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At least 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen Based Energy Storage System for Integration with Dispatchable Power Generator (Phase I Feasibility Study)

This project examined the feasibility of integrating hydrogen generation, storage, and use as a means to decarbonize campus activities while retaining the ability to utilize the existing natural gas fired combined heat and power system installed at the campus of the University of California @ Irvine. Analysis of specific potential sites for the integrated system identified a location adjacent to the existing central plant which resulted in minimization of interconnections. A strategy based on use of commercial electrolyzers and gas storage was identified. Primary technology advancements are required for the gas turbine to accommodate higher levels of hydrogen and the integrated controls. The project indicated challenges for adopting the proposed strategy with the present rates and constraints. The availability of a relatively low-cost biogas resource by the campus already decarbonizes the gas turbine to some extent. In the absence of this resource, procurement of electricity directly from large scale renewable operations could facilitate lower electricity costs. Additional solar resources on campus could also help in this regard. The gas turbine cannot be operated below 50% capacity due to air permit constraints. Using the otherwise curtailed gas turbine operation to generate hydrogen via electrolysis by consuming natural gas is not highly efficient and therefore leads to relatively high costs of electricity returned. Several scenarios demonstrate potential for effective decarbonization, yet most involve lower and lower capacity factor for the legacy gas turbine which is not a good use of the asset. A small gas turbine output with higher efficiency operation would help. As would ability to export electricity to the grid. Certainly current rate structures and operational scenarios are less attractive than other possible future structures which should be pushed for in the future.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Potential Availability of and Supply Curves for Low-Cost, Dispatch-Constrained Electricity

Among other changes, variable renewable energy (VRE) - primarily wind and solar photovoltaics - is achieving a growing share of total generation. High VRE penetrations may result in an increased level of curtailment and thus suppress the value of additional VRE. This VRE, that either would not be built due to price suppression or would be curtailed, can be considered a resource that we define as low-cost, dispatch-constrained electricity (LDE). LDE could be used for various applications which value low-cost electricity and can operate at reduced capacity factors. Examples include electrolytic hydrogen production and carbon capture. This report provides initial estimates of the quantity and availability of the potential LDE resource in the U.S. under scenarios with high VRE penetrations. It also provides supply curves that can be used in subsequent analysis of the opportunity to use the LDE. We modeled several scenarios using capacity expansion and production cost models for LDE prices ranging from $\$ $0/MWh to $\$ $30/MWh. These LDE prices, coupled with low renewable energy cost assumptions, resulted in VRE penetrations ranging from 48-66% in 2050. The resulting LDE supplies range from 100 - 300 TWh/yr at a price of $\$ $0/MWh to 3,500 - 4,200 TWh/yr at $\$ $30/MWh. Increasing LDE prices increases wind and photovoltaics deployment; however, other generation technology capacities do not decrease equivalently in our models. Thus, additional generation is available but the capacity of traditional dispatchable generation is only reduced slightly. The available LDE is concentrated in the central and southwest U.S. regions because of their high wind and solar resources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Minimizing grid energy consumption in wastewater treatment plants: Towards green energy solutions, water sustainability, and cleaner environment

