ETA 2021 Strategic Plan - Flipbook - Page 47
Energy Storage & Distributed
Resources Division
The Energy Storage and Distributed Resources
(ESDR) Division conducts research in the
areas of energy conversion, storage, and
distribution. ESDR works closely with academic,
government, and industry partners to enable
and accelerate the development and adoption
of new advanced technologies for sustainable
transportation, renewable, and resilient grid
infrastructure, energy-efficient manufacturing,
and next-generation water–energy technology
performance. It leads the efforts on water
desalination in Berkeley Lab’s Water–Energy
Nexus Initiative, which aims to explore solutions
that help build water and energy resilience
for a stable and secure future. In support of a
global transition to a clean energy economy,
ESDR researchers bring deep expertise in
basic electrochemistry, materials science,
characterization and theory, machine learning,
and high-performance computing. ESDR is
organized into six research groups that address:
energy storage, energy conversion, laser
technologies, thermal energy, grid integration,
and applied energy materials.
Research Objectives
• Develop electrochemical, chemical, and
thermal energy storage and conversion
technologies, from materials synthesis to
advanced characterization to testing and
failure analysis.
• Develop carbon-free hydrogen production,
storage, and use for multiple applications
such as transportation, industrial heating,
and grid-level energy storage.
• Discover novel breakthrough desalination/
separation concepts based on recent
advances in nanotechnology, metal
coordination chemistry, photonics and
thermionics that can lead to future
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sustainable desalination techniques and
enable frugal use of huge reserves of
nontraditional waters.
• Develop energy storage expertise,
capabilities, and facilities to support the
development of innovative energy storage
solutions.
• Develop tools for grid integration and cyberphysical security of distributed resources.
• Participate in cross-sector and
multidisciplinary collaboration — both inhouse and externally with other national
labs, universities, and industry — through
workshops and meetings that promote
education and networking opportunities,
as well as events showcasing Berkeley Lab
capabilities and expertise.
• Engage in public-private partnerships, such
as CalCharge, where a consortium of energy
storage companies can enjoy a streamlined
contractual arrangement that enables
industry to engage with Lab expertise.
Energy Storage Group
The Energy Storage Group has an extensive
history of addressing applied problems from a
fundamental perspective. Currently, the group
is aggressively pursuing a new class of cathode
materials of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries to
resolve material cost and supply issues that are
threatening their viability. Researchers in the
group are also exploring the limitations of fast
charging and low-temperature performance and
development of silicon (Si) as an active anode
material to replace graphite or the use of lithium
metal. Other efforts include novel techniques
to investigate at the nanoscale the chemical
and morphological properties of the protective
film on Si and the advancement and fabrication
of solid-state electrolytes into thin films that
can readily incorporate cathode material. This
work is supported by extensive knowledge of
electrochemical processes during operation
of practical devices, as well as Berkeley Lab’s
advanced user facilities, including the Battery
Fabrication Laboratory. A laser spectroscopy
tool developed by ESDR helps users better
understand the electrochemical properties of
battery materials. To address manufacturing
limitations, the group is leveraging its modeling
and diagnostic capabilities to better understand
the impact of particle-level interactions on slurry
rheology, casting, and drying — and ultimately
on device performance.
Thermal Energy Group
The Thermal Energy Group conducts research
in manipulating matter at molecular and
nanoscale dimensions for novel applications in a
multitude of thermal, solar, and electrochemical
energy devices and systems. Researchers in
the group combine theoretical, computational,
and experimental techniques to understand
energy conversion, storage, and transport. They
are focused on using and optimizing various
materials for thermal storage and developing
technologies that can transport energy and
convert it from one form into another with new
levels of control and efficiency. This expertise is
being used to develop tunable thermal energy
storage solutions for buildings, thermochemical
storage, wastewater treatment, nonlinear
thermal device design, and machine learning for
automatic design of photonic systems.
Laser Technologies Group
ESDR’s Laser Technologies Group focuses on
fundamental and applied research centered
on two main focus areas: (1) next-generation
laser spectroscopy tools and (2) cuttingedge laser fabrication tools for advanced
manufacturing and materials discovery. The
group’s laser spectroscopy research seeks to
better understand the spatially and temporally
distinct chemical and physical makeup of
materials, which is central to pushing forward
major advances in areas such as energy,
national security, and biology. The group’s
unique rapid laser fabrication capabilities,
which include 2-D and 3-D chemical imaging
of materials at the nano/meso and macro
scales, find applications in energy storage,
conversion, and laser manufacturing. Many
competencies, specifically those related to
optical elemental/isotopic analysis and remote
sensing, have been pioneered at Berkeley
Lab and are currently unique to the Laser
Technologies Group. Its cutting-edge resources
include three femtosecond lasers coupled with
harmonic generation, infrared (IR) ultrafast
optical parametric amplifiers, time-of-flight
mass spectrometers, ultrasensitive intensified
charge-coupled device (ICCD) optical detectors,
seven nanosecond laser sources, near-field
femtosecond microscopy, and automated rapid
ultrafast laser sampling, signal acquisition and
processing platforms for material analysis and
fabrication.
Grid Integration Group
ESDR’s Grid Integration Group (GIG) has
broad expertise in distribution grid research,
microgrids and distributed energy resources,
vehicle-to-grid simulation, cybersecurity and
demand response research. GIG works to make
the evolving smart electric grid compatible
with the requirements of electric system grid
operators and electric utility companies while
serving the needs of electricity customers.
GIG researchers are focused on developing
accurate, validated measured and modeled
representations of generation, to give
distribution planners and operators confidence.
Researchers in GIG have developed several
renowned tools downloaded worldwide,
including the Distributed Energy Resources
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