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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Building efficiency, electrification, and distributed solar PV bill savings under time-based retail rate designs

Building energy technologies and distributed generation, including energy efficiency (EE), distributed solar PV (DPV), and building electrification, are critical to meeting decarbonization goals. Rate design may play an important role in determining the customer economics of adopting these technologies, but it is unclear whether – and to what extent – current rate design trends support or impede progress toward these goals. In this study, we answer these questions by quantifying the range of residential customer bill impacts of EE, DPV, and building electrification investments under current and emerging time-based retail electricity rate designs (i.e., time-of-use, event-based pricing, coincident demand charges, and real time pricing). We also compare these customer bill savings to power system and societal benefits and assess how well the investments are compensated relative to the societal value they provide.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1975

Electrification: Mid-term (1985 - 2000)

Electrification, intended to provide a basis for the mid term period of the energy conservation program, was defined as a set of actions and/or policies that leads to an increasing proportion of total energy used in the form of electricity. The important actions within electrification are those with the greatest impacts (coal and nuclear), the greatest technological requirements (peak shaving and transmission) and the greatest response from the decision makers (economic health and growth of utilities in an era of increasing energy costs). The following areas were discussed: increased power generation from coal action, increased use of nuclear power action, improved operation of public utilities action, actions to be taken in industry, transportation and residential/commercial areas. The various ways in which electrification leads to energy conservation were clarified, and a number of specific recommendations relative to electrification were suggested.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electrification of Pakistan's Transport System: Modeling Electric Vehicle Penetration and Energy Supply Chain Impacts

Initial analysis of the National Electric Vehicle Policy (NEVP) of Pakistan was undertaken by an integrated energy planning team from November 2019 through August 2020. This technical reference document seeks to present the background, inputs and assumptions, methodology, and results of the policy analysis in detail. The intended audience is the technical modeler, analyst, or reviewer who seeks to understand specifically the modeling effort within this initial analytical phase, with the end-goal of interpreting, re-producing, or modifying the simulations or extending the models to conduct follow-on studies subsequently. These studies may examine in greater detail the energy sector, impacts to emissions, charging station infrastructure needs, and overall benefits-cost trade of the policy, among other areas of interest.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mostly positive implications of long-haul truck electrification

In this work, it is described how recently in the July 6, 2021 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, Tong et al. estimated health and climate impacts from large-scale long-haul truck electrification. The monetized damages range from a 47%–54% increase to a 77%–88% reduction. However, with adjustments to the marginal emission and static assumptions, impacts are found to be almost certainly positive, a 7%–94% reduction in damages.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of Building Electrification Technologies and Market Opportunities

This report provides an overview of building electrification drivers and select building electrification technologies and their markets and performance. Covered topics: Building Electrification Drivers and Context; Heat Pumps for Space Conditioning; Heat Pump Market Opportunities; Life Cycle GHG Emissions Impacts of Heat Pump Space Conditioning Technologies; Heat Pump Water Heaters; Electrification of Gas Loads: Commercial and Residential; Residential Panel Capacity; Electric Vehicle Impacts and Connections to Buildings; and Building Envelope Improvements and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Opportunities.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluating Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on the U.S. Power System

