July 2024
GCxN Company's Feedstock Poised To Be More Economical and Versatile
Biotech entrepreneur and Hexas Biomass Founder and CEO Wendy Owens has brought her groundbreaking (pun intended) crop to the Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL (GCxN).
News Release: Optoelectronics Gain Spin Control From Chiral Perovskites and III-V Semiconductors
A research effort led by scientists at NREL has made advances that could enable a broader range of currently unimagined optoelectronic devices.
Escaping the Lab Into the Sunlight: Research Examines Durability of Outdoor Perovskite Solar Cells
New research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy examines degradation mechanisms of PSCs under the unfiltered sunlight of the outdoors in comparison with widely used light-emitting diodes.
June 2024
NREL Explores Path To Increase Occupant Safety During Extreme Weather
Bitter cold temperatures. Unrelenting heat. Power outages that last for weeks. NREL researchers are planning for extreme weather by calculating what it will take to make the situation survivable.
A Five-Step Plan To Support Smooth Transitions in the Hydropower Workforce
With a new resource developed by NREL, hydropower organizations can better prepare for worker turnover and limit knowledge loss along the way.
NREL Partners With Industry Leaders To Prove Out Grid Integration Solutions
The U.S. Department of Energy has selected two new projects to benefit from a premier grid control evaluation capability at NREL.
NREL Small Business Commitment Spotlights US Department of Energy Program Success
Each year over 50% of all NREL subcontracts, approximately $60–$75 million, are awarded to small businesses.
Electric Vehicles Grow in the Desert: Peer Learning Helps Sedona Plan for Charging Infrastructure
Seeking ways to build EV charging capacity, Sedona, Arizona participated in a peer-learning cohort through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program focused on planning and funding strategies for EV charging infrastructure deployment.
Bridging the Solar Energy Gap Through Federal Assistance Programs
The number of residential solar photovoltaics installations continues to increase across the United States. But that increase is slower for low-income households, who made up 23% of solar adopters as of 2022.
International Solar Energy Leaders, Researchers Discuss Growing Role in World Energy and Shared Challenges for the Future at 4th Multiterawatt Workshop
Approximately 70 researchers from 14 countries gathered in California earlier this month to discuss the progress toward deploying multiple terawatts of solar power around the globe to transition to a sustainable energy system.
Plug Into Newly Released 2024 US Electricity Sector Data
The 2024 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline provides updated, easy-to-use data on the cost and performance of electricity generation technologies in the United States.
IN² at 10 Years: Cohort 1 Flow-Battery Creator Has the Power
Ten years ago, NREL researcher Shanti Pless suggested flow-battery company ESS Inc. apply to the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator and championed it through the process.
Juggling Motion: Jason Jonkman's Exploration of Movement Helped Him Become a Floating Wind Energy Expert
An interest in juggling paved the way for Jason Jonkman's offshore wind research and allowed him to become one of NREL's 2024 Distinguished Researchers.
How To Power the South Pole With Renewable Energy Technologies
From research to life in the Antarctica research stations, diesel fuel provides almost all of the necessary power. The fuel is shipped to Antarctica and either flown or trucked to the South Pole, an expensive proposition that could be greatly reduced using wind and solar.
Behind the Blades: How Lanaia Carveth Keeps the Gears Turning
Lanaia Carveth transitioned from a career as a consultant in the construction industry doing environmental planning, permitting, regulatory compliance, and project management to her current role as a project manager at NREL's National Wind Technology Center.
Beneath the Surface: How a High School Essay Steered Tina Ortega Toward a Career in Marine Energy
Tina Ortega's connection to and reverence for the natural world inspired her to seek out a career that would help protect the environment.
DOE Recognizes NREL Hydrogen Researchers at 2024 Annual Merit Review Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program honored five NREL researchers for their outstanding achievements at the 2024 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.
On the Road to Increased Transmission: High-Voltage Direct Current
Building more high-voltage direct current transmission lines could better connect solar and wind energy to the U.S. grid.
Q&A With Ana Aday: A Holistic Approach To Advancing Cement and Concrete Sustainability
Ana Aday, a materials science researcher in NREL’s Building Technologies and Science Center, is taking on a whole new challenge: decarbonizing the cement and concrete industry.
'Moderate' Is the New 'Extreme': Weather's Impact on Growing Renewable Grid Operations
Shifting our perception of extreme weather could support planning a reliable future grid.
Last Updated May 28, 2025