Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “INVESTMENT”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Estimating Return on Investment for Energy Technical Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of State and Community Energy Programs engaged the National Laboratory of the Rockies to assess the return on investment (ROI) of technical assistance (TA) programs that support state, local, and Tribal energy planning. Although TA delivers value through capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge transfer, these benefits are often intangible and challenging to monetize. This study reviews existing ROI frameworks and synthesizes the most relevant elements into a hybrid approach tailored to energy TA programs. The proposed framework integrates monetary and non-monetary outcomes through early logic model development, baseline data collection, and the use of proxies for intangible benefits. As a case study, this paper applies this approach to the Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP), demonstrating how ROI can inform program design, data strategy, and performance assessment. Findings underscore that ROI should be applied selectively and planned from the outset to ensure data alignment and attribution accuracy. The framework offers TA practitioners a structured approach that can be leveraged for future programs to evaluate and communicate the multifaceted value of TA investments.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Data for Renewable Energy Planning, Policy, and Investment

Reliable, robust, and validated data are critical for informed planning, policy development, and investment in the clean energy sector. The Renewable Energy (RE) Explorer was developed to support data-driven renewable energy analysis that can inform key renewable energy decisions globally. This document presents the types of geospatial and other data at the core of renewable energy analysis and decision making. Individual data sets used to inform decisions vary in relation to spatial and temporal resolution, quality, and overall usefulness. From Data to Decisions, a complementary geospatial data and analysis decision guide, provides an in-depth view of these and other considerations to enable data-driven planning, policymaking, and investment. Data support a wide variety of renewable energy analyses and decisions, including technical and economic potential assessment, renewable energy zone analysis, grid integration, risk and resiliency identification, electrification, and distributed solar photovoltaic potential. This fact sheet provides information on the types of data that are important for renewable energy decision making using the RE Data Explorer or similar types of geospatial analysis tools.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investment Tax Credit Requirements for Privately Owned Solar Photovoltaic Systems on Federal Sites

The federal investment tax credit (ITC) is an economically valuable tax incentive offered to taxable business entities that invest in certain energy technologies. The ITC is based on a percentage of the qualifying upfront capital costs of a project and directly reduces a business's tax liability (i.e., the taxes paid). This fact sheet focuses on ITC considerations for privately owned solar photovoltaic (PV) projects on federal land and buildings, although some of the considerations may be applicable to other technologies and non-federal entities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

How to support EV adoption: Tradeoffs between charging infrastructure investments and vehicle subsidies in California

Supporting the adoption of zero-emission vehicle (ZEVs), including plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), has become a priority for governments due to their ability to reduce petroleum demand, improve air quality, and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Optimal strategies to accelerate EV adoption must weigh the relative value of alternative policy mechanisms to consumers, including public charging infrastructure and vehicle purchase subsidies. We use a historically validated light-duty vehicle consumer choice tool, the ADOPT model, to simulate personal light-duty vehicle adoption and related emissions in California. ADOPT is updated to incorporate a quantification of the tangible value of public charging infrastructure, allowing us to simulate the impact of investments in public charging infrastructure and vehicle purchase subsidies under different scenarios. We show that both policies result in increased EV adoption, with the most effective policy varying depending on vehicle technology assumptions. Under conservative technology improvement assumptions, infrastructure investments are most effective in promoting EV sales and reducing CO2 emissions, while under optimistic technology improvement assumptions a combination of infrastructure and subsidies best supports EV sales and CO2 emission reductions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Institutional influence on power sector investments: A case study of on- and off-grid energy in Kenya and Tanzania

