The 21st Century Energy Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities in the Electric Power and Energy Sector

Transcription

1 The 21st Century Energy Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities in the Electric Power and Energy Sector IEEE Region 2 Student Awards Banquet Morgantown WV April 20, 2013 Dr. Gregory Reed Director, Electric Power Initiative Assoc. Director, Center for Energy Assoc. Professor of Electric Power Engineering, ECE Dept. SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

2 National Academy of Engineering: Grand Challenges for Engineering 1. Make solar energy economical 2. Provide energy from fusion 3. Develop carbon sequestration methods 4. Manage the nitrogen cycle 5. Provide access to clean water 6. Restore and improve urban infrastructure 7. Advance health Informatics 8. Engineer better medicines 9. Reverse-engineer the brain 10. Prevent nuclear terror 11. Secure cyberspace 12. Advance personalized learning 13. Engineer the tools of scientific discovery 2

3 Energy Grand Challenges Significant growth in worldwide energy demand Strong pressures to reduce both overall energy consumption and carbon emissions Demands for more reliable, efficient, economic, and environmentally-friendly solutions Need for educating the future workforce in new and burgeoning fields of energy and power Developing the strong interconnections between: energy and electricity development and delivery, economics and policy, the environment, education and engineering 3

4 Engineers What Do We Do? Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. An engineer s work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs. Simply stated, engineers are the innovators and problem solvers that make the world a better place! There are many different types of engineering - the U.S. Bureau of Labor cites 17 different engineering disciplines, and each one has several or more areas of specialty. Electrical Engineering, for example, includes: electric power; electronics; controls; devices; signal processing; optics; sensors; etc. Engineers also may specialize in one industry, such as aerospace; or in one type of technology, such as generator turbines or semiconductor materials. 4

5 Electrical & Electronics Engineers Developing solutions to meet some of societies most critical challenges today and in the future Electricity is the life-blood of modern society Creating the means to advance the evolution of more electronically-controlled electricity and energy systems Energy Resources End-Use Devices The Power Grid Effectively integrating power + electronics + control 5

6 Grand Challenges for the U.S. Power Grid Growing Constraints on Electrical Infrastructure Continued growth in overall electrical demand Transmission congestion in key areas of the country Legacy century-old system and aging/antiquated AC equipment De-commissioning of many near-load fossil generation plants Increased Penetration of Renewable Generation Statewide renewable portfolio standards Location of renewable supply vs. location of load centers Integrating non-dispatchable/intermittent resources reliably Distributed Resources and DC Loads High penetration of local generation (PV, etc.), within distribution networks Energy storage technology developments and applications Consumer and industrial loads are migrating toward DC systems: Data center equipment -- e.g., switches, servers, UPS, etc. Home computers, lighting, TVs, internet routers, cell phones, etc. Electronic motor drives, industrial automation equipment, EVs, etc. 6

7 AC vs DC A Rich and Vibrant History! 7

8 The Need to Modernize the Grid Reliance on an Aging and Antiquated Legacy System Still today, in 2013, there is continued dependence on a legacy century-old AC network, mainly built up during the time frame Westinghouse, Tesla, and Edison would be very familiar with much of the equipment, technologies, and infrastructure still in use today at many of our country s electric power plants and substations a lot of original Westinghouse and General Electric equipment is still in service today! 8

9 A New Era is Emerging in Power Systems What has Changed in the 21st Century? The era of Power Electronics Technologies Continued improvements and efficiencies in semiconductors, devices, circuits, designs, systems, hardware, computing, and applications scaled at all levels Consumer electronics, LED lighting, emerging resources, servers, energy storage, EVs, and other systems operate at or supply absolute DC power Grid Technologies for the Future Integration of power systems, electronics, controls, devices, and computing Hybrid AC/DC electrical systems with advanced security and higher levels of operational efficiency HVDC and FACTS systems 9

10 U.S. Renewable Energy Map Resource Solar PV/CSP) Wind Geothermal Water Power Biopower Theoretical Potential 206,000 GW (PV) 11,100GW (CSP) 8,000 GW (onshore) 2,200 GW (offshore to 50 nm) 39 GW (conventional) 520 GW (EGS) 4 GW (co-produced) 140 GW 78 GW 10

11 U.S. Transmission and Power Plants Outside of the Northeast region, existing EHV and UHV transmission infrastructure is not as dense as other regions comparably Many of the existing fossilbased plants identified in the bottom figure will be retired in the next 20 years, resulting in var deficiencies and creating voltage and system instability, requiring more power electronics control (FACTS/HVDC) The two maps together show that today, resources are aligned with transmission build-out (reflective of historical population and economic density) 11

12 Hybrid DC/AC Super Grid Concepts HV DC/AC Super-Grid Concept for Efficient Integration of Energy Resources and Power Delivery 12

13 Overall Challenges and Opportunities Technology, Infrastructure, R&D, Policy, and Education Integration of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, wave, biomass, and geothermal; Expansion and enhanced reliability of the electric power grid; Evolution of hybrid AC/DC systems and micro-grid environments; Development of smart grids and energy storage technologies; Advancement of nuclear, natural gas, and clean-coal technologies; Growth of transportation electrification hybrid/electric vehicles; Impacts of climate change and carbon capture & sequestration; Effects of government policy, economics, and market drivers; Evolution of energy efficiency and demand side management; Need for workforce development, training, and education 13

14 Rising to the Challenge How we meet these challenges in the decades ahead will have imperative societal, environmental, economic, and global implications; and will set the course of energy sustainability for future generations 14

15 Power & Energy Global Implications The World at Night from Space: Our Globe is Lit Up and Growing Brighter As Societies Advance, the Earth will Illuminate Even More WE have Responsibility Today for the Future of Energy Sustainability 15

16 The Nation s New Energy Capital 16

17 New Power Grid Research Collaborative The DOE NETL-RUA Grid Technologies Collaborative (GTC) PITT, WVU, CMU, PSU, and VATech Established August, 2012 Vision An advanced electricity transmission and distribution network that is operationally efficient and highly reliable; facilitates the integration of renewable and distributed generating supplies, energy storage systems, and hybrid AC/DC network topologies; is resilient to disruptions; and provides efficient electricity to advance economic development and consumer participation Mission The GTC achieves its vision by performing R&D on power electronics technologies for transmission and distribution system applications, including device development, integration, modeling and simulation, control, and fundamental research on key enabling and disruptive technologies. Through its industrial partners and government sponsors, the GTC facilitates the deployment of power electronics systems and helps to train the next generation of electric power system and power electronics professionals. 17

18 Your Role in Making a Difference Developing the Next Generation of Engineers, Scientists, Technologist and Leaders IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Program Contributions to K-12 STEM Activities Volunteerism and Philanthropy Get Involved! 18

19 21 st Century Challenges & Opportunities Go Out and Change the World! 19

20 Contact Information Dr. Gregory Reed Director, Electric Power Initiative Assoc. Director, Center for Energy Assoc. Professor of Electric Power Engineering Electrical & Computer Engineering Department SWANSON School of Engineering University of Pittsburgh Tele: Cell: