Purpose & Objectives
One of the most significant outcomes of the National Consortium will be a set of recommendations to frame multiple pathways to achieve LDES commercialization over the next decade. Commercialization refers to the steps that must be taken before technologies are successfully launched to affirm or redefine traditional approaches (i.e., pathways) addressing policies, financing, and investing, supply, production and distribution, marketing and sales, and customer support.
The purpose of the Customer Adoption Tiger Team is to assess the challenges and roadblocks that can negatively impact how customers in various markets can adopt, utilize, and benefit from LDES technologies.
The Customer Adoption Tiger Team will identify opportunities and barriers that drive or hinder the commercialization of LDES technologies as represented by the customer adoption of these technologies. Emphasis will be placed on opportunities and barriers that must be immediately addressed to enable a pathway for LDES commercialization within the next decade.
Monthly Meeting Schedule
The Customer Adoption Tiger Team will meet on the fourth Thursday of the month from 10:00am to 11:00am MT via Microsoft Teams.
For more information on how to join this Tiger Team, please contact Kailey Wulfert.
Scope
Within the context of this Tiger Team, “customer” can refer to any person or organization with a current or future interest in using a wide range of LDES technologies for a variety of applications. The current and future needs of customers in both wholesale and retail markets across the US will be considered within this Tiger Team. The Customer Adoption Tiger Team will be actively assessing challenges and roadblocks facing a broad range of LDES technologies and developing consensus-based recommendations to define the customer-focused pathways for LDES products, projects, economics, financing, policies, and equity so that overall customer adoption for LDES is enhanced. In addition, this Tiger Team will also work to assess the potential and likelihood of partnerships that can be developed between LDES technology suppliers and manufacturers and utilities seeking utility-scale solutions that can result in increased options for end-use customers. Information gathered directly from Teaming Partners and shared from other Tiger Teams within the National Consortium will be used to inform recommendations related to customer adoption of LDES technologies
Leadership
Zhiwen Ma – Laboratory Leader
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Dr. Zhiwen Ma is a senior engineer in the Thermal Sciences R&D Group at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (2000) and a M.S.M.E. degree from the University of Akron (1996). He was Test and Modeling Engineer at FuelCell Energy for six years since 2001 and worked at General Electric (GE) Aviation before joining NREL in 2009. His research focuses on particle thermal energy storage (TES), hydrogen production, and concentrating solar thermal power. Zhiwen is leading the research projects on long duration energy storage (LDES) using particle-based thermal energy storage, thermal and electrochemical modeling for electrolysis technology development, and solar fuel production. His research works on energy storage, solar receiver, advanced supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle, thermal and electrochemical modeling have been applied in Generation 3 concentrating solar power, solar fuel and hydrogen production. He has expertise in modeling and testing of particle TES, renewable solution and system development, component performance and cost analysis. He served as an associated editor for Frontier in Energy Research, has published over 80 papers, numerous technical reports, two book chapters, and was awarded fourteen patents.
