Steve M.

Wilson
GM, R&D

Southern Company Research & Development

Revolutionizing our energy future

 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

Innovation and R&D Overview

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

One of the largest participants by contribution and engagement

More than 80 technical advisors to guide EPRI R&D

Founding and full-portfolio EPRI member

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

Electric Power Research Institute

TRL 1
Basic
Research

TRL 3
Critical
Function

Assess

TRL 4
Prototype
Testing

TRL 6
Prototype
Verification

Develop

TRL 5
Integrated
System
Testing

TRL 8
Commercial
Design/
Program
Development

Analyze

TRL 9
Commercial
Deployment

Commercialize

Transition
Transition

TRL 7
Pilot
Demonstration

EIC: Business Product Development Stage Gate Process

Scan

Monitor

TRL 2
Applied
Research

R&EA: Research and Development Technology Readiness Levels

Interacting with the Energy Innovation Center

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

Plan

More than 25 universities already catalogued with IP

licensing/sales programs
Likely more than 1,000 pieces of energy-related IP
available

Identify and bring to the EIC for consideration,

energy-related IP currently controlled by universities
that could produce new products or services

Objective

University Intellectual Property Initiative

 MCFR meets Southerns goals of clean,

safe, reliable and affordable energy

Demonstrate operations (electrically heated ~2MW)

Prepare license application ~30MW Test Reactor

Answer MCFR technical questions

SCS Selected for $40M DOE Award Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR)

Advanced Nuclear Research

 Backup power
Grid services

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

Current Demonstrations

Peak shaving
Energy arbitrage

Explore applications for customer value

Duration and lifecycle performance

Determine total cost of ownership

Demonstrate battery energy storage performance and integration

Battery Energy Storage R&D

 Deploy three LIDAR units across Georgia to measure

wind speed/direction up to 200m
Turbine performance modeling
Measurements in north AL and Savannah, GA

Objectives:

Tall towers/large rotors could increase the

viability of power from wind

Tall Wind Research

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

Non-destructive examinations
Imaging and listening across the spectrums

Sensor Package R&D

Comparative analytics
Inductive charging

Autonomous and BVLOS Operations

More than 650 Southern Company UAS missions to date

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Smart microgrid with islanding capability

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

Technology focus

50 smart homes incorporating distributed generation to provide grid

support and community generation

First-of-its-kind facility to integrate technologies on a community scale

Connected Community

Neighborhood of the Future

Heat Pump Research Center

Situational Awareness Research Center

Energy Storage Research Center

Southeastern Solar Research Center

Power Quality and Energy Efficiency Laboratory

M & D Centers

Mercury Research Center

DOE National Carbon Capture Center

Neighborhood of the
Future

Solids Encapsulation Research Center

Water Research Center

R&D Centers Across Southern Company

Advanced cooling systems

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

23 test programs have been completed

or started in the following research areas:

Collaborative effort between EPRI, SRI, Southern

Company and 14 other utilities

Facility to research, develop, and demonstrate water use

use efficiency and treatment technologies

at Georgia Power Companys Plant Bowen

Water Research Center

Notre Dame Academy, Duluth, GA

Partner with manufacturers

Provides HVAC load consistency
Compare high efficiency heat pump technologies
Showcase for customers, builders, and engineers

Harden emerging high efficiency heat

pump technologies for regional use

Faith Academy, Mobile, AL

Advanced Heat Pump Research Centers

 Adds Sandia National Laboratory to team

Host site for $1.3M DOE project to expand accelerated aging studies

Southern Research Institute Campus

Regional solar orientation and performance optimization

Accelerated aging for asset life prediction

Research facility for

Southeastern Solar Research Center

Steve M. Wilson
GM, R&D

Southern Company Research & Development

Revolutionizing our energy future