TECHNOLOGYINNOVATIONLOOKING TO THE FUTURE, TODAYPROSPECTUS 201911023940

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EPRI’S TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PROGRAM
Looking to the future, today
Driving thought leadership and advanced R&D,
along with technology scouting and incubation, tomaintain a full pipeline of new solutions for the
future Integrated Energy Network.

Contents
Overview...................................................3
Thought Leadership.....................................4
Next-Gen Renewables..................................6
Next-Gen Nuclear..................... ...................7
Advanced Fossil..........................................8“The Technology Innovation program provides a key part of the value we get from EPRI
membership by maintaining a line of sight on potentially disruptive and longer-range
industry developments. The program’s focus on early-stage technologies and research gives
us insights at a depth and breadth that would be difficult to get elsewhere, especially froma single source.”					 Chico Hunter, Manager of Research and Development, Salt River Project11023940

Energy Storage...........................................9
Grid Modernization....................................10
Efficient Electrification.................................11
Resources and Contacts .............................12

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OVERVIEWThe Technology Innovation (TI) program is building the knowledge and technology foundation for the energy future.
EPRI’s TI program surveys the energy landscape, explores technology frontiers, andleverages a global R&D network to inform
strategic decision-making and accelerate
electricity-based innovation.
Broadly, the TI program is charged with ensuring progress toward the future Integrated
Energy Network (IEN), in which consumers
are empowered, and clean energy and otherlifeline services are available for all. Within
EPRI, the TI program maintains a full pipelineof new solutions for application-oriented
development by EPRI’s Energy & Environment,
Generation, Nuclear, and Power Delivery &Utilization R&D sectors.

Approach
EPRI’s member organizations fund the TI program as a strategic, industry-wide investmentin producing, integrating, and using cleaner
energy along the IEN pathway. Direction andoversight are provided by EPRI’s Research
Advisory Committee, which includes senior
executives from U.S. and international utilities.
The TI R&D portfolio is developed in collaboration with EPRI’s sectors and members
serving on the Technology Innovation Committee. Experts throughout EPRI manage individual TI projects, leveraging the resources oftechnology developers, universities, national
laboratories, and innovation ecosystems

worldwide to enhance EPRI’s capacity totransform promising concepts into real-world
applications.

Focus Areas
In 2019, EPRI TI funding totals $32 million,
allocated among the following program
components:• Thought Leadership includes strategic
analysis, modeling, scouting, and incubation focused on emerging issues and highvalue opportunities;• Core R&D involves multi-year programs toadvance early-stage innovations alignedwith the IEN pathway and the technology
roadmaps of EPRI’s sectors; and• Cross-Cutting R&D builds multidisciplinary
knowledge and pushes technology frontiersin project sets and initiatives supporting abroad spectrum of utility applications.

22%
28%

50%

Thought
LeadershipCore R&D
Cross-Cutting
R&D2019 EPRI TI Budget Allocation

Thought Leadership fosters visionary thinking
and focuses technology scouting to help leadthe electric sector in new directions. Strategicplanning, integrated modeling, and otheranalyses illuminate emerging issues anddevelopments. Scouting involves a global
search for—and robust assessment of—new
and innovative concepts across all stagesof the technology development cycle, withan eye toward business, policy, market,
and other factors that will shape commercial potential. In 2019, the TI program islaunching an innovation engine through EPRI’s
Incubatenergy® Network to connect entrepreneurs with utilities and accelerate high-impact
demonstrations of new technologies andbusiness ideas.
Core R&D and Cross-Cutting R&D advancepromising early-stage innovations throughexploratory research, proof-of-concept testing,validation studies, and pilot demonstrations.
Core R&D continues in the areas of advanced
renewable, nuclear, and fossil power; energy
storage; grid modernization; and efficientelectrification. Cross-cutting R&D addresses
artificial intelligence, communications, cybersecurity, modeling and analysis, nondestructive evaluation, unmanned aerial systems,
and the water-energy nexus. The remainderof this brochure highlights recent accomplishments and 2019 activities.

“Electric industry innovation is built on a foundation of vision, thought leadership, and collaboration. EPRI’s Technology
Innovation program provides all three – informed perspectives on the industry, insights on what we will need in the nearand long terms, and knowledge and practical expertise from its staff and members.”
11023940
		
Gary Brinkworth, Director of Enterprise Research & Technology Innovation, Tennessee Valley Authority

New Initiative: AI.EPRI
In 2019, EPRI is launching a strategic, multiyear initiative to enable and accelerate thedevelopment, application, and adoption of
artificial intelligence (AI) across the electric
sector. AI.EPRI objectives include:• Developing a collaborative R&D roadmap:
Based on input from utility executives andleading AI vendors, EPRI is defining R&Dpriorities and opportunities across power
generation, delivery, and customer use.
• Collecting and curating industry data:
To support R&D, EPRI experts and utility
practitioners are collaborating to identify,
collect, and provide secure access to the 10
highest-value data sets—the “EPRI10.”• Educating the R&D and utility communities:
EPRI U workshops will educate industry
professionals on AI technologies andapplications, plus AI developers on powersystem physics and EPRI10 use cases.
• Creating a hub for R&D and objective
analysis: Collaborative AI work will
center on EPRI10 use cases, rigorous andindependent technology assessments, andmitigation of security issues and risks.
Pilot AI.EPRI projects involve the mining
and analysis of decades of utility data andimagery to support diverse AI use cases in
asset operations, maintenance, and advanced
metering infrastructure.

