The Limits of Renewable Energy: A Call for Research and Development

Despite these trends, conventional wisdom holds that a “clean-energy future” is not only possible but looming. Through a combination of energy efficiency and renewable technologies, some argue, we can “solve” the problem of climate change.

The case for “we’ve got all the renewables we need” recently received a boost from aNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study, which concluded: “Renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible electric system, is more than adequate to supply 80% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050 while meeting electricity demand on an hourly basis in every region of the country.” Physicist Amory Lovins, a leading advocate of green energy, was among those praising the study. It showed “how to produce 80 to 90 percent of America’s electricity from proven, reliable and increasingly competitive renewable sources like the sun and wind,” he said.

Yet on close reading, the study not only doesn’t support these optimistic claims, it also reveals the need for a more diverse technology strategy and aggressive investments in innovation.

For starters, the study doesn’t find that wind and solar can, even theoretically, supply 80 to 90 percent of U.S. power by 2050. In the best case, less than half would come from wind and sun. The remaining balance of renewable power would come from newhydropower, equivalent to adding 50 Hoover-size dams and building biomass plants equal in capacity to the U.S. nuclear fleet; the biomass plants are unlikely to be carbon-neutral.

Even achieving the goal of 50 percent of the U.S. power supply from solar and wind assumes that 100 to 150 gigawatts of energy storage, or roughly half the size of the country’s coal capacity, will emerge to provide power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. While pumped hydro-storage is available in some locations today, other technology options, such as very large batteries and compressed air, require significantly more innovation to become cost- effective at commercial scale.

In fact, the study’s storage estimate may be low, because it assumes that the number of residences and businesses that will go offline at peak times when wind and solar aren’t available are equivalent to 1? New York states. It also assumes no growth in U.S. electric consumption for the next 40 years, thanks to improvement in energy efficiency. Consider that California’s energy-efficiency efforts lead the world — but demand has still increased 25 percent in the Golden State in the past 20 years.

Furthermore, to meet the goal of having 50?percent of the U.S. power supply come from solar and wind sources, the study presumes a doubling of the U.S. transmission system that is simply not feasible. Nearly every mile of new U.S. transmission lines is fought over by the localities they run through. And the report is mum on what happens to electricity reliability or consumer costs if more than one of these assumptions fails to materialize.

Simply put: Far from a realistic plan, the NREL study suggests what might be possible in an ideal world. The authors even admit that although their analysis suggests “a high renewable generation future is possible, a transformation of the electricity system would need to occur.?.?. involving every element of the grid.”

Certainly, better efficiency and increased wind and solar power will be among the ways to address global warming. But placing all of our bets on today’s renewable technologies is unwise. A more sensible approach would be to invest in improving the performance and cost of a broad range of zero-carbon technologies through innovation, including better and cheaper wind and solar power as well as energy storage.

We must also be realistic about fossil fuels, which provide 87 percent of the planet’s energy and aren’t disappearing anytime soon. The United States needs to bring commercially proven carbon capture and storage to scale and reduce its cost. It also would be prudent to explore cheaper next-generation nuclear technologies that offer better safety, waste and security options than the Fukushima-type light-water designs that were locked in during the Eisenhower administration.

The real lesson of the NREL study is that much more innovation is necessary to achieve deep and affordable carbon reductions. Yet almost all of the policy and funding today focuses on deploying current technologies. U.S. investment in energy innovation is less than 5 percent of federal spending on defense research and demonstration. That has to change. We need better, cheaper options if the grid is to produce less carbon.

Matthew Stepp is a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.

This article was originally published on the Washington Post and was republished with permission.

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Obama Congress over $2 billion to clean energy of Research Fund press

Obama will challenge the Congress today to the Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, a post the Energy Ministry largest laboratories for scientific and technical research. The so-called energy security trust would be financed over 10 years of State fees on offshore oil and gas drilling, according to the Feds, not identified before the President's speech.The trust reliable resources for the research would offer concentrated on transportation alternatives, said an official yesterday in a briefing with reporters.
The plan last month in the State of the Union address described the Obama, would not need to drill offshore areas open. Revenue for the trust would come from accelerating the approval permits for oil and gas producers to increase production and the increase of income from royalties, lease sales and bonus offers.

Congress has considered similar proposals in the past. In 2009, now House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio's Republicans led an energy that rent money would have directed to the oil business and gas sales pay for clean energy programs Bill was counter to a climate change legislation Democrats push.
Murkowski plan

Another plan by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, top Republican on the Committee revenue energy would be offered by holes on countries that are now banned, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The White House official said that Obama's proposal would open the refuge to study do not.
The energy fund basic research would be dedicated to, which is to assume a permanent job to the private sector, the official said. Laid the groundwork for hydraulic fracturing, a hole was revolutionized technology, the gas and oil production, decades ago by Government-funded research, the officials said.

