Lawrence Livermore National Lab to help communities with clean energy solutions

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) launched a new program where it will share solutions for sustainable and affordable energy infrastructure with local communities.

Specifically, the lab will share its research and technology expertise in clean energy technologies — including microgrids, energy-efficient “smart” buildings and electric vehicles — with local governments, community groups, and nonprofits to identify community energy needs. 

“Several California agencies are looking to support these types of collaborations, and it’s a real opportunity to deploy our technologies in ways that are tailored to specific community needs,” LLNL Systems Analyst Robin Wong said. “It’s a co-development strategy. The technology is mature enough that we can work with communities to understand how it can be used to solve specific issues. At the same time, Lab experts get to see these technologies operate in real-world scenarios to better understand how these tools can be used to solve local energy challenges.”

Last year, California passed a law mandating 100 percent clean energy by 2045. To help the state reach that goal, local communities will need the type of expertise that LLNL can offer. For example, microgrid technology could provide apartment complexes, hospitals, neighborhoods, and schools with a source of energy that can be made instantly available if the main grid goes down.    

“With the extreme scenarios we experience in California, such as wildfires, communities really need a resilient and sustainable energy supply,” LLNL’s Associate Program Leader in Energy Infrastructure Liang Min said. “We believe microgrids are the solution.”

City and community leaders are welcome to visit the lab to view demonstrations of several “smart” buildings that are using a sophisticated building control software. Using this type of optimization software can reduce energy consumption by at least 20 to 30 percent.

“We’ve already deployed this technology in several buildings at the Lab, resulting in tremendous benefits,” Min said. “We think this technology is ready for deployment, and it’s easy to install. It represents a very low investment of time and money, and it produces benefits immediately.”

The lab will also help local community leaders learn how to design the infrastructure for charging electric cars. Lab researchers will engage with community groups and city leaders at conferences and symposiums, and work with energy providers and vendors to license or deploy the technologies.  

“The ideal result is seeing technologies that were developed with the support of the U.S. government benefit all sorts of communities,” Wong said.