Political Science - General

This report summarizes the results of a power performance test that NREL conducted on the Mariah Windspire 1-kW wind turbine. During this test, two configurations were tested on the same turbine. In the first configuration, the turbine inverter was optimized for power production. In...

This report summarizes power electronic interfaces for DE applications and the topologies needed for advanced power electronic interfaces. It focuses on photovoltaic, wind, microturbine, fuel cell, internal combustion engine, battery storage, and flywheel storage systems.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 124915555XISBN-13: 9781249155553Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished:...

Using a GIS approach to spatially analyze key attributes affecting hydrogen market transformation, this study proposes hypothetical hydrogen refueling station locations in select subregions to demonstrate a method for determining station locations based on geographic criteria.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249155495ISBN-13: 9781249155492Publisher: BibliogovLanguage:...

The design of this 1,280-square-foot, three-bedroom Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver zero energy home carefully combines envelope efficiency, efficient equipment, appliances and lighting, and passive and active solar features to reach the zero energy goal. The home was designed with an early version...

Integrating renewable energy and distributed generations into the Smart Grid architecture requires power electronic (PE) for energy conversion. The key to reaching successful Smart Grid implementation is to develop interoperable, intelligent, and advanced PE technology that improves and accelerates the use of distributed energy...

Conventional valuation techniques fail to include many of the financial advantages of clean energy technologies. By omitting benefits associated with risk management, emissions reductions, policy incentives, resource use, corporate social responsibility, and societal economic benefits, investors and firms sacrifice opportunities for new revenue streams...

This report is a step-by-step procedure for implementing an algorithm to calculate the solar zenith and azimuth angles in the period from the year -2000 to 6000, with uncertainties of ?0.0003/. It is written in a step-by-step format to simplify otherwise complicated steps, with...

There is growing national interest in renewable energy development based on the economic, environmental, and security benefits that these resources provide. Historically, greater development of our domestic renewable energy resources has faced a number of hurdles, primarily related to cost, regulation, and financing. With...

The Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal cabinet department of the United States government. The office's main concerns are those associated with transportation and transportation needs across the country. Established in 1967, the DOT is administered by the United States Secretary...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in the Greater Atlanta area in Georgia. It works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in the Greater Atlanta area in Georgia. It works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health...

This document is part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Organic Roots Collection. Organic Roots is a collection of the historic United States Department of Agriculture. The collection contains publications related to organic agriculture. The collection contains documents published before 1942 (before synthetic...

This document is part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Organic Roots Collection. Organic Roots is a collection of the historic United States Department of Agriculture. The collection contains publications related to organic agriculture. The collection contains documents published before 1942 (before synthetic...

This report describes work performed by Global Solar Energy (GSE) under Phase I of this subcontract. GSE has initiated an extensive and systematic plan to accelerate the commercialization of thin-film photovoltaics (PV) on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). GSE is developing the technology to...

Recognizing the lack of operational data on alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks, NREL contracted with the Trucking Research Institute (TRI) in 1994 to obtain a cooperative agreement with Liquid Carbonic. The purpose of this agreement was to (1) purchase and operate liquid natural gas- (LNG-)...

This report summarizes the findings of an investigation into financing solar energy systems for the Federal sector. The objectives of the investigation were (1) to identify the barriers that impede companies from using Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) to develop solar energy projects for...

This report examines the accuracy of measurements that rely on Doppler LIDAR systems to determine their applicability to wind turbine feed-forward control systems and discusses feed-forward control system designs that use preview wind measurements.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249145023ISBN-13: 9781249145028Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages:...

This guide presents the key criteria required to create accurate heating and cooling load calculations and offers examples of the implications when inaccurate adjustments are applied to the HVAC design process. The guide shows, through realistic examples, how various defaults and arbitrary safety factors...

This guidebook is intended to facilitate further investment in conventional geothermal projects in the United States. It includes a brief primer on geothermal technology and the most relevant policies related to geothermal project development. The trends in geothermal project finance are the focus of...

The ARIES Collaborative, a Department of Energy Building America research team, partnered with NeighborWorks America affiliate Homeowners' Rehab Inc. (HRI) of Cambridge, MA to implement and study improvements to the heating system in one of the non-profit's housing developments. The heating control systems in...

Final Technical Progress Report for PV Incubator subcontract NAT-0-99013-03.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249144671ISBN-13: 9781249144670Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 32Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.17lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.07d

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. The USAF was initially a part of the U.S. Army, but was formed as a separate branch of the military in 1947 under the National Security...

Sargent and Lundy LLC conducted an independent analysis of parabolic trough and power tower solar technology cost and performance.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249141133ISBN-13: 9781249141136Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 348Format: PaperbackWeight: 1.37lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.72d

The initial focus of this project was to build on previous work performed in our group and investigate the use of porous polycrystalline silicon (Psi) as an active material in a solar cell to take advantage of potential bandgap tuning, light trapping, and blue-harvesting...

The material in this book is intended to provide the reader with information about the biodiesel and liquid fuels industry, biodiesel start-up issues, legal and regulatory issues, and operational concerns.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249140773ISBN-13: 9781249140771Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 214Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.86lbsSize: 9.69h...