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Trends, Signposts, and Trajectories
Building on recent scenario planning androadmapping exercises involving leadersfrom industry, academia, and government,
EPRI is identifying inflection points and milestones indicating the timing and other characteristics of anticipated transformations—suchas mass-market adoption of electric vehicles(EV)—along the IEN pathway. Insights withmajor implications for individual companies
and the broader electric sector will be applied to align EPRI’s strategic technology and
R&D trajectories with industry-driven R&D
needs and opportunities.

Integrated Energy Network
Planning (IEN-P)
Following on a 2018 white paper characterizing 10 critical integrated resource planningchallenges that are emerging today andexpected to grow in scope and complexity
over time, EPRI published an initial set of casestudies in early 2019 documenting how several U.S. utilities are responding. Learnings

and insights span IEN-P applications such as
assessing the ancillary services required for
managing solar variability at high penetrationlevels, coordinating planning between generators and system operators, and engaging
multi-level stakeholders in integrated planning
processes. A second case study compendium
is under development.

Shared Integrated Grid
Based on EPRI’s leadership over the last 5
years, the Integrated Grid is emerging toposition distributed energy resources (DER)
as complements to conventional infrastructure
in delivering reliable and affordable electricity. The Shared Integrated Grid takes theconcept one step further, in which customer
assets—traditional DER plus appliances,buildings, vehicles, and more—become
flexible solutions that leverage internet-ofthings (IoT) connectivity to enhance value forall. With EPRI support, Dartmouth University
completed a book-length exploration of the
myriad technical and business transformations
that will be enabled by smart devices withAdditional 2019 Priorities
Complementing the thought leadership activities highlighted above, EPRI also is monitoring
developments and scouting innovations in the following areas:• Artificial Intelligence: Framing EPRI-wide
collaborative R&D objectives, identifying
the highest-value industry data sets, anddeveloping guidance on specific AI
technologies and methods.

• Mobility: Evaluating how the rapid
evolution of transportation technologies
and methods will impact customer
choice and future needs for electricity
infrastructure.

• Synthetic Biology: Exploring and• Hydrogen: Monitoring hydrogenassessing the potential of powerfulproduction and utilization demonstrations
genetic engineering tools (including
worldwide and exploring hydrogen
CRISPR) for enhancing biofuel production
synthesis pilots at U.S. nuclear power
plants.
11023940 and other energy applications.

distributed sensing, decision-making, andactuation capabilities. eIoT: The Developmentof the Energy Internet of Things in Energy
Infrastructure was published in early 2019.

Blockchain and Utilities
The Utility Blockchain Interest Group (UBIG),
organized by EPRI in 2018, provides acollaborative forum for accelerating industry
learning—especially on high-value applications, beyond transactive energy—by bringing together utility representatives and domain
experts from around the world to exchange
information and develop best practices. UBIG
participation features monthly webcasts withguest speakers addressing utility use cases
and lessons learned, periodic in-person
events, and access to a growing resource
library and vendor community. A 2019white paper details U.S. and European utility
experiences, highlighting continued exploration, some proof-of-concept tests and pilots,
and the need for technology maturation. For
2020, a global utility pilot database andmarket intelligence newsletter are planned.

Thought Leadership Resources
The resources listed below, with sample topics,
are designed to inform utility decision-makers at
all levels and industry stakeholders of all kinds:

EPRI Unplugged: Podcasts featuring insights

on power industry transformation andinnovation from technical experts across EPRI:• Shifting Energy Across Time and Space• Hopping on a Hyperloop
Quick Insight Briefs: Executive-level briefings
that analyze recent developments to address
strategic questions facing the electric sector:• Hydrogen’s Role in Decarbonizing Heat
• Solar + Storage Offtake Agreements
Landscape Reports: Technology overviewssummarizing performance characteristics,
applications and markets, costs, readinesslevels, R&D, and policy/regulation:• Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology• Energy Storage Technology
Emerging Tech Reports: Technical reviewsof the current status and strategic value of
emerging technologies and ongoing R&D:
• Assessing Economic Impact of Geological 		
Variability in Subsurface CO2 Storage• Renewable Ammonia Production and Use 		for the Transportation Sector
Scouting Updates: Technical briefings thatframe technologies in terms of performance,
applications, and milestones:• DistribuTECH 2019: Innovations in Smart 		Homes and Street Lights• Augmented and Mixed Reality for Space 		and Energy Applications
Infographics and Fact Sheets: Introductory
briefings that make technical information
accessible to a general audience:• Extreme Cold Impacts on Power Systems• Residential Battery Energy Storage

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Incubatenergy® – EPRI’s Innovation
EngineWith funding from U.S. Department of Energy(DOE), EPRI engaged leading incubators
and accelerators in the United States andEurope in creating a highly effective networkof organizations having a proven record in
the clean energy space and supporting a
combined portfolio of more than 500 earlystage companies. In 2018, EPRI assumed
leadership of the Incubatenergy® Network
to build on its success in facilitating collaborations among startups, utilities, and otherstakeholders—ranging from investment to
involvement in validation, scale-up demonstration, and early deployment projects. In
2019, a series of Incubatenergy® Innovation
Challenges is being launched to identify
early-stage companies aligned with specificutility-defined interests and to accelerate theirpaths to demonstration. Additionally, EPRI is

increasing international outreach to strengthen
connections among incubators, accelerators,
and energy providers in Europe and Asia.

