Appropriate transfer options better integration of renewable energy grid, says NREL

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Adequate transfer--is for example to record transfer to renewable energy, building - an important part like energy storage, with the integration of renewable energy sources to the grid after Lori Bird, senior analyst with the national renewable energy laboratory (NREL).

Some of the most important areas that should keep regulators concerns with regard to the integration of renewable energies are market rules and public relations, in particular for investments, transmission, bird, said during a Feb. 10 Panels as part of the NARUC Winter Committee meetings in Washington, D.C. held, it pointed out that the European countries had problems with the acceptance of the transfer, to accept more than with renewable targets.

When discussing the importance to consider system operations, noted bird Denmark, for example, has very high penetrations of wind energy on his system and could handle it very well located. Some of it is because it's in a pool great power and has a high degree of flexibility, for example the country has access to Norway's hydropower and power cogeneration, which can be used as a form of thermal storage are used and provides additional flexibility.

In contrast Germany said with renewable integration fought has, because it, to the system and less flexible to compensate for a smaller area, bird. Also Germany has pricing no locational marginal, "So there is no financial impact for the overloading of the system", she said.

Spain, a control center for renewable energy, which is a centralized system you mentioned, "where they have a central point of contact with the operator and follow all the output from the renewable generation and they are capable of, large amounts of wind energy on your system to manage."

On grid support, note that is is in the interest of Germany, when the country witnessed a rapid rise in photovoltaics (PVs) and had to change "their grid codes, to ensure that they don't have any small photovoltaic capacity on the system to lose, if gave it a small rate change on the system" she said.

Germany had to retroactively change the inverter on the square for the PV system, she said.

"[T] hat is a lesson for other regions - which is out [questions and] understand what is required on grid support through these renewable facilities" she said.

Is a challenge for the European public engagement around electrical transmission, she said, pointing out that it much concern in terms of aesthetics and interest "when attempting to do, everyone around to handle it."

To learn a lesson from Ireland, that the land transfer at national level to reduce the amount of the necessary local permits coordinated planning and site transmission, she said.

Renewable energy represent challenges to the electrical supply such as non-availability and insecurity, bird said.

"We had always these challenges with load - load different - but the introduction of renewable energy is constantly variability creates a new challenge as well as passing generation and this is so for the grid," she said.

PV systems are subject to, for example, variability of cloud cover, but once to increase the number of PV installations and they are out on the grid, which scattered variability, she said smoothes, adding that is the same thing with wind turbines.

There are a variety of solutions for the integration of renewable energy on the grid, and there is no one, single solution, taking over a grid as each grid can own institutional characteristics, market operations, generation mix and the like, is different, she said.

It is important to check which options are the least cost for a particular grid and that may vary in the course of time, said bird, added that some changes that can be made to help, are integrating renewable of energy faster, markets and balancing over a larger geographical areas

Advanced techniques reduce uncertainty as forecast "better in the handle to get how much wind you're going to have," she noted.

Other options include better use of existing transmission capacity, underused transmission capacity is available, as well as a more flexible generation fleet are sometimes "so it considerable variation over generation sources in relation to how long it takes is up to you to start up, ramp them, what their minimum generation level, and So on, are", she said.

In addition, demand response proved, a useful tool for the integration of renewable energies, as she can help, reduce the amount of the reserves, which are needed on your system.

This article appeared originally on the GenerationHub, released with permission.

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"Popcorn" particle paths promise better lithium-ion batteries

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories confirmed the particle by particle mechanism by which lithium ions moving in and out of the electrodes of lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4, or LFP), findings, the better performance in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, medical equipment and machines could do.

The research is reported in an article titled "Intercalation pathway LiFePO4Electrode revealed in n particles of nanoscale charge status mapping" in the journal of nano letters, 2013, 13 (3), pp. 866-872. Authors are Sandia physicist Farid El Gabaly and William Chueh from Stanford University.

LFP, a natural mineral olivine family is one of the newer materials in lithium-ion batteries and is known as safer and longer-lasting than the lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) used composite in smartphones, laptops and other consumer electronics.

