18-01: Role of validation teams in commercialization of biofuels technologies

Recent DOE funding opportunities have included stage gate reviews requiring demonstration of progress towards commercial application to trigger phased funding.  DOE is utilizing validation teams to provide independent evaluation of baseline performance and developed technology from funded organizations.  These teams work with the awardees at their institutions to validate that the organization is capable of carrying out the work as described, that process operating procedures are carried out in a manner consistent with the description, that data generated in the process are accurate, and the process economic analysis carried out the by the institution in a manner consistent with current best models.  NREL has provided DOE validation teams to perform due diligence on the funded organizations and participate in stage gate reviews.  We will present a summary of our validation experiences on various projects and will provide insights into this process for companies seeking DOE funding to help facilitate progress towards commercialization.