August 2020
Voyage into the Blue with the Ocean Observing Prize Winners
Ocean Observing Prize competitors are integrating marine renewable energy systems with ocean-observing platforms to collect ocean and weather data that can be used to better forecast natural disasters.
ARIES and RAIL Promise To Advance Renewable Energy Innovation and Integration
Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette introduced two new acronyms to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) lexicon on Aug. 12: RAIL and ARIES. RAIL stands for Research and Innovation Laboratory, while ARIES is short for Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems.
New High-Rate Drilling System Could Revolutionize High-Temperature Power Electronics
NREL has joined forces with Tetra Innovation Institute to advance a high-rate drilling system that could transform the geothermal industry. This game-changing technology has the potential to increase geothermal drilling rates tenfold and reduce well drilling costs by 75%.
Academic Teams Exhibit Strong Showing in Waves to Water Prize DESIGN Stage
Four academic teams emerge victorious in the DESIGN Stage of the U.S. Department of Energy's Waves to Water Prize. Next up, they'll validate their designs in the ADAPT Stage.
Two-for-One Energy from Photons, Now Better than Ever
NREL researchers have found a promising group of materials for tomorrow's super-efficient solar cells, demonstrating how a carefully designed molecule can efficiently split the energy imparted by one photon into two excited states and keep them separated for several microseconds.
NREL Floats New Offshore Wind Cost Optimization Vision
A study unveils a new strategic vision for floating offshore wind. NREL researchers identify barriers that must be overcome to bring down the overall cost of energy produced, then outline a vision for an integrated systems approach with the potential to significantly improve the market feasibility of floating wind plants.
NREL's Zero Energy Office Building Sets High StandardPage Title
The Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory continues to set an example for high-performing zero energy buildings worldwide in the design and construction process.
USAID and NREL Curate Resilience Solutions for International Power System Planners
Resilient Energy Platform develops resources, trainings, and tools to help developing nations identify power system vulnerabilities and plan for sustainable, secure power systems.
DOE and NREL Launch STEM Hydropower and Marine Renewable Energy Portals
As part of an effort to recruit the best and brightest to the water power workforce, the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office and NREL launched STEM education portals for water power technologies.
Grid Coordination Opens Road for Electric Vehicle Flexibility
As electric vehicle sales continue to rev up in the United States, the power grid is in parallel contending with the greatest transformation in its 100-year history: the large-scale integration of renewable energy and power electronic devices. The changes will test the limits of grid integration, but NREL sees opportunity at the intersection of energy systems and transportation.
Leading by Example: ITEAM Prize Recognizes Energy Saving at U.S. Manufacturing Plants
The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office and NREL announced the winners of the American-Made Challenges® Individuals Taking Energy Action in Manufacturing (ITEAM) Prize.
July 2020
Jeff Logan, Long-Standing JISEA Analyst, Has a World of Curiosity
For Jeff Logan, a curiosity came alive when he went to college. This curiosity has brought him around the world to study the clean energy transition.
Novel Research Highlights Critical Barriers to Extreme Fast Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries
In a phenomenon called lithium plating, lithium attaches to graphite particles within the cell instead of inserting itself into the graphite for stable storage. Researchers used high-speed synchrotron X-ray diffraction to gain insight into the conditions that lead to lithium plating.
Fei Ding: Helping Power System Industries Do the Real Work of Grid Resilience and Reliability
Fei Ding is an electrical engineering researcher at NREL who publishes a substantial number of reports and articles about her work on grid resilience and reliability.
Arrival of OptGrid: Advanced Technology of Grid Management Now Available to Industry
A new product developed at NREL has industry-shifting potential to help manage today's increasingly distributed energy infrastructure, and it has emerged as a commercial solution for real-time coordination of distributed energy resources.
Tomorrow's Forecast: Sunny with a Strong Chance of Wind
Meteorologists, engineers, and geographic information system experts at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory are leading wind resource characterization efforts essential to the development of offshore wind.
NREL's Hydropower RAPID Toolkit Webinar Shows Stakeholders the Permitting Path Forward
During an NREL-led Hydropower Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit Webinar, NREL legal and regulatory analysts presented updated features and showcased highlights from NREL's latest Hydropower RAPID Toolkit publication.
NREL Researchers Set Sights on Commercializing Biotechnologies with Industry Partners
Researchers at NREL are set to launch four bioenergy projects with industry partners that have the potential to accelerate the commercialization of novel bio-based products and technologies.
Haiku Sky's Childhood off the Grid Inspired a Career on the Grid
Most of us do not remember the first time we experienced electricity. It has always been a given. But for Haiku Sky, it is a distinct memory. He was four years old—and was fascinated by the idea that you could flip a switch and there would be light.
Hats Off and Happy Trails to NREL Wind and Water Pioneer Bob Thresher
From his trademark black hat to his legendary one-liners and singing contributions to the Wind Weenie Wailers, Research Fellow Bob Thresher undoubtedly cuts a memorable, larger-than-life figure. When asked to describe him, Thresher's colleagues label him as everything from "pioneer" and "mentor" to "friend," "hero," and even "rock star." They are not all misty-eyed tributes, however.
Last Updated May 28, 2025