While LFP material for these reasons is of interest to researchers and battery maker, is the process by which ions and the LFP move lithium, battery saves and lifts his energy is not well understood. This proves to be an obstacle for the material wide-spread adoption.

Cathode materials such as LFP are critical in the search for higher capacity, long life, lithium-ion batteries for applications where no batteries to replace, in consumer electronics are as easy or as often as they. Larger applications where lithium cobalt oxide could be replaced by LFP battery cells are electric vehicles and aircraft.

Popcorn-like particle movements seen on microscopy technique

Complete observation battery cross sections, researchers have created important insights on a controversy over the process that limited unloading rates and charge the battery.

Previous attempts to speed optimizing charge/discharge included coating the particles to increase their electrical conductivity and to accelerate reduction of grain size to their transformation, but the initiation process that well may have overlooked the critical speed determining step in such a way that lithium without moving a particle to its interior.

Use X-ray microscopy, ultra-thin slices of a commercial battery review Sandia of researchers evidence found that recharge and discharge in LFP is limited by the introduction of PHASE transformation or nucleation and is independent of the size of the particles.

The LFP electrode forms a mosaic of homogeneous particles, the lithium-rich or lithium poor condition are. The Sandia research confirmed the particle-particle, or mosaic, way of the phase formation by adding lithium ions at the cathode. The results contradict previous assumptions.

"A theory of the spread said that if all particles were exposed to lithium, they would discharge all start slowly along in a concurrent PHASE transformation," said El-Gabaly. "We have now seen that the process rather like popcorn." A particle is completely discharged then the next, and they go one like popcorn, absorb the lithium."

Understanding lithium ion charge helps cut and dice

Lithium ions move and electrode materials battery are charged and discharged. A lithium-ion battery is charged, extracted an external voltage source lithium-ion from the cathode (positive electrode) material in a process known as "Delithiation." The lithium ions move through the electrolyte and inserted (unofficial) in the material (negative electrode) anode in a process known as "Lithiation." The same process in reverse order happens when energy from the battery discharged.

"We observed that there were only two phases, where the particles had either lithium or not," El Gabaly said. "Many previous studies researchers have focused a particle on the understanding of the charging within."

El-Gabaly and his colleagues Sandia took a piece just a bit thicker mapped as a human hair from a commercial battery, only a layer of LFP particles, and the locations of lithium in about 450 particles, when the battery to different States was free of charge.

He said "Our discovery was possible thanks to the mapping of the lithium in a relatively large ensemble of particles".

Many tools, facilities contribute to the research

The researchers could build a standard button cell battery from raw materials, the use of Sandias cell battery prototyping facility in New Mexico, equipped with the largest Department of energy plant for the production of small lots of lithium-ion cells. The battery was divided into Sandias Livermore, California, plant by a new method of slices layers, then charged and tested for normal behavior to get the spatial arrangement of the cathode to the anode.

The Sandia Researchers went to Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the materials with State-of-art Scan national to characterize transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) at advanced light source (ALS), and returned to Sandias California Web site for study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

"The x-ray spectroscopy from the ALS tells you what is inside a single particle or where the lithium, but it has low spatial resolution. We want to tell the electron microscopy of the same segment to us where the particles over the entire level of the battery, were distributed", said Cameron, former Sandia Truman fellow, that of energy is lead author of the journal article and assistant professors and Center fellow Precourt Institute at Stanford University.

Sandia research team and others presented their technical findings on the most recent materials research society spring meeting in San Francisco. As a result of this presentation El Gabaly, said other researchers are using the results to validate theoretical models. The team can also with industry partners, how a company has already indicated a strong interest in the implementation of similar studies on other, more complex battery materials Sandia.

The research team at Sandia was internally funded with support from the Sandia Truman Fellowship in national security science and technology, and by the Department of energy Office of science, which also supports ALS.

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Save energy and eat better

Of US consumers want to eat, fresh, local and organic. But that means larger grocery bills in an economy where most people need to be less.

As the New York Times told it 20-somethings, most feel straight out of school, the squeeze. You are more intent on whole food style food than their predecessors, but to less able to afford. (See "unaffordable luxury food" by Mohammad Zaker Bella Khan.)