With the recent decline of renewable energy technology costs—most notably solar photovoltaics —off-grid energy systems are becoming increasingly attractive alternatives to grid extension for advancing rural electrification in Africa. However, there are institutional challenges to wider adoption of off-grid solutions. Combining a multi-level perspective with project funding data from the Kenyan and Tanzanian energy sectors, we assess the extent to which these new off-grid technologies have been incorporated into the existing energy regimes in both countries. Using a qualitative assessment of academic literature and official documents, and a quantitative assessment of energy investments, we find that although international development agencies have provided financial support for niche, off-grid companies, both global donors and the regime electricity sector operators in Kenya and Tanzania continue to favor on-grid and grid extension activities. While landscape influences on both countries are similar, we find that differences within the institutional regimes result in different development pathways for off-grid niches. In Kenya, unbundling and privatization efforts have attracted private investment in both on- and off-grid projects. Finally, Tanzania has more relaxed regulations for off-grid power producers, and a clearer regulatory framework for allowing off-grid operators to impose cost-reflective tariffs, which creates a supportive environment for niche innovation.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Customer bill impacts of energy efficiency and net-metered photovoltaic system investments

We report utility regulators and policymakers are concerned about potential increases in retail rates driven by energy efficiency (EE) programs and distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which may adversely affect utility customers that do not invest in these technologies (i.e., non-participants) and more so than those that do (i.e., participants). We assess customer bill impacts of illustrative EE programs and net-metered PV systems for a prototypical northeast utility. We find that the timing of customer EE or PV investments matters and that modest energy savings may fail to yield financial benefits sufficient to offset concomitant increases in retail rates.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Effect of Demand Response and Wind Generation on Electricity Investment and Operation

We present a novel method of determining the contribution of load-shifting Demand Response (DR) to energy and reserve markets. We model DR in an Mixed Complementarity Problem (MCP) framework with high levels of wind penetration. Investment, exit and operational decisions are optimized simultaneously. We examine the potential for DR to participate in both energy and reserve markets. DR participation in the energy market reduces costs and prices and gives rise to lower equilibrium levels of investment in conventional generation. DR and wind generation are strongly complementary, due to the ability of DR to mitigate against the variability of wind generation, with the highest reduction of consumer costs seen at high levels of wind penetration. The total impact of DR is highly dependent on specific system characteristics.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Discrimination in Degradability of Soil Pyrogenic Organic Matter Follows a Return-On-Energy-Investment Principle

A fundamental understanding of biodegradability is central to elucidating the role(s) of pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) in biogeochemical cycles. Since microbial community and ecosystem dynamics are driven by net energy flows, then a quantitative assessment of energy value versus energy requirement for oxidation of PyOM should yield important insights into their biodegradability. We used bomb calorimetry, step-wise isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (isoTGA) and 5-year in-situ bidegradation data, to develop energy-biodegradability relationships for a suite of plant- and manure-derived PyOM (n = 10). The net energy value (ΔE) for PyOM was between 4.0 and 175 kJ mol-1; with manure-derived PyOM having the highest ΔE. Thermal-oxidation activation energy (Ea) requirements ranged from 51 to 125 kJ mol-1, with wood-derived PyOM having the highest Ea requirements. We propose a return-on-investment (ROI) parameter (ΔE/Ea) for differentiating short-to-medium term biodegradability of PyOM and deciphering if biodegradation will most likely proceed via co-metabolism (ROI < 1) or direct metabolism (ROI ≥ 1). The ROI-biodegradability relationship was sigmoidal with higher biodegradability associated with PyOM of higher ROI; indicating that microbes exhibit a higher preference for “high investment value” PyOM.

Harvey, Omar R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Installation Quality Framework: Investment Return Approach for Energy Savings on Building Product Installation

A case study was conducted on 44 residential homes using both traditional house wrap and ZIP System systems to measure the overall airtightness and compare estimated energy usages. The labor, material, and overhead and profit (O&P) costs were analyzed and used to determine the optimal choice for long-term benefits in terms of cost and performance. The impact of insulation installation is considered a key factor in improving the strategy of reducing energy consumption. Improved installation practices can affect the airtightness of common wall assemblies to reduce the building energy performance gaps and provide insight on how to allocate resources better. A framework was developed to analyze operational costs and building energy performance to address how installation quality is a factor in the return of investment in building construction for heating and cooling systems within the thermal envelope. With this methodology, aggressive energy performance goals will be met while balancing the tradeoff between installation techniques and building systems efficiency based on the introduced probabilistic investment return (PIR) metric.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Decision Support Tool for Distributed Solar and Storage Investments: A Case Study in Austin, TX

