April 2018
News Release: Research Team Engineers a Better Plastic-Degrading Enzyme
A breakthrough in enzyme research led by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the United Kingdom's University of Portsmouth has led to an improved variant of an enzyme that can breakdown ubiquitous plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET.
NREL Research Pushes Perovskites Closer to Market
NREL has played a significant role in the increased efficiency of perovskite solar cells.
Heavy-Duty Emissions Research Honored with SAE Colwell Award
On April 10, authors the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Cummins Inc. received the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award during the 2018 annual Society of Automotive engineers (SAE) World Congress Awards and Recognition Ceremony in Detroit. The Colwell award recognizes the authors of papers of outstanding technical or professional merit that are presented at SAE meetings.
News Release: New Solar PV Tool Accurately Calculates Degradation Rates, Saving Money and Guiding Business Decisions
A new software package developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and industry partners SunPower and kWh Analytics is making the measurement of PV system expected lifetime performance more reliable, consistent, and accurate.
New Analysis Finds Synergistic Relationship Between High PV Penetration and Energy Storage Deployment
Adding higher penetrations of solar photovoltaics (PV) to the electric power grid could increase the potential for energy storage to meet peak demand, according to new analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
NREL Leadership Contributes to Revision of Key Energy Integration Standard, IEEE 1547
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has published the full revision of IEEE 1547, which establishes uniform requirements for interconnection of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar photovoltaics, with the electric power system. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office, NREL researchers provided leadership and technical support in developing this full revision of the standard.
News Release: Perovskite Technology is Scalable, But Questions Remain about the Best Methods
As perovskite solar cells set efficiency records and the nascent technology becomes more stable, another major challenge remains: the issue of scalability, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
From Preble's Mouse to Rattlers, NREL Biologist Likes Critters
Looking out over the "living laboratory" of NREL's campus, Senior Wildlife Biologist Tom Ryon sees a tapestry that others may not. Everywhere he goes, he can't avoid interactions with nature. Nor does he want to.
News Release: NREL Opens Large Database of Inorganic Thin-Film Materials
An extensive experimental database of inorganic thin-film materials that organizes a decade's worth of research at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now publicly available.
News Release: NREL Research Overcomes Major Technical Obstacles in Magnesium-Metal Batteries
Scientists at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered a new approach for developing a rechargeable non-aqueous magnesium-metal battery.
March 2018
Q&A with Sheila Hayter: Laying the Foundation for an Interconnected Energy Future
Sheila Hayter is a group manager in the Integrated Applications Center (IAC), leading a team of experts who support international, federal, state, and local entities with the goal of significantly reducing nonrenewable energy consumption though optimized use of energy efficiency strategies and renewable energy technologies. Along with her NREL work, she is the ASHRAE president elect. We caught up with Hayter to discuss where her roles with ASHRAE and NREL intersect.
Transportation Research Fueled by Academia
NREL's long history of successful partnerships with universities includes collaborating on transportation research projects, as well as joint appointments and sustaining a thriving host of internship programs. Over the past few years transportation researchers have collaborated with more than 20 universities within the United States and internationally.
Koenraad Beckers: A Love of Science Benefits Geothermal Research
In June, NREL researcher Koenraad Beckers will bike from Boise, Idaho, to Yellowstone National Park. The ride is typical for this avid biker. The reason though is unusual. Passionate about geothermal energy research, he wants to observe the hot water in both places.
Newly Branded Energy Systems Integration Group Joins International Institute for Energy Systems Integration
The Utility-Variable Generation Integration Group (UVIG) is broadening its reach among the ESI community, joining with the International Institute for Energy Systems Integration (iiESI), and changing its name to the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG).
News Release: NREL Discovers Enzyme Domains that Dramatically Improve Performance
By studying and comparing the workhorse cellulose-degrading enzymes of two fungi, researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have pinpointed regions on these enzymes that can be targeted via genetic engineering to help break down cellulose faster.
Johney Green Joins Inaugural Board of Trustees for the UK's Faraday Institution
NREL's Johney Green, Jr. has been chosen to join Faraday's inaugural board of trustees to help set the agenda and support programs for emerging electrochemical energy storage technologies.
Return of the Lambkins: Practice Makes Perfect at Colorado Science Bowl
An experienced hand at the buzzer proved to be the formula for success at this year's Colorado High School Science Bowl--hosted by NREL - where 41 teams from across the state competed for a shot to represent Colorado at the DOE National Science Bowl® in April. The teams worked tirelessly through the morning's round-robin competition, 16 of them advancing to the afternoon double-elimination.
National Wind Technology Center to Help Verify Bend-Twist Coupled Smart Blades
NREL will evaluate a pioneering bend-twist rotor concept at the National Wind Technology Center
NREL Briefs Congressional Committee on Impact of Scientific Innovations on Transportation Future
On March 7, NREL's Laboratory Program Manager for Vehicle Technologies John Farrell briefed the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on how the Energy Department and the national labs are driving innovation to spur advances in the efficiency and performance of fuels, vehicles, and the broader transportation system.
Last Updated May 28, 2025