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) consume significant amount of energy to sustain their operation. From this point, the current study aims to enhance the capacity of these facilities to meet their energy needs by integrating renewable energy sources. The study focused on the investigation of two primary solar energy systems in As Samra WWTP in Jordan. The first system combines parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) with thermal energy storage (TES). This system primarily serves to fulfill the thermal energy demands of the plant by reducing the demands from boiler units, which allows more biogas for electricity generation. The second system is a photovoltaic (PV) system with Lithium-Ion batteries, which directly produces electricity that will be used to cover part of the electrical energy demands of plant. To assess the optimal configuration, two distinct scenarios have been formulated and compared to the current case scenario (SC#1). The first scenario focuses on maximizing the net present value (NPV) and minimizing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The second scenario is centred on minimizing the levelized cost of heat (LCOH). The findings indicate that both scenarios succeeded in reducing the reliance on the grid to a value that reach 1 %. Moreover, they both reduced biogas percentage in energy production from 88 % to approximately 65 % through the integration of the PV system. In terms of thermal demand, SC#2 reduced the reliance on biogas boiler units from 100 % to 25 %, while SC#3 achieved an even more impressive reduction to just 8 %. The best LCOE value was attained in SC#2, at 0.0895 USD/kWh, with an NPV of 10.54 million USD. Conversely, SC# 3 yielded an LCOH value of 0.0432 USD/kWh th compared to 0.0534 USD/kWh th USD for SC#2. In conclusion, despite their relatively high capital and operating costs, SC#2 and SC#3 managed to substantially decrease the annual electricity expenditure from approximately 2 million USD to 86,000 USD and 0 USD, respectively.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantitative analysis of cost savings and occupants’ preferences in grid-interactive smart home operation

Many utility companies in the United States have introduced time-of-use (TOU) rates for homeowners with the goal of regulating electricity consumption during peak hours. The electrical appliances in homes include various thermostatically controlled devices, such as air conditioners (AC) for thermal comfort, and nonthermostatically controlled devices such as clothes washers. As a result, homeowners face the complicated challenge of economically operating multiple electrical appliances in their homes while maintaining comfort and convenience. This is usually due to the lack of an explicit understanding of the correlation between cost saving and the users’ comfort. To understand the correlation, this article is designed to construct a framework by integrating three major components: a multi-objective optimization method accommodating multiple competing goals with different weights, a learning-based system modeling approach describing the dynamics and thermal coupling effects of appliances, and a novel comfort index method differentiating preferred and acceptable thermal comfort. Our proposed framework can allow the indoor air temperature to fall into the "preferred" range with a marginal cost increase. Furthermore, the simulation result shows that an additional 8 h for the preferred thermal comfort can be achieved with a cost increase of only 1.77%.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Incorporate day-ahead robustness and real-time incentives for electricity market design

In this paper, we propose a two-stage electricity market framework to explore the participation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in a day-ahead (DA) market and a real-time (RT) market. The objective is to determine the optimal bidding strategies of the aggregated DERs in the DA market and generate online incentive signals for DER-owners to optimize the social-welfare taking into account network operational constraints. Distributionally robust optimization is used to explicitly incorporate data-based statistical information of renewable forecasts into the supply/demand decisions in the DA market. We evaluate the conservativeness of bidding strategies distinguished by different risk aversion settings. In the RT market, a bi-level time-varying optimization problem is proposed to design the online incentive signals to tradeoff the RT imbalance penalty for distribution system operators (DSOs) and the costs of individual DER-owners. This enables tracking their optimal dispatch to provide fast balancing services, in the presence of time-varying network states while satisfying the voltage regulation requirement. Simulation results on both DA wholesale market and RT balancing market demonstrate the necessity of this two-stage design, and its robustness to uncertainties, the performance of convergence, the tracking ability and the feasibility of the resulting network operations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of a Metocean Reference Site near the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Areas

This project developed the first long-term U.S.-based offshore MetOcean Reference Site (MORS-1) by capitalizing on a unique combination of one of the few existing publicly available offshore wind energy metocean observational campaigns in the United States and the only existing research-grade offshore fixed tower. Data collected at MORS-1 has facilitated improved wind resource assessments, improved short-term power production estimates, and reduced costs for sensor validation and calibration efforts, which translate into reduced overall wind energy project risk and cost for developers. Now operational, MORS-1 serves the needs of both industry and researchers using a nonprofit, joint industry-academic partnership model. Led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the MORS-1 development effort focused on creating both a recognized organizational structure that will ensure support of the MORS-1 by the wider wind energy industry and research community, and a highly validated data collection and sensor validation facility that will serve as the premier location for cost- and uncertainty-reducing resource characterization and research efforts.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Geothermal Deep Direct Use for Turbine Inlet Cooling in East Texas

