NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Cloud Based Applications 

and Platforms

Cloud Computing East 2014

Debbie Brodt-Giles

May 15, 2014

NREL/PR-6A20-61991

Using the cloud to facilitate access, use, and 

contribution of worldwide energy data and information
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

• Background on NREL’s Data, Analysis & Visualization 

Group in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center

• Why do we use the cloud?

• What types of projects make sense to have on the 

cloud?

• Lessons learned

• What is the process for getting applications on the 

cloud?

• General cloud strategy and next steps

Discussion Areas
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Web Tools

Scenario 

Viewers

Dynamic Maps

Data Platforms

Data Services

Online Learning

Mobile Apps

Analysts

Researchers

Business 

Owners

State & Local 

Gov

Policymakers

Industry

Investors

Evaluate 

Options

Share Data

Design 

Programs

Assess Policy

Find Stations

Site Projects

Model Markets

ENABLE TO

Enable transformation of energy systems and 

markets by providing tools and analysis to 

transform data to knowledge to decisions

Data Analysis & Visualization Group Mission
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

NREL Geospatial Data Repository

OpenCarto Geospatial Analysis Tool

Geo-based Options 

Screening

Interactive 

Temporal/

Spatial Viewer

About Tableau maps: www.tableausoftware.com/mapdata

Best Combination of Incentives Customer Type

Residential

Commercial

Non-Profit / Gov't

System Cost [$/W] 4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

System Capacity [kW] 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

20

30

50

100

System Capacity Factor 0.20

Confidence in Eligibility

 -1 = low confidence

 +1 = high confidence

-1 to 1

Benefit [$]

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

≥ 500,000

Logical Inference Analysis of 

Policies & Incentives

Examples: Geographic Information Science
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center

Mobile Apps

Program Reporting & Metrics

Decision Tools for 

Key Groups

Data Services for NREL & data.gov

Examples: Market Enabling Applications
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

DOE/EERE Open Data Platform

Geothermal 

Project Data 

Repository 

NREL Campus Energy Data

Technology 

Cost

Database

ARRA Smart Grid Project Data

Examples: Digital Assets
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

• Fast

• Reliable

• Scalable

• Controllable

• Easy to monitor

• Redundant

Why the Cloud?

• Accessible

• Easy to implement

• High availability

• Energy efficiency savings

• Cost effective

• Continually upgraded
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

What goes on the cloud?

Potentially anything!

But what we have there now is:

“.org” sites
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Linked Open Data for 

Improved access to energyrelated information

Community support for 

contributions and 

collaboration

Easy, legal, & scalable 

data sharing and ratings

Assessments of 

information quality & 

provenance

Services for application 

development & derived 

data knowledge

Crowdsourced

Dataset Generation

• Wiki-based open energy data sharing 

platform for the world

• DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy (EERE) platform for providing open 

data to the public
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Open Government and Energy Data Initiatives Date

DOE issued press release to launch OpenEI as its Open 

Government Initiative 

12/09

DOE releases Open Government Plan, which highlights OpenEI 4/10

OpenEI recognized by the White House as a Flagship Open 

Government Initiative 

4/10

OpenEI featured on White House Innovations Gallery 1/11

White House Announces Energy Data Initiative 5/12

OpenEI included in OMB Federal Digital Strategy 8/12

OSTP Open Access Memo Issued to Federal Agencies 2/13
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future 11

Example LOD 

Functionality

Basic state info; semantically 

linked to external resources

Energy Data with source info

Tools/models/resources 

relevant to the U.S.

Access to hundreds of RE 

resource maps for the U.S.

REEGLE Policy and 

Regulatory Overview
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

- U.S. Utility Rate Database

- Utility Access Map – Surveying utility 

connections to consumers and data access

- Green Button Data Collection

Utility Portal
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Source: http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:Utilities
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Source: http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:Utilities
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Source: http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:Utilities
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

As of May 2014, over 43,000 utility rates Source: http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:Utilities

Utility Rate Database Coverage

As of May 2014
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

SmartGrid.gov Portal Page
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Smart Grid ARRA Project 

Investments and Impacts
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

• Think on the cutting edge and embrace new 

technologies and tools

• Create an organizational strategy

• Cloud solutions must be viewed as critical to the 

success of .org and .gov web platforms 

• Utilize the external cloud for what it is good for and 

don’t over complicate the integration with internal 

architecture

• Leverage investments in cloud solutions when 

possible (FedRAMP, AWS Products)

• ATO requirements add complexity

• Enable DevOps partnerships between developers 

and cloud system engineers

• Moderate-level data access solutions are needed

Lessons Learned
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Cloud Solution Process

.gov .org

Project Intake

Cloud solutions 

are viable 

options

Open data?

no

yes

Evaluate the 

need and 

potential 

options for 

using a cloud 

solution

Cloud solutions 

are viable 

options

Type of site

At NREL:

The Cloud Systems Engineers 

are co-located with the 

development teams in the DAV 

Group.

OCIO is a separate 

organization, but we work 

closely with them
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

Strategy and Next Steps

Utilize the key benefits of the cloud to build scalable and accessible data 

solutions and platforms to enable open data sharing, API data 

connections, collaboration, and 24/7 uptime. Leverage the tools and 

inherent strengths that the cloud provides, while maintaining reliable, 

secure, scalable, and cost-effective government solutions. 

Next Steps:

Complete automation and monitoring tasks for the current ATO environment

Based on a DOE program need – Develop an ATO environment to house moderate data 

and provide access to DOE and other National Labs in an easy to access format

Enable a “turn key” process for getting other web sites and platforms on the cloud

Create an organization-approved cloud strategy

Tackle the big/complex data issues – affordable storage with quick access for analysis