While trust will focus on traffic, it is supporting research in a wide variety of fuels and technologies, the officials said.
After posting mixed results of what some critics said energized environmental groups with a promise were for environmental issues in his first term of the President in his inaugural speech this year "Response to the threat of climate change." The energy fund management services would use, which have reduced oil imports and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the White House official said.

Development of energy and mineral mining lands on United States and off the coast raised about $12 billion for State and Federal Government in the fiscal year 2012, according to Office of natural resources one revenue Division of the Interior Department. That was about $1 billion, more than to be progress in the previous year because more access hydraulic Division of oil and gas producers are found in shale rock formations.
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Agriculture Department invests $25 million in bioenergy research

The USDA has awarded $25 million for bio-energy research and development.
Credit: Todd Johnson

The U.S. Department of agriculture (USDA) on 11 January awarded $25 million for four projects in four States for the financing of research and development of next-generation renewable energy and organic products from a variety of biomass. The projects will be funded by USDA National Institute of food and agriculture by the biomass research and development initiative and the Energy Ministry will make more awards from this program. Research helps to increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and organic products of the country's energy resources to diversify. Each award has been through a competitive selection process.

Fellows shall contribute at least 20% of matching funds for research and development projects and 50% matching funds for demonstration projects. Winners must keep track of projects, the integration of science and research in three areas of Engineering: feedstocks development, development of bio-fuels and organic products and development analysis of biofuels and bioproducts.

The following projects were selected for the awards: Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, are trying the rape crop camelina provide a low-cost bio-fuel and sunflower oils feedstock; Ohio State University in Wooster, Ohio, that an anaerobic digestion system for the production of liquid transportation fuels and electricity from animal dung, wood biomass, agricultural residues and energy crops to focus on; Ceramatec, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, the infrastructure compatible renewable diesel, biolubricants and BioPower lignocellulose converted; and the USDA Agricultural Research service in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, a distributed farm technology will develop for the conversion of waste wood, horse manure, switchgrass and other perennial grasses in bio-fuels and high-quality specialty chemicals. See the press release of the USDA.

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Smarter Energy Research Institute to Advance Future Utilities

IBM on October 25 announced the launch of the Smarter Energy Research Institute, a new industrial research collaboration aimed at accelerating innovation across the global energy and utilities market. The first three members to join are DTE, a Detroit-based company that operates an electric utility in Southeastern Michigan; Hydro-Quebec, a large Canadian hydroelectric power producer; and Alliander, a Dutch energy producer specializing in renewable energy.

The new organization is a collaboration between corporate research and the energy and utilities industries to transform energy companies through the use of predictive analytics, system optimization, and advanced computation. Among other things, the effort will focus on renewable and distributed energy in order to help utilities meet renewable targets while ensuring system stability. See the IBM press release.

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California Awards $1.1 Million for Energy Research Projects

The California Energy Commission on July 11 awarded $1.1 million for energy research projects, including a variety impacting renewable energy and energy efficiency. Funds for the 10 projects come from the Commission's Public Interest Research Project program. Commissioners approved $300,000 to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego in order to better understand differences in regional climate model projections for California and how they impact hydropower generation forecasting.

The remaining nine projects are from PIER's Energy Innovations Small Grant program. The program provides money to small businesses, non-profits, individuals, and academic institutions to conduct research establishing the feasibility of new, innovative energy concepts. These grants are capped at $95,000. Among the projects is a project dealing with small soluble organic molecules designed to increase the lifetime and reliability of photovoltaics, and a study of enhanced cooling towers for cooling buildings. See the California Energy Commission press release.

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Department of Energy Announces $102 million for small business research

The Department of energy announced on June 27, it is to new funds for 104 small businesses nationwide. The grants amounting to more than $102 million, supported with the commercialization and job creation to develop a strong potential companies in 26 countries, companies, promising technologies help.

From the Department of energy small business innovation programs funded research (SBIR) and small business technology transfer (STTR), are the choices for phase II work. In phase II, are companies build on the conceptual work in phase I and track to take the next steps in the technologies to the market. The phase II Awards are up to 1 million $ for work for two years. The awards support developing technologies in areas of large wind turbines up to more energy-efficient data centers. For example, the Xunlight works 26 solar company of Toledo, Ohio, on transparent, flexible cadmium telluride modules for photovoltaic. See the DOE press release, the list of awards and the site SBIR and STTR.

