The 2021 JISEA Annual Report

The cover of the JISEA annual report, which has the word Engage in green text with blue and green small dots in waves in the background symbolizing movement and collaboration.

April 8, 2021—The 2021 JISEA annual report, released today, is a collaborative product that highlights the institute's progress over the last year to help accelerate the transformation of the global energy economy.

"The JISEA annual report continues to showcase the value of JISEA's approach to understanding and communicating key features of the energy supply chain," said Steven Freilich, JISEA executive in residence. "Unique among studies in the field, JISEA calls upon a substantial body of experts who dive into the highly complex interplay of energy, the environment, and human needs on a global basis."

This year's report centers on the theme of Engage, capturing collaborative and creative work with industry and government experts to study integrated technical, economic, and social aspects of the clean energy transition.

Several large studies were completed this year and 17 publications were produced across JISEA programs, exploring the intersections of environmental, social, financial, technological, and political elements of energy systems.

  • Energy Systems Integration and Transformation— JISEA analyzed planning, regulation, and operations of complex, integrated energy systems. Notable studies included collaborative multiyear research on the natural gas-electricity interface and novel concepts for multi-input multi-output hybrid energy systems.
  • Advanced Manufacturing and Circular Economy — Through life cycle assessments and technoeconomic analysis, JISEA tracked energy materials through their lifetimes. One study assessed options for recycling solar PV modules, and the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center's updated Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing report evaluated trade flow and value added in 13 economies over 3 years.
  • Clean Power for Industry — By engaging with industries from food to mining, JISEA considered how to integrate renewables into diverse operations. A recent study demonstrated how natural gas well operations can incorporate greater levels of renewable energy.
  • Sustainable Communities at the Water-Energy-Food Nexus — JISEA helps uncover solutions for sustainability concerns at the food, water, and energy nexus. The opening of Jack's Solar Garden in Boulder, Colorado, was a bright spot for 2020 and is helping to advance analysis of co-located crops and solar PV panels.

"This year certainly hasn't been what we expected," said JISEA Director Jill Engel-Cox. "But it's been successful for JISEA and the clean energy transition. By engaging with our research partners in new ways, we've continued to make progress toward resilient, secure, and flexible energy systems."


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