TechPortal – EPRI’s Innovation
Database
EPRI’s TechPortal, launched in 2018, is an
online, curated, and fully searchable database of hundreds of innovative technologies
and concepts of interest to electric utilities
and the broader energy sector. The databaseis regularly updated based on scouting by experts across EPRI, including targeted outreachthrough Incubatenergy® and to universities,
national labs, R&D institutes, and other hightechnology industries. For each entry, the
TechPortal includes baseline information as
well as EPRI’s assessment of technology readiness level, timeline to commercialization, andpotential business impact—from minimal toevolutionary to revolutionary.

Startup Engagements
Fiber-Optic Transformer Monitoring
An experimental transformer manufactured
by integrating a continuous optical fiber
sensing system while wrapping its winding
and core is undergoing laboratory
validation by EPRI for low-cost, real-timetemperature and strain monitoring. By
2020, this innovation—developed byHyperion Sensors and cultivated throughthe Ameren Accelerator, an Incubatenergy®
member—is expected to be ready for pilot
demonstration in a transformer prototype
with IoT-enabled capability for optimizing
thermal loading and detecting incipient
failure modes.

Phase-Change Cold Storage
Pilot testing of phase-change thermalenergy storage technologies developed
by Viking Cold Solutions and Axiom
Exergy—startups supported by
Incubatenergy® members Prospect
Silicon Valley and Cleantech Open,
respectively—is under way in collaboration
with Salt River Project and the TennesseeValley Authority. Load shifting anddemand response capabilities arebeing documented for storage units
and controllers deployed at commercial
buildings with large refrigeration, cooler,and freezer systems.

2019 Incubatenergy® Innovation Challenge
Leveraging EPRI’s international network ofinnovators and utility end users, the first
Incubatenergy® Innovation Challengebegan with the broadcast of a solicitation
addressing five challenge areas:• Customer Experience: Analytics, billing,
communications, and new business ideas
for providing personalized services.
• Grid Optimization: DER, storage, andinteroperability solutions for controllingand shifting peaks on a localized basis.
• Mobility and Electrification: EV charging
and grid integration infrastructure andnew business models for acceleratingtransport electrification.
• Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
Efficiency: AI, data analytics, andautomated and predictive inspection for
digitizing O&M tasks.
• Wildcard: Novel solutions and disruptive
technologies addressing additional
industry challenges and opportunities.

In May 2019, EPRI, American ElectricPower (AEP), and other participating utilities hosted a one-week boot camp andpitch day leading to the selection of sevenstartups—from a total pool of 112 applicants—for an intensive, 10-week accelerator program. The chosen entrepreneurs
are developing innovations in the areas ofaugmented reality, fleet electrification, fast
charging, satellite imaging, transformer
monitoring, automated inspection, andsolar and battery adoption.
Representing an expansion of AEP’s
IlluminationLAB, the accelerator program
focuses on establishing the technicalfeasibility and business viability of realworld utility use cases within the context
of broader commercialization strategies.
It also connects entrepreneurs with subject
matter experts from EPRI and innovation
leaders from AEP, Ameren, Consolidated
Edison, Nebraska Public Power District,
New York Power Authority, Salt River Project, Tokyo Electric Power Company, andTennessee Valley Authority.
In September 2019, the program concludes with proof-of-concept demonstrations
by startups, as well as proposals for future
engagement with EPRI and participating
utilities. Follow-on pilots and early deployments implemented across multiple service
territories are expected to help in accelerating commercial scale-up of the mostpromising innovations.

“I’m thrilled to see EPRI commit to supporting the Incubatenergy® Network through its TI program and look forward to seeing the impact of greater collaboration
11023940
between utilities and startups.”		
								Hilary Flynn, Director of Incubation, National Grid

NEXT-GEN RENEWABLESEPRI Core R&D pursues opportunities for improving the life-cycle productivity, reliability,and environmental performance of renewable energy technologies and for positioning
utility-scale plants and distributed resources
as flexible assets in the future IEN. Strategic
R&D topics for 2019 include concentrating
solar power (CSP) plant design and materials development, photovoltaic (PV) plantdesign and end-of-life management, offshore wind cabling and interconnection, andhydro asset valuation and modernization.

Success Story
Developed and demonstrated SABRE™,
a ground-based thermal imaging andacoustic analysis system for inspecting
the blades of all types of operational
wind turbines. Now available through GE
Renewable Energy, this innovation can detectand characterize structural anomalies andincipient problems before life-limiting blade
damage occurs. Benefits include increased
worker safety and avoided downtime during
inspections, plus O&M cost reductions fromproactive blade management.

