Grid Modernization News

Apr 15, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

This Earth Day, we recognize five teams of entrepreneurs who are integrating marine energy and desalination to provide clean water.

Apr 14, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Scientists at NREL have performed a comprehensive review of a unique, emerging class of materials called chalcogenides that hold the potential for use in solar cells, water splitting, and other energy applications.

Apr 12, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Three winning teams of the Furthering Advancements to Shorten Time (FAST) Commissioning for Pumped-Storage Hydropower Prize are reducing the time, cost, and risk associated with commissioning pumped-storage hydropower projects.

Apr 12, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Scientists at NREL have fabricated a six-junction solar cell that now holds the world record for the highest solar conversion efficiency at 47.1%, which was measured under concentrated illumination. A variation of the same cell also set the efficiency record under one-sun illumination at 39.2%.

Apr 8, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Bats are notoriously difficult to study, and there is still much we do not know about them. To help improve understanding of bats and their behavior around wind turbines, NREL is collaborating on several research and development projects funded by the U.S. DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office. These efforts are helping minimize wind turbine-bat encounters through monitoring, deterrence, and curtailment.

Apr 7, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL has extended the U.S. Department of Energy's Competitiveness Improvement Project distributed wind request for proposals submission deadline to May 5 at 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

Apr 2, 2020, 18:00 by Ernie Tucker

NREL Materials Science Center Director Nancy Haegel's fingerprints were on semiconductor light detectors aboard NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Her research in semiconductors continues to inspire others and inform her activities at NREL.

Apr 2, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

A collaboration between NREL and three other national laboratories has yielded new insight into the ability of bacteria to break down the hardy part of a plant known as lignin. The additional understanding of the process could open a path to industrial applications.

Apr 1, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Over 26,000 megawatts (MW) of planned offshore wind capacity exists in the offshore wind development pipeline. Rapidly falling technology costs for offshore wind, including floating offshore wind technology, have aided the growth of this pipeline, and promise to help wind become a significant part of the power mix in coastal communities.

Apr 1, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL announced the 11 winners of the DISCOVER Competition, the first stage of the Powering the Blue Economy: Ocean Observing Prize. Of the selected winners, 10 received $10,000 each, and one grand prizewinner received $25,000 to help accelerate the development of the marine energy sector.

Apr 1, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Phil Pienkos, who retired from NREL this month, already has his next project underway. He has been selected to participate in an international initiative called Fashion for Good that aims to bring sustainability into the fashion industry.

Mar 29, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL celebrates Women's History Month by highlighting the innovation and leadership of three women in marine energy research.

Mar 29, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Researchers at NREL have developed a framework for quantitatively modeling resilience metrics to show communities and utilities the benefits of investing in resilience strategies for the grid.

Mar 29, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

A new report summarizes findings from the first phase of the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines initiative, which focused on turbocharged spark-ignition engines for light-duty vehicles, identifying the fuel properties and engine parameters that mitigate knock and emissions, while maximizing efficiency and performance.

Mar 29, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Ben Kroposki works at the innovative edge of renewable energy in power systems, leading to his current role at NREL as director of the Power Systems Engineering Center.

Mar 29, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

After months of hard work, the efforts of American-Made Solar Prize Round 2 teams have been rewarded at Set! Demo Day, with 10 finalist teams each winning $100,000 in cash prizes and $75,000 in support vouchers to be used at national laboratories and other partner facilities.

Mar 25, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

Researchers at NREL, working in collaboration with their counterparts in the Republic of Korea, have validated the potential of using a combination of perovskite and silicon to create solar cells that are more than 30% efficient. Their initial solar cell achieved a certified efficiency of 26.2%.

Mar 24, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

World-renowned photovoltaics expert and longtime NREL alumna Sarah Kurtz was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering for her contributions to the development of high-efficiency solar cells and leadership in solar cell reliability and quality.

Mar 24, 2020, 18:00 by Madeline Schroeder

Ten years since its founding, the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis continues to provide critical insights linking energy, society, and prosperity around the world.

Mar 23, 2020, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL-led assessments are helping remote, off-grid communities such as Igiugig in Alaska identify self-sustaining microgrid options, while the team’s resource characterization work in Cook Inlet has the potential to deliver power to the grid for distribution across the state.