November 2017
Telematics Systems Can Help Fleets Promote Safety, Save Money
In a recently released report, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) identified best practices and lessons learned in deploying fleet telematics at a federal agency. The report provides an overview of telematics capabilities, lessons learned from telematics deployed in the Marine Corps fleet, and recommendations for fleet managers to maximize value from telematics.
News Release: NREL Develops Switchable Solar Window
Thermochromic windows capable of converting sunlight into electricity at a high efficiency have been developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
News Release: Scientific Society AAAS Honors NREL's Tumas as Fellow
William Tumas, an associate laboratory director for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has been elected a fellow by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
First Full-Scale Evaluation of Gearbox Failure Generates Industry Interest
A new article by NREL researchers summarizes the first full-scale assessment of operating conditions that may generate white etching cracks in the bearings of wind turbine gearboxes--one of the most common causes of gearbox failure.
NREL Shares Insights for Alternative Fuel and Infrastructure Transportation Project Success
As cities and states continue to explore mobility options, new fuel and vehicle adoption will play a large part in fulfilling that vision. Two new guides from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provide insights for informing clean transportation project management practices and implementing these types of projects successfully.
News Release: NREL Researchers Named Fellows by Prestigious Industry Societies
The director of the Materials Science Center at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS).
Real-Time Quality-Control Testing for Fuel Cells Becomes Reality
NREL's QCORD project poised to help auto industry ramp up production
NREL's Energy Storage and REopt Teams Awarded $525k from TCF to Study Commercial Viability of Optimal, Reliable Building-Integrated Energy Storage
NREL's Energy Storage and REopt Teams are recipients of a $525k monetary award to commercialize building-integrated energy storage control strategies, working with private industry partner, Eaton Corporation. These funds from the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) at the Office of Technology Transition (OTT) are part of 19.7 million in total funding provided to help businesses move promising energy technologies from the Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Laboratories to the marketplace, encompassing 54 projects across 12 National Laboratories and involving more than 30 private-sector partners.
Innovation Incubator Gives Rise to Virtual Building Control Tests
A Colorado firm participating in the latest Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator Program is partnering with NREL to refine its building energy management control systems--but there's a twist.
NREL Bridges Fuels and Engines R&D to Maximize Vehicle Efficiency and Performance
New State-of-the-Art Equipment Expands Research Capabilities
Can Climate, Water Resource Changes Impact U.S. Power Supply?
Power plants that require water for cooling provide 85% of U.S. electricity generation and need large volumes of water at sufficiently cool temperatures. Researchers from NREL, City College of New York, and Sandia National Laboratories evaluated U.S. thermoelectric plants under possible future climates and performance within power grid sub-regions and published their findings in Nature Climate Change.
Robotics Intern Retrofits Home Appliance to Operate in New, More-Efficient Ways
An undergraduate intern's contributions during a summer internship at NREL are helping researchers maintain homeowner comfort while using less energy and, ultimately, easing the burden on aging grid infrastructure.
New Study Indicates Shorter-Term Storage Can Reduce Variable-Generation Curtailments
Increasing the penetration of variable energy sources such as solar and wind energy in the grid without introducing heavy curtailment does not require costly, very-long-duration storage.
NREL Announces New Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project Contracts
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently announced six new contracts for Round 5 of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project.
October 2017
America's Wind Energy Future Looks Seaward
NREL research supports emerging offshore wind industry.
News Release: NREL, University of Washington Scientists Elevate Quantum Dot Solar Cell World Record to 13.4 Percent
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) established a new world efficiency record for quantum dot solar cells, at 13.4 percent.
NREL Blows Up Batteries to Make the World Safer
NREL is Helping to Safely Power Our World One Controlled Explosion at a Time
NREL Wins Prestigious UK "Academy Award" for Engineering
In the U.S. engineering world, R&D 100 Awards are the equivalent of Oscars, and the Engineer Collaborate to Innovate Award is the United Kingdom (UK) version on the other side of the pond. In September, NREL partners from University College London (UCL), along with NASA, the European Synchrotron Research Facility (ESRF), and the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL), won an Engineer Collaborate to Innovate Award in the category of Safety & Security for lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery safety research using NREL's patented, R&D Award-winning Battery Internal Short Circuit (ISC) Device.
News Release: NREL Research Yields Significant Thermoelectric Performance
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reported significant advances in the thermoelectric performance of organic semiconductors based on carbon nanotube thin films that could be integrated into fabrics to convert waste heat into electricity or serve as a small power source.
NREL Charges Forward to Reduce Time at EV Stations
Shortening recharge times may diminish range anxiety and increase electric vehicle (EV) market viability. Therefore, speeding up battery charging is crucial to improving the convenience of owning and driving an electric vehicle (EV). The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and industry stakeholders to identify the technical, infrastructure, and economic requirements for establishing a national extreme fast charging (XFC) network.
Last Updated May 1, 2025