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DOE OSTI2024

Monitoring of Photovoltaic (PV) Performance and Degradation: Integrated Renewable Energy Systems (IRES) - PV Monitoring Task

The Integrated Renewable Energy System (IRES) testbed demonstration at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Sequim campus includes development of a suite of capabilities for tracking the performance of photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy components located on a floating platform (floating PV) and on a shoreline building rooftop. The marine environment represents potentially harsh and corrosive conditions for PV modules. Compared to terrestrial PV, potential concerns for offshore PV arising from high humidity and occasional contact with saltwater, marine wildlife, and aquaculture. These environmental factors can reduce electricity generation efficiency and increase the risk of electrical faults, polymer insulation or jacketing degradation and hydrolysis of the PV cell encapsulant materials. Offshore PV modules may also be exposed to lower temperatures and buoyant and vibrating motions with a floating platform. It is not clear how the long-term performance of floating PV will be affected by these factors. To understand expected energy generation through solar cells on a floating platform, monitoring of the performance of PV modules in the marine environment is needed. This report outlines a plan for long-term testing of IRES PV components utilizing resources of the PNNL Material Aging and Detection (MAaD) Science team and the Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory (MCRL). Equipment applicable for onsite testing and real-time monitoring of the PV performance associated with environmental conditions including temperature, solar irradiance, shading and soiling is included. In case of performance loss, equipment for fault detection, failure analysis, material testing, and further troubleshooting are also available. Through establishment of this capabilities, the enabling IRES project sets the stage for future research to advance off-shore and near-shore energy options for businesses and communities.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2016

Martian Environment Electrostatic Precipitator

As part of the planned manned mission to Mars, NASA has noticed that shipping oxygen as a part of life support to keep the astronauts alive continuously is overly expensive, and impractical. As such, noting that the Martian atmosphere is 95.37% CO2, NASA chemists noted that one could obtain oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. The plan, as part of a larger ISRU (in-situ resource utilization) initiative, would extract water from the regolith, or the Martian soil which can be electrolyzed by solar panel produced voltage into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be used in the Sabatier reaction with carbon dioxide to produce methane and water producing a net reaction that does not lose water and outputs methane and oxygen for use as rocket fuel and breathing.

Dust↗

NASA NTRS2022

Arizona Water Resources Ii: Utilizing Aerial Imagery and Nasa Earth Observations to Assess Pinyon-Juniper Tree Mortality in Flagstaff, AZ

Pinyon-juniper woodlands (PJW) provide critical and resilient habitat for the local mammal and small bird species of Arizona's northern xeric environment. Drought in Arizona has been persistent for many decades, yet in 2021 PJW experienced a mass tree mortality event at the Wupatki National Monument (WNM) and in other areas across the American Southwest. Previously, researchers at the National Park Service (NPS) and the team from the NASA DEVELOP National Program attempted to quantify the extent of mortality in Northern Arizona between 2015 and 2021 using high resolution National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial photographs. This project aimed to improve the previous term’s methodology and expanded the comparison of the post-mortality event in 2021 to include tree cover assessments for 2017 and 2019. In this iteration, the team utilized NAIP imagery in conjunction with Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) to calculate the total difference in PJW mortality using an unsupervised classification model trained from multi-date Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) and the Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) data for the study area. The research also assessed correlations between tree mortality and environmental factors using Western Land Data Assimilation System (WLDAS) modelled climate data. Average PJW mortality from 2015 to 2021 was 21.63% including 19.8% in WNM with the vast majority of dieback occurring between 2019 and 2021. The correlations were weak with the most correlated variables being bare soil evaporation (0.15), rainfall (0.14), groundwater storage (0.13), and wind speed (0.12), perhaps indicating drought as a likely driver of PJW mortality.

pinyon-juniper woodlands↗

NASA NTRS2025

CFD Validation of a Methanation Reactor With Cooling Jacket Used in an ISRU Propellant Production System

A digital model of an OxEon Energy methanation reactor (with a cooling jacket) planned for use in a NASA designed In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) propellant production system was developed by the UTEP Aerospace Center using STAR-CCM+ software, a Siemens Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package. The reactor digital model created includes two primary components: (i) a cooling jacket that maintains the required reactor chamber surface temperature and (ii) a reactor core chamber where the exothermic methanation reactions occur. The StarCCM+ digital model has two objectives: (i) maintain the surface temperature of the reactor below a set value so that the extra heat accumulation does not melt or crack the chamber, and (ii) produce the desired amount of methane (CH4) according to test cases completed by OxEon Energy for NASA JSC. The computational digital model was validated with the test data enabling the cooling jacket scale to be predicted based on the reactor's operating temperature. The StarCCM+ simulation of the digital model shows a good agreement with the cooling jacket performance and the CH4 production. One test case for the cooling jacket maintained the reactor wall temperature around 310 °C was validated and the reactor produced 185 g/hr CH 4 .