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DOE, an energy innovation to launch hub for critical materials research

The Department of energy announced its 31 May until to $ 120 million over five years in a new energy innovation invest hub to identify the problems and to develop solutions during the entire lifecycle of critical materials. Rare-earth elements and other critical materials have the unique chemical and physical properties - including magnetic, catalytic and luminous properties - are important for a growing number of energy technologies. These critical materials are also at a risk of supply disruptions. The new hub, financed by up to $20 million in the fiscal year 2012, will conduct, research activities both on a reliable supply of the U.S. rare earths and other critical materials, as well as search for efficiency and alternatives to reduce the critical materials, that are needed. The work is to U.S. leadership in energy-related production, including the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, efficient lighting and other products ahead.

Universities, laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private companies are allowed to compete and are called on partnerships, when submitting their proposals. The award selection is expected in the autumn. The fifth energy innovation hub be established for 2010 by the Energy Department. Find the press release energy Department, the energy innovation hubs Web site, and the funding opportunity announcement.

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Department of energy announces funding for small business efficiency and renewable research

The Energy Department on 9 April announced that up to $9 million this year to about 50 small business innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy fund to advance. This initiative helps companies with promising ideas, which cut improvement of manufacturing processes, building efficiency increase, oil dependency, and electricity from renewable energy sources to generate.

DOE's Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) provides funding through the Department of small business innovation research and small business technology transfer programs. These allow federal agencies with large budgets for research and development at a fraction of their funding for competitions between small business aside. Small businesses win awards in these programs to develop the rights to all technologies and they are prompted to market them.

Call this wide-ranging topic of research are small businesses broadly framed to work problems and achieving goals, and gives them the freedom to renew. It promotes even small companies with groundbreaking concepts for a part of research teams, the EERE programs. The possibility of financing includes 8 width themes and sub-themes 30 areas including advanced manufacturing, energy-efficient buildings, biomass, hydrogen and fuel cells and solar energy, wind and water power technologies. The Department of energy funded are selected small businesses with one year, awards of up to $150.000. Prize winner with successful projects have the option to compete for more than $1 million in follow-on funding. See the EERE progress alert and the application for the funding opportunity announcement for the funding opportunity Exchange Web site.

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Obama administration provides $ 35 million for biomass research

The biomass research and development initiative will help, economically and environmentally sustainable sources of energy develop renewable biomass.
Credit card: Todd Johnson

The White House on 22 March announced an offer of up to $35 million products over three years to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value Biobased. The projects are financed by the biomass research and development initiative (BRDI), a joint programme of DOE and the U.S. Agriculture (USDA). The programs help economically and ecologically sustainable energy sources develop renewable biomass. Increasing the availability of renewable fuels and bio-based products that will help the need for petrol and diesel to replace can.

For the fiscal year 2012, applicant BRDI must propose funding, projects, the integration of science and research in three areas of technical engineering: feedstock, bio-fuels and organic products development, and biofuels development analysis. These technical areas are crucial to the continued success of the alternative bio-fuel production. Grants Awards and national program leadership for the BRDI program are managed by the USDA National Institute of food and Agriculture and the DOE Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Applications are by 24 April 2012, and must be submitted electronically. You will find on the DOE press release and the funding opportunity announcement FedConnect.

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DOE launches new research programme to advance the solar technologies

Concentration of solar energy, as this system, as also photovoltaic systems, received a boost from DOE's bridge financing.
Credit card: DOI

DOE announced on 23 February that $3 million this year is to support research, significantly reduce the cost of solar energy. Bridging Research interactions through cooperative development grants in funding (energy bridge) enable collaborative research teams from industry, universities and national laboratories of DOE research centres work together. The research teams support the goal of the DOE's SunShot initiative solar energy costs until the end of the decade with other forms of energy competitive make.

The BRIDGE financing allows researchers the tools to use and expertise of scientists on the DOE research facilities so that fundamental scientific discoveries to existing product lines and projects can be converted quickly. The BRIDGE program is the first, engineers and scientists to develop photovoltaic and solar power technologies with the tools and know-how of the DOE research facilities focus offer. These include important equipment for X-ray and Neutron scattering, interdisciplinary nanoscale science, advanced Microcharacterization, molecular life sciences and advanced scientific account. This cooperative approach accelerates innovation to reduce the cost of photovoltaics and solar energy concentrating technologies. Full applications are due May 21, 2012. See DOE Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy progress warning, funding opportunity Exchange Web page for details and the SunShot initiative Web site.

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President's 2013 Energy Budget Invests in Solar, Energy Storage and ARPA-E Research

President Obama on February 13 released his Fiscal Year 2013 budget request to Congress, which proposes $27.2 billion for DOE. The blueprint includes investments in innovation, in the job-creating clean energy technologies, and in national security strategy. Specifically, the FY 2013 request promotes efforts to cut the cost of solar energy by 75% by the end of the decade and continue crosscutting research into clean energy technologies that can lead to a one-third reduction of dependence on oil by 2025.

