News & Events
Demand response complements energy efficiency in lowering costs & emissions, Berkeley Lab and NREL find
Report finds significantly less competition between these resources than might be assumed, encouraging co-deployment in virtually any combination
Report Highlights Technology Advancement and Value of Wind Energy
Berkeley Lab research finds that value of wind energy far exceeds costs
Webinar: An Empirical Assessment of Regional and Interregional Transmission Congestion Value
Please join Berkeley Lab’s Dev Millstein, along with Johannes (Hannes) Pfeifenberger, Principal at The Brattle Group, and Michael Goggin, Vice President at Grid Strategies, for a free webinar discussing the recent Berkeley Lab report “An Empirical Assessment of Regional and Interregional Transmission Congestion Value.” The webinar will be hosted by the Energy System Integration Group (ESIG).
2021 was a big year for hybrid power plants—especially PV+storage
Newly released data compilation from Berkeley Lab tracks operational and proposed plants
New Berkeley Lab technical brief provides an introduction to designing EV retail electric utility rates
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption has increased significantly over the past several years. More than 640,000 light-duty plug-in EVs were sold in the US in 2021, which was more than twice the number sold in 2020. State regulators and policymakers are addressing barriers to EV adoption, integration of EVs into the electricity system, and the equitable sharing of benefits among EV owners and other electricity customers.
China Can Cut Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Up to 40%
Climate pollutants like methane and soot don't stick around in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide does, but they have far greater heat-trapping potential. A new study led by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) finds potential for China to cut emissions of these short-lived gases by up to 40% in 2030.
Regional and Interregional Transmission Have Significant Economic Value
Extreme conditions and high-value periods disproportionately boost the value of new transmission, but are not always adequately considered in forward-looking assessments
Can meteorological models accurately characterize daily cycles in wind generation?
In the United States, the towers of new wind plants often measure greater than 90 meters in height and the rotors themselves can extend another ~60 meters up. The tremendous height of these structures means that wind speeds far above the surface can impact wind generation.
New Berkeley Lab research explores implications of residential storage for net metering reforms
Compensation rules for residential rooftop solar are evolving toward a model that encourages customers to use battery storage to maximize solar self-consumption.
Is this a good thing?
Berkeley Lab study explores energy justice implications of renewable energy siting patterns
The clean energy transition will require utilizing large swathes of land for utility-scale solar and wind energy project sites. The impacts of large-scale deployment of solar and wind energy projects on local communities raises questions of energy justice. Some argue that the clean energy transition could burden disadvantaged communities with negative impacts from project development, while others argue that project development could provide economic and cultural benefits to disadvantaged communities.
New Public-Private Partnership to Upgrade Tool That Estimates Costs of Power Interruptions
Berkeley Lab-led initiative helps electric companies improve grid reliability and resilience
Berkeley Lab has initiated a national public-private partnership to update and upgrade the Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator – a publicly available, online tool – which estimates the economic consequences of power interruptions.
New study explores the increasing value of residential energy efficiency to the utility system
Berkeley Lab and The Brattle Group are pleased to announce the release of a new report, titled “Valuing Residential Energy Efficiency: Analysis for a Prototypical Southeastern Utility.” The study quantifies the amount of cost-effective residential energy efficiency (EE) that could be deployed by a prototypical summer-peaking utility in the Southeastern U.S. across scenarios representing business-as-usual conditions, as well as under various program and policy initiatives.
Decarbonization and Consumer Costs Expected to Drive Future Investments in Efficient Buildings
What will drive building investments in energy efficiency over the next 10 years? To find out, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers reviewed academic literature, analyzed recent state actions on demand-side management, and interviewed and surveyed experts throughout the country.
Webinar: Berkeley Lab solar data sets
The Electricity Markets and Policy Department at Berkeley Lab would like to invite you for a free webinar on Berkeley Lab solar data sets on Thursday, June 9 at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET. Register for the webinar here.
A 50% Reduction in Emissions by 2030 Can be Achieved. Here’s How
The United States has set an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2030. Are we on track to succeed?
A new study by a team of scientists and policy analysts from across the nation suggests that there are multiple pathways to achieve this goal – but big commitments will need to be made, immediately.
Berkeley Lab Joins New DOE Initiative to Improve Clean Energy Interconnection
There are now over 1,300 gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery capacity seeking grid interconnection, but those proposed projects face long wait times and – in many cases – very high costs to upgrade and connect to the grid system. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are pleased to partner with teams from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to launch a new initiative aimed at helping clean energy resources connect to the grid, enhancing overall grid reliability, and improving market competition and transmission access.
New study refocuses learning curve analysis on LCOE rather than up-front installed costs in order to provide a more-holistic view of technology advancement
Projecting the future cost of wind and solar generation is a challenge. While analysts employ a variety of methods to understand past wind and solar cost trends and to project future trends, learning curves tend to be the most common approach.
Experts Anticipate Larger Turbines and Plants, with Increasing Focus on Grid-Value Enhancement Options
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new article in the journal Wind Energy that identifies expectations about future wind turbine and plant designs in 2035 for onshore and offshore wind.
Energy-saving Tool Cited by White House
Public schools spend roughly $8 billion a year on energy bills — the second largest expense after teacher salaries. Promoting energy efficiency can be a good way to save money for school districts and increase the comfort and health of teachers and students, all while reducing pollution.
Berkeley Lab releases Top 10 Research Findings on the Growth of Hybrid Power Plants in United States
One of the most important electric power system trends of the 2010s was the rapid deployment of wind turbines and photovoltaic arrays, but early data suggests a twist for the 2020s may be the rapid deployment of ‘hybrid’ generation resources.