Lead Performer: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) – Golden, CO
FY16 DOE Funding: $200,000
Project Term: October 1, 2014 – December 31, 2016
Funding Type: Direct Lab Funding

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The Clean Energy Manufactuing Analysis Center at NREL conducts credible, objective, industry-relevant, consistent, and timely snapshots of the global competitiveness of a technology. This work is meant to be useful to DOE decision-makers at various levels:

  • To funding managers, who might compare metrics to evaluate which technology proposal could have the most overall economic and environmental impact
  • To R&D managers, who might seek to issue a FOA on an area that is a cost pinch-point
  • To strategic directors, who might see common issues across technologies analyzed and shift program priorities

Understanding manufacturing cost implications of technologies is critical to aid adoption of next-generation energy solutions, such as advanced HVAC equipment for building energy efficiency. The goal of this project is to help BTO gain understanding not only of the manufacturing costs and value-add along the supply chain of the heating and cooling (e.g., magnetocaloric or thermoelectric solid state heat pump) technologies, but also gain understanding of manufacturing location decisions.

PROJECT IMPACT

This project will provide input to future heating and cooling R&D program strategy. By identifying a technology’s competitive strengths and weaknesses, these analyses will give BTO technology and program management the data and insights needed to create strategies and plans that better promote U.S. economic growth and pursue R&D activities that have the greatest long-term potential to yield significant energy savings for U.S. consumers.   

CONTACTS

DOE Technology Manager: Karma Sawyer
Lead Performer: Maggie Mann, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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