April 2022
Tapping Hydropower's Potential: New Hydropower Prize Challenges Innovators to Improve Grid Reliability and Resiliency
In partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office has launched the Hydropower Operations Optimization (H2Os) Prize to support a reliable, resilient grid. The Phase 1 submission window closes on May 20, 2022.
Solar Decathlon Turns 20!
2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, an international collegiate competition that has helped popularize renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, while training the clean energy workforce of tomorrow.
NREL Gets Electric Off the Ground With R&D, Analysis on Battery-Powered Aircraft and Seacraft
Some have called 2023 the "year of the electric vehicle (EV)," noting the dozens of new battery-powered models set to come available in the United States across all vehicle classes.
The Year in Review
The recently released 2021 annual reports for the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) research platform, and Advanced Computing offer a snapshot of the impact of NREL research: highlights from the diverse projects, publications, patents, partnerships, and technical breakthroughs realized in the last year.
March 2022
NREL Senior Research Fellow Honored for International Leadership and Innovation in Energy Chemistry
NREL Senior Research Fellow Bob McCormick was recently recognized with one of the highest honors by the American Chemical Society, known as the Henry H. Storch Award in Energy Chemistry for his research on alternative and low-carbon fuels, including the chemistry of fuel-engine interactions.
Ocean Energy? River Power? There Is a Toolkit for That
A newly revamped software offers marine energy developers a way to analyze how well their technology might perform in various ocean and river sites.
CatCost Online Tool Offers Insight Into Catalyst Manufacturing Cost and Environmental Impact
Scientists from NREL's Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center have sought to reduce barriers to early-stage catalyst cost estimation by developing CatCost, a free and publicly available cost estimation tool that aims to equip researchers with the information they need to make informed R&D decisions.
Amazon Joins NREL-Led BOTTLE Consortium To Help Change the Way We Recycle
A new collaboration between Amazon and NREL-led BOTTLE Consortium could be a major step toward developing solutions to global plastic pollution.
Harnessing Hydropower To Achieve a Sustainable Future
NREL Hydropower Technical Lead Greg Stark reflects on how the conversation around hydropower is changing and NREL is honored to be part of it in 2022.
Battery Research Tackles New Challenges for Behind-the-Meter Stationary Storage Systems
Researchers at NREL are leading the development of new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery designs specific to stationary storage requirements.
More Power to the Women
For Women's History Month 2022, the NREL marine energy and hydropower groups are taking a look at the work of six NREL women who are interested in renewable energy technologies, specifically water power technologies. Here are the second three.
Creativity and Exploration Drive Marine Energy Research
NREL Marine Energy Team Lead Mike Lawson believes 2022 will be defined by collaboration with current and future industry leaders.
Power to the Women
For Women's History Month 2022, the NREL marine energy and hydropower groups are taking a look at six NREL women who are interested in renewable energy technologies, specifically water power technologies. Here are the first three.
Back-to-Back: Fossil Ridge Wins Colorado High School Science Bowl for Second Year in a Row
Defending their title and defeating 16 teams from across the state, a Fossil Ridge High School team has become the winners of the 32nd annual Colorado Regional High School Science Bowl.
Six Wave-Powered Prototypes to Set Sail
Six teams of marine energy innovators are advancing from the DESIGN to the BUILD Contest of the Ocean Observing Prize with their ocean-observing technologies.
Aging Gracefully: How NREL Is Extending the Lifetime of Solar Modules
DuraMAT, a multi-laboratory consortium led by NREL, is exploring ideas that could extend solar module lifetime up to 50 years.
Collaboration With UL Supports Development of New Requirements for Cybersecurity and Modern Energy Systems
In collaboration with UL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing an Outline of Investigation for a cybersecurity certification standard for distributed energy resources (DERs) and inverter-based resource (IBR) devices.
News Release: Scientists Show Large Impact of Controlling Humidity on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from air conditioners are expected to climb as economic growth drives efforts to control both temperature and humidity, according to an analysis by scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Xerox PARC.
News Release: 2022 NREL Industry Growth Forum Presenters Will Pitch to Motivated Cleantech Investors
NREL announced today the list of 40 presenters for the 2022 NREL Industry Growth Forum (IGF), which is set for April 13-14 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The selected companies represent a wide range of clean and sustainable technology startups from around the world.
Trial by Water: NREL's Wave-Powered Desalination Device Sets Sail
NREL researchers recently tested a hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter off the coast of North Carolina ahead of Waves to Water Prize finalists' desalination prototype trials.
Last Updated May 1, 2025