ISRU↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Framework for Non-Pipeline Alternatives Analysis and Review of Existing Approaches

States are increasingly interested in gas distribution system planning and the role that demand-side resources can play in maintaining an affordable, reliable, equitable, and low-carbon energy system. In particular, public utility commissions and utilities are exploring the role of non-pipeline alternatives (NPA) – an investment or activity that defers, reduces, or avoids the need to construct or replace a pipeline – in gas distribution system planning. NPAs are an emerging cost and risk mitigation tool that can provide gas utilities with an opportunity to reduce emissions, gas system costs, and customer risk by avoiding unnecessary infrastructure spending. Rather than address system issues with more costly and long-lived traditional capital projects, utilities can leverage demand-side NPA resources such as energy efficiency and electrification as well as supply-side NPA resources to meet system needs. However, there is limited guidance on performing an NPA and even fewer lessons learned. To fill this gap, the U.S. Department of Energy funded two reports on NPAs. The first report is a literature review that focuses on four states' NPA policies. The second report offers a framework for evaluating NPAs that states can adapt to meet their policy needs.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

NASA NTRS2024

The Scientific Importance of the Lunar Environment

Many recent efforts to land robotic missions on the surface of the Moon are paving the way to return humans to the lunar surface and setting the stage for an ongoing human presence. Artemis is a NASA-led international effort to return humans to the Moon. One of the goals of Artemis is to use innovative technologies to address priority science objectives. At the same time, the European Space Agency (ESA) is exploring designs for a Moon base to enable ongoing human activity on the surface of the Moon. Furthermore, China plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) – the extraction of useful materials from the Moon itself – will be beneficial for efforts to sustain such human presence. ISRU could provide water that can be utilized by astronauts or split into hydrogen and oxygen rocket fuel for returning to Earth or moving forward to Mars, along with other vital resources. While this is exciting, it is critical that we recognize how human and robotic activity will impact the lunar environment and not having a global strategy to characterize lunar volatile materials before their scientific value is lost will significantly degrade the scientific potential of the Moon.

Kathleen E Mandt↗

DOE OSTI2023

State Energy Offices’ Engagement in Electric Distribution Planning to Meet State Policy Goals

NASEO and Berkeley Lab released a new publication on State Energy Offices’ Engagement in Electric Distribution Planning to Meet State Policy Goals. State and Territory Energy Offices develop plans, programs, policies, and projects that have a substantial impact on electric distribution systems. They also can participate in distribution system planning (DSP) processes to help ensure that utilities – consumer- and investor-owned – meet the state’s future energy needs. This paper recognizes the wide spectrum of roles that State Energy Offices can play in DSP processes, including planning for distributed energy resources and grid modernization. It highlights various examples of non-regulatory activities by State Energy Offices including planning, conducting studies, convening stakeholder processes, and implementing programs that inform and contribute to distribution system planning. It also provides examples of State Energy Offices’ engagement in proceedings before their respective public utility commissions. As State Energy Offices face myriad challenges associated with meeting state policy goals, preparing for anticipated rates of distributed energy resource deployment, addressing concerns regarding grid reliability and resilience, and recommending and making long-term investment decisions, the examples provided through this guide can serve as a resource in navigating those challenges.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electric Demand

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings, Better Plants Program (Better Plants) is a voluntary energy efficiency leadership initiative for US manufacturers and water/wastewater entities. The program encourages organizations to commit to reducing the energy intensity of their US operations over a 10-year period, typically by 25%. Companies joining Better Plants are recognized by DOE for their leadership in implementing energy efficiency practices and for reducing their energy intensity. Better Plants Partners are assigned to a Technical Account Manager, who can help companies establish energy intensity baselines, develop energy management plans, and identify key resources and incentives from DOE, other federal agencies, states, utilities, and other organizations that can enable them to reach their goals. Better Plants Partners are expected to report their progress to DOE once a year. This involves establishing an energy intensity baseline upon joining the program and then tracking their progress over time. Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electrical Demand is intended to help companies understand peak demand response programs offering by their local utility. Manufacturing industries can learn about time-varying rates and smart technologies they can use to help them reduce their energy bills. This guidance document is applicable to companies participating at either the program or challenge level. Although this guide is intended primarily to assist companies participating in Better Plants, the methodologies and guidance within the document are applicable to any organization interested in understanding peak demand response programs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS1991

