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The Energy System Impact area encompasses everything from where the energy is generated to the end point of use. This includes the grid infrastructure, micro-grids, district heating and cooling systems and building climate controls.

Much of the United States power grid was built in the 1960s and 1970s, and this is common across the globe. While much of the system has been improved with automation and some engineering technologies, the aging infrastructure is struggling to meet modern energy demands. This is only going to get worse as populations grow.

As we look to integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid the intermittent and dispersed nature of these sources requires a modern and smart grid capable of handling variable inputs and effectively distributing energy across diverse locations.

As we update this aging infrastructure to meet the increased demands and new renewable energy sources it is a great opportunity to build a more resilient and reliable system, one with redundancy built in to reduce the impact of outages. One that is protected against cybersecurity threats. One that is more efficient, more decentralized, and more just.

Investment in a cutting-edge energy grid will not only provide a more secure, reliable and efficient energy supply to the population, but will also produce multiple economic and environmental benefits. Many new, high-quality jobs will be required for this major update. A flexible grid based on clean energy sources can be adaptive, better handle disruptions, and provide more opportunities for electric vehicle networks, home batteries, and district level cost-sharing.

Here are just some of the ways in which several of the Research Foci are making advances in this Impact Area:

Batteries

• Developing ideas and models around how battery storage be integrated into the power grid infrastructure to ensure reliable service.

Buildings

• Development of district level heating and cooling control systems.
• Development of more effective smart climate control systems for commercial and residential buildings.

Energy Justice

• Analysis of how a new power grid could be installed to reduce impact on low-income communities and ensure that broad and equal reach is achieved.

Energy Policy

• Analyses for different power grid scenarios and how these can be used to guide future energy policies.

Fuels

• As new renewable energy to fuels technologies are developed, their integration into the larger energy infrastructure, either as an energy storage solution or as a direct fuel source are considered.

Grid Innovation

• Modeling and simulations of potential designs for national grid structures integrating renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies.
• Development of new technologies to automate and refine energy transmission.
• Development of smart grids and distributed energy systems.

Social, Institutional, and Behavioral Analysis

• Analysis of the impacts of building out a new power grid.

Solar Power

• Analysis of strategies to integrate solar power into a modern power grid

Theory, Computational Modeling, and Simulation

• Using advanced simulations to better understand the demands of a variable smart grid, how best to develop control strategies to ensure reliable power supply.

Wind Power

• Modeling and simulation exploring strategies for integrating large scale wind power sources into a modern grid.