2018-19 Highlights
High-Temperature CSP Technology
Assessment and Materials Development
Informed by EPRI work documenting utility
interests in the flexibility of CSP plants operating above 700°C rather than in a specifichigh-efficiency Gen 3 configuration, DOE
awarded $62 million in 2018 to advancecompeting particle-, liquid-, and gas-phaseheat transfer systems integrating thermalenergy storage. Through 2020, an EPRI-led
technical advisory committee is supportingR&D teams headed by Sandia National
Laboratories, U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Brayton Energy,
providing design recommendations andoperational testing parameters aligned withutility end-user requirements and grid management needs. In parallel, advanced materials
and fabrication methods with potential toreduce the cost of critical CSP plant components by about 30% are being developed
by EPRI, drawing on internal expertise withnickel-based alloys for ultrasupercritical coalapplications. In follow-on work, DOE plans to

6choose one Gen 3 configuration for a 3-year,
megawatt-scale demonstration and testing
project.
Valuation of Pumped Hydro Energy Storage
Recent EPRI assessments of state- and utilitylevel integrated resource planning studies
and operational and market data for pumped
storage hydro (PSH) plants in different U.S.
regions have illuminated factors influencing
the current and potential future use of this bulk
storage technology for load balancing andancillary services. In 2019, EPRI is initiating
a DOE-funded exploration of the value of
pumped hydro in restructured regions and invertically integrated service territories having evolving generation mixes, different PSH
technology configurations and operating
strategies, and diverse market structures.
PV Module End-of-Life Management
EPRI is leading strategic R&D to help PV
plant owners understand and mitigate thechallenges involved in managing a growing
volume of damaged, degraded, and spent
PV modules in the decades ahead. In 2018,
EPRI completed an experimental module sam-Cross-Cutting R&D: Communications
To enable end-to-end integration of customer-sited renewables and other dispersed
resources as grid assets, EPRI is accelerating the emergence of distributed energy
resource management systems (DERMS) that will bridge the gap between utility
operations and individual device-level controllers by providing aggregation, translation,
simplification, and optimization functions. Building on 2018 progress, new customer
service interactions, messages, and use cases needed for supporting flexible and dynamic
DERMS implementations by utilities and third-party providers are being developed,
tested, and communicated to standards committees. These data integration resources
will associate customers and devices with utility and other programs and enable
11023940DERMS-based management of smart inverters and end-use controllers.

EPRI-developed insights for managing spent anddamanged modules and aging solar arrays are helping
reduce the life-cycle risks of investing in PV assets.
pling and toxicity testing study and identified
novel separation processes for automating
recycling steps, increasing the amount andpurity of recovered materials such as silver
and solar-grade silicon, and minimizing
residual volumes and risks. Follow-on applied
R&D will improve the technical basis for
toxicity testing through sampling and characterization of ex-service modules sourced fromutility-owned PV projects. Pilot-scale repowering experiments to be conducted in 2019at EPRI’s SolarTAC test plot in Colorado will
explore alternative strategies for replacing
damaged or underperforming modules to extend the useful lifetime of existing PV projects.
Collectively, these projects support a new
EPRI initiative focused on informing end-of-life
management approaches being created byutilities, regulators, policymakers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders for PV modules,
wind turbine blades, and storage batteries.

NEXT-GEN NUCLEAR
EPRI Core R&D is leading industry engagement in building a technical foundation for
high-temperature Gen IV reactors offeringa sound value proposition to utilities andother end users and available for post-2030
deployment to serve the future IEN. Strategic R&D topics for 2019 include materials
and fabrication methods, safety assessment
methods to support design and licensing,tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel qualification, and owner-operator requirements for
non-electric missions.

Success Story
Adapted process hazard analysis (PHA)
methods developed by the chemicals
industry for safety evaluation of Gen IV designs while providing a bridge toward theprobabilistic risk assessment (PRA) required
for regulatory approvals. Documented in astate-of-knowledge report and being piloted
by a reactor developer, the PHA-to-PRA
approach enables early hazard identification, event and fault tree development, risk
analysis, and system engineering for increasing safety while minimizing cost, scheduling,
and licensing impacts.

2018-19 Highlights
Powder Metallurgy Component Fabricationfor Small Modular Reactors
A recent EPRI Technology Transfer award to
Rolls-Royce recognized the first commercial
applications of nuclear plant components
fabricated using powder metallurgy-hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP) methods developedand qualified on the basis of long-term R&D
initiated in 2010. In an ongoing DOE-funded
project, PM-HIP, electron-beam welding, andother EPRI-developed innovations are being
extended to reduce the cost and lead timerequired for manufacturing small modular
reactor pressure vessels by up to 40%.
Gen IV Reactor Materials
A materials gap analysis being completed
during 2019 identifies R&D priorities for enabling future reactors to operate using novel
heat transfer fluids under temperature, pressure, and corrosion conditions never before
experienced in power generation systems.
For specific Gen IV designs and components,
EPRI’s assessment will characterize the suitability of existing and emerging materials and7

fabrication methods based on anticipatedoperating environments and on experimental
and commercial experience at nuclear reactor, fossil power, and chemical manufacturing
facilities. Knowledge and capability gaps
identified in areas such as metallurgicaland mechanical characteristics, irradiation
embrittlement, manufacturing, and weldability
will help EPRI organize collaborative R&D toestablish the property and performance basis
for applying advanced steels and nickelbased alloys in Gen IV reactors.
Fusion Power Technology Assessment
Well-capitalized private sector ventures
pursuing innovative concepts deployable
at smaller scale than conventional, publicly
funded fusion power systems offer potential
for accelerated commercialization, according
to an EPRI technology and market assessment. Timeframes for modular and scalable
production of non-emitting and dispatchable
electricity remain about 20 years away, as
the basic physics of practical fusion machines
are still being explored. EPRI plans continued
engagement with selected fusion developers regarding technical progress, business

