February 2022
NREL-Led Solar Permitting Software Reduces Review Times by 12 Business Days
A pilot study demonstrates SolarAPP+ ability to expedite solar installs.
January 2022
Solar Veteran Selected To Lead NREL CSP Program
Math, mentors, and Mother Nature all had a hand in leading Craig Turchi toward his new role as the manager of NREL's Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Program.
Plant-Based Epoxy Enables Recyclable Carbon Fiber, Improves Economics for Mass Market Electric Vehicles
Ten times stronger than steel, nearly half the weight of aluminum, far stiffer than fiberglass—carbon fiber carries a package of advantages, making it a preferred material for use in luxury sedans and Formula One racecars alike.
Code Fit for the Stars
Wave energy developers can bring the ocean to the laptop thanks to the Wave Energy Converter SIMulator (WEC-Sim), a tool built by researchers at NREL and Sandia National Laboratories.
Joint Workforce Development Initiative To Advance Leadership Opportunities for Women in Power System Operations
Women in Power System Transformation initiative seeks to increase women’s representation and leadership in global transition to clean energy through targeted academic and workforce training.
Advanced Air Mobility Takes Flight With New Partnership
The next frontier of mobility aims to ascend to new heights with on-demand air travel integrated with existing transit. This vision is backed by new research, which shows aerial mobility options are nearly ready for takeoff and poised to transform public transit in cities worldwide.
Reducing Wind Turbine Wakes Could Save Wind Farms Millions
Researchers are collecting the most comprehensive data on how winds move through wind plants to help design more efficient plants and reduce wind energy costs.
American Chemical Society Recognizes NREL Women at the Forefront of Energy Research
Since 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has published an annual series, titled "Women Scientists at the Forefront of Energy Research," to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the energy science field.
Landmark Demonstration Shows How Common Wind Turbine Can Provide Fundamental Grid Stability
NREL uses advanced grid research environment for first-ever example of type-3 turbines using grid-forming controls.
Kentucky Community Partners With NREL To Meet 100% Clean Goals
The community of Louisville, Kentucky, is partnering with NREL to achieve a goal of 100% clean electricity for municipal government operations by 2030.
DOE Launches AlgaePrize for Student Innovators—Competition Will Culminate at NREL in Spring 2023
A new competition from the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office encourages students to imagine and develop innovative technology solutions using algae as a potent and flexible energy resource.
Happy Hours: Energy Storage Could Support the Grid Every Hour of the Day, All Year Long
The latest phase of the Storage Futures Study finds the grid operates more efficiently with high levels of energy storage across all studied system configurations and grid mixes.
NREL Scientists Dive Into Data in Search of Answers
In NREL's Insight Center, models come to life, illuminating pathways to a clean energy future.
Aligning Utilities and Electric Vehicles, for the Greater Grid
A team at NREL completed a literature review on the potential value of electric vehicle (EV) managed charging. Findings provide a complete look at how EVs and the grid could work together as the electric and transportation sectors become intertwined.
REopt Goes Underground To Elevate Facility Energy Savings and Resilience
A new geothermal heat pump module enables the REopt web tool to evaluate individual facility energy, cost, and emissions impacts of converting conventional heating and cooling systems to ground-source heat pumps.
A Year in Review: Advancing Energy Storage and Conversion Research
Over the past year, NREL researchers have pioneered innovative, interdisciplinary, and integrated research and development for technology advancements in electrochemical, molecular, thermal, and mechanical energy storage systems.
Python Opens Up New Applications for EnergyPlus Building Energy Simulation
Buildings account for more than 40% of U.S. energy use and 70% of U.S. electricity use. Reducing that consumption and "shaping" it to match renewable generation requires us to design and operate buildings to be more efficient, flexible, and responsive. To do that, we must be able to better predict and model building energy use.
Understanding the Impact of Wind Conditions on Concentrating Solar Power Structures
High wind loads increase structural design costs of concentrating solar power collector structures, such as heliostats and parabolic troughs.
December 2021
Bringing Energy-Efficient Building Technologies Closer to Commercialization
DOE is accelerating emerging technologies from lab to market through its Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). With an overarching goal to increase the number of commercialized energy technologies developed at national laboratories, the TCF Program awarded funding to support two NREL Buildings projects.
Top 20 NREL Stories of 2021
NREL researchers and staff reached countless goals and achieved numerous successes in science, partnerships, and technology commercialization in 2021. Here are just a few of the highlights.
Last Updated May 1, 2025