Southern Company Research & Development

Revolutionizing our energy future

Steve M. Wilson
GM, R&D

Innovation and R&D Overview

Seek to lead the industry in innovation
and R&D for the production, delivery
and end-use of energy
Only utility with robust R&D program
Active collaboration with other utilities,
universities and vendors
R&D investment leveraged through
DOE and others
Research portfolio to harden
technology options and provide
superior customer value

Electric Power Research Institute

EPRI serves as a collaborative R&D resource to Southern Company

Leveraged R&D investment through contributions of the entire industry

More than 90% of domestic power generation is represented
2016 budget = $390 million
Moves technologies to the commercialization stage
Platform for utility collaboration

Founding and full-portfolio EPRI member

One of the largest participants by contribution and engagement
More than 80 technical advisors to guide EPRI R&D

Interacting with the Energy Innovation Center

R&EA: Research and Development Technology Readiness Levels
TRL 1
Basic
Research

TRL 2
Applied
Research

TRL 3
Critical
Function

TRL 4
Prototype
Testing

TRL 5
Integrated
System
Testing

TRL 6
Prototype
Verification

TRL 7
Pilot
Demonstration

Monitor

Scan

TRL 8
Commercial
Design/
Program
Development

TRL 9
Commercial
Deployment

Transition
Transition

Assess

Develop

Analyze

EIC: Business Product Development Stage Gate Process

Commercialize

University Intellectual Property Initiative

Objective
Identify and bring to the EIC for consideration,
energy-related IP currently controlled by universities
that could produce new products or services
More than 25 universities already catalogued with IP
licensing/sales programs
Likely more than 1,000 pieces of energy-related IP
available

Plan

Direct contact with institutions underway

Culling available IP for energy-related innovations
Prioritize resulting catalogue of options
Market assessment of top candidates
Initiate development programs
Maintain contact with institutions to capture future IP

Advanced Nuclear Research

SCS Selected for $40M DOE Award Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR)
Answer MCFR technical questions
Demonstrate operations (electrically heated ~2MW)
Prepare license application ~30MW Test Reactor

MCFR meets Southerns goals of clean,

safe, reliable and affordable energy

Battery Energy Storage R&D

Demonstrate battery energy storage performance and integration
Duration and lifecycle performance
Determine total cost of ownership

Explore applications for customer value

Peak shaving
Energy arbitrage

Backup power
Grid services

Current Demonstrations

LG Chem/ABB, 1 MW/2 MWh (w/solar PV)

Tesla PowerPack, 250 kW/1 MWh (commercial setting)
Greensmith, 5-20 kW/20-50 kWh
Encell (Nickel Iron), 10 kW/30kWh
Others

Tall Wind Research

Tall towers/large rotors could increase the
viability of power from wind
Objectives:
Deploy three LIDAR units across Georgia to measure
wind speed/direction up to 200m
Turbine performance modeling
Measurements in north AL and Savannah, GA

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

More than 650 Southern Company UAS missions to date

Generation plants (Fossil, Nuclear, Solar, Hydro)

Transmission (Maintenance and Construction)
Distribution (Maintenance and Storm Evaluation)
Public and Media Relations
Lake and Land Management
Environmental Surveys

Autonomous and BVLOS Operations

Comparative analytics
Inductive charging

Sensor Package R&D

Non-destructive examinations
Imaging and listening across the spectrums

Neighborhood of the Future

Connected Community
First-of-its-kind facility to integrate technologies on a community scale
50 smart homes incorporating distributed generation to provide grid
support and community generation
Technology focus

Smart microgrid with islanding capability

Community energy storage
Community renewable energy
Electric vehicle infrastructure
Grid-to-Home communication
Fiber connectivity

R&D Centers Across Southern Company

M & D Centers

Power Quality and Energy Efficiency Laboratory

Southeastern Solar Research Center

Water Research Center

Solids Encapsulation Research Center

Energy Storage Research Center

Situational Awareness Research Center

Heat Pump Research Center

Neighborhood of the
Future

DOE National Carbon Capture Center

Mercury Research Center

Water Research Center

at Georgia Power Companys Plant Bowen

Facility to research, develop, and demonstrate water use

use efficiency and treatment technologies
Collaborative effort between EPRI, SRI, Southern
Company and 14 other utilities
23 test programs have been completed
or started in the following research areas:

Advanced cooling systems

Zero liquid discharge options
Modeling and best practices
Boiler and Wastewater treatment
Moisture recovery
Solids Management

Advanced Heat Pump Research Centers

Harden emerging high efficiency heat
pump technologies for regional use
Partner with manufacturers
Provides HVAC load consistency
Compare high efficiency heat pump technologies
Showcase for customers, builders, and engineers
Faith Academy, Mobile, AL

Notre Dame Academy, Duluth, GA

Southeastern Solar Research Center

Research facility for
Regional solar orientation and performance optimization
Accelerated aging for asset life prediction

Southern Research Institute Campus

Host site for $1.3M DOE project to expand accelerated aging studies
Adds Sandia National Laboratory to team

Southern Company Research & Development

Revolutionizing our energy future
Steve M. Wilson
GM, R&D