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory (SMU), Eastman Chemical (Longview, TX), and TAS (Houston, TX) evaluated the feasibility of using geothermal heat to improve the performance of a natural-gas power plant in East Texas. The area of interest is the Eastman Chemical plant in Longview, Texas, which is on the northwestern margin of a geologic region known as the Sabine Uplift. The feasibility study focused on determining the potential for accessing a subsurface hot-water geothermal resource within a 10-km radius of the site to provide thermal energy for absorption chillers. Wells within a 20-km radius are included for broader geological comparison to determine the heat flow, temperature-at-depth, field porosity and permeability. The lithologies of most interest are the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group and Upper Jurassic Cotton Valley Group. The deeper Cotton Valley formations are hotter (averaging 117 to 130°C), yet permeability and porosity are low. The shallower Trinity Group contains more variability in permeability and porosity and lower temperatures averaging about 98 to 117°C. The shallower formations are considered despite the lower temperature because of increased ability to produce larger volumes of water and extract enough heat before reinjection. The complete SMU analysis is available in the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). Tapping such deep geothermal sources for direct heating (as opposed to power generation) is known as geothermal deep direct use (DDU). Geothermal DDU has potential across a wide swath of the United States but is underutilized due to challenging project economics associated with developing a deep geothermal resource for what are typically small-scale, variable-demand projects. This project examines the feasibility of geothermal energy integration in a natural-gas combined cycle power station in East Texas. The DDU resource is tapped to drive absorption chillers (24/7) for production of chilled water at 5-10°C (41-50°F). This chilled water is stored until needed, which allows for continuous operation with a relatively small-capacity geothermal/absorption chiller system. When conditions are favorable, the chilled water is dispatched to cool the air entering the compressor stage of a gas combustion turbine. This process, known as turbine inlet cooling (TIC), boosts power production during periods of high temperature and high-power demand. Such systems can enhance grid reliability and reduce the cost for peak-demand power. A simulation model of the power plant was developed in IPSEpro software and validated against operational data from the plant. This model allowed the team to estimate the additional power that could be produced by applying TIC under different operating and ambient conditions. Absorption chiller performance was estimated from vendor sources to determine the production rate of chilled water from the geothermal resource. Geothermal drilling and development costs were estimated using NREL's GEOPHIRES 2.0. The expected lower drilling costs in this region led to an estimated cost of geothermal heat of about $4/MMBtu (1.4 cents/kWh t ). The estimated cost for the absorption chillers and TIC hardware were obtained from literature sources and project partners. Hourly data were obtained for weather, natural gas and electricity prices, and plant operating state for 2017, which served as a representative year. NREL estimated the capital cost, operating cost, and additional electricity production and revenue for different combinations of geothermal capacity, chiller capacity, and water storage-tank size. The analysis drove toward smaller geothermal and chiller systems to reduce equipment cost. A relatively low-cost water storage tank accumulated the near-continuous chilled water output for later use when TIC was most valued.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multicriterion benefit evaluation methodology for safety enhancements in nuclear power plants and application for FLEX strategies

Here we propose a multicriterion benefit evaluation (MCBE) methodology for evaluating costs and benefits of implementing safety enhancements in nuclear power plants. The MCBE methodology establishes a comprehensive evaluation scope using multiple evaluation criteria (including public risk, occupational risk, plant revenue, and plant cost) and multiple contexts (including plant normal operations, incidents, and accidents). The MCBE methodology formulates a benefit or cost element as the product of a monetary consequence and its occurrence-likelihood change. The MCBE methodology also incorporates a decision maker’ preferences toward occurrence likelihood and monetary consequence into cost and benefit estimations through a modified usage of cumulative prospect theory. This paper applies the MCBE methodology to the implementation of diverse and flexible coping strategy (FLEX) in a generic nuclear power plant as an illustrative example. The FLEX benefits are evaluated through three types of influence paths: plant safety enhancement, risk-informed activities, and potential additional credit of FLEX in supporting plant operation and maintenance-efficiency improvement. The benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of FLEX implementation is calculated. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to examine the impacts of modeling assumptions and input parameter values on the BCR.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2025