Cross-Cutting R&D: Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE)
Électricité de France (EDF) is applying a concrete crawler robot outfitted with NDE
probes and precision mapping systems—as conceived by EPRI and demonstrated athydroelectric dams—to inspect cooling towers at nuclear plants. In addition to assessing
structural integrity and detecting and characterizing internal flaws, the crawler helps improve safety and efficiency relative to scaffold-based inspections. Ongoing foundational
R&D is advancing signal processing and data analytics for enhanced NDE regardlessof the target component or flaw. In 2019, algorithms and software are being created toleverage existing video footage of nuclear fuel systems for real-time flaw detection andanalysis during future underwater inspections. In parallel, similar innovations are being
11023940developed for unmanned aerial inspection of transmission lines and other utility assets.

Automated concrete decontamination and other innovations are being explored by EPRI for improving worker
safety while reducing decommissioning time and cost.
models, and power industry owner-operator
requirements.
Automation Technology for Decommissioning
Innovations identified in scouting, exploredwith technology developers, and validated
in laboratory testing are beginning fielddemonstration as solutions for reducing
time, cost, and worker exposure during thedecommissioning of retired nuclear plants.
An autonomous rover integrating state-of-theart radiological monitoring instrumentation
will be tested for site characterization andsurveillance of radionuclide migration during
2019. EPRI also is planning demonstrationsof advanced techniques for concrete decontamination and automated segmentation ofreactor vessels and internals.

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ADVANCED FOSSIL
EPRI Core R&D advances early-stage
technologies with potential for achieving
large-scale emission reductions and forenabling continued use of globally abundantfossil fuels to supply affordable and reliable
electricity in the future IEN. Strategic R&D
topics for 2019 include high-temperaturematerials, carbon capture process testing,geological storage modeling, and advanced
sensing and instrumentation.

Success Story
Developed an advanced design and comprehensive knowledge base for engineering dissimilar metal welds with increased
tolerance to cycling-induced stresses thatcan lead to cracking and catastrophic
failures in high-energy fossil plant steam
piping. Detailed in a guidance document
and upcoming code release, EPRI-developed
procedures and insights are applicable for replacing crack-prone transition joints between
creep-strength-enhanced ferritic steels andaustenitic stainless steels and for improving
the flexible operations capabilities of next-gen
fossil plants.

2018-19 Highlights
Additive Manufacturing for Gas Turbine
Components
In 2018, six hot-section vane airfoil segments
incorporating a novel near-wall cooling design were additively manufactured (AM) and
deployed in an F-class combustion turbine
for a 4,000-hour trial. Ongoing destructive
testing of the ex-service airfoils focuses onvalidating the innovative cooling strategy foroffsetting the generally lower creep resistance of AM materials. Following design,
fabrication, and extended demonstration ofa full vane set, EPRI expects after-market AMcomponents offering reduced lead times andcosts to be commercially available as soon
as 2021.
High-Temperature Dynamic Pressure Sensing
A single-crystal sapphire optical dynamic
pressure sensor conceived by EPRI could
enable step-change advances in combustion
monitoring in harsh gas turbine environments,
relative to current technology requiring standoff tubes that can introduce errors. Drawing

on 2018 design studies, a prototype is being
fabricated to assess accuracy and robustness
in a pilot-scale combustion rig as the next
step toward testing in an operational turbine.
If commercially viable, this innovation will
enable near-real-time combustion tuning tocontrol NOx and avoid life-limiting damage
to hot-section parts.
Solid Sorbent Carbon Capture Membranes
In ongoing research with DOE’s National
Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), an
EPRI-patented post-combustion carbon capture process with breakthrough potential isundergoing validation testing. The membranebased technology employs solid sorbent
nanoparticles embedded in hydrophobicpolymer sheets. Adsorption/desorption cycles
lasting about 1 minute—as opposed to atleast 30 minutes for most adsorption processes—accelerate CO2 removal rates, enabling
greatly reduced capture system size and cost.
In 2019, alternative membrane formulations
are being synthesized and tested on simulated flue gas at NETL, and EPRI’s world-classcarbon capture models are being applied for

Cross-Cutting R&D: Water-Energy Nexus
In 2018, EPRI completed a 3-year laboratory and field campaign demonstrating
wastewater encapsulation as a viable option for holistic management of liquid and solid
wastes from coal plants. Findings show that mixtures optimized based on wastewaterand ash chemistries can be pumped to landfill cells for solidification and stabilization toform low-permeability monoliths with long-term resistance to leaching of environmental
contaminants. A supplemental project launching in 2019 will engage utilities incontinuing to develop technology options for site-specific applications. Meanwhile,
to reduce freshwater use and improve cooling efficiency for all types of steam-electric
plants, early-stage R&D continues on advanced desalination membranes and novel heattransfer surfaces. Promising concepts will be tested at the new Water Research and11023940
Conservation Center under construction at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson.

