Clean Energy Technologies 

for Economic Development at Global 

and Community Scales

Jill Engel-Cox, Ph.D.

Director, Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis

U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Center of Coevolutionary Research for Sustainable Communities

Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

1 February 2019
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 2

Mission: NREL advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable 

transportation, and renewable power technologies and provides the knowledge to 

integrate and optimize energy systems.

Example Technology Areas:

• 1800 employees, plus 400 postdoctoral researchers, interns, visiting professionals

• 327-acre campus in Golden, Colorado & 305-acre National Wind Technology Center 13 miles north

• 61 R&D 100 awards. More than 1000 scientific and technical materials published annually

www.nrel.gov/about

Geothermal 

Solar

Buildings

Computational Science

Resource Measurement

Batteries

Fuel Cells

Energy Analysis

Grid Integration

Biofuels

Hydrogen 

Wind
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 3

www.jisea.org

Connecting 

technologies, economic 

sectors, and continents 

to catalyze the transition 

to the 21st century 

energy economy.

Founding Members

JISEA

Joint Institute for 

Strategic Energy Analysis 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 4

Outline

• Energy Markets and Trends

• Clean Energy Technologies

• Solar Photovoltaics

• Lithium Ion Batteries

• Manufacturing and Economic Development
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 5

Outline

• Energy Markets and Trends

• Clean Energy Technologies

• Solar Photovoltaics

• Lithium Ion Batteries

• Manufacturing and Economic Development
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 6

Global share of renewable energy

Source: REN21 Renewables 2018 Global Status Report, http://www.ren21.net/gsr-2018/
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 7

Global share of renewable energy

Source: REN21 Renewables 2018 Global Status Report, http://www.ren21.net/gsr-2018/
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 8

Global growth of renewable energy

Source: REN21 Renewables 2018 Global Status Report, http://www.ren21.net/gsr-2018/
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 9

Electricity Trending to Gas and Renewables

Power sector is undergoing profound transformation, shifting from coal to natural gas and renewable power generation.

Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly and Form EIA-923. 

32%

30%

20%

17% 

(all renewables)

United States electrical energy mix
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 10

Electricity Trending to Gas and Renewables

Power sector is undergoing profound transformation, shifting from coal to natural gas and renewable power generation.

Source: Wilson, G. and I. Staffell, Winds of change: Britain now generates twice as much electricity from wind as coal, The Conversation, 5 Jan 2018, 

https://theconversation.com/winds-of-change-britain-now-generates-twice-as-much-electricity-from-wind-as-coal-89598. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 11

Electricity Trending to Gas and Renewables

Source: U.E. Energy Information Agency, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=37633 .

Renewable Energy Institute, https://www.renewable-ei.org/en/statistics/electricity/

Japan Trends of Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 12

NREL | 12

Solar Generation as a Percentage of Total 

Generation, 2014-2017, by State

Source: NREL, Q4 2017/Q1 2018 Solar Industry Update, May 2018.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 13

Cost of Renewable & Traditional Electricity Equalizing

Levelized Cost of Electricity ranges by technology. Values are in 2015$. 

Variability due to: Technology; Location; Time (Present v. Future)

Wind same cost as gas combined cycle

..and declining.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 14

Cost of Renewable Electricity at Auctions Driving Decrease

Source: IRENA Renewable Energy Auctions: Analysing 2016 (2017)

Solar PV
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 15

Outline

• Energy Markets and Trends

• Clean Energy Technologies

• Solar Photovoltaics

• Lithium Ion Batteries

• Manufacturing and Economic Development
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 16

WIND

Onshore

Renewable energy is diverse

Offshore

SOLAR PV

Residential: 1-10 kW scale

Commercial: 1-20 MW 

Utility: 50-1000 MW 

GEOTHERMAL

CONCENTRATING SOLAR

BIOMASS

Images from https://images.nrel.gov/
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 17

Global PV market expected to grow

Source: NREL, Q4 2017/Q1 2018 Solar Industry Update, May 2018.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 18

PV System Installation Prices

Source: NREL. The U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmark: Q1 2018, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/72399.pdf
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 19

Supply chain of PV panels

Source: Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, CEMAC, 2017, https://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/benchmark/. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 20

2017 Global PV Manufacturing: Top 373 Companies

From Woodhouse, et al. 2018 Shanghai New Energy Conference; Input data sources for map and pie chart: IHS and BNEF.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 21

Balance of trade varies across supply chain (2016 data)

Economies that are net importers of end products may be major exporters of 

upstream processed materials and subcomponents of those same technologies. 