The concepts of passive solar are simple, but applying it effectively requires specific information and attention to the details of design and construction. This book is written to help give builders the information they need to make decisions about passive solar design.Author: National Renewable...

The Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal cabinet department of the United States government. The office's main concerns are those associated with transportation and transportation needs across the country. Established in 1967, the DOT is administered by the United States Secretary...

The Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal cabinet department of the United States government. The office's main concerns are those associated with transportation and transportation needs across the country. Established in 1967, the DOT is administered by the United States Secretary...

This paper examines the value of concentrating solar power (CSP) and thermal energy storage (TES) in four regions in the southwestern United States. Our analysis shows that TES can increase the value of CSP by allowing more thermal energy from a CSP plant's solar...

The National Park Service (NPS) was formed on August 25, 1916, and is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. The National Park Service publishes various reports and documents...

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The agency lives by its motto: "Science...

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The agency lives by its motto: "Science...

This report describes the major progress in understanding the physics of transition metals in silicon and their possible impact on the efficiency of solar cells that was achieved during the three-year span of this subcontract. We found that metal-silicide precipitates and dissolved 3d transition...

Designing and implementing credit-based pilot programs for distributed resources distribution is a low-cost, low-risk opportunity to find out how these resources can help defer or avoid costly electric power system (utility grid) distribution upgrades. This report describes implementation options for deaveraged distribution credits and...

Collisions with wind turbines can be a problem for many species of birds. Of particular concern are collisions by eagles and other protected species. This research study used the laboratory methods of physiological optics, animal psychophysics, and retinal electrophysiology to analyze the causes of...

Despite occasional experimental hints, medium-range structural order in covalently bonded amorphous semiconductors had largely escaped detection until the advent of fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM) in 1996. Using FEM, we find that every sample of amorphous silicon and germanium we have investigated, regardless of deposition...

This report describes how Cornell University researchers developmed several low-cost and simple barrier layers and tested their effectiveness both analytically (by SIMS) and by evaluating the electrical characteristics of devices fabricated on barrier-coated substrates. Devices fabricated included both majority-carrier devices (thin-film transistors) and minority-carrier...

Theoretical analyses of six airfoils--the E 387, FX 63-137, S822, S834, SD2030, and SH3055--have been performed for Reynolds numbers from 0.10 x 106 to 1.00 x 106 using the Eppler Airfoil Design and Analysis Code and the XFOIL code. The results from both codes...

A lightning protection research and support program was instituted by NREL to help minimize lightning damage to wind turbines in the United States. This paper provides the results of a field test program, an evaluation of protection on selected turbines, and a literature search...

Subcontract report on opportunities to explore the business potential provided by converting biomass to products such as ethanol.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 124913384XISBN-13: 9781249133841Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 38Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.19lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.08d

This report describes the new insights obtained into the growth of hydrogenated silicon (Si: H) films via real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) measurements. Evolutionary phase diagrams were expanded to include the effects of different deposition conditions, including rf power, pressure, and temperature. Detailed studies of...

Subcontract report prepared by Dartmouth College that identifies and discusses the advantages of producing ethanol in a biomass refinery as compared to a single-product facility.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249133572ISBN-13: 9781249133575Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 44Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.21lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.09d

Subcontract report by Nexant, Inc., and Kearny and Associates regarding a study of a piping model for a solar parabolic trough system.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249133130ISBN-13: 9781249133131Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 26Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.15lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.05d

In high growth rate (= 50 ?/s) HW-CVD a-Si: H films, for the first time, we show gaseous molecules in nanovoids ( 2% volume fraction of tube-like nanoscale voids), and demonstrate that confinement on the nanometer scale generates NMR effects that have never been...

The report discusses a project to develop a low-emissions natural gas engine with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a three-way catalyst (TWC).Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249133122ISBN-13: 9781249133124Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 52Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.24lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.11d

Subcontract report by Nexant, Inc., regarding a system analysis of multiple solar parabolic trough plants at a common location.Author: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NrISBN-10: 1249133157ISBN-13: 9781249133155Publisher: BibliogovLanguage: EnglishPublished: 07/20/2012Pages: 36Format: PaperbackWeight: 0.18lbsSize: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.07d

The new H2A Biomethane model was developed to estimate the levelized cost of biomethane by using the framework of the vetted original H2A models for hydrogen production and delivery. For biomethane production, biogas from sources such as dairy farms and landfills is upgraded by...

This project developed the process technologies for the fabrication of high-efficiency multijunction photovoltaic cells using semiconductor nanostructure arrays. These devices are expected to provide increased energy conversion efficiency, as well as increased carrier collection efficiency. In addition, this approach provides the ability to tune...

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. The USAF was initially a part of the U.S. Army, but was formed as a separate branch of the military in 1947 under the National Security...

Unintended gearbox failures have a significant impact on the cost of wind farm operations. In 2007, NREL initiated the Gearbox Reliability Collaborative (GRC). The project combines analysis, field testing, dynamometer testing, condition monitoring, and the development and population of a gearbox failure database in...