Grid Modernization News

Apr 4, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

Ready to dive in? The 2022 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition is now open for applications!

Apr 1, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

In a series of three reports, NREL analysts examine options and opportunities to repair, reuse, or recycle solar photovoltaic system materials, moving toward a circular economy.

Mar 31, 2021, 18:00 by Wayne Hicks

The accumulation of dust, soot, or other particulates causes a drop in the efficiency of solar panels, which translates to a decline in the amount of power produced and lost income for their operators.

Mar 31, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

FAST.Farm, a new mid-fidelity, physics-based engineering modeling tool from NREL, can be used to predict the power performance and structural loads of wind turbines within a wind farm. An extension of OpenFAST, NREL's open-source wind turbine engineering tool, FAST.Farm addresses the dynamics of, and interaction between, each individual turbine in a wind farm.

Mar 30, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

To strengthen bulk grid stability for highly renewable grids, NREL has developed a breakthrough impedance measurement system for understanding how wind, solar, and other modern energy devices interact to affect the grid's moment-to-moment stability.

Mar 30, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL has been consulting with the National Park Service on where to install electric vehicle charging stations at select sites in California. The last of the new charging stations is expected to begin operating by the end of this year.

Mar 29, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

In December of 2020, Alexandra Aznar took over leading the USAID-NREL portfolio, a partnership which currently comprises a mutli-year interagency agreement that spans multiple project to assist over 40 countries around the world.

Mar 28, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

With the Biden administration announcing a push to electrify the entire federal fleet, NREL's work supporting energy-savvy fleet management is more critical and timely than ever.

Mar 25, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

As part of NREL's InSPIRE Project, NREL senior analyst Jordan Macknick helped dream up a LEGO solar farm design to educate about energy, water, and food.

Mar 23, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

Results from the Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100) show meeting LA's goal of reliable, 100% renewable electricity by 2045—or even 2035—is achievable and will entail rapid deployment of wind, solar, and storage technologies. The study paves the way for other jurisdictions to reach their own clean energy goals, equitably and economically.

Mar 21, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

NREL researchers work to transform seawater into drinking water as we commemorate World Water Day 2021.

Mar 18, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

When a lithium-ion battery fails, it can become engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds.

Mar 18, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

A startup founded by Philip Pienkos, a retired NREL researcher, has moved closer to commercializing technology he helped develop at the U.S. Department of Energy facility. The company, Polaris Renewables, is the first business to directly spin off from NREL since 1992.

Mar 16, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

Don’t be blue: the launch of the 2022 MECC is just around the corner. Learn more.

Mar 16, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

The $4.5-million CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize will boost U.S. industries and upgrade materials and applications to meet electrification needs and combat the climate crisis.

Mar 15, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

A new NREL report provides a snapshot of U.S. marine energy potential at the national, state, and regional levels.

Mar 15, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

As a JISEA/NREL clean energy manufacturing analyst, Samantha Reese puts early-stage research problems in context of techno-economic tradeoffs and technology potential because "no matter how awesome a technology is, it won't be adopted if it's not cost competitive."

Mar 15, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

The new architecture for the cells increases the area exposed to the sun by putting the metal contact layers side by side on the back of the cell.

Mar 14, 2021, 18:00 by User Not Found

A novel biorefining process using the untapped energy of food waste and other wet waste to produce a "drop-in" sustainable aviation fuel may lift net-zero flights off the runway sooner than you think.

Mar 11, 2021, 17:00 by User Not Found

The inclusion of a special new perovskite layer has enabled scientists to create a "spin-polarized LED" without needing a magnetic field or extremely low temperatures, potentially clearing the path to a raft of novel technologies.