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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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NASA NTRS1993

A constrained joint source/channel coder design and vector quantization of nonstationary sources

The emergence of broadband ISDN as the network for the future brings with it the promise of integration of all proposed services in a flexible environment. In order to achieve this flexibility, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) has been proposed as the transfer technique. During this period a study was conducted on the bridging of network transmission performance and video coding. The successful transmission of variable bit rate video over ATM networks relies on the interaction between the video coding algorithm and the ATM networks. Two aspects of networks that determine the efficiency of video transmission are the resource allocation algorithm and the congestion control algorithm. These are explained in this report. Vector quantization (VQ) is one of the more popular compression techniques to appear in the last twenty years. Numerous compression techniques, which incorporate VQ, have been proposed. While the LBG VQ provides excellent compression, there are also several drawbacks to the use of the LBG quantizers including search complexity and memory requirements, and a mismatch between the codebook and the inputs. The latter mainly stems from the fact that the VQ is generally designed for a specific rate and a specific class of inputs. In this work, an adaptive technique is proposed for vector quantization of images and video sequences. This technique is an extension of the recursively indexed scalar quantization (RISQ) algorithm.

Sayood, Khalid↗

NASA NTRS1996

Facilities for Biological Research Aboard the International Space Station

A centrifuge designed as part of an integrated biological facility for installation onboard the International Space Station is presented. The requirements for the 2.5 m diameter centrifuge, which is designed for the support of biological experiments are discussed. The scientific objectives of the facility are to: provide a means of conducting fundamental studies in which gravitational acceleration is a controllable variable; provide a 1g control; determine the threshold acceleration for physiological response, and determine the value of centrifugation as a potential countermeasure for the biomedical problems associated with space flight. The implementation of the facility is reported on, and the following aspects of the facility are described: the host resources systems supply requirements such as power and data control; the habitat holding rack; the life sciences glove box; the centrifuge; the different habitats for cell culture, aquatic studies, plant research and insect research; the egg incubator, and the laboratory support equipment.

Souza, Kenneth A.↗

DOE OSTI2016

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Carbon Burial in Natural and Created Fringing Marshes of Northwest Florida (Choctawhatchee to Pensacola Bay)

Critical military training and testing on lands along the nation’s coastal and estuarine shorelines are increasingly placed at risk because of encroachment pressures in surrounding areas, impairments due to other anthropogenic disturbances, and changes in climate and sea level. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) intends to enhance and sustain its training and testing assets and also optimize its stewardship of natural resources through the development and application of an ecosystem-based management approach on DoD installations. To accomplish this goal, particularly for installations in estuarine/coastal environments, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) launched the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) as a 10-year effort at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) in North Carolina. The results of the second 5 years of the program (DCERP2) are presented in the DCERP2 Final Report.There were four overarching objectives of DCERP2. The first objective was to understand the effects of climate change impacts, including warming temperatures, variability in the hydrological cycle, storm events, and sea level rise on the coastal ecosystems at MCBCL from observations and measurements made over the 10-year program. The second objective was to understand the carbon cycle of the coastal and terrestrial ecosystems at MCBCL through a highly integrated sampling program. The third objective was to develop models, tools, and indicators to evaluate current and projected future ecosystem state changes and translate scientific findings into actionable information for installation managers. The last objective was to recommend adaptive management strategies to sustain ecosystem natural resources within the context of an active military installation.The research effort described in this report is an attempt to quantify burial rates and standing stocks of carbon in several natural and created (aged 3 to 28 years) marshes in Northwest Florida from eastern Choctawhatchee Bay to Pensacola Bay. The goal of this work was to provide data that are useful in determining the carbon sequestration value of the sites in question and to contribute to a broader understanding of the geographical variability of carbon storage rates in both natural and created marshes. The sites chosen for this study were identified in collaboration with partners from the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Hurlburt Field (part of Eglin Air Force Base), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Eastern Interconnection Wide-Area Oscillation Assessment and Study Report

To meet the government mandates such as Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), conventional synchronous generators with rotating mass are being displaced by inverter-based resources (IBRs), leading to high penetration of renewable energy sources (RES). As a result, the inherent properties and characteristics of the transformed generation mix may significantly impact the grid behaviour, and it is of paramount significance that the impact and the consequences of the resource mix change is thoroughly understood to adopt measures to maintain reliable grid operations. Of great concern is the inter-area low-frequency oscillation, which usually propagates through a large region and has a system-wide impact. Such oscillations may lead to unnecessary or inadvertent tripping of generators, that may be simply reacting to the oscillation originating from geographically remote sites. Such tripping of generators can lead to cascading outages, system split and load loss events. Over the years, several system-wide oscillation events have been observed across all three North American interconnections. This project titled Wide-area Oscillation Assessment and Trending Study, sponsored by the Office of Electricity (OE) of the Department of Energy (DOE), aims to conduct the required research to capture and investigate the potential changes in wide-area oscillatory performance of the system as a result of resource mix transition. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted this research and technical staff of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) served as advisors to the project. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether there are significant trends in the power system wide-area oscillatory behaviours, as a result of the generation-mix changes due to the increased penetration of RES in the U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI). The analysis presented in this report can serve as reference for future grid planning and operation of the EI system. This research conducted in this project evaluates the wide-area oscillatory behaviour of the EI, using a model-based approach for potential future resource mixes, and the measurement-based analysis with 21-month phasor measurement unit (PMU) time series. The oscillation modes in EI system along with the impact of the changes of the generation mix on the frequency and damping ratio (DR) of the oscillations have been studied.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating the Nation's Pipeline Infrastructure with NETL's Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Model (AIIM)

This poster is a part of BIL-EDX4CCS Task 36: Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Modeling to Evaluate Existing Energy Infrastructure Reusability and Risk, the goal of which is to produce a smart tool that will assess existing energy infrastructure reusability and risk using the Advanced Infrastructure Integrity Model (AIIM). This model forecasts lifespan and potential risk using a multitude of factors such as incidents reports, structural characteristics, and the surrounding environment. The project aims to provide scientific insights for a better understanding of carbon storage (CS), potential to support CS stakeholder needs, national decarbonization, and mitigating climate change. AIIM will utilize an energy infrastructure database as its input, developed by acquiring publicly available data as well as NETL derived products. These resources include incidents, geohazards, and infrastructure variables. Soil data in the form of rasters and pipeline incident reports were processed and a script was developed to count the number of times features such as roads, railroads, and rivers intersected with pipeline segments which were then converted to points. Distance to oil and natural gas wells, petroleum ports, intermodal freight facilities, and geologic structures were also calculated. After data preparation and quality control was completed, the data was integrated into the pipeline points. Once models are complete, a smart tool will be created in the form of an online dashboard.

Malay, Caleb↗

DOE OSTI2026

Guideline for Characterizing and Evaluating a Candidate Project Site for Solar Thermal Applications

This document presents a structured procedure for characterizing and evaluating candidate project sites for concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar heat for industrial processes (SHIP) applications. The objective is to provide project developers, researchers, and other stakeholders with a consistent, technology-agnostic framework for early-stage site assessment, enabling informed decision-making prior to significant investment in project development. Site selection is a critical factor in project success or failure for both CSP and SHIP projects. Key factors such as solar resource availability, land characteristics, environmental and regulatory constraints, infrastructure availability, and community context are determined by the choice of project site and can materially impact project performance, cost, schedule, and overall viability. This procedure is designed to systematically evaluate these factors, identify potential fatal flaws, and prioritize the most favorable candidate sites for further development. The process begins with rapid screening-level evaluation, using publicly available data to assess solar resource, land availability and suitability, zoning and land-use compatibility, and exclusion zones such as protected lands or sensitive habitats. Sites that meet the minimum screening criteria advance to a more detailed characterization. Subsequent sections of this report provide guidance for a next-level assessment of the most important technical and environmental parameters, including: 1) Solar resource quality, variability, and uncertainty using multiyear datasets and, where appropriate, on-site measurement campaigns; 2) Meteorological conditions such as wind, temperature, extreme weather events, and soiling impacts; 3) Land characteristics including slope, shading, and geotechnical conditions; and 4) Environmental and regulatory considerations, including permitting processes, endangered species, cultural resources, and visual impacts. The procedure also addresses infrastructure and integration considerations, including: 1) Grid interconnection requirements for CSP power generation projects; 2) Electrical and operational integration for SHIP facilities; 3) Water availability, quality, and permitting constraints, which are particularly critical for CSP in arid regions; and 4) Site access, construction logistics, and availability of workforce and supporting services. Recognizing the importance of social and economic context, the procedure includes evaluation of community engagement factors, such as stakeholder sentiment, proximity to sensitive visual receptors, workforce development opportunities, and local economic incentives. The outputs of these assessments are synthesized in a cost and risk evaluation, translating site characteristics into expected impacts on capital cost, operating cost, schedule, and technical risk. This is complemented by screening-level performance modeling, including 8760 simulations and long-term projections, to quantify expected energy or thermal output, assess variability thereof, and support comparison between candidate sites. Finally, the procedure provides high-level guidance on a structured go/no-go decision framework, categorizing sites based on identified risks and constraints, and outlining a clear path forward to feasibility studies and front-end engineering design for viable projects. By standardizing the site characterization process across both CSP and SHIP applications, this guideline aims to: 1) Improve consistency and transparency in early-stage project evaluation; 2) Reduce development risk and avoid investment in nonviable project sites; 3) Support collaboration between developers, researchers, and public agencies; and 4) Accelerate successful deployment of concentrating solar technologies for both power generation and industrial process heat.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Apparatus, method and system to control accessibility of platform resources based on an integrity level