This study builds a decision support tool to evaluate when it is a good economic decision (least cost with minimum discomfort) for the residential customer to invest in distributed energy resources (DERs) based on different electricity rate structures, DER ownership frameworks, and DER rebates offered by electric utilities. Here, the tool is demonstrated using empirical electricity consumption data from Pecan Street Inc. (a non-profit entity based on Austin, Texas), residential rates from Austin Energy (the municipal electric utility in Austin, Texas), DER ownership costs from various nationwide pilot programs, and incentives offered by electric utilities in the United States. Results show that for constant electricity rates, the overall expenditure is least when the customer owns solar panels without storage, while for time-varying pricing structures, the least expensive scenario is one where the customer does not own any DERs. As the capital costs for DERs decline, utilities incentivize customer ownership of DERs, and more residential customers face the decision of whether to invest in DERs, this study aims to be a key tool in aiding that decision-making process.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

MO-FG-BRB-01: Investing to Address the Global Cancer Challenge

The global burden of cancer is growing rapidly with an estimated 15 million new cases per year worldwide in 2015, growing to 19 million by 2025 and 24 million by 2035. The largest component of this growth will occur in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). About half of these cases will require radiation treatment. The gap for available cancer treatment, including radiation therapy, between high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs is enormous. Accurate data and quantitative models to project the needs and the benefits of cancer treatment are a critical first step in closing the large cancer divide between LMICs and HICs. In this context, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has developed a Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control (GTFRCC) with a charge to answer the question as to what it will take to close the gap between what exists today and reasonable access to radiation therapy globally by 2035 and what the potential clinical and economic benefits are for doing this. The Task Force has determined the projections of cancer incidence and the infrastructure required to provide access to radiation therapy globally. Furthermore it has shown that appropriate investment not only yields improved clinical outcomes for millions of patients but that it also provides an overall economic gain throughout all the income settings where this investment is made. This symposium will summarize the facets associated with this global cancer challenge by reviewing the cancer burden, looking at the requirements for radiation therapy, reviewing the benefits of providing such therapy both from a clinical and economic perspective and finally by looking at what approaches can be used to aid in the alleviation of this global cancer challenge. The speakers are world renowned experts in global public health issues (R. Atun), medical physics (D. Jaffray) and radiation oncology (N. Coleman). Learning Objectives: To describe the global cancer challenge and the corresponding potential benefits of addressing this challenge. To describe what radiation therapy infrastructure, in terms of facilities, equipment and personnel, will be required to address this challenge. To describe models of addressing personnel and infrastructure mobilization and capacity building within regions where significant cancer treatment disparities exist.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

EMIS Agent Simulation Model (Electricity Markets Investment Suite) [SWR-19-56]

The Electricity Markets Investment Suite Agent-based Simulation (EMIS-AS) model is an agent-based model developed at NREL for simulating annual investment and retirement decisions of heterogeneous investors in the electricity sector. EMIS-AS is designed to capture the evolution of the electricity generation portfolio resulting from the interactions of heterogeneous investors under different policy and market designs. EMIS-AS not only allows end-users to customize market products and rules, but also to capture investors' heterogeneous financing parameters, technology preferences, beliefs about the future (forecasts), ability to update those forecasts, and risk preferences under uncertainty.