Examination of Factors Affecting the Cost and Performance of a Natural Gas Combined Cycle Equipped with Carbon Dioxide Capture

The purpose of this Technical Note is to report the findings of an examination of the effect of plausible deviations in select study assumptions on the reported cost and performance estimates for a power plant case drawn from NETL’s “Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity” (known as the Fossil Energy Baseline). An F-Class NGCC power plant equipped with state-of-the-art, solvent-based, post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) capture (95 percent carbon capture rate)—designated as Case B31B.95—was selected for this work. This sensitivity analysis provides insight into the effects of parameter variations within and across selected categories—ambient conditions, construction cost, natural gas (NG) price, capacity factor, and finance—on the plant performance and capital and operating and maintenance (O&M) costs, and the subsequent impact on common figures of merit.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Joint routing of conventional and range-extended electric vehicles in a large metropolitan network

Range-extended electric vehicles combine the higher efficiency and environmental benefits of battery-powered electric motors with the longer mileage and autonomy of conventional internal combustion engines. This combination is particularly advantageous for time-constrained delivery routing in dense urban areas, where battery recharging along routes can be too time-consuming to economically justify the use of all-electric vehicles. However, switching from electric to conventional fossil fuel modes also results in higher costs and emissions and lower efficiency. This paper analyzes this heterogeneous vehicle routing problem and describes two solution methods: an exact branch-price-and-cut algorithm and an iterated tabu search metaheuristic. From a methodological perspective, we find that the exact algorithm consistently obtains tight lower bounds that also serve to certify the metaheuristic solutions as near-optimal. From a policy standpoint, we examine a large-scale real-world case study concerning parcel deliveries in the Chicago metropolitan area and quantify various operational metrics including energy costs and vehicle miles traveled. We find that by deploying roughly 20% of range -extended vehicles with a modest all-electric range of 33 miles, parcel distributors can save energy costs by up to 17% while incurring less than 0.5% increase in vehicle miles traveled. Increasing the range to 60 miles further reduces costs by only 4%, which can alternatively be achieved by decreasing the average service time by 1 minute or increasing driver working time by 1 hour. In conclusion, our study reveals several key areas of improvement on which vehicle manufacturers, distributors, and policy makers can focus their attention.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluation of Bio-Intermediates and Other Biofuels for use in Marine Engines

This paper presents an overview of the DOE Marine Biofuel Feasibility Study to evaluate the potential of biofuels for ocean-going vessels. These vessels operate on low-cost residual fuel oils (also known as heavy fuel oils or HFO), which require significant heating and purification onboard vessels. The industry is looking at economical alternative fuels that can enhance performance from combustion/emissions, rheology, and other perspectives. Four U.S. national laboratories are collaborating to evaluate a variety of biofuels, including bio-intermediates (pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction oils), biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters or FAME), bio-residuals (FAME byproducts) for their suitability as fuels for marine diesel engines. Bio-intermediates in particular are of interest because large marine engines that operate on HFO can tolerate lowerquality, more viscous fuels and may be able to utilize these fuels with less upgrading than other applications, presenting economic advantages. The test fuels of interest are examined to determine the minimum level of upgrading required for blend compatibility with market HFOs containing high levels of asphaltenes as well as their impact on the viscosity, polymerization tendency, and combustion properties (particularly cetane number) of the fuel blends in preparation for future evaluation in engine studies.

