A new generation of technology is revolutionizing the field of distributed energy. From 1,000-ton water chillers to microsensors, everything looks to be getting smaller, smarter, and—thanks to business-savvy designers—cheaper. It’s happening in research labs, manufacturing facilities, and onsite installations. Some of the most prominent breakthroughs are in the fields of nanotechnology, smart/wireless sensors, and modular design practices. Where will they appear first? Let’s take a look.

With unit lengths of one-billionth of a meter (.000000001 meter), the building blocks of nanotechnology may be difficult to see, but the impact of the tiny tech means big dollars and big performance for distributed energy. Moreover, there’s strong support from state and federal agencies, plus a virtual race within industry to bring nanotech to market (see sidebar). One of the first industries nanotech will improve is photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.

In the short term, the PV industry can expect to see increased efficiency and expanded spectrum sensitivity. Researchers at Boston College, Mega Wave Corp., Florida International University, and the US Army’s Natick Soldier Center have created carbon nanotubes (rolled sheets of carbon atoms) that sense nanoscale wavelengths of visible light. They will work at higher efficiencies in converting sunlight to electricity in solar energy applications.

The University of Toronto had a similar breakthrough in harnessing nanoparticles of quantum dots with a polymer. The new plastic composite can be sprayed onto surfaces, and detects energy from the sun’s invisible infrared rays. Researchers estimate that a refined version of the product could capture up to 30% of the sun’s radiant energy, and produce electricity even on cloudy days.

Nanotech also is appearing in fuel cells. Sharp Corp. recently signed an agreement with Nanosys Inc., to develop nano-enabled fuel cells. Nanotech will appear in proton exchange membrane (PEM)-–based fuel cells, predicts Matthew Nordan, vice president of research at Lux Research Inc. “Some companies are using platinum and rubidium in a material called carbon nanohorns, which have points at each end to increase the quality of the catalyst,” explains Nordan.

Another application Nordan sees connecting with distributed energy is in the area of superconductors. “This has been the next big thing for the last ten years,” says Nordan, “They were too expensive but American Superconductor makes a second generation [lower cost] high-temperature superconductor that is in effect a nanotechnology application because its properties derive from particles of yttrium.” Superconductors—like distributed energy—are well suited for industries that require conditioned power, such as semiconductor fabrication plants.

Thinking small doesn’t stop at the level of nanometers. Delphi Corp., a partner in the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) advanced fuel cell development program, reduced the size and raised the performance by using solid-state technology. Their prototype has broken the $400-per-kW cost goal for fuel cells. The test cells produced poser density levels of 575 milliwatts per square centimeter at 0.7 volts nominal in full-stacks, which betters the DOE’s target of 500 milliwatts per square centimeter.

In another breakthrough, researchers at Georgia Tech built a new micro-generator powerful enough to run a cell phone. It’s about the size of a dime and uses technology that could apply to larger generators. The device’s magnet spins at 100,000 rpm, a speed that would normally cause the magnet to break apart. Design optimization and a titanium case solved the problem.

A playing-card-sized integrated circuit developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Sensors for the next generation of small technologies are also shrinking. Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, developed a wireless sensor just 5 square millimeters (about the size of a fleck of glitter). Part of the Smart Dust and TinyOS projects, the sensors could eventually cost less than $1 per unit and find integration in a broad variety of applications.

Sensors are integral to wireless networks and remote diagnostics, and they’re playing a strong role in the control and reliability of distributed generation. Not surprisingly, the federal government is supporting sensors strongly, says Wayne Manges, program manager for the industrial wireless technology program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). “The government wants wireless sensors,” Manges explains. “A National Research Council report said wireless sensors could reduce energy use in the US by 10% and reduce emissions by 15%. And that’s just a conservative estimate.”

Much of the reduction will come in manufacturing facilities by implementing a “wireless mesh” system of sensors to monitor and coordinate electric motor demand upon power generators. According to the DOE, industrial motors (not including facility heating and ventilation) consumed 679 billion kWh in the US in 2003. Accounting for 63% of all electricity used in industry and 23% of the electricity sold in the US. Analysts estimate that a 10% to 20% reduction would save 35.1 billion kWh per year.

The DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory wants to take sensors beyond factory and energy distribution with a program called GridWise. Engineers at the lab are designing smart chips for integration within “grid-friendly” household appliances to monitor grid conditions. These appliances could automatically shut down during periods of stress on the grid.

A new generation of distributed energy technologies is now addressing stress on the grid of a different kind—financial. For example, a new ORNL project at Ft. Bragg, NC, takes advantage of breakthroughs in forecasting and real-time cost analysis to operate its cooling, heating, and power (CHP) system at the highest levels of economic efficiency.

The project’s CHP layout starts with a 5-MW gas-turbine generator. Waste heat from the turbine exhaust is directed to a heat recovery steam generator to produce hot water for heating. For cooling, the same waste heat drives a first-of-its-kind exhaust-fired absorption chiller that produces 1,000 tons of chilled water. The system’s configuration reduces installation and operation costs as compared to traditional CHP installations.

The system’s automation saves even more money. “This is a dual-fuel system that runs on Number 2 fuel oil or natural gas,” says Jan Berry, research and development program manager at ORNL. “The software optimizes the system’s operations based on the prices of fuel and grid electricity, and also weather conditions.”

The software calculates complex decisions about temperature and humidity that are too difficult to manage effectively through manual operation. In the case of temperature, above 60 degrees there is a benefit from cooling inlet air, but it becomes a parasitic loss at some point due to the energy consumed to cool the water that cools the inlet air.

The system demonstrates another revolution—modular components designed to reduce costs and labor for distributed generation installations. According to Ed Mardiat, director of CHP development at Burns & McDonnell—the design, engineering, and construction firm responsible for Ft. Bragg and a similar project in Austin, TX—modular components can reduce installation time by as much as two-thirds and provide equal installation cost savings. Moreover, modular systems offer budgeting advantages because they can be built incrementally and expanded as demand increases.

For 2005 and further, expect to see a convergence of these technologies at every phase of design, manufacturing, and connectivity. From nano-scale components to large-scale modular design to wireless sensor networks, the industry has embraced a new generation of technologies that truly are small, smart, and savvy. And as they enter mainstream usage, the impact to the economics of distributed energy will be reflected in lower cost and higher performance.

ED RITCHIE is a writer specializing in energy, transportation, and communication technologies.

DE - May/June 2005