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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Mongooses ( Urva auropunctata ) as reservoir hosts of Leptospira species in the United States Virgin Islands, 2019–2020

During 2019–2020, the Virgin Islands Department of Health investigated potential animal reservoirs of Leptospira spp., the bacteria that cause leptospirosis. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated Leptospira spp. exposure and carriage in the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata, syn: Herpestes auropunctatus), an invasive animal species. This study was conducted across the three main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. We used the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), fluorescent antibody test (FAT), real-time polymerase chain reaction (lipl32 rt-PCR), and bacterial culture to evaluate serum and kidney specimens and compared the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of these laboratory methods. Mongooses (n = 274) were live-trapped at 31 field sites in ten regions across USVI and humanely euthanized for Leptospira spp. testing. Bacterial isolates were sequenced and evaluated for species and phylogenetic analysis using the ppkgene. Anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies were detected in 34% (87/256) of mongooses. Reactions were observed with the following serogroups: Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pyrogenes, Mini, Cynopteri, Australis, Hebdomadis, Autumnalis, Mankarso, Pomona, and Ballum. Of the kidney specimens examined, 5.8% (16/270) were FAT-positive, 10% (27/274) were culture-positive, and 12.4% (34/274) were positive by rt-PCR. Of the Leptospira spp. isolated from mongooses, 25 were L. borgpetersenii, one was L. interrogans, and one was L. kirschneri. Positive predictive values of FAT and rt-PCR testing for predicting successful isolation of Leptospira by culture were 88% and 65%, respectively. The isolation and identification of Leptospira spp. in mongooses highlights the potential role of mongooses as a wildlife reservoir of leptospirosis; mongooses could be a source of Leptospira spp. infections for other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - British Virgin Islands

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), one of three sets of the Virgin Island territories in an archipelago making up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗
DOE OSTI2024

U.S. Virgin Islands: Facing Challenges Head-On

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - located in the Caribbean just east of Puerto Rico between the Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean - is composed of three main islands: St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. USVI is confronted with high electricity costs and poor power system reliability, compounded by natural threats like hurricanes, failing infrastructure, and a strained local workforce. Two hurricanes caused widespread damage to power infrastructure in 2017. To combat these challenges, USVI is capitalizing on federal funding opportunities to build a significantly more robust power and water system, paving the way for a brighter and more resilient future.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot – U.S. Virgin Islands

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The Virgin Islands archipelago makes up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles and the western island group of the Leeward Islands, forming the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗
DOE OSTI2020

U.S. Virgin Islands Energy Snapshot

This fact sheet is an update of Energy Transitions Initiative Islands series energy profile for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

ETI, Energy Transitions Initiative, Islands, Snaps↗
DOE OSTI2020

British Virgin Islands Energy Snapshot 2020

This fact sheet is an update of Energy Transitions Initiative Islands series energy profile for the British Virgin Islands.

ETI, Energy Transitions Initiative, Islands, BVI, ↗
DOE OSTI2024

U.S. Virgin Islands: 2023 Energy Baseline Report

This report summarizes the currently available data on U.S. Virgin Islands' energy sector as of December, 2023. It describes primary energy consumption, end uses, energy production, relevant policies, and key challenges, including details on the power generation and transportation sectors. The report serves as a baseline of understanding to assess energy needs and priorities on the island.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimal Dispatch for the US Virgin Islands to Increase Renewable Rates in Saint Croix

The US Virgin Islands, like many other small island nations, face significant challenges related to its energy supply. Their dependency on imported fossil fuels not only drives up energy costs, but also contributes to different environmental problems. Nevertheless, their generally sunny and windy climate makes this archipelago an ideal location for renewable energy development. Increasing the use of sources such as wind, and solar can help reduce their energy dependency, lower their levelized cost of electricity, and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. In this paper, an optimal dispatcher is employed to analyze the implications on energy security of employing different technology options according to the plans of the local system operator. In this context, short term stability is ensured by inserting operational constraints in the energy management system based on stability analysis developed in PSCAD. The results highlight the usefulness of integrating PV and battery system, while further analysis are required to justify integrating wind power.

energy islands↗
DOE OSTI2025

Resource assessment of ocean thermal energy conversion in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

Island communities often struggle to establish and maintain traditional electric grids and are therefore heavily reliant on costly imported fossil fuels. In the case of Puerto Rico, these challenges are enhanced by extreme weather and other natural hazards that threaten the local electricity generation and transmission infrastructure. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) could play an important role in establishing a more resilient electrical grid in the region. Here, in this study, a detailed analysis is conducted to characterize the ocean thermal resource and power potential of OTEC in Puerto Rico based on a 14-year dataset of modeled ocean temperature. The assessment considers seasonal and interannual variability in the region's thermal resource and examines the operational limitations associated with minimal thermal gradients required to run a typical OTEC heat engine. Notably, the local thermal resource is found to be sensitive to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate patterns, with La Niña conditions linked to greater OTEC power availability. Seven areas of opportunity are identified based on their resource potential and proximity to existing electrical distribution lines, including two that could benefit the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands. The greatest OTEC power potential is observed to the south of the main island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea with an estimated capacity of 138 MW for a plant pumping cold water from a depth of 1,000 m, or the equivalent amount of electricity required to power 219,000 households.

OTEC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessing rodents as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira species in the U.S. Virgin Islands and their risk to animal and public health

Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. We sought to determine if rodents in U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) are carriers of Leptospira. In total, 140 rodents were sampled, including 112 Mus musculus and 28 Rattus rattus. A positive carrier status was identified for 64/140 (45.7%); 49 (35.0%) were positive by dark-field microscopy, 60 (42.9%) by culture, 63 (45.0%) by fluorescent antibody testing, and 61 (43.6%) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Molecular typing indicated that 48 isolates were L. borgpetersenii and 3 were L. kirschneri; the remaining nine comprised mixed species. In the single culture-negative sample that was rtPCR positive, genotyping directly from the kidney identified L. interrogans. Serotyping of L. borgpetersenii isolates identified serogroup Ballum and L. kirschneri isolates as serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. These results demonstrate that rodents are significant Leptospira carriers and adds to understanding the ecoepidemiology of leptospirosis in USVI.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Age-specific case data reveal varying dengue transmission intensity in US states and territories

Dengue viruses (DENV) are endemic in the US territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands, with focal outbreaks also reported in the states of Florida and Hawaii. However, little is known about the intensity of dengue virus transmission over time and how dengue viruses have shaped the level of immunity in these populations, despite the importance of understanding how and why levels of immunity against dengue may change over time. These changes need to be considered when responding to future outbreaks and enacting dengue management strategies, such as guiding vaccine deployment. We used catalytic models fitted to case surveillance data stratified by age from the ArboNET national arboviral surveillance system to reconstruct the history of recent dengue virus transmission in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Florida, Hawaii, and Guam. We estimated average annual transmission intensity (i.e., force of infection) of DENV between 2010 and 2019 and the level of seroprevalence by age group in each population. We compared models and found that assuming all reported cases are secondary infections generally fit the surveillance data better than assuming all cases are primary infections. Using the secondary case model, we found that force of infection was highly heterogeneous between jurisdictions and over time within jurisdictions, ranging from 0.00008 (95% CrI: 0.00002–0.0004) in Florida to 0.08 (95% CrI: 0.044–0.14) in American Samoa during the 2010–2019 period. For early 2020, we estimated that seropositivity in 10 year-olds ranged from 0.09% (0.02%–0.54%) in Florida to 56.3% (43.7%–69.3%) in American Samoa. In the absence of serological data, age-specific case notification data collected through routine surveillance combined with mathematical modeling are powerful tools to monitor arbovirus circulation, estimate the level of population immunity, and design dengue management strategies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

2023-2024 Energy Baseline Report: American Samoa

This document is part of a series of 2023-2024 energy baseline reports produced for the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs. The energy baseline reports cover the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. American Samoa's 2023-2024 report provides a high-level overview of American Samoa's energy sector, the current climate and energy policy landscape in the territory, and the climate- and energy-specific challenges facing American Samoa.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

State Energy Program Operations Manual: 2022 Edition

The State Energy Program (SEP) Operations Manual is a reference tool for the SEP network of states and program officials within the U.S. Department of Energy. "States," when referred to in the manual, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This manual contains information needed to administer the State Energy Program.

state energy program, state energy offices, territ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessing the Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Photovoltaic Installations Using Remote Sensing Imagery

In this study, we analyze poststorm satellite imagery to assess solar photovoltaic (PV) damage for over 11,300 systems following a catastrophic hailstorm in Austin, TX, in September 2023, which produced softball‐sized hail and for over 1500 systems across Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Findings show that approximately 5.5% of identified PV sites were damaged in the hailstorm and approximately 17% of PV installations were damaged after the hurricanes. A weak correlation between hurricane wind gust speed and percent site damage was determined, with installation practices playing a heavy role in site resilience. Additionally, we show that newer module vintages are more susceptible to hail damage than older modules, possibly due to a convergence of larger size modules, decreased frame dimensions, and decreased front glass thickness but more research is needed. For hail sizes of 60 mm or greater, consistent hail damage is sustained by PV installations, regardless of system configuration.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