Kaul, Brian [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000184813620)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Indoor Occupant Counting by RF Backscattering

Building HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) consumes approximately 13% of all energy consumption in USA. Motion detectors, cameras and user programmable thermostats have been shown to be ineffective for HVAC controls to save energy, mostly due to the user concerns of comfort, reliability and privacy. A new HVAC control system based on real-time occupant counting that is fully automated, highly accurate, economically sensible and preserving privacy and aesthetics can thus bring forth a disruptive impact to this large energy sector. Our indoor occupant monitoring technology is based on the radio-frequency identification system (RFID), deployed in the room, not on the occupants. One reader with four antennas can be deployed on the ceiling or behind the ceiling panels for every thousand square feet in home, office and assisted living, with or without room partitions. The sticker-like passive tag, 10 cents each and maintenance-free, are profusely hidden on the wall or inside the furniture at arbitrary position, preserving privacy and aesthetics. The large number of tags can realize diverse observation points to accommodate arbitrary room layouts, which is impractical by other active units of camera, infrared, radar or lidar. With 20 tags, the system can reliably detect the number of occupants. For 100 tags, occupant posture and location can be known. The technology has been verified in the research labs and test buildings with very high accuracy. When the real-time occupant number can be accurately known without assuming devices on occupants or occupant motion, the building HVAC system can be automated to achieve building energy saving without sacrificing occupant comfort. According to our limited testing in a few types of building models and the simplified cost calculation, the RFID system has low overall cost in production, deployment, operation and maintenance. The signal processing algorithm based on machine learning requires very small number of training cases as most learning is transferrable for various layouts, and very low computational needs during operation, according to our testing in four different room sizes and layouts. In our preliminary estimate from HVAC saving alone, the RFID system can potentially pay for itself within 1.5 years, in addition to the other enhancement in building automation systems (BAS). Our commercialization strategy and business pitch deck focus on venturing this Cornell occupant monitoring technology into BAS and energy management markets. We have identified three broad BAS market segments of senior living, residential buildings, and office buildings. We have put together the minimum viable product characteristics for these identified segments, including analyses on total cost and competing technologies, as well as the fit and technical gaps for these market segments. We intend to bring the technology to market by licensing or partnering with existing BAS vendors. A list of potential collaborators and licensing partner candidates was assembled for different aspects of integrating our technology into a potential product that can be used with BAS.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

CO 2 supplementation eliminates sugar-rich media requirement for plant propagation using a simple inexpensive temporary immersion photobioreactor

In vitro plant propagation systems such as temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) are valuable tools that enable production of disease-free plants with improved traits. However, TIB systems can be expensive, difficult to implement, and prone to contamination due to sugar rich propagation media. Using rapidly growing chicory root cultures to expedite design-build-test cycles, we report here an improved, low-cost version of a previously reported Hydrostatically-driven TIB (Hy-TIB) that facilitates economical use of gas mixtures. Bioreactor improvements include decreased material costs, expanded modes of operation, and a horizontal orientation of a plastic film plant growth chambers that increase propagule light exposure. To take advantage of these improvements, we describe here experiments that evaluate the impacts of elevated CO 2 on propagation of cacao (Theobroma cacao) secondary embryos and nodal cultures of yam (Dioscorea spp.) during both phototrophic and photomixotrophic growth. Our experiments show that elevated CO 2 during plant propagation significantly improved both cacao and yam propagule development and eliminated the need for supplemental sugars in tissue culture growth media. Thus, our improved Hy-TIB shows potential as a simple, low-cost, and scalable propagation platform with cost-effective gas composition control and reduced risk of contamination overgrowth. We provide detailed instructions for assembly of this Hy-TIB design and discuss the implications of its adoption in food-insecure regions of the world.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Innovative Advanced Hydrogen Mobile Fueler (Final Technical Report)