Techniques and mechanism to selectively provide resource access to a functional domain of a platform. In an embodiment, the platform includes both a report domain to monitor the functional domain and a policy domain to identify, based on such monitoring, a transition of the functional domain from a first integrity level to a second integrity level. In response to a change in integrity level, the policy domain may configure the enforcement domain to enforce against the functional domain one or more resource accessibility rules corresponding to the second integrity level. In another embodiment, the policy domain automatically initiates operations in aid of transitioning the platform from the second integrity level to a higher integrity level.

Jenkins, Chris↗

DOE OSTI2026

Probabilistic Resource Adequacy Suite (PRAS) v0.8 Model Documentation

The Probabilistic Resource Adequacy Suite, or PRAS, is a software package for studying power system resource adequacy. It allows the user to simulate power system operations under a wide range of operating conditions, in order to study the system's risk of failing to meet demand due to a resource shortfall, and identify the time periods and regions in which that risk occurs. This reports documents version 0.8 of the tool.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2023

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s 10 national laboratories, provides innovative science and technology development in the areas of energy and the environment, fundamental and computational science, and national security. There are three DOE offices within the Richland area. Two are responsible for the Hanford Site, whereas the Pacific Northwest Site Office oversees PNNL. PNNL prepares an Annual Site Environmental Report to meet the requirements of DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, thus assuring that the public is informed of any PNNL-Richland campus or PNNL-Sequim campus event that could adversely affect the health and safety of the public, site staff, or the environment. The report provides a synopsis of ongoing environmental management performance and compliance activities for operations that occur at the PNNL-Richland campus in Richland, Washington, and at the PNNL-Sequim campus near Sequim, Washington. It describes the location of and background for each facility; addresses compliance with applicable DOE, federal, state, and local regulations, and site-specific permits; documents environmental monitoring efforts and their status; presents potential radiation doses to staff and the public in the surrounding areas; and describes DOE-required data quality assurance methods used for data verification. The ASER report describes Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Laws and Regulations in 2023, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental monitoring and dose assessment, Natural and Cultural Resource Management, and Quality Assurance activities that took place during Calendar Year 2023.

40 CFR 61 Subpart H↗

NASA NTRS2025

Influence of Actuator Movement Rate During Acquisition of Inlet Characterization Data

