Where we are
Energy Systems Integration (ESI) is the process of coordinating the operation and planning of energy systems across energy vectors and/or other infrastructures and/or geographical scales to deliver reliable, cost-effective energy services with minimal impact on the environment.
There is nothing dramatically new in ESI compared to how the energy system has evolved over the decades. Society has always strived with differing levels of emphasis to find ways to balance costs, reliability and environmental impact by coordination between energy vectors, other infrastructures and scales. For example, human beings were the original energy conversion device taking in food as the energy source and converting it into mechanical work to hunt, and gather food and fuel across a large geographical area. This primitive way of life involved coupling between the energy conversion device, the human, and the food infrastructure which was the forests, hills and plains of the area in which they lived. This was coupled to the transport system, walking; heat was produced by gathering fuel from the area and burning it to cook the food.
The recent added importance of ESI is due in large part to the increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy resources into the energy system and into electricity in particular. This increased penetration of variable renewable energy was initially driven by the desire to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel, but increasingly, with the costs of wind and solar photovoltaic and the risk profile of alternatives, it is now being driven by the attractiveness of the investment. Increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy into electricity grids requires more sources of flexibility, and this is where the link with ESI is strongest. For example, electric vehicles can provide additional flexibility depending on how we schedule the charging of the vehicles. They represent a coupling between transport, at the scale of individual vehicles, and electricity at the regional scale.
Where we are heading
The rapid growth in variable renewable energy integration into electricity grids shows no signs of slowing down. There is an increased emphasis on electrification in part to decarbonize transport and heat, but also as a general trend towards electricity as a cleaner more convenient way to consume energy. To date, this has driven the coupling across vectors and scales on the basis of the existing infrastructures. However, as the penetration levels increase, it will start to drive the planning of these infrastructures and the development of new infrastructures.
At very high penetrations, variable renewables in electricity (wind and solar PV) will result in many periods of time when there is excess renewable energy (free or negative value) and periods where there is too little i.e. scarcity. The classic proposed solution is storage, a crowded space with some real research challenges, i.e. can we develop a low-cost energy storage technology suitable for seasonal storage. Other options also exist and may be much more realistic considering the challenges facing storage technologies, in particular cost and round trip efficiency. In times of excess, the energy can be dumped into other vectors, i.e. fuels or heat, or into transportation, or manufacturing processes that can use this “free energy” to manufacture useful products. Existing manufacturing in many instances assumes 24/7/365 availability of energy. What if we were to develop manufacturing processes that can manufacture existing (or possibly new) products in a process that is low capital cost, automated and can use large amounts of “free” energy over very short periods of time[1]. Research is needed to identify the temporal characteristics of this free energy which is heavily dependent on the renewable mix, the demand profile, and can be system specific. These characteristics need to be matched to a manufacturing process in terms of temporal energy requirements, product storage potential, capital costs, and the ability to reduce the need to have workers available when these periods of free energy occur, i.e. automation. If there are good matches and the cost benefit is competitive, then prototype process development, demonstrations and full-scale deployment can begin.
Manufacturing processes for very high variable renewable energy penetrations may well be part of the solution for the “free energy” issue, but the periods of scarcity will still exist. These can be solved with storage or by e.g. long-distance transmission (bringing in renewables from other areas). A collection of solutions is probable with the balance being determined by the local conditions and economics. Another potential solution is societal adaptation where society adapts to the availability of the energy. This is not demand side management as we currently use the term where we turn off e.g. the air conditioner for 20 minutes. This is much more fundamental, where we adapt our lives according to the availability/price of the energy. Research into what aspects of society can potentially adapt is important. For example, in the transport sector can we take trips at periods of time when the energy is available? Can we adapt the services sector where services are available during periods of cheap energy? These are interesting combined technology and social science research questions that should be explored.
What do we need to do to get there
I have given two simple examples of potential research directions for ESI that arise from the increased penetration of variable renewable energy, one requiring manufacturing and economic expertise and the other requiring social science and technology expertise. There are many other potential research directions for ESI, for example, can hybrid energy systems increase the resiliency of heat energy services to the customer. The strength of an integrated energy system is the increased degrees of freedom, but the weakness is the large range of potential solutions, making it hard to choose where research should be focused. This is why a research roadmap that sets out a direction for research in ESI is an important undertaking, and one that the Research and Education Working Group of ESIG is currently conducting.
Mark O’Malley
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Chair, Research and Education Working Group
Energy Systems Integration Group
[1] The exact nature of this depends on the characteristics of the “free energy” profile. For wind dominated systems, it is likely that the “free energy” will occur at irregular intervals and in large quantities over short periods of time. “Free energy” in solar dominated systems is likely to be more regular and relatively smaller in volume.
jean faucher says
Several machines have existed, and still this force is greatly exploited. You’re probably wondering.
If have is attentive to discoveries and developments in technology over time, have realized that at one time, the discovery of powerful machines such as steam, electricity and the internal combustion engine, among other have completely stopped the development of the use of the gravitational strength. In parallel, we developed the turbines efficient to run generators. We do not neglect this force. We simply have not capitalized on the development machine using gravity. We just missed this machine without perceiving capacity.
To me, gravity is a powerful energy that we simply not channel to its full potential. The development of a new principle is not always obvious, even if it is simple. You and I know that many discoveries have been made by accident, but the majority were made by the engineering and research. We now need technical knowledge and mechanical performance to achieve this kind of machines, and we have for several dozen years.
I therefore propose the development of a machine that is part of the field of engineering, bringing together existing systems, that no rape laws of physics and using as main source of energy, gravity. I do not understand why all this time, we are not yet able to build a machine that produces its own energy by using gravity. It is a machine that can not be described as perpetual motion, which uses a constant force present across the globe and inexhaustible. I say that this machine can exist.
You understand that I ask you to read the word to your attention, arouse your curiosity, and cause you to go further. This is not easy with all that we know today. What I propose in this letter seem to be irrational for you. The strength is there, the machine, not yet. When you think it’s hard to believe, but sometimes you do not see in simple principles, all the possibilities, but most of the utility and capacity of such a machine. According to the information I have accumulated such a machine is impossible. I know the principles of thermodynamic and friction that prevents us from believing in the truth of such a machine. As I mentioned above, I propose that no rape laws and principles of physics. I’m just saying that we missed this opportunity when it presented itself.
This machine be various sizes and powers. Based on existing technologies. Currently it is possible to build a machine capable of producing an impressive constant force. I think by that against physical limitations requires us to be a little more realistic.
More down to earth, I ask you, what power would the alternator be with a few tons of constant power?
Imagine a machine that just set up anywhere, significantly reduce production costs and some even eliminate the production of electricity by nuclear plant.
I can be reached at the following address. jeanfomachine@outlook.fr Québec Canada.