Balance 

of Trade

Source: Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, CEMAC, 2018, http://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/blog-20180326.html. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 22

Outline

• Energy Markets and Trends

• Clean Energy Technologies

• Solar Photovoltaics

• Lithium Ion Batteries

• Manufacturing and Economic Development
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 23

Lithium ion battery markets

Transportation

Consumer Products Stationary

Hybrid Stationary
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 24

Capacities of energy storage systems built worldwide

Source: NREL. 2018 U.S. Utility-Scale Photovoltaics-Plus-Energy Storage System Costs Benchmark. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/71714.pdf.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 25

U.S. utility-scale lithium-ion standalone storage costs

Source: NREL. 2018 U.S. Utility-Scale Photovoltaics-Plus-Energy Storage System Costs Benchmark. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy19osti/71714.pdf.
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 26

Supply chain of lithium ion batteries

Source: Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, CEMAC, 2017, https://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/benchmark/. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 27

Distribution of critical materials for lithium ion battery 

manufacturing and possible risks

Source: Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center Blog, 2018, https://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/blog-20180815.html. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 28

Trade in Li-ion battery cells for vehicles (2016 data)

Source: CEMAC, Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, Forthcoming. Available at https://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/benchmark/battery.php. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 29

Outline

• Energy Markets and Trends

• Clean Energy Technologies and Their Manufacturing

• Solar Photovoltaics

• Lithium Ion Batteries

• Manufacturing and Economic Development
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 30

Clean energy is important to communities

Work

Business and Industry

Shop

Consumer Products

Live

Buildings and Electricity

Play

Clean Environment

Move

Transportation
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 31

The renewable energy transition creates new jobs 

Source: Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), Renewables 2017 Global Status Report 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 32

NREL | 32

Solar Employs 43% of U.S. Electric Power Workforce; 

Second in total employment to petroleum

Source: U.S. Energy and Employment Report. U.S. Department of Energy, January 2017

6.4 million Americans 

employed in energy sectors
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 33

Manufacturing of clean energy technologies creates economic 

value, especially for Japan (2014 data)

Manufacturing 

value added for 

c-Si PV modules, 

wind turbine 

components, 

LED packages, 

and LDV Li-ion 

battery cells is 

highest for 

China, Japan, 

Germany and 

the United States 

and lowest for 

the United 

Kingdom, 

Mexico, and 

Canada. 

Source: Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, CEMAC, 2017, https://www.manufacturingcleanenergy.org/benchmark/. 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 34

Industry must change to join clean energy transition

Example: Clean power electrification of oil 

and gas operations

• Electrification of all equipment at 

wellpad connected via microgrid

• Power could consist of:

– Field/Flare Gas fired generator

– Solar PV/wind systems

– Fuel cells

– Energy Storage

• Hydrogen

• Batteries

– Grid power (or offgrid)

• Benefits:

– Resiliency during outages

– Optimize for least cost

– Reduce emissions

• Leverage work on

– Remote bases & communities

– Islands
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 35

Energy-Water-Food Nexus important to communities 
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 36

Conclusion and Discussion

• Global trend toward cleaner and lower cost 

energy with potential for growth in 

manufacturing, extraction, deployment

• Manufacturing and deployment of clean 

technologies can have a positive effect on 

community economies

• Increasing intersection of renewable energy 

with other sectors of community economies: 

– Agriculture

– Manufacturing & Industry

– Transportation
Questions and Discussion

Thank you!
JISEA—Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis 38

Disclaimer

This work was authored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by U.S. Department of Energy Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. The views expressed in the presentation do not necessarily 

represent the views of the DOE or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide 

license to publish or reproduce the published form of this work, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.

This presentation was developed to meet an immediate need and was based on the best information the analysts had available 

within timing constraints. The analysis was prepared with information available at the time the analysis was conducted. The analysis 

does not constitute a comprehensive treatment of the issues discussed or a specific advisory recommendation to the jurisdiction(s) 

considered. 

This presentation was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United 

States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any 

legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process 

disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, 

process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, 

recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed 

herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.

NREL/PR-6A50-73119