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, commonly referred to as the 'Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),' collectively represent the largest commitment of the U.S. Federal Government to invest in the modernization and decarbonization of the U.S. energy system. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that total support for the broad range of climate and clean energy programs, tax credits, and other incentives authorized through the two laws will exceed $430 billion from 2022 through 2031 (CRS 2022; CBO 2021, 2022). While the climate and clean energy provisions are numerous and have the potential to impact all aspects of the U.S. energy system from fuel and electricity production to final consumption in industry, transportation, and buildings, the provisions relevant to the electricity sector - in particular the suite of tax credits for clean generation, storage, and carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ) capture and storage - are expected to be some of the most consequential in terms of emissions reduction and clean energy deployment (Larsen et al. 2022; Jenkins, Mayfield, et al. 2022; Mahajan et al. 2022; Zhao et al. 2022). In this report, we detail the methods and results of a study estimating the potential impacts of key provisions of IRA and BIL on the contiguous U.S. power sector from present day through 2030. The analysis employs an advanced power system planning model, the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS), to evaluate how major provisions from both laws impact investment in and operation of utility-scale generation, storage, and transmission, and, in turn, how those changes impact power system costs, emissions, and climate and health damages. While not exhaustive in capturing every provision, the analysis estimates the possible scale of power-sector impacts that could result from the modeled provisions in IRA and BIL. The study is structured around two scenarios to evaluate the potential impacts of both laws on the power sector: 1) No New Policy: A counter-factual scenario that reflects all Federal and state policies enacted as of September 2022, with exception to IRA and BIL, and assumes load growth consistent with the Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO22) Reference case (EIA 2022a); 2) IRA-BIL: A scenario reflecting all Federal and state policies enacted as of September 2022, including key IRA and BIL provisions, most notably the investment and production tax credits for zero-carbon emitting electricity generation and storage (ITC and PTC), the tax credit for CO 2 capture and storage (45Q), and the tax credit for existing nuclear plants (described further in Section 2.3). To account for the impacts of IRA and BIL on electrification, assumes increased load growth consistent with a scaled version of the Medium Electrification scenario from the Electrification Futures Study (Mai et al. 2018). These scenarios are simulated across seven sets of assumptions with varying projected future electricity market conditions, including technology costs and performance, natural gas prices, and the degree of availability, feasibility, and cost of development of renewable resources, electricity transmission, and CO 2 pipeline, injection, and storage infrastructure. In addition, we simulate two sensitivities on the 'policy' treatment in which we vary key assumptions pertaining to the realized value of the clean electricity ITC and PTC: 1) the cost of monetization of tax credits, and 2) the level of bonus crediting realized by project developers. We demonstrate that IRA and BIL have the collective potential to drive substantial growth in clean electricity by 2030, while reducing costs for consumers, mitigating climate change, and decreasing the human health impacts of power sector emissions. However, we also demonstrate that if expected cost improvements of clean technologies are not realized and/or constraints on deployment driven by factors such as supply-chain challenges, regulatory hurdles, and the social acceptability of energy infrastructure development limit the rate of clean energy and associated infrastructure deployment (such as transmission), then the share of clean generation achieved and the associated emissions benefits realized may be substantively reduced.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Interactions Between Climate Policy and Technology-influenced Travel Behavior: Mitigating Induced Demand from CACC

Advances in vehicle technology have influenced the development of automated vehicle systems, where vehicles that do not require human intervention are already deployed in the roadway networks. While these advances are proved to increase roadway safety and highway capacity, more research is needed to understand the long-term and regional-level impacts on mobility, land use, energy consumption, and emissions. This study proposes a multi-model approach to analyze the effect of vehicle automation and deep decarbonization policies over a period from 2020 to 2040 in Austin, Texas. We use the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to develop internally the scenarios that are then passed to the SMART Mobility modeling workflow, a large-scale simulation framework combining the POLARIS activity-based travel demand model and mesoscopic traffic simulator with the Autonomie vehicle energy consumption model and the UrbanSim land use simulator. Results suggest that the introduction of vehicles with advanced automation could increase fuel consumption when no decarbonization policies are implemented. Also, advances in vehicle technology research and development could lead to a decline in energy use in the long-term. Energy pricing and vehicle electrification incentives could help reduce the impact of vehicle automation. Finally, our analysis indicates the relevance of introducing land use processes in longterm vehicle automation studies.