Utilization of space resources: A historical view

While widely accepted today, the use of non-Earth resources in official space planning circles has been long in coming. Popular and governmental acceptance of using extraterrestrial resources, be they asteroids, comets, or other celestial bodies are highlighted. Particular emphasis is placed on those individuals, such as the late Dandridge Cole, who pioneered early discussion and thought on the topic over a period of several decades. The evolution of using extraterrestrial resources in governmental space policy, such as NASA's Outlook for Space (1976) and Pioneering the Space Frontier (1986) is reviewed. Put forward is the view that a redefinition of resources of near-Earth space may be warranted, particularly in consideration of using high vacuum, solar radiation, and magnetospheric phenomenon for experimentation and application purposes. Lastly, a prospective look at public reaction to utilizing space resources is presented.

David, Leonard W.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electric Demand

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1969

Optimization of experiment resource utilization during manned space station missions.

Mission simulation mathematical modeling technology developed for optimization of experiment program management and operational planning for manned space station missions

Llewellyn, C. P.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Parcel-Scale Assessment of Rooftop Solar Technical Potential

Understanding the potential for rooftop solar and other distributed energy resources (DERs) to contribute to power system planning is increasingly relevant for cities, utilities, and other planning entities. Such planning efforts typically require an estimate of technical potential, or the feasible technology potential independent of economic considerations. Currently, best-in-class rooftop solar technical potential methods use Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data which can identify each roof plane tilt, azimuth, and unshaded area. However, LiDAR data is not universally available and, even when available, obtaining and processing this data can be expensive. In contrast, parcel-level data is easy to use and widely available as it is generated by jurisdictions to levy property taxes. Such data universally reports building footprint area, which is highly correlated with roof area suitable (developable) for rooftop solar. Moreover, parcel data identifies building end-use, tenure, and other building characteristics not provided by LiDAR. To explore the feasibility of using parcel data to assess technical potential more broadly, we compare estimates using parcel data in Orlando, Florida (HIFLD 2020) to those generated using LiDAR data (Koebrich et al. 2021). We find that the parcel-based method results in accurate technical potential estimates at a block and city-scale, though only after accounting for shading and other factors that derate developable roof area. The results of this study demonstrate a scalable, low-effort approach to assess rooftop solar technical potential for every city and community in the U.S.

census blocks↗

DOE OSTI2025

Tool-Based Case Studies on Strategic Deployment of Untapped Micro-Pumped Hydro Storage in Michigan

With most classical hydropower sites already utilized and the global push for rapid integration of renewable energy sources accelerating, there is a critical need to identify alternative energy storage solutions. Pumped hydro energy storage, which accounts for the vast majority of global grid-scale storage, remains one of the most cost-effective and long-duration storage technologies available. Hence, this study presents a novel tool designed to assess the untapped potential of inland lakes and reservoirs for micro-PSH, using Michigan’s relatively flat landscape as a case study due to its extensive but underutilized water infrastructure. To ensure accuracy and reliability, the tool incorporates extensive data gathered from authorized sources, covering more than 420 water facilities and potential reservoirs in the state. The tool evaluates key parameters such as horizontal and vertical distances, volume, and the total storage capacity of each reservoir. Its robust assessment framework integrates these metrics to evaluate each site’s potential. The tool’s intuitive interface and geospatial visualizations support actionable insights for planners and scalable deployment of distributed storage infrastructure.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2014

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission: A Robotic Boulder Capture Option for Science, Human Exploration, Resource Utilization, and Planetary Defense