Consumers, young and old, are seeking more and more products with green energy. Together, these trends - energy awareness, buyer discrimination and squeezed budgets - is the case for the search for energy efficiency in the food industry.

Modern food production requires a lot of energy. Food-related energy jumped significantly - 80 per cent - from 1997 to 2002, as new technologies in the game. The food industry uses now a whopping 16 percent of U.S. energy budget grow, transport, store, and otherwise prepare what we find on our table, according to a report of the U.S. Department of agriculture.

Linking of energy & bio

In a recent report of its own, principal shows solar ways the food industry tries to save energy.

"Examination of the food industry is one of the largest suppliers presented issues such as the quality of consumer demand and affordability, they need the" white paper said principal solar energy - efficiency & sustainability in organic food supply. "The solution to these problems is complex, is the focus of sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency as a primary step."

Restaurant chains such as McDonald's, subway and Starbucks Arby, Chipotle, pave the way from the design of the buildings of the U.S. Green Building Council for leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED), comply with the white paper said.

And Michigan State University the first LEED certified agricultural now has his biological station w.k. Kellogg, the white paper according to. MSU dairy farm combines two compatible environmental protection: organic agriculture and energy efficiency. At the same time, the system offers a way to eat, reduce the growing costs. LEED investment - compensated by long-term energy costs a cut by 38 per cent the MSU project by better temperature control, lighting, and other improvements.

Elsewhere reports of various companies further reduce energy in the food industry.

Ecova has carved a niche in the food industry itself with its program, which tracks energy use and identifies and implements efficiency measures.

Thirdly the biggest cost

"Identifying and reducing energy costs is an important part of the process if you're the third-largest budget items for many companies to reduce operating costs, such as utility bills," said Seth Nesbitt, senior Vice President and general manager for marketing & technology of the Ecova.

The energy company counts among its customers of Pacific Northwest chain Shari, which more than $700,000 saved in energy costs after Ecova monitored the energy use to 100 Shari locations. Ecova CKE Restaurants $358,000 from January 2010 to June 2012 saved by energy efficiency efforts and reached 4.3 per cent reduction in energy use over a year for California Pizza chain.

In the meantime, an increasing number of grocery stores use because it uses a fuel, produce two forms of energy, heat and electricity, heat and power, a highly efficient technology. UTC power installed fuel cell cogeneration plant in whole foods stores in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Stonyfield Farm has carried out a series of efficiency and green building initiatives on its facilities and associated businesses. The New Hampshire Yogurt Maker has a 40-percent reduction in their energy use at his office building and manufacturing.

F. x. Matt Brewing, manufacturer of Saranac beers expects to save $350,000 per year through a new system, waste water brewery used to generate electricity through anaerobic digestion. The company received to help fund the $5 million project $1.75 million from the national grid and the New York State Energy Research and development authority.

Consumer demand is driving trends in the food industry. Other stores offer organic products because more people are looking for it. The same could be true for energy efficiency. If consumers energy savings efforts behind a product to start with questions, are food manufacturers rather they undertake. In this way get them Green bragging and consumers may be relief, as well as price shown. Maybe you can have your bio cake and eat it too?

ELISA Wood is a long-time energy writer, whose Werk is available at RealEnergyWriters.com.

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Department of energy building award better names finalists for the Federal Republic

Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the eight finalists for the Department of energy honored first better building Federal.
Credit card: FEMP

The Department of energy announced a federal award eight finalists for the first annual better buildings on 30 May. This competition recognizes the Federal Government's most powerful buildings and challenges, the largest annual energy intensity to reduce the amount of energy consumed per square metre. The Federal Republic, which reached a one-year competition time wins the greatest energy savings.

The finalists representing a range of building types, sizes, and agency functions, were selected, based on past and current sustainability efforts that promote leadership to demonstrate and ongoing energy savings. You're building in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia. In the selection of the finalists as the Department of federal energy management program (FEMP) energy efficiency improvement measures, which in the plant, best practices in energy management and building operations of the port facility employees, and institutional change programs, and other tools that were used to provide comprehensive sustainability efforts within the facility. From now until 30 September 2012, the selected finalists in a direct competition to achieve the largest reduction of energy intensity fiscal year 2012 compete. Award, see the better building and the Energy Department progress attention Web page.