Anwar, Mahammad Bashar↗
DOE OSTI2021

plutus: An R package to calculate electricity investments and stranded assets from the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM)

plutus is an R package that post-processes outputs from the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to calculate the power sector capital investment costs and stranded asset costs associated with GCAM projections of electricity generation by technology. GCAM is a market equilibrium model used to examine the dynamics of the coupled human-Earth system and the response of this system to global change, including socioeconomics, technology, climate, and policy. GCAM tracks electricity generation by technology and vintage over 32 geopolitical regions throughout the lifetime of each generating technology. plutus extends GCAM functionality by (1) estimating the foregone economic value of prematurely retired power plants as a result of economic-induced retirements compared to scheduled lifetimes; and (2) estimating the new installations and capital investments driven by future changes in economic, energy, agriculture, and land-use systems in GCAM.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evaluating Proposed Investments in Power System Reliability and Resilience: Preliminary Results from Interviews with Public Utility Commission Staff

Policymakers and regulatory agencies are expressing renewed interest in the reliability and resilience of the U.S. electric power system in large part due to growing recognition of the challenges posed by climate change, extreme weather events, and other emerging threats. Unfortunately, there has been little or no consolidated information in the public domain describing how public utility/service commission (PUC) staff evaluate the economics of proposed investments in the resilience of the power system. Having more consolidated information would give policymakers a better understanding of how different state regulatory entities across the U.S. make economic decisions pertaining to reliability/resiliency. To help address this, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) was tasked by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis (EPSA) to conduct an initial set of interviews with PUC staff to learn more about how proposed utility investments in reliability/resilience are being evaluated from an economics perspective. LBNL conducted structured interviews in late May-early June 2016 with staff from the following PUCs: Washington D.C. (DCPSC), Florida (FPSC), and California (CPUC).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100): Chapter 6. Renewable Energy Investments and Operations

The City of Los Angeles has set ambitious goals to transform its electricity supply, aiming to achieve a 100% renewable energy power system by 2045, along with aggressive electrification targets for buildings and vehicles. To reach these goals, and assess the implications for jobs, electricity rates, the environment, and environmental justice, the Los Angeles City Council passed a series of motions directing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to determine the technical feasibility and investment pathways of a 100% renewable energy portfolio standard. The Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100) is a first-of-its-kind objective, rigorous, and science-based power systems analysis to determine what investments could be made to achieve these goals. The LA100 final report is presented as a collection of 12 chapters and an executive summary, each of which is available as an individual download. This chapter explores pathways to 100% renewable electricity, describing the types of generation resources added, their costs, and how the systems maintain sufficient resources to serve customer demand, including resource adequacy and transmission reliability.

100% Renewable↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessment of Economic Viability of Direct Current Fast Charging Infrastructure Investments for Electric Vehicles in the United States

As the global transportation sector increasingly adopts electric vehicles, the demand for advanced and accessible charging infrastructure is rising. In addition to at-home electric vehicle (EV) charging, there is a growing need for the swift development of commercial direct current fast charging (DCFC) stations to meet on-the-go EV charging demands. While government funds are available to support the expansion of the EV charging network in the United States, the establishment of a robust nationwide EV charging infrastructure requires significant private sector investment. This study was conducted to assess the economic feasibility of various business models for fast charging stations in the U.S. using two case studies and exploring different operational strategies including sole ownership and collaborative ventures with public and private entities. The results indicate that based on the current adoption and utilization rates in the U.S., the business model involving an owner-operator collaborating with a public partner ensures profitability and protects the investment in DCFC stations from financial losses. The study also highlights that demand charges and electricity retail prices are the factors that affect the profitability of a DCFC station.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1992

A strategy for investment in space resource utilization

Considerations governing a strategy for investment in the utilization of space resources are discussed. It is suggested on the basis of an examination of current trends in terms of historical processes which operate on new frontiers that the limited markets and unfamiliar technologies associated with space commercialization today may change dramatically in 20 years when lunar resources are accessible. It is argued that the uncertainty of such projections discourages investment at a useful scale unless a strategy for technology development can be implemented which provides tangible and marketable benefits in the intermediate term. At present, technologies can be identified which will be required (and therefore valuable) at the time of lunar settlement, and whose development can be planned to yield marketable intermediate products on earth. It is concluded that the formation of precompetitive collaborative research consortia in the industrial sector could reduce technical and economic risk in the early stages and could promote a favorable political environment for the future growth of space activities.

Mendell, Wendell W.↗