Energy Systems Integration
Facilities at NREL
Brian Hirsch, Ph.D.
Senior Project Leader - Alaska
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Alaska Energy Storage Workshop
Anchorage, AK
June 20, 2012
Why Energy Systems Integration?
Current Energy Systems
Future Energy Systems
Reducing investment risk and optimizing systems in a rapidly
changing energy world
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New energy technologies and services
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Increasing penetration of variable RE in grid
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New communications and control models
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Electrification of transportation
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Integrating energy storage
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Increasing system flexibility
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Understanding interactions between electricity/thermal/fuels
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ESIF System Integration Capabilities
Energy System Research and Development Across Technologies
Solar and
Wind
• RE integration
• Power
electronics
• Building
integration
• Thermal and PV
system
optimization
Grid
Planning
and
Operations
• Transmission
and Distribution
Systems
• Smart Grid
Technologies
• Microgrids
• Standards
Energy
Storage
• CSP Thermal
Storage
• Utility scale
batteries
• Distributed
storage.
Buildings
• Sensors and
controls
• Design and
integration
• Modeling
and
simulation
• System
integration
Advanced
Fuels
• H2/electric
interfaces
• RE
electrolyzers
• Storage
systems
• Standards
• Fuel cell
integration
• Fueling
systems
Advanced
Vehicles
• Plug-in-hybrids
and vehicle-togrid
• Battery thermal
management
• Power
electronics
Full systems interface evaluation for integration of electricity, fuels,
thermal, storage, and end-use technologies
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NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facilities
• Energy Systems Integration
Facility (ESIF)
• Distributed Energy Resources
Test Facility (DERTF)
T
T
F
• NWTC – Grid Integration Testing
• Thermal Test Facility (TTF)
• Vehicle Test and Integration
Facility (VTIF)
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NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility
(ESIF)
• NREL’s largest R&D facility (182,500 ft2)
• Substantial
completion by the
end of 2012
• Space for 200 NREL
staff and research
partners
• Focus of the ESIF is
to conduct R&D of
integrated energy
systems (Electricity,
Fuels, Transportation, Addressing the challenges of large-scale
integration of clean energy technologies
and Buildings &
into the energy systems infrastructure
Campus systems)
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Current Status and Construction Targets
• January 6 - Completed all steel work
• January 20 – 50% completed – on budget
(total $135M)
• April 2012 – complete all exterior work
• October 2012 – substantial completion
• November 2012 – commissioning
• January 2013 – move-in
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ESIF’s Unique Advanced Capabilities
HPC
Petascale HPC and
data management
system in showcase
energy efficient data
center.
Virtual utility operations center and visualization rooms.
Interconnectivity to
external field sites
for data feeds and
model validation.
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ESIF - Energy System Simulated Operations
A Flight Simulator for Energy System Operators
Operations techniques
development for:
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New systems configurations
Utility or fuel supply curtailments
High renewables penetrations
Extreme weather events
High storage penetrations
High demand response
deployment
• Resource forecast integration
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ESIF Laboratories
Electrical Systems Laboratories
1. Power Systems Integration
2. Smart Power
3. Energy Storage
4. Electrical Characterization
5. Energy Systems Integration
Thermal Systems Laboratories
6. Thermal Storage Process and
Components
7. Thermal Storage Materials
8. Optical Characterization
Fuel Systems Laboratories
9.
Energy Systems Fabrication
10. Manufacturing
11. Materials Characterization
12. Electrochemical
Characterization
13. Energy Systems Sensor
14. Fuel Cell Development &
Test
15. Energy Systems High
Pressure Test
High Performance Computing, Data
Analysis, and Visualization
16. ESIF Control Room
17. Energy Integration Visualization
18. Secure Data Center
19. High Performance Computing
Data Center
20. Insight Center Visualization
21. Insight Center Collaboration
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ESIF – Power Systems Integration Lab
Lab Functions
• Main test lab for conducting
electrical system integration
activities.
• Research will include exploring
a variety of operating
configurations including: grid
connected stand-alone,
microgrids, and hybrid power
systems.
• House infrastructure for DG
research (electricity, thermal,
and fuels)
Major Laboratory Equipment
• Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator
(Opal-RT)
• Grid simulator (4x270kW, 690Vac,
400Vdc, DC-800Hz)
• AC load banks (4x250kW, Wye, 50W
load step)
• Bidirectional DC supplies (2x250kW,
0-900V)
• SCADA Data Collection and Control
System
• PV Simulator (multi-module, 01000V or +/-500V)
• Line length impedance simulator
(480V, 1200A)
• Research Chiller/Boiler (750 MBH
boiler, 60ton chiller)
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Energy Systems Integration – Large-scale
A New Unique Testing Capability
NWTC Grid Integration Capabilities will allow
testing of many grid integration aspects for
multi-MW utility-scale variable renewable
generation and storage technologies.
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TTF - Labs
Automated Home Energy
Management Laboratory
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Fully instrumented electrical system, from smart meter to
every plug, light, and hardwired component
3.2 kW photovoltaic (PV) array
Complete suite of residential appliances and end use loads
High frequency spectrum analyzer to study electrical noise
Multiple communication protocols are supported
Linked to ESIF
Energy Storage Laboratory
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The world’s most accurate battery calorimeters
Five environmental chambers and isothermal baths to
perform accelerated lifetime and duty cycle testing across a
wide thermal range
Thermal imaging to inspect for hot spots in cells and
battery packages during charge and discharge cycles
Bitrode cyclers for battery and ultracapacitor pack cycling
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Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility
(VTIF)
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VTIF Capabilities
• 2 AC and 2 DC bus lines with configurable component connections
• 2 fast charge system connections (1 indoor/1 outdoor)
• 8 level II charge stations (includes wireless, high power for MD/HD
vehicles, multi-headed, …)
• 20kW of PV as fuel station canopy (dual axis tracking)
• 30kWh, 30kW energy storage
• Able to configure as microgrid
• Commercial partners on Smart
Grid controls system
• 24 expansion ports for new
components
• Power supplies to emulate wind,
solar, vehicle, or storage
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NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facilities
NWTC – 2MW+
NREL ESI - A unique national asset for energy
systems integration R&D, testing, and analysis
at various scales
ESIF
1kW-2MW
T
T
F
DERTF
1kW-200kW
TTF
VTIF
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For More information on NREL Energy Systems
Integration facilities
• Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF)
– http://www.nrel.gov/eis/facilities_esif.html
– Ben Kroposki, Director of ESIF:
benjamin.kroposki@nrel.gov
• Distributed Energy Resources Test Facility (DERTF)
– http://www.nrel.gov/eis/facilities_dertf.html
• NWTC – Grid Integration Testing
– http://www.nrel.gov/wind/facilities.html
• Thermal Test Facility (TTF)
– http://www.nrel.gov/buildings/facilities.html
• Vehicle Test and Integration Facility (VTIF)
– http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53297.pdf
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