Robert A. (Bob) Hawsey
Robert A. (Bob) Hawsey has led the Renewable Electricity and End Use Systems Directorate at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) since October 2008. The Directorate is responsible for execution of complex energy research, development, and demonstration programs valued at approximately $190M annually. Included are the renewable supply side options of solar, wind, geothermal, and waterpower technologies, as well as building efficiency and electricity programs. Mr. Hawsey came to NREL from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee where he was responsible for leading a research and development portfolio of efficiency & renewables projects. He holds the B.S.-Ed. degree in Physics-Mathematics (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) and the M.S. in Engineering Physics (University of Virginia). Mr. Hawsey is a member of the IEEE. He serves on the Advisory Board for Disney’s Planet Challenge and was co-chair of the 2010 ACEEE Summer Study in Building Energy Efficiency.
Integrating Renewables and the Smart Grid
The coming convergence of smart, energy efficient buildings; the smart grid with an increase in distributed renewable generation; and more electric ground transportation poses opportunities and challenges for our nation’s electric power providers. Standards are needed to assure interoperability of equipment with the electric transmission and distribution (T&D) system. As renewable generation penetration levels exceed 20% or more on the T&D system energy storage solutions may prove viable compared with alternatives to help mitigate the variability of wind and solar electricity sources. These systems may be utility scale, substation based and, perhaps, more distributed via the large number of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles that are expected to penetrate the market in the coming decades. The smart grid may help accelerate adoption of distributed renewables and storage systems.