Additively manufactured gas turbine vane airfoils tested
by EPRI are expected to reduce the lead time and costof procuring replacement components.
optimizing membrane properties and process
performance.
Carbon Storage Reservoir Modeling
To complement the DOE-funded Brine Extraction Storage Test (BEST) project at Gulf Power
Company’s Plant Smith in Florida, coupledmodeling of underground reservoir flow
dynamics and economics is quantifying thepotential cost impacts of key geologicalvariables that influence storage capacity at
specific sites. General relations between
cost, CO2 injection rate, and reservoir size,
depth, thickness, and permeability have been
established. Ongoing modeling focuses onunderstanding how practical storage capacity
could be constrained by reservoir pressurization and on exploring mitigation strategies.
The EPRI-led BEST project—initiated in
2015—is moving in to field testing of a novel
reservoir management strategy involving one
brine extraction well and a second well for
adaptive pressure relief.

ENERGY STORAGE
EPRI Core R&D focuses on maximizing thevalue of distributed and bulk storage forproviding consumers with reliable, safe, affordable, and cleaner energy while optimizing resource utilization across the future
IEN. Strategic R&D topics for 2019 include
power-to-gas and other novel technologies, valuation methods for hybrid storage
systems, control innovations supporting theShared Integrated Grid, and battery healthand safety.

Success Story
Launched the Energy Storage Integration
Council (ESIC) to drive collaboration indeveloping best practices and tools foranalyzing, implementing, and operatingstorage technologies. ESIC now includes
more than 1,800 participants from utilities,
developers, integrators, regulators, and theresearch community. Publicly available ESIC
resources address value and cost assessment,
testing, technical specifications, smart inverter
functions, commissioning, safety, and otherkey issues relating to life-cycle managementof storage projects.

2018-19 Highlights
Water Electrolysis for Large-Scale Hydrogen
Production
According to EPRI’s assessment, electrolyzer
technologies are commercially mature for
specialty applications and approachingefficiency and lifetime targets required forlarge-scale storage of wind, solar, andnuclear power as zero-carbon hydrogen.
In addition, multi-megawatt power-togas pilots in Europe are demonstrating
electrolyzer integration and operation tobalance renewables and provide othergrid services while supplying hydrogenfor pipeline injection, stationary fuel cell,transport, and industrial applications. Given
anticipated manufacturing scale-up, large
electrolyzer installations have potential tosupply electrolytic hydrogen competitive
with incumbent fossil-fuel-based hydrogen forfuel cell vehicles by about 2030—but only
if low-cost electricity is available. Strategic
2019 technology assessment focuses on
stationary fuel cell projects in Europe, while
DOE-funded modeling is providing insight9

on the value of hydrogen technology for gridsupport and seasonal energy storage in futurehigh-renewables grids.
Battery Storage Health and Safety
Considerations
In 2018, EPRI completed a state-ofknowledge review of potential chemical
exposures and other risks for workers andthe public across the life cycle of establishedand emerging battery storage technologies.
Generally, utility-scale systems pose
limited risks during normal operations, butlithium-ion and other major chemistries are
susceptible to thermal failures that can leadto fire, explosion, and accidental releases.
Other life-cycle stages create significant
potential for worker exposures, yet many
key chemicals, compounds, and by-products
lack comprehensive toxicity information andoccupational exposure limits. Even minorchanges to battery formulations can affectrisk profiles, highlighting the critical need for
health and safety research as deployment
accelerates, manufacturing scale-up occurs,
and technologies evolve. In 2019, EPRI is

Cross-Cutting R&D: Modeling and Analysis
With cofunding from California Energy Commission (CEC), EPRI developed the Storage
Value Estimation Tool (StorageVET®) to help utilities, regulators, and others evaluate investments in storage assets. A free, open-source tool, StorageVET® supports quantitative
analysis of deployment options at the customer, distribution, and transmission levels. Its
project description and dispatch simulation routines offer choices in storage technology,
design, economics, and operations and allow for stacking grid services to maximize
value. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power applied StorageVET® to develop
the business case for load-serving projects pairing batteries with PV, and a dozen otherutilities are collaborating with EPRI to analyze diverse applications. In 2019, CEC iscofunding EPRI to develop DER-VET™, a complementary tool addressing the full range of11023940DER, plus microgrid applications, for reliability and optimized sizing and dispatch.

According to EPRI’s analysis, electrolyzers capable ofcompeting with fossil-fuel-based technologies in bulkhydrogen markets could emerge by about 2030.
launching a strategic initiative to address
end-of-life management for storage batteries,
as well as PV and wind assets
Battery Storage for the Integrated Grid
EPRI initiated pilot demonstration of distributed
battery storage technology for the Shared
Integrated Grid in 2018, drawing on smart
inverter functions and advanced controls that
integrate novel dispatch and optimization
algorithms to meet customer expectations andallow specified utility interventions. A new2019 project is applying big data to informthe siting, design, and operation of storage
projects by accounting for future uncertainty
in grid, market, and other conditions.

GRID MODERNIZATIONEPRI Core R&D is building interoperability
architecture and modeling frameworks forthe future IEN, as well as advancing earlystage technologies for more reliable, intelligent, and efficient transmission and distribution (T&D). Strategic R&D topics for 2019
include integrated modeling, data analytics,
microgrids, and innovations in inverter, sensor, cable, and transformer technologies.

Success Story
Played an instrumental role in creating
foundational underpinnings for the Integrated Grid, in the form of the technicalspecifications for interconnection andinteroperability between distributed resources and utility systems incorporated in
the 2018 update of the IEEE 1547 Standard. Over a 4-year period, EPRI led expert
working groups in which diverse stakeholders
defined smart inverter and other specifications
and now is working with more than 20 utilities in applying the new standard across T&D
system planning and operations.

2018-19 Highlights
100% Inverter-Based Grids
A 2018 scoping study explored the complex
operational and planning challenges associated with ensuring reliability in future bulk
power grids served only by wind, PV, battery,and other inverter-interfaced resources. Moving from conceptual analysis to modeling andsimulation, EPRI designed and tested inverter
controls to achieve power sharing among
resources and stable voltage and dynamic
frequency response upon disturbances for a
100% inverter-based grid. Networks servedby inverter-based resources supplemented byminimal synchronous generation also were
examined. As the next step in a multi-year
EPRI R&D program, early learnings are being
further investigated in case studies with utilities anticipating very high levels of wind andsolar penetration.
Energy Management Circuit Breaker
The EPRI-developed energy management
circuit breaker (EMCB) offers disruptive potential as a plug-in technology that provides

10

traditional protection and on/off functions but
also extends metering, power quality monitoring, and control capabilities beyond the pointof common coupling and in to service panels
for residential and commercial equipment.
Successful initial demonstration, kicked off in2014, engaged industrial partner Eaton in UL
certification of a generic EMCB device andan EV charging circuit breaker, along with
manufacturing and testing of about 250 units
in collaboration with 12 utilities. Ongoing
utility demonstrations, running through 2020,
are testing smart breaker products commercialized by Eaton for end-use monitoring,
demand response (DR), PV monitoring anddispatch, battery control, and EV charging
applications. A novel, cloud-based datapool developed by EPRI provides secureconnections to private utility networks while
also affording access to third-party service
providers.
Distribution Relays and Controllers for AssetManagement
According to EPRI’s latest analysis, modern
relays and controllers deployed to protect

Cross-Cutting R&D: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
To help maximize value from high-quality images collected by UAS, machine learningand other AI techniques are being tested using EPRI-curated image libraries for T&D
assets. Algorithms trained on labeled images of healthy or degraded components showpromise for detecting equipment damage and degradation in fresh UAS images. Ongoing R&D will identify T&D use cases in which UAS inspection offers advantages relative
to traditional methods, as well as extend image processing innovations to vibration
monitoring of power plant components and additional UAS applications. EPRI also ispushing boundaries in UAS payloads, indoor navigation, and flight automation while
exploring use cases such as storm damage assessment, dry cask inspection, emission
11023940monitoring, and coal pile measurement.

Smart circuit breaker designs conceived and demonstrated by EPRI have disruptive potential for utility
monitoring and control of behind-the-meter devices.
and stabilize distribution systems also havethe potential to monitor their own healthand that of surrounding assets such astransformers and conductors. In addition to
being located at critical nodes on the grid,these electronic devices generally offer data
storage and processing capacity sufficient tohost and run apps for detecting performancedegradation, fault conditions, and incipient
failures to help utilities reduce O&M costs
through streamlined maintenance andavoided outages. In 2019, EPRI is exploring
additional use cases for relays and controllers
to support future demonstrations of distributed
intelligence capabilities in conjunction with
manufacturers and utilities.

EFFICIENT ELECTRIFICATIONEPRI Core R&D is advancing next-gen
technologies and grid-interactive platforms
for increasing energy efficiency, demand
responsiveness, and grid support value
across major end uses and for decarbonizing heating and transportation systems in
the future IEN. Strategic R&D topics for 2019
include hybrid heat pumps, novel refrigerants, customer interfaces and analytics, andelectrification of water heating, aviation, andother systems.

Success Story
Established efficient electrification as atechnology, policy, and business solution
for leveraging end-use innovations andmodernized grids to benefit customers andutilities and reduce economy-wide emissions. EPRI’s U.S. electrification assessment
quantified nationwide benefits and triggered
state- and utility-level analyses. Electrification
2018, EPRI’s first international conference
held in California, attracted crowds andhelped trigger Electrification Europe 2019, a
2019 U.S. Electrification Symposium Series,
and Electrification 2020.