land use↗
DOE OSTI2021

The impact of development priorities on power system expansion planning in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa faces unique barriers to electricity development due to the large proportion of the population that is un-electrified and the prevalence of rural populations. Typically, power system expansion planning models assume all potential consumers can be immediately electrified. This assumption is unrealistic in sub-Saharan Africa, where electrification will likely be a gradual process over a number of years. Furthermore, since a large proportion of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is located in rural regions, the prioritization of these regions may impact how the grid develops. In this research, we develop a multi-period optimization model for power generation and transmission system expansion planning in sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast to existing models, which assume full electrification, we consider a variety of electrification policies and analyze the impact of varying the electrification rate and policy on the cost and resources selected for power system expansion. We test our model on a case study of Rwanda. We find that varying the year in which full electrification is reached has a larger impact on cost and generation capacity than varying the electrification policy does, although, when urban and rural regions are considered equitably, more rooftop solar is built. Varying the electrification policies has a larger impact on transmission expansion than on generation expansion and this impact is amplified when starting from zero initial system capacity rather than the original Rwanda system. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis shows that tightening the bounds on CO 2eq emissions has a large impact on the generation portfolio and cost.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distribution Grid Impact Study in Highland Park, Michigan: Understanding Rooftop Solar, Behind-the-Meter Energy Storage, Electric Vehicle Charging, and Building Electrification [Slides]

Through the Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) Pilot, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) engaged the Highland Park Stakeholder Coalition to scope four technical assistance work areas to address their energy needs and goals. This slide deck addresses the highlighted tasks under work area "B" related to policy analysis, due diligence, and case studies for removing barriers and providing best practices for local clean energy development. Highland Park community members face frequent, long-duration power interruptions due largely to the aging distribution system serving the area and the legacy design standards used in its construction. While degrading physical infrastructure such as poles, crossarms, and transformers can result in this substandard reliability, another notable characteristic of this legacy system is the lower, 4.8 kV, voltage class. This is a legacy construction standard which many utilities, DTE included, are phasing out in favor of higher, 15 or 25 kV, voltage classes instead. The existing 4.8 kV distribution system serving Highland Park may limit significant adoptions of clean-energy technologies like high percentages of building electrification or electric vehicle adoption. The following analysis seeks to quantify these limitations under a variety of clean-energy technology adoption scenarios. It compares the overall system risks of the present system to those of a hypothetical, upgraded 13.2 kV system, using NREL-developed risk metrics and offers upgrade cost considerations. The legacy 4.8 kV voltage class serving Highland park is not, as we have modeled it, a major limitation to the widespread adoption of cost-optimal rooftop solar and/or behind-the-meter energy storage. Within our modeling framework, these technologies namely impact secondary, low-voltage assets, which may be remedied without the need for a system-wide upgrade to a 13.2 kV voltage class. Our model of the current 4.8kV system indicates it is not capable of supporting community-wide electrification efforts. Widespread building electrification, and the resulting large increase in wintertime load, dramatically increases the prevalence of voltage violations and thermal overloading on the current 4.8 kV distribution system. These impacts illustrate the need for system-wide upgrades to a 13.2 kV voltage class to accommodate these technologies. Low to Moderate DER adoption does not adversely impact the grid but does improve undervoltage and asset overloading issues. However, these benefits are insufficient to defer grid upgrades. Higher DER penetration is shown to increase overvoltage and asset overloading in future electrification scenarios.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electrified autonomous freight benefit analysis on fleet, infrastructure and grid leveraging Grid-Electrified Mobility (GEM) model

Fast-growing freight activities over the decades have become one of the major contributors to air pollution, leading to many efforts in freight decarbonization and electrification. However, the development of freight electrification is slow due to technological uncertainty, slow charging, high capital cost, etc. This paper analyzes the potential impact and benefit of heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) electrification and automation on fleet cost, infrastructure cost, the electricity grid, and environmental outcomes. In this work, we extended the vehicle electrification benefit analysis tool: Grid-Electrified Mobility (GEM) model, which had primarily been used to study light-duty passenger vehicles (LDVs), to analyze heavy-duty vehicle electrification. The extended model is derived for freight transportation electrification, and different freight electrification and automation adoption scenarios were analyzed. We find that the increased penetration of automated electric freight fleets within other types of electrified freight fleets from 1% to 99% will result in an overall cost reduction of 18.2%, fleet size reduction of 20.4%, and lower peak load reduction of 14.3%.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

End-Use Savings Shapes: Public Dataset Release for Residential Round 1 [Slides]