The US Department of Energy (DOE) funded a project to design, develop, deploy and analyze the economic viability of an innovative Advanced Hydrogen Mobile Fueler (AHMF). As part of the design activity the project team defined specifications based upon vehicle requirements and compliance with specific fueling performance criteria. The AHMF was originally designed to fuel 10-20 fuel cell vehicles (FCV) per day, consistent with the requirements of the H70 fueling category. The AHMF is able to operate without remote power connections, is modular for easy transport and deployment, and can provide expanded daily capacity and multi-day operations using delivered gaseous hydrogen. Toward the end of the project, due to request from the hydrogen industry and some necessary modifications of the AHMF, the system is now modified to fuel heavy duty vehicles. The project was conducted over two primary phases, each including several key tasks, subtasks, and project milestones. Phase 1 involved the design, development, and construction of the AHMF, moving from a conceptual design through to completion of assembly and testing. In addition to reviewing several different approaches, the team chose to take a conventional station design and modify it for mobile fueling. There were several innovative components included in the design. The high pressure storage was the first to achieve a US Department of Energy (DOE) Special Permit (SP 20391) to transport high pressure hydrogen (95 MPa) in a composite cylinder. The second novel system was a liquid nitrogen (LIN) cooling system with a compact heat exchanger. Without this change, the cooling system would not be able to fit into the AHMF. Phase 2 demonstrated the AHMF by fueling fuel cell buses at a fleet in Pomona, CA. The site was chosen because a temporary fueling solution was required while a fixed station was being installed. The existing permits for the fixed station and non-public access also was a determining factor. Over two months, the buses were fueled 320 times with over 5000 kg of hydrogen from tube trailers. Existing shore power was used, and the average electrical efficiency was 0.13 kWh/kg. The average liquid nitrogen (LIN) consumption was 90.68 scf/kg. The fueling and consumption data was provided to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for analysis. An economic analysis was performed and will be provided in a separate report. The project was successful, but not without challenges and lessons learned. The DOT special permit led the way for the use of high pressure, composite cylinders and is being by multiple other systems and applications. The pandemic along with time for the DOT special permit approval delayed the project for years. The team also believes that hydrogen mobile fueling has a use for the industry, especially during this upcoming phase of expansion. However, it does have its limitations due to high cost to build and operate, and the same permitting challenges as a fixed station. A fully capable system at the speeds and pressures of the AHMF may not be necessary for most applications and would help reduce the cost and increase storage capacity. The on-board generator can be easily replaced with shore power or the wide range of power generation solutions in the marketplace. One of the major results of the project was the development of new code language in National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 2 and the International Fire Code (IFC) for on-demand mobile fueling. This will provide guidance for Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and user on how to permit temporary fueling sites across the nation.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electric transmission value and its drivers in United States power markets

Electric transmission infrastructure plays a vital role during extreme weather and supply disruptions and can enable low-cost electricity systems. This paper contributes to a more complete understanding of the value and cost-effectiveness of transmission, as well as barriers to its development. By studying wholesale energy market prices in the United States between 2012 and 2022, we find that additional transfer capacity between regions would have been especially valuable, with a median value of $116 million per GW per year. This capacity would often have provided balanced benefits to each region. The market value of transmission was highly influenced by a small fraction of time: 5% of hours typically captured at least 45% of the total value. These peak periods were primarily driven by unforeseen changes in conditions within one day of operations. Annualized transmission infrastructure cost estimates were lower than the average market value for most locations, including all links crossing regional seams, where the value-to-cost ratio was often greater than 4. This suggests that there are barriers to developing valuable grid infrastructure. These results complement forward-looking modeling studies and support efforts to improve modeling practices.