2018-19 Highlights
Next-Gen Electric Heat Pumps
Residential air-source heat pump (ASHP)
technology delivering unprecedented allseason efficiency, demand responsiveness,and electrification potential—as envisioned
by EPRI in 2011—is now commercially available. During a 5-year strategic R&D program,conceptual design and modeling informedlaboratory optimization of component andsubsystem innovations, leading to technicalspecifications for next-gen ASHPs with broad
geographic applicability. Subsequently, EPRI
has brought together manufacturers andutilities for prototype development, demonstration, and early commercial deployment totest advanced attributes such as all-season DR
functionality, elimination of supplemental heating elements, substitution for fossil-fired heating in temperate and cold-weather climates,
and hybridized electric-gas heating. Meanwhile, based on successful proof-of-concept
testing completed in 2018, the next ASHP
innovation in EPRI’s pipeline—hydrophobic

11

coatings for reducing frost adhesion on heatexchanger coils—is undergoing laboratory
evaluation for lowering defrost-related energy
penalties in heat pumps, as well as refrigeration systems.
Advanced Energy Communities
In collaboration with real estate developers,
utilities, and other key stakeholders, EPRI
is supporting the design and leading theanalysis of a series of advanced energy community (AEC) demonstrations that integrate
efficiency, DR, electrification, PV, and storage
technologies within single-family residential
developments and multi-family buildings.
These customer-focused projects—involving
both new construction and major retrofits—
are generating insights on how coordinatedtechnology deployment and operation canaccelerate heating and transport decarbonization and affect customer comfort,
convenience, and cost. AEC demonstrations
also will help utilities understand the future ofpeak loading, ramp rates, and renewables
balancing, as well as serve as a testbed for

Cross-Cutting R&D: Cyber Security
As IoT technologies such as smart thermostats, loads, meters, and inverters proliferate,
EPRI is assessing hardware-based solutions such as physically unclonable functions,trusted platform management, and trusted execution environments for providing
identity management—an essential element for achieving secure communications andinteroperability between utility systems and billions of future grid-edge devices. In 2019,a repository of promising early-stage concepts and technologies is being developed
through innovation scouting, and strategic R&D partnerships with leading universities
and commercial entities are being pursued to accelerate technology development
around identity management use cases involved in modernizing the grid and in securing11023940the future IEN.

Housing projects that integrate intelligent, efficient, andclean technologies are providing EPRI with a testbed for
decarbonizing buildings while supporting the grid.
EPRI’s open enabling platform, which is being
created to ensure interoperability between IoT
devices and utility networks.
Ammonia for Transport Decarbonization
According to EPRI’s recent assessment,
converting excess renewable or nuclear
energy to hydrogen then ammonia creates anelectrofuel with potentially significant advantages for the carbon-constrained future. In
particular, conventional infrastructure could be
used for long-distance transmission, storage,
and localized distribution of liquid ammonia,
which as a transport fuel offers higher energy
density than hydrogen or lithium-ion batteries.
Advances in direct combustion and co-firing
technologies and in cracking to producehydrogen are needed to enable widespreaduse of ammonia as an energy carrier and intransportation, power generation, and otherapplications. EPRI plans continued scouting
in these areas, as well as integrated analyses
exploring opportunities for power producers to capture value via hydrogen-ammonia
synthesis.

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

12

EPRI TI white papers, reports, podcasts, fact sheets, and other publicly accessible resources are available at www.epri.com and www.eprijournal.com • EPRI members have access to all
TI activities, results, and publications by logging in at membercenter.epri.com and participating in advisory meetings • For more information contact the EPRI Customer Assistance Center at
800.313.3774 (askepri@epri.com) • Ideas for EPRI R&D are encouraged!

Technology Innovation Team

Core R&D

Cross-Cutting R&D

Stephen Stella, Program Manager

Advanced Fossil, Andy Maxson

Artificial Intelligence, Harshal Upadhyesstella@epri.com, 704.595.2945

amaxson@epri.com, 650.855.2334

hupadhye@epri.com, 704.595.2235

Sara Mullen-Trento, Thought Leadership Lead

Efficient Electrification, Allen Dennis

Communications, Gerald Graysmullen@epri.com, 865.218.8002

adennis@epri.com, 865.218.8192

ggray@epri.com, 865.218.8113

Eric Harvey, Innovation Scouting Lead

Energy Storage, Ben Kaun

Cyber Security, Galen Rasche

eharvey@epri.com, 650.855.8567

bkaun@epri.com, 650.855.2208

grasche@epri.com, 650.855.8779

Erik Steeb, Incubatenergy® Network Lead

Grid Modernization, Neil Hughes

Modeling and Analysis, Sara Mullen-Trento

esteeb@epri.com, 650.680.6530

nhughes@epri.com, +44.797.970.8360

smullen@epri.com, 865.218.8002

Jeff Brehm, Marketing & Communications Lead

Next-Gen Nuclear, Andrew Sowder

Nondestructive Evaluation, John Lindberg

jbrehm@epri.com, 704.595.2521

asowder@epri.com, 704.595.2647

jlindberg@epri.com, 704.595.2525

Hannah Davis, Research Associate

Next-Gen Renewables, Ron Schoff

Unmanned Aerial Systems, Drew McGuire

hdavis@epri.com, 704.595.2155

rschoff@epri.com, 704.595.2554

dmcguire@epri.com, 704.595.2425

Tatum Auvil, Research Associate

Water-Energy Nexus, Jeffery Preece

tauvil@epri.com, 980.495.7433

jpreece@epri.com, 704.595.2870

Amy Vrabely, Operations Leadavrabely@epri.com, 704.595.2585
3002016884																	Electric Power Research Institute3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338 • PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com • www.epri.com
11023940© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All rights reserved. Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, and TOGETHER . . . SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY areregistered service marks of the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.

August 2019