July 2016
News Release: NREL's Kurtz, Tegen Honored for Clean Energy Leadership
The U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) program has honored Sarah Kurtz and Suzanne Tegen of the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for their leadership and achievement in the field of renewable energy.
Webinar July 28: H2@Scale – A Potential Opportunity
In this DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will describe the role of hydrogen at the grid scale and the efforts of a large, national lab team assembled to evaluate the potential of hydrogen to play a critical role in our energy future.
R-Cubed: Assessing Commercial Viability of Biofuel Technologies
The National Bioenergy Center at NREL, with its extensive bioenergy research expertise and capabilities, is working to reduce costs and overcome technical barriers—an effort that will bring more bio-derived fuels and chemicals into the marketplace. A recent and significant step toward that goal is the retrofitting of a reactor system in NREL's Thermochemical Process Development Unit (TCPDU): the recirculating regenerating riser reactor or "R-Cubed."
New Report Evaluates the State of Distributed Wind Resource Assessment
NREL Engineers Jason Fields, Heidi Tinnesand, and Ian Baring-Gould recently published a report titled Distributed Wind Resource Assessment: State of the Industry.
NREL Evaluates Propane-to-Electricity Shuttle Bus Conversion at Zion National Park
NREL is evaluating the drive-cycle characteristics of a fleet of propane-powered shuttle buses operating at Zion National Park. As the propane-powered fleet ages and associated maintenance costs rise, NPS is working with NREL to use this drive-cycle information to optimize the conversion of 14 of its propane buses to run on electricity.
NREL to Offer Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive at Sustainable Smart Home Opening on July 9
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will showcase several fuel cell electric vehicles at a ride and drive event at the Sustainable Smart Home Living Learning Center Grand Opening in Superior, Colorado, on July 9.
June 2016
Workshop Examines State Policy Issues Pertaining to Automated Vehicles
A recent workshop at the University of Maryland explored key principles and issues that states need to wrestle with in order to craft effective policies enabling the safe and efficient operation of advanced automated vehicles on their roadways.
Solar PV Recycling Identified as Untapped Business Opportunity
A new report, End-of-Life Management: Solar Photovoltaic Panels, highlights that recycling or repurposing solar PV panels at the end of their roughly 30-year lifetime can unlock a large stock of raw materials and other valuable components.
News Release: NREL Engineer Sheila Hayter Installed as ASHRAE Officer
Sheila Hayter, a group manager in the Integrated Applications Center at the Energy Department’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has been officially installed as treasurer of ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) at its 2016 annual conference in St. Louis, Mo.
News Release: NREL Names Mark Davis to Lead Biosciences Center
Dr. Mark Davis is the new director of the Biosciences Center at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
News Release: NREL Receives $1.38 Million from DOE to Help Commercialize Promising Clean Energy Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be receiving $1.38 million from DOE to lead four projects for the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). The funds will be used to advance promising renewable energy-related technologies with commercial potential and help strengthen the partnerships between the national labs and private-sector companies. Total value for the four projects including industry and NREL cost share is $2.78 million.
Research Highlight: Virtual Oscillator Control Maintains Grid Operations with High Inverter Penetrations
A new control strategy helps the grid run normally with lower percentages of spinning, synchronized power sources.
NREL Engineers Look for a Cool Way to Make AC Units an Affordable Snap
NREL engineers Chuck Booten and Jon Winkler plan to make home air conditioners better and more energy efficient with a simple, split installation.
NREL Engineer Recognized for Leadership in Motor Thermal Management
NREL's Kevin Bennion received a special recognition award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office for expertise and leadership in the thermal management of motor designs in electric drive technologies research.
News Release: NREL Announces Participants for 2016 Executive Energy Leadership Program
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 22 leaders to participate in its 2016 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), which provides non-technical business, governmental, and community leaders throughout the country an opportunity to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools, and financing to guide their organizations and communities in energy-related decisions and planning.
New Study Reveals Impact of Auto Roof Racks on Fuel Economy
A recent study by NREL research engineer Yuche Chen and researcher Alan Meier at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) examined the national impact of roof racks on fuel consumption. In this first-of-its-kind study, Chen and Meier determined that in 2015, the popular vehicle add-on accounted for national light-duty fuel consumption that amounts to roughly 100 million gallons of gasoline a year.
NREL Staff Recognized by DOE for Outstanding Achievements at 2016 Annual Merit Review
The U.S. Department of Energy recently honored eight NREL staff members for their outstanding achievements at the Annual Merit Review.
Ph.D. in Hand, Postdocs Explore Their Futures
Researchers come from across the globe for opportunity to work at lab.
News Release: NREL Names New Executives to Lead Scientific Research and Lab Operations
The Energy Department's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently made two key hires to lab leadership positions. NREL has named Peter Green as the new Deputy Laboratory Director for science and technology and Julie Baker as Associate Laboratory Director for facilities and operations.
NREL's Complete-Cab Truck Climate Control Package Showcased in Automotive Engineering
Long-haul Class 8 trucks use approximately 7% of their fuel for rest period idling, consuming more than 667 million gallons of fuel each year nationwide. NREL has identified a package of climate-control technologies that annually can save 774 gallons of fuel used per truck for rest period air conditioning.
Last Updated May 28, 2025