed wind capacity is estimated, in an average year, to supply approximately 20% of Iowa’s entire in-state electricity generation. Iowa’s high utilization of wind power has propelled the state to third in the nation for total installed renewable electricity capacity. Additionally, Iowa’s potential for using biopower produced from solid materials is second in the country, behind only Illinois. Iowa owes part of its success to its early policy support for renewable energy. The first capacity target in Iowa’s Alternative Energy Law, passed in 1983, was met in 1997. This early success led to former Iowa Governor Vilsack’s 2003 call for Iowa to deploy 1,000 MW of renewable energy—a goal that was met in 2006. Although Iowa’s renewable energy capacity requirements are met mostly by wind, other eligible resources include solar, waste management, resource recovery, refuse-derived fuel, agricultural crops or residues, wood-burning facilities, and small hydropower facilities. The state has also made a strong commitment to energy efficiency. Iowa’s investor-owned utilities more than doubled the budgets of their efficiency programs from 2002 to 2007, passing the $\$$100 million mark in 2006.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2010

Industrial Energy Audit Guidebook: Guidelines for Conducting an Energy Audit in Industrial Facilities

Various studies in different countries have shown that significant energy-efficiency improvement opportunities exist in the industrial sector, many of which are cost-effective. These energy-efficiency options include both cross-cutting as well as sector-specific measures. However, industrial plants are not always aware of energy-efficiency improvement potentials. Conducting an energy audit is one of the first steps in identifying these potentials. Even so, many plants do not have the capacity to conduct an effective energy audit. In some countries, government policies and programs aim to assist industry to improve competitiveness through increased energy efficiency. However, usually only limited technical and financial resources for improving energy efficiency are available, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Information on energy auditing and practices should, therefore, be prepared and disseminated to industrial plants. This guidebook provides guidelines for energy auditors regarding the key elements for preparing for an energy audit, conducting an inventory and measuring energy use, analyzing energy bills, benchmarking, analyzing energy use patterns, identifying energy-efficiency opportunities, conducting cost-benefit analysis, preparing energy audit reports, and undertaking post-audit activities. The purpose of this guidebook is to assist energy auditors and engineers in the plant to conduct a well-structured and effective energy audit.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Photovoltaics (Fact Sheet)

The fact sheet summarizes the goals and activities of the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program efforts within its photovoltaics subprogram.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Induction Linac Pulsers

The pulsers used in most of the induction linacs evolved from the very large body of work that was done in the U.S. and Great Britain during the development of the pulsed magnetron for radar. The radar modulators started at {approx}100 kW and reached >10 MW by 1945. A typical pulse length was 1 {mu}s at a repetition rate of 1,000 pps. A very comprehensive account of the modulator development is Pulse Generators by Lebacqz and Glasoe, one of the Radiation Laboratory Series. There are many permutations of possible modulators, two of the choices being tube type and line type. In earlier notes I wrote that technically the vacuum tube pulser met all of our induction linac needs, in the sense that a number of tubes, in series and parallel if required, could produce our pulses, regulate their voltage, be useable in feed-forward correctors, and provide a low source impedance. At a lower speed, an FET array is similar, and we have obtained and tested a large array capable of >10 MW switching. A modulator with an electronically controlled output only needs a capacitor for energy storage and in a switched mode can transfer the energy from the capacitor to the load at high efficiency. Driving a full size Astron induction core and a simulated resistive 'beam load' we achieved >50% efficiency. These electronically controlled output pulses can produce the pulses we desire but are not used because of their high cost. The second choice, the line type pulser, visually comprises a closing switch and a distributed or a lumped element transmission line. The typical switch cannot open or stop conducting after the desired pulse has been produced, and consequently all of the initially stored energy is dissipated. This approximately halves the efficiency, and the original cost estimating program LIACEP used this factor of two, even though our circuits are usually worse, and even though our inveterate optimists often omit it. The 'missing' energy is that which is reflected back into the line from mismatches, the energy left in the accelerator module's capacitance, the energy lost in the switch during switching and during the pulse, and the energy lost in the pulse line charging circuit. For example, a simple resistor-limited power supply dissipates as much energy as it delivers to the pulse forming line, giving a factor if two by itself, therefore efficiency requires a more complicated charging system.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Preliminary Analysis of the Jobs and Economic Impacts of Renewable Energy Projects Supported by the §1603 Treasury Grant Program

This analysis responds to a request from the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to estimate the direct and indirect jobs and economic impacts of projects supported by the §1603 Treasury grant program. The analysis employs the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) models to estimate the gross jobs, earnings, and economic output supported by the construction and operation of the large wind (greater than 1 MW) and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects funded by the §1603 grant program.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Preliminary Analysis of the Jobs and Economic Impacts of Renewable Energy Projects Supported by the §1603Treasury Grant Program

This analysis responds to a request from the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to estimate the direct and indirect jobs and economic impacts of projects supported by the §1603 Treasury grant program. The analysis employs the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) models to estimate the gross jobs, earnings, and economic output supported by the construction and operation of the large wind (greater than 1 MW) and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects funded by the §1603 grant program.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Equation-based object-oriented modeling and simulation for data center cooling: A case study