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Top 6 reasons we need a better definition for clean energy

I have enormous respect for the Energy Committee Chairman his account should be defeated but unfortunately circuit and solid the following five reasons.

First, energy efficiency is standard (RPS) in many State renewable portfolio and include clean energy standards (CES), and it should be. Amory Lovin applicable have been many substantive reports that show it is always cheaper and compensate for cleaner production, the word "Negawatts" old-fashioned and analytical groups such as ACEEE as energy. Perform the same task with less energy (and water) should be a national priority and a priority objective of the energy policy of the Federal and local government.

If we were to compete in the global market, we never equivalent with the developing countries work prices and material inputs were now global are - only better processes and lower inputs (energy and water) our U.S. can improve competitive advantage and it is time we take it seriously.

Secondly, the portfolio of renewable energy sources is next cleanest option if sustained. Of water and air pollution, waste and greenhouse gas emissions: geothermal energy, marine (Freeflow tidal, hydropower, ocean currents, waves and thermal), solar (daylight, concentration, solar energy, photovoltaic and solar thermal), wind and heat (heat and power, CHP) are essentially emission-free and low-or no water have. Geothermal energy and CSP are heat engines (Brayton, Organic Rankine cycle and Stirling), thermal energy, power use without to make water as well as more recent approaches use less water than standard power plants.

Third parties, biomass energy and fuels, based in the ground such as contaminated agricultural wastes, forest disturbances on organic waste, and manure and litter not returned can - are clearly winners as well as the air and water pollution and the benign disposal of waste.  Instead of manure in open basin (pigs), litter piles (poultry), or to leave in much manure (cattle) and so that these wastes decrease in methane - a 20 times + more potent greenhouse gas - biomass can a solid winner on all counts.

Fourthly, natural gas is triad, the third leg of energy traditionally in most cases, it is the cleanest fossil fuel, and well integrated into the future renewable and hydrogen economy. I still believe that it can serve this purpose.  Ambitious Fracking can however this vision in danger brought.  Apart from bans as a result of the earth quake in certain areas of Ohio and Great Britain - the real threat is the copious use of water resources and some of the items also sold study Duke University of Glencore, the 2011 closed "Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas wells drilling and hydraulic Division (PDF)" below.

Directional drilling and hydraulic Division increase dramatically natural gas extraction technologies. In aquifer on the Marcellus and Utica of schist formations of Northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, we document systematic evidence of methane contamination of drinking water in shale gas extraction associated.

In August 2012 released EPA its report on whether Glencore had contaminated the ground water or contaminated wells and the Wind River in Wyoming. According to an article on MSNBC.com "EPO stressed that the results are specifically pointed out regarding Pavilion, that the specific type of Fracking used by Glencore methods elsewhere distinguished it in regions with different geological characteristics." "The Fracking occurred below the level of the aquifer water and nearby water wells, said the EPA."

But more seriously can radiation in the Fracking waste. An article published in the March 2011 in the following declared Post-Gazette Pittsburgh:

Wastewater from Marcellus shale drilling can contain unhealthy levels of radioactivity, and federal officials, scientists, industry, and the former head of the Pennsylvania Department of environmental protection, testing of drinking water sources and full disclosure of the results called for have.

The New York Times reported in a story Saturday that 116 of the 179 that had fountains of Marcellus in Pennsylvania high radiation in wastewater samples and sewage were discharges into rivers and streams for radiation not tested, while authorities and industry aware of the risks. The radiation is used by water, to hydraulic fracture that deep, 380 million-year-old slate level and allow the natural gas keeps picked it

Fifth, all of the above faded in comparison to the carcinogens found in coal.  In February 2011, who worked environmental integrity project, along with Earth, justice and physicians for social responsibility published a report called "EPA blind spot: hexavalent chromium in the coal ashes."  The West Virginia register-Herald, which covered the report, wrote:

Hexavalent chromium can is a well-known congener and very toxic even in small doses. According to the report, which took environmental protection agency, that coal ash bases chrome in great excess of EPA thresholds and chrome, leach almost that of coal ash 100 percent hexavalent chromium…

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