America's Energy Future: Electricity from Renewables: Technology Opportunities, Risks, and Tradeoffs

This panel will examine the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources. The panel will also consider the broader energy applications of renewables, especially low-temperature solar applications that may reduce electricity demands. The panel will evaluate technologies based on their estimated times to initial commercial deployment and will provide the following information for each: " Initial deployment times < 10 years: costs, performance, and impacts " 10 to 25 years: barriers, implications for costs, and R&amp;D challenges/needs " > 25 years: barriers and R&amp;D challenges/needs, especially basic research needs. The primary focus of the study will be on the quantitative characterization of technologies with initial deployment times < 10 years. Thus, the panel will focus on those renewable sources that show the most promise for initial commercial development within a decade leading to substantial impact on the U.S. energy system as well as consider the potential use of such technologies globally. In keeping with the charge to the overall scope of the America's Energy Future Study Committee, the panel will not recommend policy choices, but will assess the state of development of technologies. In addition to a principal focus on renewable energy technologies for power generation, the panel will address the challenges of incorporating such technologies into the power grid as well as the potential of improvements in the national electricity grid that could enable better and more extensive utilization of wind, solar-thermal, solar photovoltaics, and other renewable technologies.

• Record URL:
  http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=48842

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Contract Numbers:

  DEPS-L-07-02-C

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Kavil Foundation

  ,    

  Department of Energy

  Office of Transportation Systems
  Washington, DC  United States  20585

  Dow Chemical Company

  ,    

  National Academy of Sciences

  500 5th Street, N.W.
  Washington, DC    20001
• Project Managers:

  Holmes, John

• Performing Organizations:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Start Date: 20070700
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 19952

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Electricity; Energy conservation; Energy resources; Geothermal resources; Greenhouse gases; Renewable energy sources; Research projects; Technological innovations; Wind; Wind power generation
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01459730
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Academy of Sciences
• Contract Numbers: DEPS-L-07-02-C
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 1:11PM