July 2023
Distinguished Researcher Birdie Carpenter Sets Sail After Naval Career
Alberta (Birdie) Carpenter, one of seven newly named NREL Distinguished Researchers, enjoys science but also embraces unexpected opportunities.
New Prize To Propel Wind Turbine Materials Recycling
The newly launched Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize, a $5.1 million competition administered by NREL, aims to help the country develop a cost-effective and sustainable domestic recycling industry for two high-impact categories of wind turbine materials to create a circular U.S. wind energy economy.
Q&A With Samantha Reese: The Fix-It Engineer Who Digs Up Data To Fix the Planet
In this Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Sam Reese shares how she ended up traveling around the world and how she is sharing her fix-it mindset with her kids.
Floating Photovoltaics Emerge as a Promising Solution for Southeast Asia's Clean Energy Future
The USAID-NREL Partnership's Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia pioneered a first-of-its-kind floating photovoltaic assessment for Southeast Asia, accompanied by a publicly available data set in the Renewable Energy (RE) Data Explorer.
Small But Mighty: Electric Bicycles Can Bridge the Gap in Access to Transportation
As electric bicycle sales continue to outpace electric car sales, programs across the nation are turning to NREL's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH) tool to inform incentive programs for electric bicycles.
June 2023
Department of Energy's ZEDD Program Recognizes Institutions Preparing the Next Generation's Zero-Energy Workforce
DOE's Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) recognizes college programs that are committed to zero-energy education. There's still time to apply for the 2023 ZEDD cohort.
Opportunity for Chemicals and Fuels From Carbon Dioxide: Researchers Assess Roadblocks for Industrial Deployment of CO2 Electrolysis
Zero-emission energy systems have a gigaton-sized challenge: Waste carbon dioxide (CO2) will continue to flow into the atmosphere as long as steel, cement, and chemical plants exist.
Power Electronics Workshop Invites Industry To Collaborate Around Grid Stability Challenges
Growth in renewable energy has initiated an era of power electronics for the grid, and engineers are grappling with the change.
News Release: Two NREL Researchers Named Fellows of Electrochemical Society
The Electrochemical Society has selected two researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's NREL among this year's class of its fellows: Bryan Pivovar and Jeff Blackburn.
Q&A With Clayton Barrows: Breaking Barriers on Road to Resilience
On a road trip 15 years ago, Clayton Barrows passed by NREL and thought out loud about pursuing a meaningful career in power systems modeling at the laboratory. Today he is the group manager of Grid Operations Planning in NREL's Grid Planning and Analysis Center.
Informing Energy Transitions: The 2023 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline
Informing energy transitions in the United States, NREL has released the 2023 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline (ATB), a realistic and timely set of technology cost and performance data (current and projected) for the electric sector.
Building the 2030 National Charging Network
Nearly 70 years ago, the United States began construction on the Interstate Highway System, setting in motion an effort that has been called the greatest public works project in American history.
Their Powers Combined: NREL Postdocs Study Turbulent Winds To Boost Concentrating Solar Efficiency
As part of a two-year project, three NREL postdocs are working hard to understand the impact of turbulent wind conditions on a type of concentrating solar power technology that uses a tube positioned along a curved, mirrored structure to collect sunlight.
Exploring Offshore Wind Energy Opportunities in the Great Lakes
The five Great Lakes contain 20% of the planet's freshwater resources. And, according to NREL research, they hold a wealth of wind energy potential that could enable states in the region to achieve their clean-energy goals, boost their economies with high-paying jobs, and provide a cleaner environment for residents.
Hydrogen to the Rescue: Delivering Power to Disaster Recovery Sites with Zero Emissions
Imagine an emergency vehicle that can provide reliable power to disaster recovery sites, operating in near silence and emitting only water vapor. H2Rescue is just that.
Researchers Can Now Build Huge Hydropower Plants In the Lab
Today's hydropower plants could be even better—and more flexible—if researchers can find a better way to study these big, complex facilities. Learn how NREL researchers have designed a way to do exactly that.
News Release: NREL Awards $2 Million in Contracts To Support Development of Cheaper, More Efficient Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells
NREL has awarded $2 million to fund six projects to support the Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium (CTAC).
Substitute for Gold Layer in Perovskite Clears Way for Cheaper Commercialization
A thin layer of gold or silver helps improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, but researchers have found a less expensive material that will enable commercialization of the technology without exorbitant cost.
Clearing the Path for Renewable Geothermal Project Development
What is stopping clean geothermal energy from rapid expansion?
Colorado Shows Eagerness for Sustainable Aviation
Amid the buzz of alternative aircraft and fuels, the Colorado Division of Aeronautics has been swayed: New aviation technologies are a major opportunity for Coloradans, and it is time to start planning their future.
Last Updated May 28, 2025