Advanced Manufacturing Research News
Explore our archive of advanced manufacturing news stories.
Dec. 28, 2022
NREL researchers and staff reached countless goals and achieved numerous successes in science, partnerships, and commercialization in 2022. Here are just a few of the highlights.
Dec. 21, 2022
Using Machine Learning, the NREL-Led Team Discovered Variants of "Plastic-Eating" Enzymes Adapted To Deconstructing all Varieties of PET--Even Durable Crystalline Varieties
Dec. 8, 2022
The American-Made Solar Prize announced the 20 semifinalist teams in this year's competition, selected for their game-changing solar energy ideas, including concepts to energize solar manufacturing, address obstacles to wider solar adoption, or make installation and maintenance more efficient and cost-effective.
Dec. 2, 2022
Scott Mauger and Michael Ulsh received awards at this year's International Society of Coating Science and Technology (ISCST) Symposium.
Nov. 28, 2022
A plastic-degrading enzyme and an engineered bacterial strain have just been launched into space with an important mission: to convert waste plastics to upcycled materials during spaceflight.
Nov. 17, 2022
Developing a secure supply chain—from material extraction to manufacturing battery cells and packs—is essential for a competitive edge in lithium-ion domestic and global markets.
Nov. 3, 2022
The clean energy revolution can only succeed if U.S. manufacturers have the materials, components, infrastructure, and other resources needed to meet ambitious emissions-reduction targets. New supply chain strategies are helping make the production of renewable energy technologies as sustainable as their operation.
Nov. 3, 2022
NREL-authored reports provided insights on supply chain issues related to solar photovoltaic, wind power, energy storage, semiconductor, and hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies.
Oct. 27, 2022
Two recently published papers spell out advances in the field of photovoltaics made from III-V materials. The improvements to the III-V solar cells will help the technology find a terrestrial home. III-V cells—although efficient—carry such a high price tag it only makes economic sense to use them on satellites and Mars rovers.
Oct. 25, 2022
Read a summary of the six manufacturing experts profiled throughout the year as part of NREL's Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series.
Oct. 13, 2022
Combining chemical and biological processes is a promising new strategy for the valorization of mixed plastic waste, according to researchers with the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium.
Oct. 12, 2022
A recently approved U.S. offshore wind energy guidance document developed by industry with NREL leadership could become one of the primary resources for offshore wind energy development, leading to shorter regulatory timelines and increased worker safety.
Sept. 30, 2022
With the modern transition to renewable energy and electrified transportation, power electronics have the potential to enable seamless integration of renewable energy resources with the electric grid. Take a virtual 360-degree tour of NREL's power electronics capabilities.
Sept. 27, 2022
NREL, joined by partners at Sandia National Laboratories and the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute, released its multiyear heliostat roadmap, which identifies research and deployment gaps in heliostat technologies as well as the strategies to overcome them during the next five years.
Sept. 14, 2022
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Avantika Singh shares why she hates waste and what she's doing to help combat it.
Aug. 30, 2022
Researchers at NREL are considering circular economy strategies to mitigate the impact of wind turbine blades at the end of their useful lifespan.
July 28, 2022
Researchers at NREL will send an engineered bacteria into space as early as next year as part of ongoing research into solving the problem of plastic waste mitigation on Earth.
July 20, 2022
Johney Green, associate laboratory director for Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences at NREL, was appointed Chairman of The National GEM Consortium Board of Directors on July 18, 2022. GEM is a 45-year-old national nonprofit organization whose vision is to make scientific impact through underrepresented minority STEM talent in the United States.
July 1, 2022
How do we reduce the carbon impact of an already green technology?
June 27, 2022
In a new comprehensive literature review, researchers at NREL discovered that alternatives to recycling may have untapped potential to build an effective circular economy for solar photovoltaic and battery technologies, such as reducing the use of virgin materials in manufacturing, reusing for new applications, and extending product life spans.
June 16, 2022
Growing up in Canada, Robynne Murray got her hands dirty clam digging in the Bay of Fundy. Now, at NREL, the mechanical engineer likes getting her hands dirty, manufacturing and evaluating new materials--like recyclable plastics and carbon fibers--for wind and tidal turbines and electric vehicles.
May 9, 2022
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Nic Rorrer shares why he loves polymers as well as Legos, yoga, RuPaul's drag races, and saving the world.
April 28, 2022
Scientists at NREL calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector.
April 25, 2022
Stage 2 of the CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize is now open to all interested in producing a sample of novel conductivity-enhanced materials for evaluation to help upgrade and expand aging electric, transportation, and industrial infrastructures in the United States.
April 14, 2022
NREL customizes competitions for DOE technology offices—solar, water, buildings, geothermal, and others—to meet industry needs. American-Made is a pillar of DOE's activities, incentivizing U.S. entrepreneurs to strengthen American leadership in energy innovation and domestic manufacturing.
April 7, 2022
NREL researchers are revolutionizing clean energy mobility beyond light-duty electric vehicles by building advanced power electronics systems that control the flow of electricity to propel large and advanced electric machines, including those used in planes, trains, and heavy-duty transportation.
April 6, 2022
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Parthiv Kurup shares how his analyses are streamlining manufacturing processes to reduce the sector's energy consumption while reducing costs.
March 30, 2022
A new collaboration between Amazon and NREL-led BOTTLE Consortium could be a major step toward developing solutions to global plastic pollution.
March 1, 2022
As part of the Q&A profile series "Manufacturing Masterminds," Meredith Doyle discusses her perspectives on the future potential for plant-based plastics, equity issues surrounding plastics pollution, and more.
Feb. 18, 2022
Three NREL teams win prestigious REMADE awards to remake recycling, improve manufacturing, and build a circular economy.
Feb. 3, 2022
Winning thousands in cash prizes is just one of the many benefits that comes with being a finalist in an American-Made Challenges (AMC) Prize competition.
Feb. 2, 2022
REopt, a free, techno-economic decision support model, helps users optimize energy systems for buildings, campuses, communities, and microgrids. Once called REopt Lite, the REopt tool is dropping the "Lite" in 2022 to better reflect its true status as a heavy-hitting and comprehensive optimization tool.
Jan. 18, 2022
The REopt® web tool is a techno-economic decision support platform used by researchers to optimize energy systems for buildings, campuses, communities, microgrids, and more, helping users determine the optimal size and combination of energy systems to maximize cost savings while meeting resilience or energy performance goals.
Jan. 10, 2022
A new geothermal heat pump module enables the REopt web tool to evaluate individual facility energy, cost, and emissions impacts of converting conventional heating and cooling systems to ground-source heat pumps.
