by Shane Henson — July 20, 2012—A new Web application developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides technology cost and performance estimates that can be strategically used to benchmark company costs, model energy scenarios, and inform research and development decisions.
NREL, the only national laboratory solely dedicated to advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies from concept to commercial application, expects that this innovative new database will help business owners, managers, and investors make informed decisions supporting the commercialization and deployment of clean energy.
The Transparent Cost Database (TCDB) app provides access to published historical and projected cost estimates for electricity generation, biofuels, and vehicle technologies. Until now, says NREL, those estimates and targets typically have been found in program-planning or budget documents that, while public, are difficult to find and collect.
The new database will also allow experts to contribute reliable new information to continually expand and validate the cost information available to the public. The data is arranged so users can see a range of cost and performance numbers as well as reports on potential improvements. All data will be viewable and downloadable from DOE’s Open Energy Information (OpenEI) platform, a virtual clearinghouse for information about energy.
The database currently contains thousands of estimates from more than 100 reports. The Web interface allows the user to look at current estimates and future projections, and to filter the data of interest. The exact report referenced in each data point is just a few mouse clicks away, says NREL.
