March 2024
NREL and MSU Denver Partnership Elevates Colorado High School Science Bowl to New Heights
Fossil Ridge High School emerged victorious in the 2024 Colorado High School Science Bowl, continuing its winning streak for the fourth year in a row by narrowly besting second-place finisher Stargate Charter High School.
Beneath the Surface: Alec Schnabel Has the Power (and the Power Electronics) To Advance Wave Energy
Alec Schnabel is working to advance one especially powerful part of marine energy technologies: their electronic guts.
Can We Connect Renewable Energy Hubs With Electricity Consumption Hubs?
A new approach to grid planning could make it possible to power your home with the nation's best and lowest-cost wind and solar energy, no matter where you live.
New Resources Spotlight Distributed Wind Energy's Local Value
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has launched the new National Distributed Wind Network and complementary Distributed Wind Energy Resource Hub.
From Instant Grits to Polymers: Scientist Kat Knauer Is Laser Focused on Plastics Pollution
As a polymer scientist and the chief technology officer of the NREL-led BOTTLE consortium, Knauer is responsible for helping solve one of the world's greatest challenges--plastic pollution.
Electric Aircrafts Will Need Powerful Ports
An important consideration for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft is where they will charge and whether the existing power grid infrastructure can accommodate this demand.
A Crystal Ball for Solar Modules
Historically, photovoltaic (PV) modules have demonstrated high reliability, making them a dependable and growing part of global decarbonization efforts.
NREL's Rail Optimization Software Is Putting Freight Electrification on the Fast Track
Combined, two first-in-the-world products—NREL's ALTRIOS rail optimization software and Parallel Systems' autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles—aim to help shift a portion of the freight currently carried by on-road trucks to rail, catalyzing decarbonization across the whole transportation sector.
How Many Transformers Will US Distribution Grid Need by 2050?
New NREL research is providing first-of-its-kind modeling to help curb the current shortage of distribution transformers and ensure a reliable and resilient power grid.
Nextracker and NREL Partnership Inspires New Look at PV Tracker Industry Design Standards
Over the past year, NREL and industry partner Nextracker teamed up to advance the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) tracker technologies during severe weather events.
Communities in Hawaii and Alaska Exchange Ideas To Engage Residents in Energy Transitions
When the third cohort of Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project communities was announced in 2023, the inclusion of Molokai, Hawaii, caught the eye of Bri Gabel, a sustainability coordinator for the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.
40 Collegiate Teams Advance—Solar Decathlon 2024 Design Challenge
Forty teams from 37 collegiate institutions are advancing to the final stage of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2024 Design Challenge based on their cutting-edge, zero-energy building designs.
February 2024
Biorefinery Model Points to Better Method at Producing Co-Products
A next-generation biorefinery model holds the potential to produce biofuels and chemicals through a process that researchers say has proven to be more efficient in converting plant biomass.
High Honors From DOE Point to Important Work by NREL Staff
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Feb. 20 honored staffers from NREL for their work on five major projects with far-reaching implications.
Second Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Cohort Evaluates Solutions That Uncover Hidden Risks on Utility Networks
RunZero was selected as the first solution provider to participate in Cohort 2, through which their technology will be evaluated in the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) Cyber Range.
On Its Journey To Make Clothing That Leaves No Trace, The North Face Taps the BOTTLE Consortium To Scale Biodegradable Polyester Alternative
Over the next 12 months, BOTTLE will scale the process to produce several pounds of PHA fiber, which The North Face will test and evaluate for use in its product lines.
Leap Into New Capabilities: REopt Offers Enhanced Energy Solutions
The REopt team at NREL has significantly enhanced the publicly available REopt web tool and its underlying open-source code, providing more powerful capabilities.
10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Awarded for Plans To Develop Energy-Focused Partnerships
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the winners of the first phase of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize Partnerships Track.
From Organics to Fuels: Computational Models Can Accelerate and Scale Up Biomass Conversion
Pathways to sustainable biofuels are within view as computational models solve key challenges.
In California, NREL Helps Kern County Embrace Clean Energy in Partnership With Community Colleges
NREL is working with the Kern Community College District in a partnership that aims to bring more education and training opportunities for clean energy technologies into the communities.
Last Updated May 28, 2025