The End-Use Load Profiles project created a public database of 900,000 individual building end-use load profiles. Load profiles were modeled to represent the U.S. building stock as it was in 2018, as nearly as possible based on the best available data. The End-Use Savings Shapes follow-on project adds measure impact profiles for energy efficiency and electrification packages to the public dataset. This presentation details the public dataset release on September 20, 2022.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2012

Impact of Aerosols on Convective Clouds and Precipitation

Aerosols are a critical.factor in the atmospheric hydrological cycle and radiation budget. As a major agent for clouds to form and a significant attenuator of solar radiation, aerosols affect climate in several ways. Current research suggests that aerosols have a major impact on the dynamics, microphysics, and electrification properties of continental mixed-phase convective clouds. In addition, high aerosol concentrations in urban environments could affect precipitation variability by providing a significant source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Such pollution . effects on precipitation potentially have enormous climatic consequences both in terms of feedbacks involving the land surface via rainfall as well as the surface energy budget and changes in latent heat input to the atmosphere. Basically, aerosol concentrations can influence cloud droplet size distributions, the warm-rain process, the cold-rain process, cloud-top heights, the depth of the mixed-phase region, and the occurrence of lightning. Recently, many cloud resolution models (CRMs) have been used to examine the role of aerosols on mixed-phase convective clouds. These modeling studies have many differences in terms of model configuration (two- or three-dimensional), domain size, grid spacing (150-3000 m), microphysics (two-moment bulk, simple or sophisticated spectral-bin), turbulence (1st or 1.5 order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE)), radiation, lateral boundary conditions (i.e., closed, radiative open or cyclic), cases (isolated convection, tropical or midlatitude squall lines) and model integration time (e.g., 2.5 to 48 hours). Among these modeling studies, the most striking difference is that cumulative precipitation can either increase or decrease in response to higher concentrations of CCN. In this presentation, we review past efforts and summarize our current understanding of the effect of aerosols on convective precipitation processes. Specifically, this paper addresses the following topics: observational evidence of the effect of aerosols on precipitation processes, and results from (CRM) simulations. Note that this presentation is mainly based on a recent paper published in Geophy. Rev. (Tao et al. 2012).

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multidisciplinary Optimization of a Transonic Truss Braced Wing Aircraft with Hybrid-Electric Propulsion

Next generation aircraft concepts have subsystems that are increasingly inter-connected. This necessitates advanced design tools using gradient based optimization to properly account for strong subsystem coupling in these aircraft. Additionally, these design tools require accurate modeling capability to support the increased interest in electrified propulsion. Design studies for these aircraft must consider the trade-offs between electric propulsion and turbojet engines at all points in the flight envelope to determine the optimal balance between propulsion options. This paper describes the development of an electric propulsion subsystem model designed to work within Aviary - an open source aircraft design tool. We will demonstrate the electric propulsion model operating with Aviary by showing results from an optimized Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) concept using assisted electric propulsion during climb. First, we present results with and without electrification to show the overall system impacts of hybrid electric propulsion during climb. We also present two distinct battery models compatible with this optimization framework, and compare results using both. Next, we ran the same problem using a slightly different cell type, and demonstrate a considerable change in the result. Finally, we vary the cell energy density of the batteries, and provide an illustrative trend for the system-level impact for improving cell technology.

