July 2021
DOE Recognizes Multiple NREL Hydrogen Researchers at 2021 Annual Merit Review Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program recently honored nine National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers for their outstanding achievements at the 2021 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.
NREL Issues Request for Information on Advanced Distribution Management System Research
NREL is soliciting feedback from industry, utilities, grid operators, governments, and other grid stakeholders around applications of the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) Test Bed, a capability for validating advanced grid architectures, controls, and operations.
June 2021
Solar Desalination Prize Round 2 Seeks Innovative Desalination Technologies Combined With Storage
Department of Energy launches second round of Solar Desalination Prize with new focus on storage.
From Satellite Launches to Expert Energy Analysis for Earthlings
NREL's Modeling and Analysis Group is an interdisciplinary team of technical experts who support government and private entities with techno-economic modeling and analysis of energy efficiency, renewable energy, storage, and microgrids.
NREL Finds Keeping Renewables at Today's Levels—or Limiting Their Growth—Results in Higher U.S. Power System Costs
Simulations show nonlinear relationship between renewable contribution and costs—and that the U.S. can get to 80+% renewables at the same cost as keeping the system at today’s 20%.
Technology Commercialization Fund Awards NREL $4.9 Million To Bring Tech to Market
The U.S. Department of Energy funded 16 National Renewable Energy Laboratory awards through its Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF).
North American Renewable Integration Study Highlights Opportunities for a Coordinated, Continental Low-Carbon Grid
Multiyear analysis shows that increasing electricity trade between countries and expanding interregional transmission can support a reliable future power system.
Study Kicks Off Multiyear Effort To Modernize U.S. Electricity Markets
To address challenges for future electric markets, a major research collaboration has published its first study for a national project targeting grid modernization and understanding current market design challenges and opportunities.
News Release: NREL Names Meyer Seligman To Lead New Government Relations Office
NREL has named Meyer Seligman as director for Government Relations. In this new position for the laboratory, Seligman will be responsible for ensuring NREL stakeholders are informed on NREL's research to help advance the laboratory's mission.
Researchers Identify Near-Term Opportunity for Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks
Researchers recently studied a promising opportunity for near-term electrification within this segment through depot charging.
Are Hybrid Systems Truly the Future of the Grid? NREL's Magic 8-Ball Says: "Concentrate and Ask Again."
Recent analyses suggest a need for coordinated dialogue and consistent modeling to understand the value of hybrid renewable energy systems.
How Wave Energy Could Go Big by Getting Smaller
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, NREL researchers are exploring ways to significantly advance wave energy converter design and development.
News Release: NREL Announces Plans To Collaborate With Georgia Institute of Technology
NREL and the Georgia Institute of Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bolster the interactions, collaborations, and joint scientific output of both institutions.
The Challenge of the Last Few Percent: Quantifying the Costs and Emissions Benefits of a 100% Renewable U.S. Electricity System
Large-scale simulations by NREL researchers show that the U.S. can get close to 100% renewable generation cost-effectively—but the final few percent drive a nonlinear increase in total system cost.
Partnerships Amplify Velocity of Offshore Wind Innovation
With support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, NREL’s 150 wind energy researchers are teaming up with over 45 organizations to make offshore wind energy a reality.
New Pathway Emerges To Improve Polycrystalline Thin-Film Solar Cell Performance
Puzzling out and testing new ways to improve the efficiency of cadmium telluride (CdTe) polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic materials is a typical day in the life of NREL research scientists Matthew Reese and Craig Perkins. Like any good puzzlers, they bring curiosity and keen observation to the task.
NREL Inventiveness Sets New Record for Patent Activity
NREL was granted 40 U.S. patents during fiscal 2020, a bump from the 32 issued during the prior fiscal year.
Grid-Scale U.S. Storage Capacity Could Grow Five-Fold by 2050
The latest report in NREL's multiyear Storage Futures Study finds reaching full market potential of diurnal grid-scale energy storage hinges on system flexibility and solar photovoltaics penetration.
May 2021
Gesick Embeds With Defense Innovation Unit To Expand NREL’s Support To Department of Defense
NREL researcher Josh Gesick joins the Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit Advanced Energy and Materials team to assist DOD with partner-related initiatives and adoption of commercial technologies.
Industry Growth Forum Creates Impact in Virtual Setting for Second Straight Year
Even in its 26th year, amidst a pandemic, the NREL Industry Growth Forum--the premiere cleantech commercialization-acceleration event that aligns promising, preselected startups with venture capitalists looking for their next great investment--set new records.
Last Updated May 28, 2025