January 2021
Saying Yes to Water Power Success: NREL Project Standouts in WPTO Accomplishments Report
Take a bird's-eye view of WPTO's 2019–2020 hydropower and marine energy accomplishments, and learn about the NREL projects highlighted within this comprehensive publication.
Shoring Up Wave Energy's Bottom Line Through Variable-Generation WEC Designs
Could the secret to unlocking wave energy's potential be found in shape-shifting control? NREL researcher Nathan Tom and his team think so.
After Four Decades of Photovoltaic Research, NREL Is Just Getting Started
In the 43 years since, the Solar Energy Research Institute—now known as NREL—has been a driving force in the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. A new video shows why NREL researchers envision a future where PV is everywhere.
Latest Electrification Futures Study Report Explores How U.S. Power System Could Evolve With Widespread Electrification
The fifth report in the multiyear analysis reveals how widespread electrification could impact energy sector infrastructure investments, fuel use, system costs, and emissions.
Strength in Numbers: I AM Hydro Prize Partnerships
Learn about the I AM Hydro Prize and the advanced-manufacturing partners supporting it.
NREL Positions for Growth in Cybersecurity for Renewables, Launches New Program Office
NREL recently announced the launch of the new Cybersecurity Program Office, established to accelerate NREL's leadership in securing renewable energy technologies and distributed energy systems.
Solar Prize Marks Milestone with Round 3 Winner and Round 4 Semifinalist Announcements
The sun has set on another round of the American-Made Solar Prize, awarding two new solar startups for their innovations.
A Float Through the Past: CCHRC Founder Revisits His Iglu on the River
It had been almost 30 years since Jack Hébert visited his old home site in Northern Alaska's Brooks Range. In that time, Jack had become an award-winning home builder and founded the Cold Climate Housing Research Center to come up with more sustainable ways to build. Today, he is a senior advisor at NREL.
NREL and Project Partners Team-Up To Advance Species Conservation and Wind Energy Deployment
NREL and Defenders of Wildlife launched Wildlife and Wind Energy: Considerations for Monitoring and Managing Impacts, a nine-part webinar series to help familiarize stakeholders with the nuances of land-based wind energy development in the context of species conservation.
December 2020
Solving Solar Power Growing Pains in Michigan
To expedite distributed energy resource integration and plan for more distributed energy generation, the Michigan Public Service Commission contacted NREL for help updating its rules.
SETO Awards NREL To Pursue National Solutions in Solar Integration
NREL has been awarded a large share of funds from the Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) 2020 funding program. NREL leads three projects. Two will target broad challenges in systems integration and the third will apply artificial intelligence to solar optimization.
The Future Is Autonomous: NREL's Autonomous Energy Grids Research Featured in IEEE Spectrum
A recent feature story in IEEE Spectrum magazine covers current progress and the opportunities ahead for autonomous energy grids (AEGs), and how the Basalt Vista neighborhood has made NREL's vision for AEGs a reality.
Technical Roadmap Guides Research Direction for Grid-Forming Inverters
A team of experts from NREL and several collaborating institutions have published the Research Roadmap on Grid-Forming Inverters, a comprehensive guide to understanding inverter-dominated power systems. The roadmap provides a system-wide perspective on the integration of inverter-based resources.
Top 20 NREL Stories of 2020
NREL researchers and staff reached countless goals and achieved numerous successes in science, partnerships, and technology commercialization in 2020, from breaking world records to launching new initiatives. Here are just a few of the highlights.
System Advisor Model Update Includes New Data, Improved Model Integration
Make informed decisions about renewable energy system design and project economics with the latest version of NREL's System Advisor Model.
Quantum Wells Enable Record-Efficiency Two-Junction Solar Cell
Researchers from NREL and the University of New South Wales achieved a new world-record efficiency for two-junction solar cells, creating a cell with two light-absorbing layers that converts 32.9% of sunlight into electricity.
News Release: I AM Hydro Prize Winners Leverage Advanced Manufacturing Expertise to Bolster Hydropower
Eleven winning teams claimed top honors with their concepts to leverage the rapid innovations enabled by advanced manufacturing to solve hydropower's critical challenges.
Nuclear-Renewable Synergies for Clean Energy Solutions
For nearly a decade, JISEA has supported analysis and dialogue on the potential of nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems to provide sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable power, heat, and other energy services.
Solar District Cup Students Are Ready for the Finals
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition has announced that 35 teams from 34 schools are advancing as finalists in the Class of 2021 program.
Swimming With the SHARKS: NREL Makes a Splash at 2020 ARPA-E Funding Round
NREL researchers are working to fast-track the development of tomorrow's cost-effective marine energy technologies, thanks to an ARPA-E SHARKS funding award.
Last Updated May 28, 2025