Air quality modeling, health and environmental justice analysis
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Description
NREL’s air quality research investigates the impact renewable energy generation scenarios on air quality, public health, environmental justice. Towards this, NREL uses robust data driven analysis techniques to develop emission inventories, general or source-specific air quality models (e.g., SCICHEM for point sources, InMAP (a reduced complexity model) and/or CMAQ for multi-source) capable of analyzing impacts on both near-source and regional/national changes in air quality and human health. Our environmental justice framework uses federal and state level tools and data source such as CEJST, EPA EJSCREEN, CalEnviroScreen.
Capability Bounds
Multi-scenario analysis can only be conducted using reduce complexity models, and computationally challenging using state of the science models such as CMAQ.
Unique Aspects
We have developed emissions – air quality – health and environmental justice analysis framework to do multi-model based uncertainty quantification. This capability allows hundreds of scenarios to be run in limited amount of time.
Availability
We use publicly available data sources and models where possible. We have conducted objective analysis for domestic and international clients from public and private sector.
Benefit
Minimizing air quality and health impacts are crucial to an equitable energy future. Our unique analysis capabilities in emissions and regulatory analysis, air quality and health modeling and equity assessment can contribute to projects that want to consider these aspects.
Capability Expert(s)
Vikram Ravi, Garvin Heath, Yun Li
References
Multiple references and additional details available at NREL air quality website: https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/air-quality.html
