Managing Technology-Based Projects: Tools, Techniques, People and Business Processes

Chapter 15

Managing by Commitment and Collaboration

WIND ENERGY RESEARCH

“If you could close your eyes for just a moment like Rip Van Winkle, and blink them open in 2023, you might see a very different energy world,” says Clifford Krauss (2013) in a New York Times editorial on energy and environment. Among the many changes, he also foresees “explosive growth” in renewable energy for electricity, with wind generation systems now running at a cost below that of many older power plants. “We are going to see a lot of change in power generation over the next 10 years,” he said. However, progress does not come by chance or luck, it is driven by systematic, well-coordinated and collaborative efforts. One of the organizations facilitating, stimulating, and promoting industry-wide efforts of renewable energy development is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Funded by the US Department of Energy, NREL's efforts at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) have contributed to numerous successes. In addition to helping its industry partners develop commercially successful wind turbines, NREL has developed award-winning components and modeling software. The Laboratory also engages in deployment activities that help schools, communities, and utilities understand the benefits of wind energy and how it can be successfully integrated into our nation's electrical system to provide for a cleaner, more secure energy future.

Many of NREL's R&D projects focus on reducing the cost of wind ...