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Department of Energy Announces More Than $104 Million for National Laboratory Facilities
Eight Projects Will Support Growth of Clean Energy and Efficiency through Research, Development and Testing
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – While visiting Sandia National Laboratories, Deputy
Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman today announced $104.7 million in funding
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for eight new projects to
establish critical research and testing facilities at seven DOE National
Laboratories , including Idaho National Laboratory. The projects will support
the development and improvement of clean energy and efficiency technologies of
strategic national interest. Specifically, the funding will go toward reducing
the production cost of carbon fiber manufacturing, to help in reducing the
weight of vehicles; improved efficiency and lower costs for car batteries; and
net-zero energy building technologies. This effort will leverage the combined
intellectual and technical resources of DOE National Laboratories to support
technologies that will help transform the economy and create jobs, while
decreasing carbon emissions.
"Our National Laboratories are national treasures and home to world-leading
science,” said Deputy Secretary Poneman. “As they have since their founding,
they are helping us tackle the great challenges of our day, including on energy
and climate. Their innovation and ingenuity are helping jumpstart American
manufacturing, accelerate job creation and lay the foundation for a clean energy
economy."
Projects announced today have been selected in three areas:
- Carbon Fiber Manufacturing and Processing Technologies: Carbon fiber is a
light weight, high-strength material that has the potential to revolutionize the
automobile and wind industries. Low-cost carbon fiber is critical to reducing
the weight of vehicles and thereby raising their fuel efficiency, while
maintaining the strength and safety found in steel autobodies.
- Advanced Battery Prototype Fabrication and Testing Facilities: Energy
storage technologies, especially batteries and electric drive components, are
critical enabling technologies for developing advanced, fuel-efficient vehicles
and meeting the Administration’s goal of putting 1 million Plug-In Electric
Vehicles on the road by 2015.
- Development of Integrated Building Systems: Buildings account for 40
percent of carbon emissions in the United States. Net-zero energy buildings –
those that generate as much energy as they use on an annual basis through high
efficiency and on-site renewable energy generation – are a key way to address
and reduce these emissions. New laboratory facilities will develop the
technologies and design approaches that enable net-zero energy buildings (N-ZEB)
at low incremental cost.
The Department of Energy solicited applications from eligible National
Laboratories nationwide. Applications underwent a thorough technical review
process.
Laboratories selected today include:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) will receive $34.7 million for
carbon fiber manufacturing and processing to construct the Carbon Fiber
Technology Center. The Center will investigate novel manufacturing processes and
alternative feedstocks in order to lower the cost of carbon fiber from the
current $10-$20 per pound to under $5 per pound.
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) will receive $20.2 million to
develop an Integrated Net-Zero Energy Buildings Research Laboratory that
includes a commercial building field research platform.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, CA) will receive $15.9
million to build and operate a National User Facility for Net-Zero Energy
Buildings Research that will contain a series of coordinated integration test
beds that address key technical challenges for net-zero energy buildings.
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (Morgantown, WV) will receive $13.9
million to construct a 35,000 square foot Performance Verification Laboratory to
perform nearly 17,000 verifications tests per year on a broad range of
residential and commercial appliances.
- Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL) will receive $8.8 million to
construct three battery research and development facilities: a Battery Prototype
Cell Fabrication Facility, a Materials Production Scale-Up Facility, and a
Post-Test Analysis Facility.
- Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, ID) will receive $5 million to
establish a High Energy Battery Test Facility. The High Energy Battery Test
Facility will possess capabilities that will enable development of low cost
batteries that meet real world performance requirements.
- Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM) will receive $4.2 million to
modify and enhance its Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory. Abusive testing
includes such conditions as over charging, over discharge, short circuits, fire
and external heat exposure. The improved battery abuse testing facilities will
possess capabilities critical for developing low cost batteries that meet real
world performance requirements.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO) will receive $2 million
to establish a Battery Thermal and Life Test Facility. The Battery Thermal and
Life Test Facility will enable researchers to develop lower cost, more robust
battery thermal management systems and battery designs.
-DOE-
Editorial Date November 19, 2009
By Timothy Jackson
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