This report considers using a process to acquire performance data for supersonic mixed-compression inlets that is faster and less costly than the previous process. In the previous process for acquiring data during wind tunnel experiments, actuators for backpressuring an inlet moved in discrete increments, paused for dynamics to dampen, measured data for 5 s, recorded the data, and then reduced the data to graphic plots of pressure recovery versus mass capture ratio. This discrete data acquisition procedure was methodical, reliable, and accurate. However, acquiring data to characterize the inlet consumed significant wind-on time. Wind tunnel operation was costly when considering maintenance, energy, and human resources (operators and research team); therefore, the price for each data point was high. This report presents a quicker method to obtain all measurements, one which can also be used in blowdown wind tunnels. This approach, identified as the dynamic inlet characteristic data acquisition procedure, uses in situ dynamic high-speed pressure sensors to measure pressure signals. The backpressuring actuator moves continuously, and measurements from high-speed pressure sensors are recorded as the actuator progresses to and past the incremental points. Despite its advantages, the approach raised the following questions: (1) Will the new process be as accurate as the previous process? and (2) Are there any hidden costs? These concerns are addressed in this report. This report reviews a study that was undertaken to compare wind tunnel experiment data taken using the previous discrete data acquisition procedure with data recorded using the dynamic inlet characterization data acquisition procedure. In this report, the wind tunnel experiment and the study objectives are described. The processes to reduce the data for analysis are explained, and a discussion of the results is given. Finally, conclusions from this study that may guide further work in this area are presented.

Inlet Characterization Curves↗

DOE OSTI2018

Environmental licensing in Brazilian's crushed stone industries

Highlights: • Failures in environmental reporting compromise the effectiveness of the environmental license process • The infrastructure of environmental agencies must be improved • The participation of society is essential for monitoring industries - Abstract: The crushed stone industries' activities are characterized by the extraction and processing of stones for use as aggregates in construction. The sector causes environmental impacts that can be mitigated by the implementation of control instruments, namely, environmental licensing, whose purpose is to carry out monitoring of potentially polluting activities. In this paper, it was analyzed the environmental studies of three industries located in Monsenhor Gil, Piauí, Brazil, elaborated as requisites for obtaining the environmental and mineral licenses. There were made visits to the State Department of Environment and Water Resources (SEMAR) and to the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM) to verify the environmental reports and the environmental and mineral licensing processes. There were also made visits to the analyzed industries, with the aim of comparing the information contained in the studies, with the reality and verifying the implementation of the mitigating measures proposed in them, through the observation of the industries operation, and interviews with the responsible managers. Furthermore, it was made a research in the scientific literature, to know the licensing process in other countries, to compare with the Brazilian reality. From the research, in Brazilian industries, it was observed that, although all the legal steps to obtain the licenses have been fulfilled, the environmental reports have elaboration failures, such as the lack of a multidisciplinary team and the fact that some data diverge from the reality, decreasing the reliability of the evaluation of the environmental impacts caused by the projects. Also, the environmental replacement cost is not accounted in the final value of the product, and any of the industries have started the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures since they do not have mineral depletion areas. SEMAR was delayed in issuing licenses within the period established by law, and there are no periodic inspections by both the environmental agency and DNPM. It should also be pointed out that the community did not claim public hearings and there is no participation in environmental education projects, factors that compromise the effectiveness of the environmental licensing process. Regarding the process in other parts of the world, in some countries, such as Uruguay and Paraguay, the agency responsible for licensing and inspection is federal. In Argentina, as in Brazil and USA, states have autonomy to legislate on environmental issues. There is also divergence in the period of execution of the licenses, being 12 months in Brazil, while in Thailand it can be up to 56 days. In Peru, the society participation is much more representative than in Brazil, and there is differentiation in the collection form of environmental compensation fees, among countries. The failures pointed out in the Brazilian process, as well as the system of other countries, can serve as parameters for the improvement of the process' effectiveness, both in Brazil and in other parts of the world, aiming at the conservation of the environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Hardware-based Advanced Electromagnetic Transient Simulation for A Large-Scale PV Plant in Real Time Digital Simulator

Power electronics-based resources, such as high-voltage direct current (HVdc) substations, photovoltaic (PV) plants, wind plants, electric vehicle charging stations, and energy storage systems, are increasingly being integrated within the power grid. Recently, multiple reports have emphasized the necessity for high-fidelity electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations of these large-scale power electronics-based resources to accurately understand their behavior in power grids. However, performing hardware-based EMT simulations with high-fidelity models for such large power electronics systems is challenging due to the small time-step requirements and the involvement of a large number of states. This paper presents the implementation of hardware-based high-fidelity EMT dynamic model of a large-scale PV plant, accomplished through custom model development using the specific-C language in real-time digital simulator hardware (RTDS) and software (RSCAD).

