September 2020
NREL Selects U.S. Manufacturers To Develop Next-Generation Distributed Wind Technologies
Seven U.S. manufacturers selected to enter into negotiation to receive DOE Competitiveness Improvement Project awards, designed to accelerate deployment of small- and medium-sized wind turbines across the country and lower the cost of energy from distributed wind.
Transforming Saltwater into Prize Winnings: Waves to Water Industry Teams Win Big in DESIGN Stage
Among the winners of the U.S. Department of Energy's Waves to Water Prize DESIGN Stage, five industry teams are now ready to take their desalination design to the next level.
From Lab to Tundra: Building a More Efficient Future with Rural Alaska
In a small Athabascan village on the Yukon River, a new house is going up. Tribal leaders in Huslia, Alaska, hope homes like this will attract health care and law enforcement workers to the remote Arctic community. Staying warm is the center of life at this latitude and the driving purpose of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.
Hurricane Puts NREL Resilience Analysis Tool to the Test
The devastating hurricane that struck northwest Florida in October 2018 proved an ideal case study for a risk assessment tool developed by NREL.
New Open-Source Modeling Tool Enables Design of Large, Flexible Wind Turbines
NREL recently released cOnvecting LAgrangian Filaments (OLAF), a new wake module included in NREL's OpenFAST wind turbine simulation tool. Programmed to generate realistic representations of the wakes of large, flexible turbine blades, OLAF can provide a complex, accurate model of the physics of turbine wakes, yet it can still run on a personal computer.
August 2020
Zero-Energy Schools Elevate Expectations
A new online course called "Achieving Zero-Energy Building Design" was adapted from the "Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings" and unveiled in August. The training will give building professionals the knowledge to design zero-energy schools in any climate in the United States.
Nine Teams Swim Toward the Fish Protection Grand Prize at the American Fisheries Society Virtual Annual Meeting
Nine teams vie for the Fish Protection grand prize to be announced at the American Fisheries Society Virtual Annual Meeting in September.
Q&A with Sakshi Mishra: Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change and Advocating for Women in STEM
Finding energy solutions for a changing global climate and advocating for women to choose careers in science and technology drive Sakshi Mishra's mission as an energy researcher and power systems engineer.
Annual Technology Baseline Expands To Include Transportation Data
The first-ever Transportation Annual Technology Baseline consolidates U.S. vehicle and fuel technologies data for current and future markets through 2050.
NREL Seeks Turbine Manufacturer Partners for Distributed Wind Research
In an effort to advance distributed wind energy innovation, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory invites manufacturers to express their interest in installing distributed-scale wind turbines as research hardware at NREL's Flatirons Campus, located south of Boulder, Colorado.
Introducing DERCF: A Web-Based Tool and Cybersecurity Framework for Distributed Energy Systems
With support from U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), NREL developed the Distributed Energy Resources Cybersecurity Framework (DERCF), a web-based application designed to help users pinpoint gaps in their distributed energy systems' cybersecurity.
From Streams to Rivers: NREL Upgrades Data Exchange for High-Use, Real-Time Applications
A recent upgrade by NREL's Data Analysis and Visualization Group (DAV) has brought some order to laboratory data flow with a platform that makes data streaming and access much easier for ESIF researchers and partners.
Upcoming Groundbreaking Hydro Prize Incentivizes Innovation
NREL, the U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory launches the Groundbreaking Hydro Prize.
Novel Design Configuration Increases Market Viability for Pumped-Storage Hydropower in the United States
NREL is supporting Obermeyer Hydro Inc. in their efforts to design a cost-effective, highly flexible pumped-storage hydropower system that reduces project costs, shortens deployment timelines, and is optimized for U.S. energy storage requirements.
Researchers Explore Charging Flexibility of Shared Automated Electric Vehicles
Shared automated electric vehicles (SAEVs) may bring lower costs, reduced emissions, and a better travel experience, but their uncoordinated charging at scale could stress the electric grid and increase costs. So, an NREL research team explored the potential charging flexibility of future SAEV fleets.
NREL Notice of Intent for 2022 DOE Collegiate Wind Competition
NREL plans to issue a request for proposals in September 2020 for colleges and universities interested in participating in the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition in the spring of 2022. The competition is designed to help prepare college students from a variety of backgrounds for careers in wind energy.
NREL, ExxonMobil Teams Imagine, Research New Solutions for Tomorrow's Energy Challenges
A year into their unique collaboration, NREL and ExxonMobil are navigating a multi-pronged effort toward a future where clean-burning biofuels replace some petroleum-based fuels.
NREL Helps Students "JUMP" into Building Science Innovation
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, launches its third JUMP into STEM collegiate competition this August.
How Might Climate Change Impact Energy Systems?
A new literature review suggests climate change is anticipated to impact regional and global energy systems, with varying magnitudes of effects across regions and technologies.
NREL Brings Expertise in Energy Resilience to New Organizational Planning Resource
The Technical Resilience Navigator, a resilience planning tool co-developed by NREL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, helps organizations identify their resilience gaps and prioritize solutions that reduce risk from energy and water service disruptions.
Last Updated May 28, 2025