optimization↗
DOE OSTI2025

Grid Value Analysis of Geothermal Systems for End-Use Applications

Fuel based end-uses for residential, commercial, and industrial consumers require a technology change to achieve economy-wide decarbonization. Space heating accounts for 42% of residential and 32% of commercial energy demand, much of which is currently met through carbon emitting fuels. Industrial energy use is heavily fuel based with electricity currently representing 13% of energy demand. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) and geothermal direct use can eliminate the need for CO2 emitting and simultaneously allow for more efficient electrification of end uses. Past work has assessed the impact on total energy costs and generation investments but did not identify specific grid services benefited. Energy usage in residential and commercial structures was assessed by leveraging data from ComStock and ResStock models. These models utilize housing attributes, occupancy patterns, weather data, and sophisticated energy simulations to generate hourly load profiles for individual buildings identified by unique IDs associated with their locations. Industrial sector energy use was evaluated using information from the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) as well as plant utilization data from the US Census to estimate hourly plant operations. The change in end-use demand for electricity, natural gas, and other fuels was calculated for different technologies that could meet this need. Using the ReEDS capacity expansion model, we produce regional price profiles that capture the grid benefit associated with the amount and timing of energy shifts in the power system from the adoption of geothermal systems relative to other technologies that could meet space heating, space cooling, and process heat requirements. We find that geothermal systems for meeting end-use demand add value to the energy system. In buildings where geothermal systems increase grid costs, these values are offset by reduced fuel costs and benefits to externalities, including emissions and health impacts.

decarbonization↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quantum Computing in Next-Generation Transportation Optimization

We explore how quantum computing (QC) can advance transportation optimization, with a focus on two high-impact areas: traffic signal control and vehicle electrification with grid integration. As transportation systems grow in complexity, classical optimization methods increasingly struggle to deliver scalable and efficient solutions, particularly for real-time, data-rich environments. This work identifies key challenges within these two domains where QC may offer advantages, particularly in handling combinatorial decision spaces and dynamic constraints. We begin by outlining the limitations of classical approaches for traffic signal control optimization and electric vehicle charging coordination, highlighting where computational limitations arise. Previous quantum formulations are presented and new formulations are proposed to demonstrate how emerging quantum algorithms, including quantum annealing and the Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm, could be leveraged to reformulate and address these problems. We also evaluate the suitability of current quantum hardware and discuss recent trends that indicate when QC may become a viable tool for transportation applications. While acknowledging the present limitations of QC technologies, this poster emphasizes the importance of preparing quantum-compatible models today. By reviewing and establishing formulations that align with the strengths of quantum algorithms, researchers and practitioners can better position themselves to take advantage of QC advancements as they occur. This work aims to provide a practical, forward-looking perspective on the near-term potential of quantum computing in transportation optimization.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impact Analysis of Transitioning to Heat Pump Rooftop Units for the U.S. Commercial Building Stock

Twenty percent (25%) of the energy consumed by the U.S. commercial building sector is from on-site combustion of fossil fuels for space heating. Part of decarbonizing U.S. energy systems to meet climate initiatives will require electrification of space heating equipment, often by transitioning to heat pumps. Rooftop units (RTU) are the most prominent commercial building HVAC system type and should therefore be prioritized for electrification solutions. However, there is limited understanding of the impact on emissions when considering regional electricity generation methods, as well as the impact of ambient temperature on capacity and efficiency, defrost operation, realistic sizing methodologies, and supplementary heating on overall heat pump performance. This study explores the effects of transitioning all installed, existing RTUs to high-performance heat pump RTUs for the U.S. commercial building stock. The analysis is performed using ComStock (TM), the U.S. Department of Energy's calibrated model of the U.S. commercial building stock. Results show 10% and 9% reductions in stock aggregate energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. This analysis will help inform the transition to heat pump RTUs for the U.S. commercial building stock.

commercial building↗
DOE OSTI2023

Riders’ perceptions towards transit bus electrification: Evidence from Salt Lake City, Utah

While battery electric buses (BEBs) can lead to energy savings and reduced emissions, BEB adoption is developing slowly. Although BEBs offer quieter operations, better acceleration, and no smell of diesel or gas fumes, little focus has been placed on the user’s perspective. Here, this study investigates bus riders’ preferences toward BEBs. To achieve these objectives, a survey was designed and administered to solicit riders’ typical travel behaviors and patterns as well as preferences and opinions about BEBs’ performance in terms of emissions and noise. Statistical analysis showed that several factors influence rider perceptions towards transit bus electrification that include trip purpose, attitudes towards environmental issues and environmental impacts of BEBs, and certain non-instrumental ride factors such as ride comfort and social image. A better understanding of the importance of electrification to transit riders can help transit service providers adjust their marketing decisions and their systemwide operations to accommodate preferences towards BEBs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