The U.S. Department of Energy has many recent awards under various research Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) related to the water-energ nexus. The FOAs are generally listed in reverse chronological order with tables of projects that were funded from that particular FOA. The this list will be updated as new projects are funded. By matching recent FOAs and the projects funded from them, this list demonstrates the links between water-energy program needs and the eventual research projects addressing those needs.
Advanced Manufacturing Office SBIR - 2015
In support small businesses and innovation research, these water desalination projects will persue a range of cost effective solutions to meet our growing need for more secure sources of water and power.
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Xergy, Inc. | PEM based Vacuum Desalination System | DE |
| Aquaneers | Photothermal Solar Cell | NY |
| Advanced Cooling Technologies | Solar Thermal Assisted Vacuum Freezing Desalination of Seawater at the Triple Point | PA |
| Hi-Z Technology, Inc. | Renewable Energy Forward Osmosis Desalination System | CA |
| Savengy Technologies | High Efficiency Condenser with Compressor for Multi-Effect Solar Desalination | FL |
| Polestar Technologies | Solar Powered Dewvaporation Desalination System | MA |
| Luna Innovations | Nanophotonics Enhanced Direct Solar Membrane Distillation Process for Desalination of Water | VA |
| ITN Energy Systems | Economical Self-Powered Portable Clean Energy Desalination System | CO |
Bioenergy Technologies Office FOA - 2015
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado School of Mines | Producing Algae and Co-Products for Energy (PACE) | CO |
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy ARID FOA- 2015
The Advanced Research In Dry cooling (ARID) program aims to develop low-cost, highly efficient and scalable dry-cooling technologies for thermoelectric power plants.
Office of Fossil Energy FOA- 2014
The Office of Fossile Energy (FE) funded these project in 2014. The projects aim to improve the design, construction, and operation of fossil energy systems.
Small Business Innovation Research Program FOA - 2014
In addition to the above research, FE and the Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), have awarded the following projects directed at reduced water usage in power plants.
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Ultramet | Open Cell Foam Dry CoolingHeat Exchangers | CA |
| Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. | Dry Cooling Efficiency | PA |
| Altex Technologies Corporation | Condenser Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Models for Advanced Low Cost Dry Cooling systems | CA |
Bioenergy Technologies Office FOA - 2013
An objective of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is to fund research to support outdoor phototrophic algae R&D related to water use in algal production systems. In 2013, BETO released a FOA to provide advancements in sustainable algal production. One of the awarded projects develops water recycling during algal production. (2013 Sustainable Algal Production FOA)
| Researchers | Project title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Water and Nutrient Recycling in Algal Biofuels | CA |
Water Power Program FOA - 2013
In 2013, the Water Power Program release three FOAs (Water Power Program, 2013) specific to the water-energy nexus: the Marine and Hydrokinetics Environmental Effects Assessment and Monitoring, the Marine and Hydrokinetics System Performance Advancement, and the Marine and Hydrokinetic Testing Infrastructure Development. The Water Power Program funded 15 projects associated with the water-energy nexus from three FOAs totaling $15.7 million. (2013 Marine and Hydrokinetics Environmental Effects Assessment and Monitoring FOA, 2013 Marine and Hydrokinetics System Performance Advancement, 2013 Marine and hydrokinetics Testing Infrastructure Development)
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy FOA - 2012
The mission of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is to identify and fund research to translate science into breakthrough technologies that, if successfully developed, will create the foundation for entirely new industries. In 2012, ARPA-E used an Open FOA to invest in a variety of projects that explore different aspects of the water energy nexus. The three projects totaling $4.5 million are high risk and focus applied research to create real-world solutions to important problems that could provide technological leaps in the water-energy space.(2012 Open FOA)
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Brown University | Customized Tidal Power Conversion Devices | RI |
| MIT | Scalable Low Power Water Treatment System | MA |
| Harvard University | Fuel Bacteria CO2 Water and Solar Energy | MA |
| Yale University | Closed Loop System Using Waste Heat Electricity | CT |
| Proton Energy Systems | Regenerative Fuel Cells | CT |
| Sea Engineering | Measuring Real Time Wave Data Ocean Wave Buoy | CA |
| NanOasis | Use Carbon Nanoubes Efficient Reverse Osmosis | CA |
| Sun Catalytix | Energy Water and Sunlight | MA |