Among the highlights: $60 million to perform critical research on energy storage systems and devise new approaches for battery storage; $350 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to continue support for promising early-stage research projects that could deliver game-changing clean energy technologies; $120 million to support energy frontier research centers and $140 million for five existing energy innovation hubs and to establish a new hub to focus on grid systems and the tie between transmission and distribution systems. The president's FY13 budget request also highlights steps taken by DOE to reduce costs, including for example, reducing, consolidating, or moving 40% of its websites to the Energy.gov platform to increase communication and transparency, and streamline website infrastructure processes, which will save more than $10 million a year. See the DOE press release and the proposed FY 2013 DOE budget.

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Global wind power capacity to triple by 2017, forecasts Pike research

BOULDER, Colo.-(BUSINESS_WIRE)-experienced after years of strong growth the wind energy industry a significant slowdown in the year 2010 as one of the global recession. Given the 18-month project cycle for wind farms with a feasibility study for power generation, the global slowdown had delayed impact on the pace of the new wind makes installations. Wind power experienced strong cumulative growth 2008 (29%) and 2009 (32%), because a large number of projects, the end of 2006 to 2008 launched been was. 2010 results (22% growth) reflect however the effects of the recession on what is still one of the most important is renewable energy markets in the world.

According to a new report from scratch research continue to growth rates of the new wind installations shortly by the industry fall boom years. But turbine deployment activity remains high, and total capacity will continue to grow at a healthy pace. The Cleantech intelligence company market forecasts, which as a whole, will increase wind generation capacity including on- and offshore projects of 194.3 gigawatts (GW) in 2010 to 562.9 GW until 2017. This year, Pike Research forecasts that the wind-makes installations are represented a global 153 billion dollar industry, up by 56 billion dollars in the year 2010.

"Despite the difficult market conditions for the wind energy industry, this is a dynamic time for innovation on the market", says senior analyst Peter Asmus. "Manufacturer turbines to sizes never mind practical or economic push." Factories, which more than football fields held in some of the best technical challenges in the world of the 21st century. But there is a lot at stake as the companies technological limitations push and large market risks in an increasingly competitive sector to respond. "

Asmus adds that China's leaders in wind energy deployment, is an opportunity and a challenge for European and American companies to compete in this market than internationally. Europe remains the technology leader and checks the next stage of wind energy with offshore deployments. The United States is lagging in many ways, but the most industry players are optimistic in the future as costs fall dramatically further. In some markets wind energy grid parity has already achieved, a trend that says the Asmus become still more common around the world.

Pike research report, "global wind energy Outlook", contains a thorough analysis of the global opportunities in the onshore-and offshore wind energy markets, as well as an examination of the main challenges for the industry. Explores technological innovations affecting the future direction of the market and also features detailed profiles of key players, including a regional competitive analysis of the three major energy markets today about their respective technology, politics, and capital environments. Market forecasts extend through 2017 and projections for the installed capacity, installation costs and offshore revenues, segmented contains all production by onshore, offshore, region and country. A summary of the report is available for free download on the company's Web site.

Pike research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment and deep examination of technology trends energy offer a comprehensive overview of the smart, smart grid, smart transport, smart industry and smart-building sectors. Please visit for more information www.pikeresearch.com or call + 1 303. 997. 7609.

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Germany extended research and forms wind network of experts

The new group, consisting of more than 400 scientists, engineers and administrators, will network with other research institutes in the country's wind energy industry. After his "Wind energy 2020" initiative, the group plans several projects for the development of systems and infrastructure that expands the use of wind energy in cost-efficient, sustainable and competitive way.

The move Germany is renewable energy, in particular wind energy, in the course of the Fukushima nuclear accident gives greater priority. The goal of the Federal Government is using renewable energy sources by 2020 just to produce electricity at least 35 percent of the country.

ForWind combines the wind energy research programs at German State universities of Bremen, Hanover and Oldenburg. IWES Fraunhofer is made up of some 60 institutions focusing member of the Fraunhofer Society, on different fields of applied research. The research agency receives about 30 percent of its funding from the German State with the rest of the work.

Combined infrastructures of German universities and Fraunhofer IWES together with more than 30 networked research institutions is equipped to support both basic and applied research projects. This infrastructure includes a supercomputer for flow simulations, the world's largest wave Flume and a test system for rotor blades, the up to 90 metres in length. The planned scope of the research is extensive and ranges blades meteorology and rotor energy to the drive train and supporting structure.

"By combining our research activities, we are able to keep pace with international research collaborations, which set the tone in Denmark and the United States", said Andreas Reuter, Director of Fraunhofer IWES.

ForWind and Fraunhofer working already together to organize a wind power cluster of more than 300 research institutes and wind energy companies in Northern Germany in a business and research network.

Joint programme on wind energy in the European Energy Research Alliance and the wind energy technology platform have participated together in projects of two major European initiatives, both partners.

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