May 2022
From Full Fare to Fast Charging
Researchers from NREL are working to make sure that New York City's electric vehicle charging network and local utility can meet the eventual demands of more than 100,000 electric cars for hire.
Laboratory Partnerships Bolster Battery Recycling Prize Solutions
The Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize allows entrepreneurs to access state-of-the-art research facilities as technical partners in collaboration within the American-Made Network.
Q&A With Nicholas Rorrer: Plant-Based Plastics and Plastic Plants
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Nic Rorrer shares why he loves polymers as well as Legos, yoga, RuPaul's drag races, and saving the world.
No Time, No Chips: No Problem for NREL
Amid global supply chain delays and semiconductor shortages, NREL researchers use creative problem-solving to deploy two high-performance computing solutions within one year.
News Release: NREL Scientists Advance Renewable Hydrogen Production Method
Perovskite materials may hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner, according to an analysis from scientists at NREL.
15 NREL Researchers Receive Distinguished Member of Research Staff Designation
Fifteen researchers across NREL have been awarded the Distinguished Member of Research Staff designation for their exemplary contributions to NREL's mission, the respect they have earned from peers around the world, and their leadership at the laboratory and beyond.
A TEAMER Approach to Fighting Climate Change
Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program, developers, researchers, companies, and national laboratories are teaming up to share resources.
Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Arizona Named DOE Solar Decathlon 2022 Design Challenge Grand Winners
DOE announced the winners of the 20th annual Solar Decathlon, DOE's longest-tenured student competition that has challenged 40,000 students across the world to use the latest technologies to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible.
Department of Energy Announces Solar District Cup Class of 2021–2022 Winners
On Monday, April 25, DOE announced the top division winners and Project Pitch Champion in the Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition Class of 2021–2022. A total of nine student-led teams won first, second, or third place across the three divisions, plus four honorable mentions.
The Building Blocks of Power Sector Security for Utilities Across the Globe
To help electric utilities better understand what a full cybersecurity program looks like, NREL partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of the Resilient Energy Platform, providing assistance to a variety of stakeholders to improve security for the electrical grid.
April 2022
NREL's Cyber Range Offers Eagle-Eye View of Federal Energy Asset Security
To help federal energy managers assess, monitor, and manage cybersecurity, NREL's Distributed Energy Resource Cybersecurity Framework (DER-CF) offers a comprehensive, web-based assessment tool focusing on cyber governance or policies, technical management, and physical security.
Solar Desalination Prize Round 2 Semifinalists Announced
The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Desalination Prize Round 2 has named six semifinalist teams with innovative solar-thermal desalination system concepts.
Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Mobilize Behind Charging Cybersecurity at NREL
In early April, members of the electric vehicle industry gathered at NREL to evaluate enhanced cybersecurity for the connections between electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
News Release: NREL Calculates Lost Value of Landfilled Plastic in U.S.
Scientists at NREL calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector.
NREL Builds Out National Capability To De-Risk Big Changes in Grid Infrastructure
As the electrical grid makes a historic transition to renewable and distributed energy, even its organizing principles are in flux.
NREL Water Power Successes Featured in WPTO Accomplishments Report
Twenty-one of NREL's water power successes earn the spotlight in the U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office 2020-2021 Accomplishments Report.
Taking Conductivity to the Next Level: CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize Opens Stage 2
Stage 2 of the CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize is now open to all interested in producing a sample of novel conductivity-enhanced materials for evaluation to help upgrade and expand aging electric, transportation, and industrial infrastructures in the United States.
New FLORIS Release Significantly Increases Computation Speeds
The release of Version 3.0 of the FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State (FLORIS) wind farm controls software offers significant improvements to maximize wind energy facility productivity and profits.
Working Out the Details of a Circular Solar Economy
As solar grows rapidly as an energy source, the number of photovoltaic (PV) modules that are manufactured and installed each year will continue to expand.
AlgaePrize Student Finalists Announced
The U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office announced 15 student teams advancing as finalists in the 2022-2023 AlgaePrize competition. Finalist teams receive $5,000 to conduct their proposed research projects over the next 16 months and will present the results next year at NREL.
Last Updated May 1, 2025