NASA is examining two options for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which will return asteroid material to a Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (LDRO) using a robotic solar electric propulsion spacecraft, called the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV). Once the ARV places the asteroid material into the LDRO, a piloted mission will rendezvous and dock with the ARV. After docking, astronauts will conduct two extravehicular activities (EVAs) to inspect and sample the asteroid material before returning to Earth. One option involves capturing an entire small (~4 - 10 m diameter) near-Earth asteroid (NEA) inside a large inflatable bag. However, NASA is also examining another option that entails retrieving a boulder (~1 - 5 m) via robotic manipulators from the surface of a larger (~100+ m) pre-characterized NEA. The Robotic Boulder Capture (RBC) option can leverage robotic mission data to help ensure success by targeting previously (or soon to be) well- characterized NEAs. For example, the data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa mission has been utilized to develop detailed mission designs that assess options and risks associated with proximity and surface operations. Hayabusa's target NEA, Itokawa, has been identified as a valid target and is known to possess hundreds of appropriately sized boulders on its surface. Further robotic characterization of additional NEAs (e.g., Bennu and 1999 JU3) by NASA's OSIRIS REx and JAXA's Hayabusa 2 missions is planned to begin in 2018. This ARM option reduces mission risk and provides increased benefits for science, human exploration, resource utilization, and planetary defense. Science: The RBC option is an extremely large sample-return mission with the prospect of bringing back many tons of well-characterized asteroid material to the Earth-Moon system. The candidate boulder from the target NEA can be selected based on inputs from the world-wide science community, ensuring that the most scientifically interesting boulder be returned for subsequent sampling. In addition, the material surrounding the boulder can be collected from the surface, thus providing geological contextual information and additional samples of NEA regolith. The robotic manipulators used for capturing the boulder will ensure some of the surface remains undisturbed and that the boulder will retain its structural integrity, which will preserve the context of any samples collected by the astronauts and ensure a high level of science return. Human Exploration: Due to the coherent nature of the boulder that will be collected, entire encapsulation of the asteroid material is not required. This facilitates exploration and sample collection of the boulder by astronauts in a variety of ways. The total time for EVA during the crew portion of the mission is very limited. Current estimates are that each of the two EVAs will only last four hours. The RBC option will allow crew members to have good situational awareness of the work site and quickly identify sample sites of interest. In addition, the samples to be collected can be readily accessed without having to deal with removal of an encapsulation system, which adds extra complexity and risk for the astronauts during EVA. Resource Utilization: One of the most crucial aspects for resource utilization is the identification and collection of appropriate materials (e.g., volatiles, organics, metals, etc.) that contain components of interest. Prior characterization of NEAs is required in order to increase the likelihood that appropriate materials will be returned. Ground-based observations of small (<10 m) NEAs are challenging, but characterization efforts of larger targets have demonstrated that NEAs with volatiles and organics have been identified. Two potential targets for the RBC option (Bennu and 1999 JU3) have been previously identified as potentially rich in resources, and both are already targets of currently planned robotic missions that will characterize their physical properties in great detail. Planetary Defense: The RBC option involves interaction with a well- characterized potentially hazardoussized NEA that would enable NASA to conduct one or more planetary defense demonstrations. The primary method would use the collected boulder to augment the mass of the ARV and perform an Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT) demonstration on the NEA. Additionally, other approaches could be demonstrated during the mission, such as Ion Beam Deflection (IBD) and/or observation of a Kinetic Impactor (KI). The relative effectiveness of a slow push-pull method such as the EGT or IBD could be directly compared and contrasted with the results of the more energetic KI method on the target NEA. Conclusions: This boulder option for NASA's ARM can leverage knowledge of previously characterized NEAs from prior robotic missions, which provides more certainty of the target NEA's physical characteristics and reduces mission risk. This increases the return on investment for NASA's future activities with respect to human exploration, resource utilization, and planetary defense.

Abell, P.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Collaborative Distribution System Restoration Planning and Real-Time Dispatch Considering Behind-the-Meter DERs

Modern distribution systems are becoming more resilient against power outages thanks to the flexible generation capacity provided by the increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). Compared to utility-scale DERs, which can be directly controlled by system operators, small-scale, behind-the-meter DERs are much more difficult to coordinate despite being the vast majority. Two major obstacles to the implementation of DERs for service restoration are the coordination of behind-the-meter DERs and the management of uncertainty. In this paper, a novel distribution system restoration strategy is proposed to overcome these two obstacles. The flexibility of be-hind-the-meter DERs is quantified and integrated into the restoration planning models within a hierarchical structure. The model predictive control technique is employed to enable adaptive restoration planning solution adjustments to accommodate fault scenarios and forecast errors. Besides, real-time power dispatch models are proposed to maintain power balance using available DER capability. Comprehensive integration of adaptive restoration planning schemes and real-time dispatch results are achieved through a collaborative restoration framework. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed restoration strategy is verified through a modified IEEE 123-bus system and a real-world utility system.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Model-based interface design for smart field-device integration