| University of North Dakota EERC | Water Efficient Power Generation | ND |
| university of North Dakota EERC | Extracting Magnesium Seawater | ND |
| Algaeventure Systems (AVS) | Fuel Algae | OH |
| University of Wisconson | Turning sunlight CO2 and Water Fuel | WI |
| Cornell University | Efficient Photobioreactor Algae Based Fuel | NY |
Fuel Cell Technologies Office FOA - 2012
The hydrogen and fuel cell technologies that are required to produce hydrogen are varied. In 2012, the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) used the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds to support one project to examine using waste water for hydrogen production. (2012 Small Bsiness Innovation Research FOA)
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Various National Labs | Systems Analysis | N/A |
| Arbsource | Produce Hydrogen from Waste Water | AZ |
Office of Fossil Energy FOA - 2012/11
The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) often works with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) when issuing FOAs. In 2012 and 2013, NETL released FOAs related to unconventional oil and gas technologies (NETL FOA, 2012 & 2013). The purpose of these FOAs was to usher research to increase domestic oil and natural gas production, assure the reliability of the natural gas delivery system, and produce a cleaner environment through R&D implementation. Because of the water resources needed for oil and gas production and the subsequent water management issues, many FE projects inherently deal with water-energy nexus issues. (NETL 2012 FOA, NETL 2013 FOA)
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh | CO2 thickener for improved EOR | PA |
| GroundMetrics, Inc. | Depth to Surface Electromagnetic Imaging for Hydrofracturing | CA |
| NETL | Real-time sensing for Wellbore Integrity | PA |
| University of Texas at Austin | Nanoparticl-stabilized foams | TX |
Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America FOA - 2011
FE and NETL provide oversight and review of the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA). RPSEA was established in 2006 by section 999 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. NETL selected RPSEA to manage the distribution of $375 million over 10 years for research and development to enable new technologies necessary to produce more secure, abundant, and affordable domestic energy supplies and meet the nation‘s growing need for domestic hydrocarbon resources (RPSEA, n.d. a). In 2011, the Small Producers Program FOAs and Unconventional Resources Program FOAs funded 10 projects related to the water-energy nexus totaling $17.1 million. Funding decisions have not yet been made from a 2013 RPSEA FOA. (2011 Small Producers Program FOA, 2011 Unconventional Resources Program FOA)
| Researcher | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| GSI Environmental Inc. | Air and Stray Gas Emissions and Produced Brine Characterization | Canada |
| Drexel University | Advanced Treatment of Shale Gas Fracturing Water | PA |
| The University of Oklahoma | Subsurface Brine Disposal | OK |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | Humidification Dehumidification Treatment Process of Produced Water | NM |
| Utah Geological Survey | Produced Water Management Tools | UT |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Advanced Particle Gels | TX |
| Gas Technology Institute | Advanced Hydraulic Fracturing Methods | IL |
| Colorado School of Mines | Web-Based Tool for Unconventional Natural Gas Development | CO |
| Colorado State University | Optimized Fluid Management in Shale Gas Operations | CO |
| The University of Missouri | Particle Gel Conformance Control | MI |
Advanced Manufacturing Office FOA - 2011
The mission of the Advance Manufacturing Office (AMO) is to advance manufacturing science and technology to enable rapid, low-cost, energy-efficient manufacturing. Through a 2011 Innovative Manufacturing Initiative FOA, AMO has funded one research project at the water-energy nexus. (2011 Innovative Manufacturing Initiative FOA)
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Research Triangle Institute | Advanced, Energy-Efficient Hybrid Membrane System for Industrial Water Reuse | NC |
Geothermal Technologies Office FOA
The Geothermal Technologies Office funds projects to advance geothermal energy production.
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Argonne National Lab | Geothermal Water Use | IL |
| Argonne National Lab | Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utilitie Scale Geothermal Systems | IL |
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability - 2009
In 2009, the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) issued a FOA calling for research related to interconnection-level electric Infrastructure planning (NETL, 2009). Using funds appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the FOA lead to funding for one water-energy project that examines water availability for thermoelectric cooling and competing uses under water stressed conditions.
| Researchers | Project Title | State |
|---|---|---|
| Sandia National Lab | Interconnection Tranmission Planning | NM |