Choi, Jongchan↗

DOE OSTI2015

Hydropower Baseline Cost Modeling

Recent resource assessments conducted by the United States Department of Energy have identified significant opportunities for expanding hydropower generation through the addition of power to non-powered dams and on undeveloped stream-reaches. Additional interest exists in the powering of existing water resource infrastructure such as conduits and canals, upgrading and expanding existing hydropower facilities, and the construction new pumped storage hydropower. Understanding the potential future role of these hydropower resources in the nation’s energy system requires an assessment of the environmental and techno-economic issues associated with expanding hydropower generation. To facilitate these assessments, this report seeks to fill the current gaps in publicly available hydropower cost-estimating tools that can support the national-scale evaluation of hydropower resources.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Manufacturing Valuable Coal-Derived Products in Southern Appalachia

This project’s objective is to develop and deploy new technologies for manufacturing rare earth elements (REE), critical minerals (CM), and valuable non-fuel, carbon-based products (CBP) from coal and/or coal waste in the SoApp Basin, thus revitalizing distressed SoApp coal communities and reducing reliance on foreign imports of REE and CM. Resource availability and technological advances alone will not ensure this objective is met. The right mix of business climate, market forces, and policy will also be needed. This report identifies the critical technologies, infrastructure, supply chains, human capital, and policy gaps that must be addressed to manufacture REE, CM, and CBP from coal resources and wastes in SoApp The primary goal of the project is to characterize the resource base in the SoApp Basin.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2014

Additional EIPC Study Analysis: Interim Report on Medium Priority Topics

Between 2010 and 2012 the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC) conducted a major long-term resource and transmission study of the Eastern Interconnection (EI). With guidance from a stakeholder steering committee (SSC) that included representatives from the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council (EISPC) among others, the project was conducted in two phases. The first was a 2015–2040 analysis that looked at a broad array of possible future scenarios, while the second focused on a more detailed examination of the grid in 2030. The studies provided a wealth of information on possible future generation, demand, and transmission alternatives. However, at the conclusion there were still unresolved questions and issues. The US Department of Energy, which had sponsored the study, asked Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers and others who worked on the project to conduct an additional study of the data to provide further insights for stakeholders and the industry. This report documents the second part of that follow-on study [an earlier report (Hadley 2013) covered the first part, and a subsequent report will address the last part].

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

NASA NTRS2003

Resource Management for Real-Time Adaptive Agents

Increased autonomy and automation in onboard flight systems offer numerous potential benefits, including cost reduction and greater flexibility. The existence of generic mechanisms for automation is critical for handling unanticipated science events and anomalies where limitations in traditional control software with fixed, predetermined algorithms can mean loss of science data and missed opportunities for observing important terrestrial events. We have developed such a mechanism by adding a Hierarchical Agent-based ReaLTime technology (HART) extension to our Dynamic Resource Management (DRM) middleware. Traditional DRM provides mechanisms to monitor the realtime performance of distributed applications and to move applications among processors to improve real-time performance. In the HART project we have designed and implemented a performance adaptation mechanism to improve reaktime performance. To use this mechanism, applications are developed that can run at various levels of quality. The DRM can choose a setting for the quality level of an application dynamically at run-time in order to manage satellite resource usage more effectively. A groundbased prototype of a satellite system that captures and processes images has also been developed as part of this project to be used as a benchmark for evaluating the resource management framework A significant enhancement of this generic mission-independent framework allows scientists to specify the utility, or "scientific benefit," of science observations under various conditions like cloud cover and compression method. The resource manager then uses these benefit tables to determine in redtime how to set the quality levels for applications to maximize overall system utility as defined by the scientists running the mission. We also show how maintenance functions llke health and safety data can be integrated into the utility framework. Once thls framework has been certified for missions and successfully flight tested it can be reused with little development overhead for other missions. In contrast, current space missions llke Swift manage similar types of resource trade -off completely with the scientific application code itself, and such code must be re-certified and tested for each mission even if a large portion of the code base is shared. This final report discusses some of the major issues motivating this research effort, provides a literature review of the related work, discusses the resource management framework and ground-based satellite system prototype that has been developed, indicates what work is yet to be performed, and provides a list of publications resulting from this work.