Operational complexity is ever-increasing for electric utilities that face challenges including integration of DERs, customer expectation of energy choices, the proliferation of non-utility-owned resources, new business models with energy service providers, and new technology with IT/OT convergence. To maintain and improve the quality of operations, planning, and decision-making in general, utilities need to manage and navigate the complexity. Managing complexity requires a modular, scalable, and flexible solution. Connecting large amounts of DERs and introducing new services requires increased grid control and evolving applications. In this paper, we show an approach utilizing model-based standardized interfaces that simplifies integration and deployment of new algorithms and smart field devices for interoperability across legacy or new systems. A modular design is presented for a reference implementation of widely used DNP3 and IEEE 2030.5 interfaces within an open-source, standards-based data integration platform for integration of smart field devices with independently developed, best-of-breed applications.

Model-driven development, system integration, smar↗

NASA NTRS1973

Coordination and establishment of centralized facilities and services for the University of Alaska ERTS survey of the Alaskan environment

The author has identified the following significant results. Scene 1072-21173 of the Anaktuvuk Pass region of the Brooks Range, Alaska, was studied from the point of view of a resource survey for purposes of land use planning as part of the effort to develop ERTS data processing and interpretation techniques. Other data sources and surface observations were utilized to produce a resource survey of a remote and undeveloped region of Alaska. Three vegetative types are apparent: moist tundra, low brush, and high brush. Watersheds are easily defined on the multispectral imagery. Features related indirectly to economic minerals are discernible from ERTS-1 imagery supported by ground truth data. These include mountains, outwash plains and alluvial deposits, drainage patterns, lineaments and probable bedding planes. This region falls within present land class categories which are not inconsistent with the imperatives of the resources. These land class categories include native village withdrawals, regional deficiency area, national interest study area for possible inclusion in a national system, public interest areas, utility corridor, and state land selection.

Belon, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Lunar Polar In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) as a Stepping Stone for Human Exploration

A major emphasis of NASA is to extend and expand human exploration across the solar system. While specific destinations are still being discussed as to what comes first, it is imperative that NASA create new technologies and approaches that make space exploration affordable and sustainable. Critical to achieving affordable and sustainable exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) are the development of technologies and approaches for advanced robotics, power, propulsion, habitats, life support, and especially, space resource utilization systems. Space resources and how to use them, often called In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), can have a tremendous beneficial impact on robotic and human exploration of the Moon, Mars, Phobos, and Near Earth Objects (NEOs), while at the same time helping to solve terrestrial challenges and enabling commercial space activities. The search for lunar resources, demonstration of extraterrestrial mining, and the utilization of resource-derived products, especially from polar volatiles, can be a stepping stone for subsequent human exploration missions to other destinations of interest due to the proximity of the Moon, complimentary environments and resources, and the demonstration of critical technologies, processes, and operations. ISRU and the Moon: There are four main areas of development interest with respect to finding, obtaining, extracting, and using space resources: Prospecting for resources, Production of mission critical consumables like propellants and life support gases, Civil engineering and construction, and Energy production, storage, and transfer. The search for potential resources and the production of mission critical consumables are the primary focus of current NASA technology and system development activities since they provide the greatest initial reduction in mission mass, cost, and risk. Because of the proximity of the Moon, understanding lunar resources and developing, demonstrating, and implementing lunar ISRU provides a near and early opportunity to perform the following that are applicable to other human exploration mission destinations: Identify and characterize resources, how they are distributed, and the material, location and environment in which they are found; Demonstrate concepts, technologies, and hardware that can reduce the cost and risk of human exploration beyond Earth orbit; Use the Moon for operation experience and mission validation for much longer missions that are farther from Earth Develop and evolve ISRU to support sustained, economical human presence beyond Earth's orbit, including promoting space commercialization As Table 1 depicts, the Moon provides environments and resources applicable to Mars and NEOs. Two lunar ISRU resource and product pathways that have notable synergism with NEO, Phobos/Demos, and Mars ISRU are oxygen/metal extraction from regolith, and water/volatile extraction from lunar polar materials. To minimize the risk of developing and incorporating ISRU into human missions, a phased implementation plan is recommended that starts with prospecting and demonstrating critical technologies on robotic and human missions, then performing pilot scale operations (in non-mission critical roles) to enhance exploration mission capabilities, leading to full utilization of space resources in mission critical roles. Which lunar ISRU pathway is followed will depend on the results of early resource prospecting/proof-ofconcept mission(s), and long-term human exploration plans.

Sanders, Gerald B.↗