Panel presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the panelists discuss the impact of open access on scholarly communications with perspectives from five different stakeholders.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. The presenter discusses the Baylor University Libraries digital collections, some of their challenges, and the social media that they chose to help engage users with their digital collections.

Presentation of speakers and topics in a birds of a feather session for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. Topics include: Testing the research usability of finding aids and metadata of primary resources, exploring data curation across disciplines using Google books for academic research, digital collection usage, teaching humanities digitally, and internet politics.

Presentation on the value of The Portal to Texas History at a symposium at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Cultural Heritage Archives: Networks, Innovation & Collaboration. This was part of a session on the users of Cultural Heritage Archival Materials.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the author discusses the content and issues of the Sandy Hereld Memorial Digitized Media Fanzine Collection at Texas A & M University.

This briefing provides a high-level overview of historical, recent, and projected near-term PV system pricing trends in the United States, drawing on several ongoing research activities from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It also discusses the different methodologies and factors that impact the estimated price of a PV system, such as system size, location, technology, and reporting methods. These factors, including timing, can have a significant impact on system pricing.

Three crystalline silicon module designs were distributed in five replicas each to five laboratories for testing according to the IEC 62804 (Committee Draft) system voltage durability qualification test for crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules. The stress tests were performed in environmental chambers at 60 degrees C, 85% relative humidity, 96 h, and with module nameplate system voltage applied.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the author discusses scheduled social media updates at the Texas Archive of the Moving Image.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the author explains microdata, how it is used, its significance, and uses for the Dallas County Historical and Genealogical Cemetery data.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. This presentation discusses the Austin Fanzine Project, an institutional-independent project intended to improve access to the documents of a recently-historical subculture -- the Austin, Texas underground music scene of the 1990s. The project has also blossomed into a sandbox for creative experimentation with digital archives and digital humanities methods and tools.

This presentation highlights the status of the voluntary green power market in 2012. The voluntary green power market totaled more than 48 million MWh in 2012, with about 1.9 million customers participating. The supply continues to be dominated by wind, though solar is increasing its share of utility green pricing programs. Prices for voluntary renewable energy certificates (RECs) increased to above $1/MWh.

Four levels of accelerated test standards for PV modules are described in the context of how the community can most quickly begin using these.

This presentation summarizes the scope and results of the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study Phase 2, which examined operational impacts of high penetrations of variable renewable generation in the West.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the author discusses usability issues relating to digital content and online finding aids.

The optical transmittance of encapsulation materials is a key characteristic for their use in photovoltaic (PV) modules. Changes in transmittance with time in the field affect module performance, which may impact product warranties. Transmittance is important in product development, module manufacturing, and field power production (both immediate and long-term). Therefore, an international standard (IEC 62788-1-4) has recently been proposed by the Encapsulation Task-Group within the Working Group 2 (WG2) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 82 (TC82) for the quantification of the optical performance of PV encapsulation materials. Existing standards, such as ASTM E903, are general and more appropriately applied to concentrated solar power than to PV. Starting from the optical transmittance measurement, the solar-weighted transmittance of photon irradiance, yellowness index (which may be used in aging studies to assess durability), and ultraviolet (UV) cut-off wavelength may all be determined using the proposed standard. The details of the proposed test are described. The results of a round-robin experiment (for five materials) conducted at seven laboratories to validate the test procedure using representative materials are also presented. For example, the Encapsulation Group actively explored the measurement requirements (wavelength range and resolution), the requirements for the spectrophotometer (including the integrating …

Keynote speaker presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the author discusses the frontier as a process and an opportunity in digital scholarship.

Recent research suggests that an emerging power cycle technology using supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO2) operated in a closed-loop Brayton cycle offers the potential of equivalent or higher cycle efficiency versus supercritical or superheated steam cycles at temperatures relevant for CSP applications. Preliminary design-point modeling suggests that s-CO2 cycle configurations can be devised that have similar overall efficiency but different temperature and/or pressure characteristics. This paper employs a more detailed heat exchanger model than previous work to compare the recompression and partial cooling cycles, two cycles with high design-point efficiencies, and illustrates the potential advantages of the latter. Integration of the cycles into CSP systems is studied, with a focus on sensible heat thermal storage and direct s-CO2 receivers. Results show the partial cooling cycle may offer a larger temperature difference across the primary heat exchanger, thereby potentially reducing heat exchanger cost and improving CSP receiver efficiency.

Presentation for the 2013 International Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) Symposium. The presentation gives an analysis of URL references in ETDs and a case study at the University of North Texas (UNT).

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the authors discuss digitization methodologies, skills, and economic factors relating to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Recent advancements in utility-scale wind turbine technology and pricing have vastly increased the potential land area where turbines can be deployed in the United States. This presentation quantifies the new developable land potential (e.g., capacity curves), visually identifies new areas for possible development (e.g., new wind resource maps), and begins to address deployment barriers to wind in new areas for modern and future turbine technology.

Market forces and policies are increasing opportunities for alternative fuels. There is no one-size-fits-all, catch-all, silver-bullet fuel. States play a critical role in the alternative fuel market and are taking a leading role.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the authors discuss the goals, processes, exhibitions, concerns, and difficulties of the Natchez Trace Collection at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Presentation for the 2013 Digital Frontiers Annual Conference. In this presentation, the authors discuss a historical asset survey for Collin County, Texas.

Proper site assessment is integral to the development of a successful small wind project. Without a small wind site assessor certification program, consumers, including state incentive program managers, lack a benchmark for differentiating between qualified and nonqualified site assessors. A small wind site assessor best practice manual is being developed as a resource for consumers until a credential program becomes available. This presentation describes the purpose, proposed content, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's approach to the development of such a manual.