b'I D A H O N A T I O N A L L A B O R A T O R Y F Y 2 0 2 0 L A B O V E R V I E WINTEGRATED ENERGY SYSTEMS T he integrated low-carbon energydelivery, storage, and use. To capitalize onviable across various energy markets. systems of the future integrate diversethe opportunities beyond baseload electricityIntegrated energy systems research is energy generation systems such asgeneration and to expand the market forcomprised of multiple focus areas working nuclear, geothermal, and other baseloadnuclear energy, INLs integrated energytogether to ensure technical feasibility, sources, with intermittent renewables. Fromsystems S&T initiative leverages INLs coreeconomic feasibility, and successful those energy generation sources, heat andcapabilities to develop and demonstratedeployment. The integrated energy systems electricity have traditional direct uses andmultigeneration energy systems that, byS&T initiative focuses on three primary the potential to support industrial processes,incorporating nuclear energy with otherareas of RD&D: such as hydrogen production. To realize anforms of electricity generation, provide1.thermal systems, including transport optimized energy future, new integratedgrid reliability, resilience, affordability, andand storage of heat generated from approaches to energy generation, storage,new products. nuclear reactors and other sources, distribution, and use are needed. The Laboratorys expertise in nuclear energy2.electron systems, to manage an Nuclear energy is a proven low-emissionprovides the basis to efficiently capture,evolving electric grid and the option that can consistently meet electricitydistribute, and store nuclear-generatedelectrification of the transportation demands, and its potential value extendsthermal energy for power generation orsystem, and far beyond electricity generation. Withoutdirect thermal-energy use. The integrated3.energy and elements-to-molecules leveraging the full benefits of nuclearenergy systems S&T initiative works to paveand materials systems to develop novel energy, the low-carbon energy systems ofthe way for eventual systems adoptionapproaches to capture and convert the future will unnecessarily operate withby commercial producers and consumersenergy to molecules and materials for inefficiencies and will undervalue somethrough at-scale demonstration to makedirect use in industrial processes and methods and products of energy generation,low-emission energy products economicallythe transportation sector.INL works to transform the existing energy paradigm. Currently, energy production is devoted to the grid. In the near term, INL researchers are partnering with industry to rethink how current generators can do more than just put electrons on the grid. In the long-term, INL is targeting S&T advances to design new systems, both small and large, to use heat, electricity, and radiation to drive many other processes.12'