Technology is like Fish…
Technology Innovation at
Anda Ray
Senior Vice President, Environment & Technology,
and Sustainability Officer
Technology is like Fish….
• FISH - Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
…it finds solutions
• “Technology is like a FISH. The longer it stays on
the shelf, the less desirable it becomes.” (Andrew
Heller)
…must be timely
• FISH Philosophy – Pike’s Fish Market, Seattle, WA
…have fun with it
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Why I got started in Physics….
…finding solutions
…in a timely manner
…making it interesting
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Disciplines of Physics…
Atomic Physics
Thermodynamics
Electronics
Optics
Nuclear Physics
Metrology
Computational Physics
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The Path Less Traveled…
Health Physics
Solid State Physics
Nuclear Physics
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the
one less traveled by and that has made all the
difference" - Robert Frost
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The Best and the Worst of the Path…
• Think inside & outside
the box
• Disciplined
• Make the Connection
• Flexible
• Define your Value-Add
• Diverse
Opportunities
• Avoid Stereotyping
• Creative
• Confident
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Today….
Environment & Technology
Environmental
Permitting &
Compliance
Environmental
Science &
Resources
Environmental
Policy &
Performance
Land &
Shoreline
Management
Technology
Innovations
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Technology Innovation at TVA
“Pushing toward breakthroughs in the ways we
generate power and protect the environment”
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An Indispensable Product?
Think about a product:
– you use daily
– always on and nearby
– enabling
– apps growing
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Another Product That Empowers You
- You use daily
- Always on and nearby
- Powers every aspect of your life
- Its application/functionality is growing infinitely:
Improving A Product You Use Daily
How would you improve your mobile phone?
– Longer battery life
– Ability to charge in
more ways
– More reliable
network/service
– Smaller device size, but greater functions
– More environmentally friendly devices
– Low cost service
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Improving Use & Delivery of Electricity
• Longer battery life = energy efficiency, energy storage
• Ability to charge in more ways = New generation
• More reliable network = Smarter transmission grid
• Smaller devices = small, powerful generation
• Environmentally friendly devices = Cleaner generation
• Low cost = low cost
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TVA – Rates, Reliability & Responsibility
• Provides electricity to
9 million consumers
• Generation includes:
– Coal, natural gas, diesel
– Nuclear
– Hydro, pumped storage
– Solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas
• 15,900 miles of transmission line
• 99.999% reliability for 12th year in a row
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How TVA is Improving Electricity
• TVA technology innovation and applications
– Greater energy efficiency
– Energy storage applications
– New, cleaner generation
– Smaller, powerful plants
– Smart Grid
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Energy Efficiency
• Energy efficiency lowers cost
– Lowers residential bills
– Helps industry/manufacturing
remain competitive
– Reduces power peaks
– Avoids new generation
construction costs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fossil
Hydro
Nuclear
Gas
Energy Efficiency
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Energy Efficiency - Residential
• Campbell Creek Energy Efficiency Research
– Compares electric usages in three typical new homes
in Knoxville
1. New construction
2. Retro-fit
3. Hyper-efficient
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Energy Efficiency – Industrial
• Waste heat assessment
– Reclaim byproduct heat to generate electricity or
reduce consumption
• Low-temperature power cycle technology
– Technology to turn low-level waste heat into power
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Energy Storage Applications
Electricity is a “Perishable Commodity” –
Use it or lose it!
• Best current storage solutions are
hydro-based
• Need Storage Technologies:
– Save renewal power for peak periods
– Match generation source to demand
(solar-powered lighting used at night)
– Overcome intermittence issues with wind,
solar
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Energy Storage Applications
• Testing solar-power street or path lighting
• Storing solar power in batteries for electric
vehicle charging
• Reuse of remaining capacity in used electric
vehicle batteries
to reduce waste
• Compressed air
storage for use
at peak demand
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Energy Storage – Electric Vehicles
• EV success is based
on improving energy
storage
• TVA addressing
charging usage/needs
• Ensuring grid stability from large amount of EVs
charging simultaneously
• Incentivizing EV charging at non-peak periods
when electricity is abundant – consumer behavior
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New, Cleaner Energy
• TVA’s vision is to be one of the nation’s leading
providers of low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020
• Renewable challenges
– Use of resources that are abundant in Tennessee
Valley
– Large spaces necessary for generation capacity
– Cost of technology,
installations
– Reliability/intermittence
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Cleaner Energy Development
• Biomass and
and
biomass co-firing
• Landfill gases
• Concentrated solar
• Testing solar panel configurations and efficiency
• Preparing coal plant layup strategies
• Improving coal plant environmental performance
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Smaller, Powerful Plants
• A new breed of
nuclear power –
small modular reactors
• Similar to reactors
powering nuclear subs
• Smaller units require less footprint, but can be
built side-by-side
• Ability to locate small reactors near high-demand
industries or customers
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Smart Grid
• Reducing power loss during transmission
• Sensors, systems that identify potential
equipment failures before they occur
• Real-time system data to reduce outages,
line congestion and
overloading
• Household meters
to lower peak
consumption
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Bring Innovation Together
Melton Hill Dam Sustainable Recreation Area
– Solar-powered
lighting
– Solar water
heating
– 70-foot wind turbine
– EV charging station
– Offsetting 35% energy usage
– Sharing technology
(plus water conservation, storm water
runoff, by-product pavers, etc.)
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TVA’s Vision
One of the Nation’s Leading providers of
low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020
Low Rates
Cleaner Air
High Reliability
More Nuclear
Generation
Responsibility
Greater Energy
Efficiency
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