Energy economics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Pilot Upgrade (Initial Scoping Phase Implementation Report)

This research report (1) describes the process followed and products developed during the SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase, and (2) captures lessons learned. Exelon Generation and LWRS collaborated to develop a Digital Transformation Strategy as part of a larger Advanced Concept of Operations. The proposed SR I&C Pilot Upgrade provides a foundation stone for this Digital Transformation that will improve plant safety, reliability, and operational performance while lowering plant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Initial Scoping Phase activities for this Pilot Project have been performed in accordance with industry processes that have been adapted to better support digital upgrades. These processes include IP-ENG-001, Standard Design Process (SDP), NISP-EN-04, Standard Digital Engineering Process (SDEP), and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002011816, Digital Engineering Guide (DEG). Completing Initial Scoping Phase Engineering and Operations, Licensing, and Project Management Activities was necessary to sufficiently bound the scope, schedule, and estimated cost of the Project to enable utility management to authorize moving into the Conceptual Design Phase. A significant finding of the Business Case Analysis (BCA) methodology developed and applied as part of this effort was that the growth rate of material costs for sustaining the operation of obsolete SR I&C equipment is accelerating. This directly contributed to the Project Economic Analysis created to justify continuing the Project. Project Initial Scoping Phase lessons learned have also been captured to assist the larger industry in understanding the Digital Transformation Strategy and SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase efforts. This is in keeping with the public/private partnership that has been established between the Department of Energy (DOE) and Exelon for this effort with engagement from the NRC. By addressing first-of-a-kind (FOAK) risks and capturing lessons learned, the SR I&C Pilot Upgrade Project addresses technical, regulatory, and business risks to enable subsequent implementers of similar upgrade.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analysis and Planning Framework for Nuclear Plant Transformation

Commercial nuclear power in the United States has been an unqualified success by any measure, providing low cost, carbon-free, and safe baseload electricity for decades. The industry today is at the peak of its historical performance in terms of generation output, reliable operations, and demonstrated nuclear safety. However, it is no longer among the lowest-cost electric generation sources with the emergence of subsidized renewables and shale gas generation. The business model that has served the operating nuclear fleet so well over its life is now a drag on cost performance due to its reliance on a large highly skilled labor force. In contrast, digital technology and innovation are enabling dramatic efficiencies in energy production, resulting in fierce competition for a commodity such as electricity. The nuclear power industry has responded to this challenge with many initiatives to improve efficiency and modernize plant equipment, especially where reliability and obsolescence issues are pressing. However, it would be a missed opportunity to merely modernize the plant components and the work processes of an outdated business model that was formulated to manage the technology of the 1960s. Rather, the greater opportunity is to transform that business model to one that fully exploits the capabilities of modern digital technology, resulting in substantially lower production costs and sustainable market viability. One successful example of such transformation is the concept of Integrated Operations, which was introduced into the North Sea oil and gas industry a couple of decades ago when the profitability of operating these fields was severely threatened by low world petroleum prices and the high overhead of operating the offshore oil and gas platforms. This effort resulted in significant changes to how these oil fields were operated and allowed the industry to continue profitable operation of these platforms. This example has some remarkable parallels to the U.S. commercial nuclear industry as described in the next section. This report provides an analysis and planning framework for such a nuclear plant operating model transformation based on the transferable learnings from the North Sea transformation. This framework is termed Integrated Operations for Nuclear or ION. This report describes the key principles and methods of Integrated Operations and how they are being applied in a collaboration between the DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program and Xcel Energy in an initiative to transform its operating model for performance improvement and long-term sustainability. It describes a method to bring the operating costs of a nuclear fleet in line with market-based pricing, transforming work functions to reduce cost with technology innovations. This initiative will continue over the next several years in the detailed development of transformative concepts for nuclear plants, which will be published as follow-up to this initial report on Integrated Operations for Nuclear.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

U.S. Geothermal District Heating Systems and Funding Data

This dataset contains detailed information on geothermal district heating (GDH) systems across the United States, including technical specifications, costs, energy usage, and funding sources. Data includes system details such as state, site, location, operational years, temperature, flow rate, capacity, energy use, load factor, costs (original, updated, and operational), funding sources, employment impact, and project status. Additionally included are contributions to GDH systems, including federal, state, and local grants, as well as loans from agencies such as USDA and USDOE. This dataset serves as a resource for analyzing the economic and technical landscape of geothermal district heating in the United States.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