The Challenge and Promise of Energy Systems Integration

Bryan Hannegan, Ph.D.Associate Laboratory Director

September 28, 2016

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• Founded as Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) in 1977• Designated national laboratory in 1991 and renamed National

Renewable Energy Laboratory• Today managed by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for

the U.S. Dept. of Energy

• Nearly 1,700 employees• Campus is a model of sustainable energy• National economic impact of $872M annually• 657 active partnerships with industry, academia, and government

NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY 2

ABOUT NREL

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i

Analysis & System Integration

Provides market insight and informs landscape

Innovation & Application

Responds to market challenges with solutions and identifies knowledge gaps

Foundational Knowledge

Scientific discovery that fills gaps and disrupts current-generation technology

Market-Relevant Solutions

Three Pillars

Impact

NREL advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and renewable power technologies, and provides the knowledge to integrate and optimize energy systems. 

We provide an Integrated Approach to Market‐Relevant Solutions

NREL MISSION

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GROWTH IN VARIABLE RENEWABLES

Source: DOE “Revolution Now”, 2015

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NEW CUSTOMER DEMANDS

Source: DOE “Revolution Now”, 2015

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DOE GRID MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE

OtherGov’t

An aggressive five‐year grid modernization strategy for the Department of Energy that includes

• Alignment of the existing base activities among DOE offices

• An integrated Multi‐Year Program Plan (MYPP)

• New activities to fill major gaps in existing base 

• Development of a laboratory consortium with core scientific abilities and regional outreach

TechnologyStakeholdersInstitutional

Stakeholders

EPSA

FE EERE

OES1

CFO

SC

ARPA‐E

NE

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GRID MODERNIZATION MULTI‐YEAR PROGRAM PLAN

Foundational R&D 

Clean Distribution 

Feeder

Low Reserve Margin Demo

Grid Analytics Platform

Regional Demonstrations 

Sensing and Measurement

Devices and Integrated Systems

System Operations and Control

Design and Planning Tools

Security and Resilience

Institutional Support

http://energy.gov/downloads/grid‐modernization‐multi‐year‐program‐plan‐mypp

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GRID MODERNIZATION LABORATORY CONSORTIUM

Sensing and 

Measurement

Security and 

Resilience

87 projects, $220M over 3 years

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REGIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS

Goals:► Reliable operations with

<=10% reserve margin; >33% variable wind, solar

► New capability for grid operators to leverage and manage distribution-level grid services

► Data-driven tools for precise, predictive real time grid operations

Target Partners:► Transmission Utilities► System Operators

Goals: ► Demonstrate reliable and

affordable feeder operations with >50% DER penetration

► Coordinated microgrid(s) control for resilience (20% fewer outages, 50% shorter recovery time)

► Distributed, hierarchical control for clean energy and new customer-level services

Target Partners: ► Distribution utilities► Cities and municipalities with

ambitious clean energy goals

Goals: ► Use coupled T&D grid

planning models with 1000x speed-up to address specific grid-related issues

► Work with States to evaluate new business models, impacts of policy decisions

Target Partners: ► States and local regulators► Distribution utilities► New market participants

Lean Reserve Bulk Power Systems

Clean Distribution Systems

Grid Planning and Analytics

Three types of public‐private partnerships that will accelerate transition of Foundational R&D outcomes to widespread deployment at scale

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Addressing the challenges of large‐scale integration of clean energy technologies into the energy systems infrastructure 

http://www.nrel.gov/esif

OfficesHPC ‐ DCLaboratories• NREL’s largest R&D facility  

(182,500 ft2 /20,000 m2) • NREL’s first DOE‐designated 

User Facility• Space for ~200 NREL staff 

and research partners• Petascale HPC and data 

center supports the entire DOE mission

• Labs focus on R&D of integrated energy systems 

• Electricity• Fuels• Transportation• Buildings

• Integrated electrical, thermal, fuel, water, and data infrastructure

“This new facility will allow for an even stronger partnership with manufacturers, utilities and researchers to help integrate more clean, renewable energy into a smarter, more reliable and more resilient power grid.”                                       ‐ Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz

ENERGY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION FACILITY (ESIF)

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System Performance LabResidential Buildings & Loads

Power SystemsIntegration Lab

Power Electronics, Microgrids

Hydrogen SystemsIntegration LabFuel Cells, Electrolyzers

Outdoor Test AreasEVs, Power Transformers,Microturbines, Generators

Rooftop Test AreaWind, Solar

Energy Storage LabBatteries and Thermal 

Energy Storage

Control RoomADMS Testbed

Optical Characterization LabCommercial Buildings & Loads

ESIF: A SELF‐CONTAINED ENERGY SYSTEM

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SolarCityHawaiian Electric Company

Research Focus: Load rejection overvoltage control with advanced inverters

Impact: • Waiting customers connected; 15 MW

new rooftop PV enabled. • Ceiling for distributed PV raised from

120% minimum daytime load to 250%.• Interconnection standards and codes

modified to require advanced inverters.

Next Steps: • GMLC Hawaii Regional Partnership on

Grid Frequency Support

ESIF SUCCESS STORIES

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Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

Research Focus: Demonstrate utility-scale solar PV systems can provide needed grid services

Impact: First of a kind real world experiment: 20 MW solar plant used for grid stability• Followed Automatic Generation

Control signal• Provided Up- and Down-Regulation

to support frequency• Deployed all reserve within 500ms• New controls deployed and validated

Next Steps: • FirstSolar/CA ISO 300 MW Demo

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/65368.pdf

AES Illumina 20MW PV Power Plant

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ESIF SUCCESS STORIES

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Duke Energy GE Grid Solutions

Research Focus: Use Distributed Management System (DMS) platform to test voltage control of advanced inverters on a distribution feeder.

Impact:• Integrated DMS very successful at

managing voltage and reducing equipment operations.

• DMS linked with power hardware-in-the-loop grid simulation.

Next Steps: • GMLC Open Advanced DMS

Project with Testbed

ESIF SUCCESS STORIES

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Smarter Grid Solutions

Research Focus: Show that “active network management” can increase DER on distribution grids to >50% penetration.

Impact: • Demonstrated “smart home” use

case: integrated and coordinated control of residential PV, EV charging, and battery storage.

• Demonstrated “smart campus” use case ability to manage larger PV, controllable loads, EV charging, and battery storage.

Next Steps: • Deployment in CA and NY http://www.nrel.gov/esi/news/2016/27963

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ESIF SUCCESS STORIES

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Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study

Research Focus: Analyze impacts of high-penetration renewables on grid operations

Impact: • Highest temporal and spatial resolution

modeling and analysis of Eastern Interconnection ever completed

• Demonstrated potential to operate grid reliably with 300+ GW of wind and solar

• HPC innovations enabled solve-time reduced from 545 to 19 days

Next Steps:• GMLC Interconnection Seams Study• GMLC North American Renewables

Integration Study

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx9_4GNkbIQ

ESIF SUCCESS STORIES

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WHAT’S NEXT – HYDROGEN AT SCALE

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Characterize “as is” stateCharacterize “as is” state

Engage stakeholders to define priorities

Engage stakeholders to define priorities

Formulate future 

scenarios

Formulate future 

scenarios

Hardware and 

software modeling

Hardware and 

software modeling

Explore “what if” questions 

Explore “what if” questions 

Create design 

blueprint

Create design 

blueprint

Develop supporting institutions

Develop supporting institutions

Deploy and validate

Deploy and validate

A systems approach to energy transformation: applicable at multiple 

scales, different levels of maturity

WHAT’S NEXT – CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS DESIGN