E S I FN R E L

ENERGY SYSTEMSINTEGRATIONFACILITY

Our nation’s existing power grid is crucial to our way of life.

It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It can’t be shut down, overhauled and restarted.Yet to move clean energy technologies into the existing electrical grid, it is critical that we are able to research and test new technologies and energy systems.

At NREL, we approach this challenge through the idea of Energy Systems Integration (ESI).

Energy Systems Integration (ESI) considers the relationships between four key energy pathways:

» Electrical Systems » Thermal Systems » Fuel Systems » Data and Information Networks

Connecting these four pathways allows the system to work together and provide clean energy for everyone.

ESI

Electricity delivers power in the form of electrons from energy sources to points of use. The electric power system carries electricity over high voltage transmission lines to a substation, which converts the electricity to a lower voltage usuable by customers.

ELECTRICAL

Electricity powers all sorts of things, from computers and ovens to electric cars and home heating systems.

Thermal systems carry energy in liquid or gas form to heat and cool buildings. Homes and businesses are typically heated or cooled using air or water. On a larger scale, district plants can heat or cool several buildings at once.

THERMAL

Cities can now get their energy from the sun.

Gas and liquid fuels are transmitted from refineries and natural gas production plants through pipes to their destinations for use. They can be burned to produce electricity or heat and used to power vehicles of all kinds.

FUEL

Crude oil from Alaska is refined into gasoline and transported to the continental United States.

Information and communication technologies make it possible to manage energy systems more effectively. Sensors provide data on how energy is used, allowing power companies to reduce waste and fine-tune energy production.

DATA

Smart energy meters help homeowners save money by using energy at low-use times.

The electrical, thermal, fuel and data pathways of our energy system convert and deliver energy services at three different geographic scales:

» Residential» Campuses, communities and cities» National/Regional

By focusing on the optimization of energy systems across multiple pathways and scales, we can better understand and make use of the potential to increase reliability and performance, reduce cost, and minimize environmental impacts.

AREAS OF INTEGRATION

This area focuses on efficient, eco-friendly power solutions for homes and commercial buildings. These systems are typically owned and operated by individuals, and they can communicate information about demand and energy generation.

RESIDENTIAL / COMMERICAL

At this scale, solutions are needed to make many different energy systems work together efficiently. For example, combined heat and power systems that service multiple buildings in a small area can be optimized to work more efficiently than a series of individual systems. Likewise, a well-integrated public transportation system can dramatically reduce pollution and fuel consumption.

CAMPUSES, COMMUNITIES, & CITIES

This area covers large-scale power plants, long-range power transmission and shipping systems. Integration is complicated by the multiple regulatory jurisdictions that they span.

Realizing this complexity, at national to even global scales, has the potential of transforming our world into a cleaner and more unified system.

NATIONAL / REGIONAL

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Interactions and interdependencies are increasing among the pathways and across the energy grid. Energy systems integration (ESI) enables the effective analysis, design, and performance of these interactions and interdependencies.

ESI

ESIFThe Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) on the campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be the first facility to allow for such research and testing. The ESIF creates necessary developments to safely move clean energy technologies onto the electrical grid at the speed and scale required to meet national goals.

A diverse team of 200 researchers and support staff innovate and collaborate with new businesses that are working toward the future of renewable energy technologies.

Across the 182,500 square-foot building, ESIF’s twenty-one labs work together to interconnect and integrate the four energy pathways into the electricity grid.

UNIQUE CAPABILITIES

Tomorrow, your home is heated and cooled by the sun.

Tomorrow, the bus you take to work is fueled by algae.

Tomorrow, the lights of Denver are powered by the wind.

Today, we can create a better future.

1 Power Systems Integration

2 Smart Power

3 Energy Storage

4 Electrical Characterization

5 Energy Systems Integration

6 Thermal Storage Process and

Components

7 Thermal Storage Materials

8 Optical Characterization

9 Energy Systems Fabrication

10 Manufacturing

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11 Materials Characterization

12 Electrochemical Characterization

13 Energy Systems Sensor

14 Fuel Cell Development and Test

15 Energy Systems High Pressure Test

16 ESIF Control Room

17 Energy Integration Visualization Room

18 Secure Data Center

19 High Performance Computing

Data Center

20 Insight Center Visualization Room

21 Insight Center Collaboration Room