Brian Hirsch, Ph.D.Senior Project Leader - Alaska

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Energy Systems Integration Facilities at NREL

Alaska Energy Storage WorkshopAnchorage, AKJune 20, 2012

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Reducing investment risk and optimizing systems in a rapidly changing energy world• New energy technologies and services• Increasing penetration of variable RE in grid• New communications and control models• Electrification of transportation• Integrating energy storage• Increasing system flexibility• Understanding interactions between electricity/thermal/fuels

Current Energy Systems Future Energy Systems

Why Energy Systems Integration?

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• Sensors and controls

• Design and integration

• Modeling and simulation

• System integration

Buildings

• H2/electric interfaces

• RE electrolyzers

• Storage systems

• Standards• Fuel cell

integration • Fueling

systems

Advanced Fuels

Grid Planning

and Operations

• Transmission and Distribution Systems

• Smart Grid Technologies

• Microgrids• Standards

Advanced Vehicles

Solar and Wind

ESIF System Integration Capabilities

• RE integration• Power

electronics• Building

integration• Thermal and

PV system optimization

• Plug-in-hybrids and vehicle-to-grid

• Battery thermal management

• Power electronics

Energy Storage

• CSP Thermal Storage

• Utility scale batteries

• Distributed storage.

Full systems interface evaluation for integration of electricity, fuels, thermal, storage, and end-use technologies

Energy System Research and Development Across Technologies

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NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facilities

• Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF)

• Distributed Energy Resources Test Facility (DERTF)

• NWTC – Grid Integration Testing

• Thermal Test Facility (TTF)

• Vehicle Test and Integration Facility (VTIF)

TTF

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• 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, and Buildings & Campus systems)

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

• NREL’s largest R&D facility (182,500 ft2) (ESIF)NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility

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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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Virtual utility operations center and visualization rooms.

Petascale HPC and data management system in showcase energy efficient data center.

ESIF’s Unique Advanced Capabilities

Interconnectivity to external field sites for data feeds and model validation.

HPC

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ESIF - Energy System Simulated Operations

A Flight Simulator for Energy System Operators

Operations techniques development for:• 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

High Performance Computing, Data Analysis, and Visualization

16. ESIF Control Room17. Energy Integration Visualization 18. Secure Data Center19. High Performance Computing

Data Center20. Insight Center Visualization21. Insight Center Collaboration

Fuel Systems Laboratories 9. Energy Systems Fabrication10. Manufacturing11. Materials Characterization12. Electrochemical

Characterization13. Energy Systems Sensor14. Fuel Cell Development &

Test15. Energy Systems High

Pressure Test

Thermal Systems Laboratories6. Thermal Storage Process and

Components7. Thermal Storage Materials8. Optical Characterization

Electrical Systems Laboratories1. Power Systems Integration2. Smart Power3. Energy Storage4. Electrical Characterization5. Energy Systems Integration

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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)

ESIF – Power Systems Integration LabMajor 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, 0-

1000V 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 - LabsAutomated Home Energy Management Laboratory

Energy Storage Laboratory

• 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

• 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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• 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)

VTIF Capabilities

• 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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NWTC – 2MW+

NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facilities

ESIF 1kW-2MW

DERTF1kW-200kW

NREL ESI - A unique national asset for energy systems integration R&D, testing, and analysis at various scales

TTF

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