DOE Announces Webinars on Solar Thermochemical Reaction Systems, Wind Turbine Recycling and Repowering, and More

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts.

Upcoming Webinars

January 8: Live Webinar on On-Bill Financing

Webinar Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service

The Energy Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture will present a live webinar titled "On-Bill Financing" on Thursday, January 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  This webinar will focus on financing programs that enable customers to make energy improvements through their utility bills. On-bill financing is one way to provide customers with low-cost, up-front capital required to make energy improvements. In some jurisdictions, these on-bill programs have been operating for decades.  The webinar will discuss existing programs around the country and highlight different ways to structure an on-bill program.

This webinar is part of a series focusing on the Rural Utilities Service's new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EECLP). Through the EECLP, the Rural Utilities Service provides direct loans to rural electric cooperatives and other rural electricity providers. The EECLP supports energy efficiency, demand-side management, and renewable energy generation.

Register for the webinar.

January 13: Highly Efficient Solar Thermochemical Reaction Systems

Webinar Sponsor: Fuel Cell Technologies Office

The Energy Department will present a live webinar titled "Highly Efficient Solar Thermochemical Reaction Systems" on Tuesday, January 13, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This webinar will focus on the Energy Department's investments in micro- and meso-channel reactors and heat exchangers, which has led to the development of a highly compact reaction system that efficiently converts concentrated solar energy into chemical energy stored in syngas. Recent tests at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have demonstrated 69% solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency, converting methane and water into syngas—a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. As the solar energy is stored in chemical bonds in the syngas product, the effective result is a 20% increase in the fuel energy without an increase in carbon content. This webinar will describe the evolving status of the technology with a focus on near-term, anticipated applications, which include fuel cells, combustion gas turbines, and the production of various chemical products.

Register for the webinar.

January 15: Design Conditions for the Hurricane Metocean Environment

Webcast Sponsor:  WINDExchange

The Energy Department will present a live webcast titled  "Design Conditions for the Hurricane Metocean Environment" on Thursday, January 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Joel Cline from the Energy Department will moderate, and the following speakers will discuss design conditions for the hurricane metocean environment:

Mark Powell, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Hurricane Conditions and Wind Shear Peter Vickery, Applied Research Associates: Synthetic Hurricane Modeling of Coupled Winds, Waves, Currents, and Water Levels George Hagerman, Virginia Tech: White-Capping and Depth-Limited Wave Breaking

Register for the webinar.

January 21:  Wind Turbine Recycling and Repowering

Webinar Sponsor: WINDExchange

The Energy Department will present a live webcast titled "Wind Turbine Recycling and Repowering" on Wednesday, January 21, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. What happens to a wind farm when its turbines reach the end of their lifecycle? This webinar explores the options available to developers and installation owners when considering what to do with a turbine at the end of its economic lifespan. What does the recycling process look like, and what's involved with repowering a site?

Eric Lantz, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will provide a summary of a recent repowering analysis report. Jason Cotrell, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will summarize a soon-to-be-published analysis on turbine recycling. The report examines several key wind turbine components, including fiberglass (blades), permanent magnets (generator), and steel (towers), and the recycling and reuse options that exist. Rick Miller, EDF Renewable Energy, will provide his perspective on recycling and repowering and share lessons learned from his experiences.

Register for the webinar.

January 22: Live Webinar on Solar Program Overview

Webinar Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service

The Energy Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture will present a live webinar titled "Solar Program Overview" on Thursday, January 22, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  Hear from our solar experts on the fundamentals of developing a solar power program in your community. This webinar will introduce a range of policy and program options that have been successfully field tested in cities and counties around the country and highlight lessons learned and best practices.

This webinar is part of a series focusing on the Rural Utilities Service's new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EECLP). Through the EECLP, the Rural Utilities Service provides direct loans to rural electric cooperatives and other rural electricity providers. The EECLP supports energy efficiency, demand-side management, and renewable energy generation.

Register for the webinar.

February 3:  Live Webinar on How New Energy Savings Performance Contracts are Improving Energy Efficiency in U.S. Buildings

Webinar Sponsor: Better Buildings

The Energy Department will present a live webinar titled "ESPC 2.0: How a New Generation of Energy Savings Performance Contracting is Improving Energy Efficiency in U.S. Buildings" on Tuesday, February 3, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  Join Better Buildings Challenge Partners and Allies to learn how they are employing energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) to improve long-term energy performance in their buildings with little or no upfront cost.  A representative from the Department of Energy will also introduce the Energy Department's ESPC Accelerator, a high-impact program designed to support expansion of ESPCs by state and local governments.

Register for the webinar.

Past Webinars

December 17: Small and Distributed Wind Turbine Update

Webcast Sponsor: WINDExchange

The Energy Department presented a webcast titled "Small and Distributed Wind Turbine Update" on Wednesday, December 17.

Bret Barker, U.S. Department of Energy, presents an Energy Department program overview, including a certification update and discussion of the implementation of certification standards into ITC/1603. Robert Preus from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory describes the soon-to-be-published Small Wind Turbine Site Assessor's Guide. An overview of the SMART Wind Consortium, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, is presented.

View the past webcast.

December 2: Materials Genome Institute

Webinar Sponsor: Fuel Cell Technologies Office

The Energy Department presented a webinar titled "Materials Genome Institute" on Tuesday, December 2.  The Energy Department supports the use of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) tools and methodologies to accelerate the discovery and development of materials for clean energy technologies. The approach centers on coordinating research efforts in theory, synthesis, characterization, and information-management, and uses the latest combinatorial and high-throughput techniques in both computation and experimentation. This webinar describes current directions in the evolution of the clean energy MGI and showcases several exciting DOE projects, mainly in the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, that have been early adopters of MGI methods.

View the past webinar.

December 2: Transmission Planning and Interconnection for Offshore Wind

Webcast Sponsor:  WINDExchange

The Energy Department presented a live webcast titled "Transmission Planning and Interconnection for Offshore Wind" on Tuesday, December 2. Charlton Clark from the Energy Department moderates the discussion, and the following speakers discuss recent planning and interconnection developments related to offshore wind:

Charlton Clark, U.S. Department of Energy: Transmission Planning and Interconnection for Offshore Wind John Daniel, ABB: National Offshore Wind Energy Grid Interconnection Study Willett Kempton, University of Delaware: Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Penetration Kenneth Loparo, Case Western University: Great Lakes Offshore Wind Penetration Bob Burner, Duke Energy: Carolinas Offshore Wind Integration Case Study.

View the past webcast.