September 2023
A Faster, Cheaper Way To Give Solar Panels a Clean Bill of Health
In the darkness of night, NREL is prototyping a new device that could cut time and costs for inspections of solar installations after potentially damaging weather.
August 2023
After 20 Years, NREL and Walmart Partnership Stays Strong
In late 2003, Walmart approached NREL with a project whose goal was to discover failures as much as successes. It would spark a now two-decade-and-counting partnership.
New Prize Supports Rural and Municipal Utilities in Strengthening Cybersecurity Posture
To support the utilities powering rural America in fortifying their systems against cyber threats, DOE's Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance (RMUC) Program launched the Advanced Cybersecurity Technology (ACT) 1 Prize.
How Much Wave Energy Is In Our Oceans?
In a recent study published in Renewable Energy, NREL and PNNL researchers presented a more comprehensive and accurate methodology to measure the wave energy available in ocean sites around the world.
Unlocking Hydropower's Potential
Hydropower systems will be vital to our transition to a clean-energy-powered grid. The new virtual Renewable Energy Discovery Island demonstrates hydropower's potential—a potential that NREL researchers are working hard to optimize.
10 Years of Leading Energy Systems Innovation
Ten advancements that represent the full uniqueness, foresight, and continued importance of NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility.
News Release: R&D 100 Awards Honor NREL Innovations
R&D World magazine presented NREL with two of its annual R&D 100 Awards for research innovations.
Battery-Electric Fishing Vessel Marks a Sea Change for Small Commercial Fishers
With help from commercial vehicle researchers from NREL, a small commercial salmon troller named I Gotta will soon make history as one of the first low-emissions fishing vessels ever deployed in Alaska.
NREL Reimagines Next-Generation Drivetrain Technologies for Offshore Wind Turbines
New studies leveraging conceptual designs of offshore wind turbines point to how their drivetrains could change in the near future to produce more power while lowering costs, according to a new report by NREL and General Electric Research.
5 NREL Partnerships Transforming Energy in Aviation
Join NREL in celebrating the partnerships working to bring sustainability to the skies—past, present, and future.
News Release: NREL Analysis Reveals Benefits of Hydropower for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
Closed-loop pumped storage hydropower systems rank as having the lowest potential to add to the problem of global warming for energy storage when accounting for the full impacts of materials and construction, according to analysis conducted at NREL.
Photographers and Videographers Are Invited To Make a Splash With Their High-Impact Water Power Imagery
The Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest invites competitors to submit captivating photos and videos that showcase water power as a source renewable energy.
Researcher Julie Bessac Lands DOE Early Career Award After Landing at NREL
Less than six months after joining NREL, computational researcher Julie Bessac was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for funding under the DOE Office of Science's 2023 Early Career Research Program.
How Do We Inventory the Materials Needed To Build Wind and Solar Farms?
The new Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database, the development of which was led by NREL, compiles information on materials used in wind and solar power plants.
City of Cordova and U.S. Department of Energy Push Envelope of Microgrid Design
Cordova, Alaska, has historic collaboration from the U.S. Department of Energy that changed the city's electrical system into a model for resilient and modern technology.
NREL Launches Science and News Podcast
"Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast" shares news about research at the laboratory and the ways NREL's work is impacting the clean energy space in biweekly, 15-minute episodes.
It Is Finally Here! New Water-Free Technology Can Imitate Ocean Waves
A new capability installed at NREL's Flatirons Campus can mimic ocean motions, including waves up to 8 feet high, and supports devices weighing about as much as a small RV.
Registration Opens for Fall 2023 Geothermal Collegiate Competition
The GCC invites teams from collegiate institutions to develop real-world geothermal solutions for communities while competing for $10,000 in cash prizes and gaining resume experience in the renewable energy industry.
For Distinguished Researcher Andrew Ferguson, Ideas and Golf Are Par for the Course
NREL Distinguished Researcher Andrew Ferguson had a chemistry kit as a boy but never imagined that it would lead to a science career—he preferred playing golf.
New Government Regulations Could Impact Hydropower
Learn more about how recent changes to federal and state regulations are impacting the Hydropower Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit.
Last Updated May 28, 2025