1. NREL Overview Robert J. Noun Executive Director
Communications & External Affairs
January 30, 2009
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

2. Energy Solutions are Enormously Challenging
Security
Economic
Productivity
• Secure supply
• Reliability
• Global financial crisis
Vulnerability
Or Opportunity
Environmental
Impact
• Carbon mitigation
• Land and water use
Must address all three imperatives
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future 2

3. Achieving a Sustainable Energy Economy
Requires: A National Energy Grand Challenge*
Forge Essential Policies
Investment in RD3E
Support Education and Workforce Development
Inform Decisionmaking
Lead Globally
Encourage Consumer Decisionmaking
Use Federal
Market Power
* Preliminary Recommendations of the National Science Board Task Force on Sustainable Energy

4. Getting to “Speed and Scale” – Key Challenges
Implementing Renewable Gigawatts at Scale
Cost
Reliability
Infrastructure
Dispatchability
BARRIERS
Displacement of Petroleum-Based Fuels
Cost
Life cycle sustainability
Fuels infrastructure
Demand and utilization
BARRIERS
Reducing Energy Demand of Buildings, Vehicles, and Industry
Coordinated implementation
Valuing efficiency
Cost
Performance and reliability
BARRIERS
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

5. President Obama on Renewable Energy
Invest $150B in alternative energy over 10 years
Double production of alternative energy in three years
Upgrade the efficiency of more than 75% of federal buildings and two million private homes
Create Jobs with Clean, Efficient, American Energy = $54B
Transforming Our Economy with Science and Technology = $16B 5

6. Technology Options Are Evolving
Solar
Wind & Water
Geothermal
Biofuels
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

7. Harvesting Past Investments First Generation Technology
U.S. Renewable Electricity Installed Nameplate Capacity
Sources: Chalk, AWEA, IEA, NREL, EIA, GEA
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

8. Technology Innovation Challenges Remain The Next Generation
Wind Turbines
Improve energy capture by 30%
Decrease costs by 25%
Biofuels
New feedstocks
Integrated biorefineries
Solar Systems
Improved performance through, new materials, lower cost manufacturing processes, concentration
Nanostructures
Zero Energy Buildings
Building systems integration
Computerized building energy optimization tools
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

9. Achieving the Potential Requires A Balanced Portfolio
Use to reinforce key messages from prior briefings:
Accelerating Impact:
Integrating energy science and technology to accelerate options
Rapidly translating innovation to commercial impact
Leveraging talent and resources across organizations
Taking a strong systems perspective
Providing credible and objective knowledge to inform policy and market decisions
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

10. Connecting new discoveries, via applied research,
Translational Science is Key to Speed and Scale
Systems Biology
Photoconversion
Computational
Science
Connecting new discoveries, via applied research,
to the marketplace
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

11. Managing the Lab-to-Market Interface
Partner with industry, universities, other federal agencies, international community and state/local governments to deploy clean energy solutions
Hawaii training, DuPont CRADA, Xcel/SolarTAC
Contribute timely and definitive analyses on technology, policy, and market issues that impact commercialization
Provide investment community with credible information (industry growth forums)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

12. Technology Development Programs
NREL R&D Portfolio
Efficient Energy Use
Vehicle Technologies
Building Technologies
Industrial Technologies
Renewable Resources
Wind and water
Solar
Biomass
Geothermal
Energy Delivery and Storage
Electricity Transmission and Distribution
Alternative Fuels
Hydrogen Delivery and Storage
Foundational Science and Advanced Analytics
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

13. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
NREL FY2008 Program Portfolio
Actual $328.3 Million
Weatherization $3.4M
Facilities and Infrastructure $76.2M
Solar $72.4M
Transmission and Distribution $1.9M
WFO $18.7M
Bioenergy $35.4M
Other DOE $7.6M
Geothermal $1.9M
Basic Sciences $13.5M
Wind $33.9M
FEMP $4.6M
Buildings $11.1M
Vehicle Technologies $19.3M
Hydrogen $28.4M
Updated October 2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

14. NREL Funding and Staffing14

15. NREL: Leadership by Example
TEAM Initiative
DOE's effort to maximize energy efficiency and renewable energy generation across the DOE complex
Science and Technology Facility achieves LEED ‘Platinum’
First Federal building
NREL Site is “Carbon Neutral”
Onsite renewables (Mesa Top and NWTC PV)
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) purchases
Renewable Fuel Heating Plant
Will offset 75% of current South Table Mountain campus natural gas use (significant on-site RE project)
Financed and installed through Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC)
Energy Policy Act and Executive Order Requirements
Currently exceeding EPAct requirements
Meet or exceed new Executive Order requirements
Vehicle Fleet
48 vehicles, 34 (71%) are alternatively fueled
Fleet petroleum reduced ~45% since 2000
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

16. Market Growth is Enabled by Progressive Public Policy
JAPAN
CALIFORNIA
Federal, state and local governments are the stewards
“Big 3” experience shows that this policy model works well
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

17. State Policy Framework
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Source: DSIRE database, March 2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

18. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Wind
Today’s Status in U.S.
22,820 MW installed capacity
Cost 6-9¢/kWh at good wind sites*
DOE Cost Goals
3.6¢/kWh, onshore at low wind sites by 2012
7¢/kWh, offshore in shallow water by 2014
Long Term Potential
20% of the nation’s electricity supply
Worldwide installed capacity = 56,813 MW as of Jan 2006
Worldwide industry = $12-$14B
* With no Production Tax Credit
Updated December 8, 2008
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, American Wind Energy Association
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

19. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Wind
NREL Research Thrusts
Improved performance and reliability
Advanced rotor development
Utility grid integration
Source: Megavind Report Denmark’s future as leading centre of competence within the field of wind power
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

20. Solar – Photovoltaics and CSP
Status in U.S. PV
1,000 MW installed capacity
Cost 18-23¢/kWh
CSP
419 MW installed capacity
Cost 12¢/kWh
Potential:
11-18¢/kWh by 2010
5-10 ¢/kWh by 2015
8.5 ¢/kWh by 2010
6 ¢/kWh by 2015
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, IEA
Updated January 5, 2009
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

21. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
NREL Research Thrusts PV
Higher performance cells/modules
New nanomaterials applications
Advanced manufacturing techniques
CSP
Low cost high performance storage for baseload markets
Advanced absorbers, reflectors, and heat transfer fluids
Next generation solar concentrators
8.22-megawatt Alamosa, Colo., PV solar plant
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

22. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Buildings
Status U.S. Buildings:
39% of primary energy
71% of electricity
38% of carbon emissions
DOE Goal:
Cost effective, marketable zero energy buildings by 2025
Value of energy savings exceeds cost of energy features on a cash flow basis
NREL Research Thrusts
Whole building systems integration of efficiency and renewable features
Computerized building energy optimization tools
Advanced HVAC and envelope technologies
Building integrated PV
April 10, 2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

23. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Geothermal
Today’s Status in U.S.
2,800 MWe installed, 500 MWe new contracts, 3000 MWe under development
Cost 5-8¢/kWh with no PTC
Capacity factor typically > 90%, base load power
DOE Cost Goals:
<5¢/kWh, for typical hydrothermal sites
5¢/kWh, for enhanced geothermal systems with mature technology
NREL Research Thrusts:
Analysis to define the technology path to commercialization of Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Low temperature conversion cycles
Better performing, lower cost components
Innovative materials
Long Term Potential:
Recent MIT Analysis shows
potential for 100,000 MW installed
Enhanced Geothermal Power systems
by 2050, cost-competitive with coal-
powered generation
April 10, 2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

24. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biopower
Biopower status in U.S.
2007 capacity – 10.5 GWe
5 GW Pulp and Paper
2 GW Dedicated Biomass
3 GW MSW and Landfill Gas
0.5 GW Cofiring
2004 Generation – 68.5 TWh
Cost – 8-10¢/kWh
Potential
Cost – 4-6¢/kWh (integrated gasification combined cycle)
2030 – 160 TWh (net electricity exported to grid from integrated 60 billion gal/yr biorefinery industry)
April 10, 2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

25. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biofuels
Current Biofuels Status in U.S.
Biodiesel – 165 companies; 1.85 billion gallons/yr capacity1
Corn ethanol
134 commercial plants2
7.2 billion gal/yr. capacity2
Additional 6.2 billion gal/yr planned or under construction
Cellulosic ethanol (current technology)
Projected commercial cost ~$3.50/gge
Key DOE Goals
2012 goal: cellulosic ethanol $1.31/ETOH gallon or ~$1.96/gge
2022 goal: 36B gal Renewable Fuel; 21B gal “Advanced Renewable Fuel”– 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act
2030 goal: 60 billion gal ethanol (30% of 2004 gasoline)
NREL Research Thrusts
The biorefinery and cellulosic ethanol
Solutions to under-utilized waste residues
Energy crops
NREL Research Thrusts
The Biorefinery
Solutions to under-utilized waste residues
- Agriculture
- Forestry
- Urban
Advanced agriculture (energy crops) enabled by plant genomics and bioscience
Updated February 2008
Sources: 1- National Biodiesel Board
2 - Renewable Fuels Association, all other information based on DOE and USDA sources
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

26. Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)
Status:
PHEV-only conversion vehicles available
OEMS building prototypes
NREL PHEV Test Bed
Key Challenges
Energy storage – life and cost
Utility impacts
Vehicle cost
Recharging locations
Tailpipe emissions/cold starts
Cabin heating/cooling
~33% put cars in garage
NREL Research Thrusts
Energy storage
Advanced power electronics
Vehicle ancillary loads reduction
Vehicle thermal management
Utility interconnection
Vehicle-to-grid
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

27. Renewable Electricity at Scale
Microturbines
Focus on Key Barriers
Grid integration/Interconnection Technology
Reliable Operation at High Penetration
Utility Grid
Grid Simulator
3 AC Buses
Synchronous Generators
Inverters
Wind Turbines
3 DC Buses
Battery Banks
Load Simulators
PV Array
Fuel Cells
spatial diversity of the resource
flexible conventional generation
grid operations and control areas
limited curtailment for extreme events
load management
and at high penetrations possibly storage
Technical Concerns Real but solvable
Lack of transmission capacity from stranded renewable resource locations
Affected by utilities' existing generation mix regulating capabilities, load characteristics, resource availability, and correlations between system load and resources
Additional systems costs imposed by variability and uncertainty may go up with increasing penetration
Costs are moderate – up to 20-30% Penetration – and depend on balancing authority and market structure
Electrolyzer
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

28. An Integrated Approach is Required
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

29. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
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Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future