ARPA-E Issues $125 Million Solicitation For 'Transformational' Energy Projects

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The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) is issuing a $125 million open funding opportunity solicitation to support energy research and development projects.Previous ARPA-E open solicitations in 2009 and 2012 resulted in several funded solar projects.

Desired areas of research for the so-called OPEN 2015 solicitation include - but are not limited to - electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means; electricity transmission, storage and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing, commerce and personal use; and all aspects of transportation.The goals of open solicitations are intentionally ill-defined so as to encourage out-of-the-box approaches to stationary and transportation energy applications.

ARPA-E asks applicants to address the potential impact of proposed technologies on the agency’s mission areas: reducing imported energy, reducing energy-related emissions and improving energy efficiency.Detailed information about OPEN 2015, including deadlines, can be found here.

At higher renewable energy penetration levels - such as those studied as part of NREL's analysis - the benefits of thermal storage increase. "Some studies have pointed to the possibility of curtailment of solar energy at high penetrations, which could be reduced by maintaining dispatchable solar resources in the portfolio," CSPA notes in its report.Naturally, utilities have always paid close attention to energy costs when evaluating generation sources for their portfolios. The methodology for evaluating those costs, however, may be evolving, according to CSPA.When using a net-system-cost methodology, utilities and grid operators take into account system integration and reliability under various conditions.

With this type of analysis, CSPA says, understanding the quantifiable benefits of CSP with thermal storage becomes more important."This report comes at a time when utilities and grid operators are evaluating the true cost and operational impacts of higher penetrations of variable resources," noted Tex Wilkins, executive director of the CSP Alliance, in the report summary. "The independent research compiled from the national labs and universities, as well as the findings shared by CSP companies, shows that CSP with storage will be a very important, valuable resource for utilities and grid operators as different countries aim to achieve clean energy goals," he added.Will CSP gain momentum in 2013?

In addition to Ivanpah, several other large CSP projects are also already under development or construction - especially in markets such as India and South Africa.The NREL and CSPA reports make the data-driven case for storage-supported CSP, but it remains to be seen whether utilities and grid operators will embrace these recommendations and help push the CSP industry forward.see more at:off grid system