Welch, Lonnie↗

DOE OSTI2016

Low Temperature Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis For The Appalachian Basin: Phase 1 Revised Report November 18, 2016

Geothermal energy is an attractive sustainable energy source. Yet project developers need confirmation of the resource base to warrant their time and financial resources. The Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis of the Appalachian Basin evaluated risk metrics that communicate the favorability of potential low-temperature geothermal energy resources in reservoirs more than 1000 m below the surface. This analysis is focused on the direct use of the heat, rather than on electricity production. Four risk factors of concern for direct-use geothermal plays in the Appalachian Basin portions of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are examined individually, and then in combination: 1) thermal resource quality, 2) natural reservoir quality, 3) induced seismicity, and 4) utilization opportunities. Uncertainty in the risk estimation is quantified. Based on these metrics, geothermal plays in the Appalachian Basin were identified as potentially viable for a variety of direct-use-heat applications. The methodologies developed in this project may be applied in other sedimentary basins as a foundation for low temperature (50-150 °C), direct use geothermal resource, risk, and uncertainty assessment. Three methods with which to combine the four risk factors were used. Among these, the averaging of the individual risk factors indicates the most favorable counties within the study area are the West Virginia counties of Monongalia, Harrison, Lewis (dubbed the Morgantown–Clarksburg play fairway), Putnam, and Kanawha (Charleston play fairway), the New York counties of Chemung and Steuben plus adjacent Bradford county in Pennsylvania (Corning–Ithaca play fairway), and the Pennsylvania counties of Mercer, Crawford, Erie, and Warren, and adjacent Chautauqua county in New York (together, the Meadville–Jamestown play fairway). These higher priority regions are surrounded by broader medium priority zones. Also worthy of additional exploration is a broad region near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, for which the available geological data are insufficient to fully analyze the geological risks but yet the population is high. First, to assess the spatial variation in the depth to which one would need to drill to obtain geothermal temperatures that are useful to a future project, the project used bottom-hole temperature data from Appalachian Basin oil and gas exploration. These bottom hole temperature data are abundant but of low quality. Second, the project examined the potential for sufficient water flow rates through rocks to harvest heat from a geothermal well field, considering only natural reservoirs. This analysis provides a very incomplete picture of spatial variability of natural reservoirs because the oil and gas reservoir data lack key properties and are spatially biased toward those locations with profitable amounts of hydrocarbons in the rock pore spaces. Third, in light of the fact that earthquake activity has been induced in several states by subsurface work related to the oil and gas industry, this project examined the potential for similar activity in the Appalachian Basin. Acknowledging that data for such a task are insufficient, we utilized what was available: records of seismic activity, regional estimates of the orientations of stress in the rocks, and locations and orientations of zones of lateral change in rock properties at depths down to several kilometers below Earth’s surface. With these data, we created a first approximation of spatially variable risks for induced earthquakes. Because no data existed with which to test the reliability of these methods, the results have a high degree of uncertainty. Fourth, we examined the spatial variability of the above-the-ground factors that contribute to the economical viability of projects to tap low-temperature geothermal resources for direct-use. We worked principally with population density as a regionally known variable that would impact the cost of district heating. The resulting maps omit the costs of producing the hot water from the ground, because the below-ground costs are directly coupled to the thermal resource risk factor and natural reservoir risk factor – later analyses of those costs will be needed. The result of the district heating analysis is highly skewed: few census locations yielded a low estimated surface cost. The team also identified more than 165 prospects for high value direct-use geothermal energy opportunities such as industrial sites, university campuses, and federal facilities, among others. At the closure of this regional analysis, the most significant technical uncertainties are 1) reservoir distribution and capacities; 2) validity of thermal resource maps, and 3) the holistic estimation of Levelized Cost of Heat for favorable geological situations.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Investigate Strategies to Increase Residential Energy Code Compliance Rates and Measure Results in North Carolina: Final Report

The proposed project implemented and tested methods to assess compliance with the energy code, developed educational programs and resources targeted at key compliance issues, conducted a statewide outreach and training campaign, taught building and inspection professionals about key issues of compliance with the energy code, and conducted a follow-up study to see how compliance rates changed.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