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Data center cooling accounts for about 1% of electricity usage in the United States. Computer models are pivotal in designing and operating energy-efficient cooling systems. Compared to conventional building performance simulation programs, the equation-based object-oriented modeling language Modelica is an emerging approach that can enable fast prototyping and dynamic simulation of cooling systems. In this case study, we first modeled the cooling and control systems of an actual data center located in Massachusetts using the open-source Modelica Buildings library, and then calibrated a baseline model based on measurement data. The simulation of the baseline model identified several operation-related issues in the cooling and control systems, such as degraded cooling coils, improper dead band in control settings, and simultaneous cooling and heating in air handlers. Afterwards, we used a sequential search technique as well as an optimization scheme to investigate the energy saving potentials for different energy efficiency measures aiming to address the abovementioned issues. Simulation results show potential energy savings up to 24% by resolving identified control-related issues and optimizing the supply air temperature.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2012

Eleven Tribes Jump START Clean Energy Projects, Summer 2012 [Newsletter]

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (DOE-IE) has selected 11 Tribes—five in Alaska and six in the contiguous United States—to receive on-the-ground technical support for community-based energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as part of DOE-IE’s Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Semantic Catalog of Things, Services, and Data to Support a Wind Data Management Facility

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how community vocabularies and linked open data best practices are being used to seamlessly link things, data, and off the shelf services to support scientific offshore wind energy research for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Wind and Water Power Program. This is largely made possible by leveraging collaborative advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), Semantic Web, Linked Services, Linked Open Data (LOD), and RDF vocabulary communities, which provide the foundation for our design. By adapting these linked community best practices, we designed a wind characterization data management facility capable of continually collecting, processing, and preservation of in situ and remote sensing instrume

atmosphere↗
DOE OSTI2011

U.S. Department of Energy clean cities five-year strategic plan.

Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program, which is part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Working with its network of about 100 local coalitions and more than 6,500 stakeholders across the country, Clean Cities delivers on its mission to reduce petroleum consumption in on-road transportation. In its work to reduce petroleum use, Clean Cities focuses on a portfolio of technologies that includes electric drive, propane, natural gas, renewable natural gas/biomethane, ethanol/E85, biodiesel/B20 and higher-level blends, fuel economy, and idle reduction. Over the past 17 years, Clean Cities coalitions have displaced more than 2.4 billion gallons of petroleum; they are on track to displace 2.5 billion gallons of gasoline per year by 2020. This Clean Cities Strategic Plan lays out an aggressive five-year agenda to help DOE Clean Cities and its network of coalitions and stakeholders accelerate the deployment of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, while also expanding the supporting infrastructure to reduce petroleum use. Today, Clean Cities has a far larger opportunity to make an impact than at any time in its history because of its unprecedented $300 million allocation for community-based deployment projects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (see box below). Moreover, the Clean Cities annual budget has risen to $25 million for FY2010 and $35 million has been requested for FY2011. Designed as a living document, this strategic plan is grounded in the understanding that priorities will change annually as evolving technical, political, economic, business, and social considerations are woven into project decisions and funding allocations. The plan does not intend to lock Clean Cities into pathways that cannot change. Instead, with technology deployment at its core, the plan serves as a guide for decision-making at both the national and local levels of Clean Cities over the next five years. The plan recognizes the need for flexibility and sets out a strategic direction that will build on the progress of current technologies and new opportunities presented in emerging fuels and technologies, such as hydrogen and fuel cells, as well as new niche markets such as off-road applications that build additional throughput at existing alternative fuel stations.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2013

Field Testing of Nano-PCM Enhanced Building Envelope Components

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Technologies Program s goal of developing high-performance, energy efficient buildings will require more cost-effective, durable, energy efficient building envelopes. Forty-eight percent of the residential end-use energy consumption is spent on space heating and air conditioning. Reducing envelope-generated heating and cooling loads through application of phase change material (PCM)-enhanced envelope components can facilitate maximizing the energy efficiency of buildings. Field-testing of prototype envelope components is an important step in estimating their energy benefits. An innovative phase change material (nano-PCM) was developed with PCM encapsulated with expanded graphite (interconnected) nanosheets, which is highly conducive for enhanced thermal storage and energy distribution, and is shape-stable for convenient incorporation into lightweight building components. During 2012, two test walls with cellulose cavity insulation and prototype PCM-enhanced interior wallboards were installed in a natural exposure test (NET) facility at Charleston, SC. The first test wall was divided into four sections, which were separated by wood studs and thin layers of foam insulation. Two sections contained nano-PCM-enhanced wallboards: one was a three-layer structure, in which nano-PCM was sandwiched between two gypsum boards, and the other one had PCM dispersed homogeneously throughout graphite nanosheets-enhanced gypsum board. The second test wall also contained two sections with interior PCM wallboards; one contained nano-PCM dispersed homogeneously in gypsum and the other was gypsum board containing a commercial microencapsulated PCM (MEPCM) for comparison. Each test wall contained a section covered with gypsum board on the interior side, which served as control or a baseline for evaluation of the PCM wallboards. The walls were instrumented with arrays of thermocouples and heat flux transducers. Further, numerical modeling of the walls containing the nano-PCM wallboards were performed to determine their actual impact on wall-generated heating and cooling loads. The models were first validated using field data, and then used to perform annual simulations using Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) weather data. This article presents the measured performance and numerical analysis to evaluate the energy-saving potential of the nano-PCM-enhanced building components.

nano-PCM↗
DOE OSTI2013

Fort Devens: Cold Climate, Energy-Efficient, Market-Rate Townhomes

In 2009, Mass Development issued an RFQ and subsequent RFP for teams to develop moderately priced high-efficiency homes on two sites within the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone. MassDevelopment, a Massachusetts agency that owns the Devens site (formerly Fort Devens Army Base, in Harvard, Massachusetts), set a goal of producing a replicable example of current and innovative sustainable building practices with a near-zero energy potential. Metric Development, as primary developer and construction manager, formed one of the successful teams that included CARB and Cambridge Seven Architects (C7A).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