Research Roadmap for Cost and Technology Breakthroughs for Renewable Energy Generation
Crafting a research roadmap for advancing renewable energy generation technologies
Energetics Incorporated
Recipient
Columbia, MD
Recipient Location
$331,693
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
Through a literature review, expert interviews and surveys, and multiple expert and public webinars, the roadmapping project produced both a Technical Assessment and Research Roadmap. While the Technical Assessment focused on the current state of renewable energy resources and research efforts in both California and nationally, the research roadmap pinpoints recommended initiatives which fill current technology gaps. The roadmap includes 17 recommended initiatives, with supporting background information including generation trends, resource assessment, cost and performance metrics, and technology area considerations. Two research initiatives are recommended for the following technologies: solar PV, concentrated solar power, land-based wind, geothermal, bioenergy, grid integration, and energy storage. The team recommended three research initiatives for offshore wind energy.
The Issue
This research roadmap initiative arose from the need to help achieve California's forward-leaning goals for ramping up the generation of renewable power and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases contributing to global climate change. The development of a roadmap for strategic investment in renewable energy RDD&D through the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC Program) helps prioritize needed scientific and technological advancements, set appropriate technology development milestones, leverage available resources to accelerate the delivery of effective products and practices, and encourage uptake of these technologies to attain state energy and environmental goals.
Project Innovation
This project aims to develop a research roadmap to strategically frame research priorities, potential partnerships, and critical technology milestones to support EPIC portfolio decisions and accelerate progress toward more cost-competitive, flexible and reliable renewable energy generation, operation, and storage.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This Research Roadmap aims to strategically frame research priorities, potential partnerships, and critical technology milestones to help inform EPIC research development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) portfolio decisions and accelerate progress toward more cost competitive, flexible and reliable renewable energy generation, operation, and storage. A roadmap is an effective tool for laying out RDD&D pathways. A robust roadmap considers a spectrum of technology complexity, the current state of the art, rapid expansion of scientific knowledge, competition for RDD&D funding, dynamic customer expectations, and the cost and risk of research.
Affordability
Cost is a significant barrier to greater renewable energy penetration in the California grid. This Research Roadmap aims to strategically frame research priorities, potential partnerships, and critical technology milestones to he
Key Project Members
Jonathan Rogers
Energetics Team
Sabine Brueske
Subrecipients
TSS Consultants
Center for Sustainable Energy
DAV Energy Solutions, Inc.
Renewable Energy Consulting Services, Inc.
Solar Power Consulting
Match Partners
Renewable Energy Consulting Services, Inc.
Solar Power Consulting
