January 2018
NREL Postdoc Awarded for Work on Breakthrough Solar Technology
NREL postdoc Jeff Christians received a prestigious award from the U.S. Department of Energy for his work on perovskite solar cells, a promising class of materials.
Workshop Targets Graduate Students to Advance Careers in PV
The 2018 Hands-On PV Experience workshop is an opportunity for a select group of U.S. graduate students to spend an immersive week at NREL in a hands-on, small-group research setting.
News Release: NREL, University of Texas Scientists Determine Critical Factor for Improving Performance and Durability of Perovskite Solar Cells
A microscopic analysis of perovskite solar cells reveals new insight into how the devices degrade--information necessary for moving the technology closer to commercialization.
NREL Begins On-Site Validation of Drivetrain Gearbox and Bearings
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently installed a new gearbox and main bearing in the U.S. Department of Energy-owned General Electric 1.5-megawatt SLE turbine.
NREL to Host Ninth Annual PV Reliability Workshop
NREL will host the ninth annual PV Reliability Workshop from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Lakewood, Colorado. Sessions at the workshop will cover key topics in reliability, such as stability of high-efficiency modules, module soiling, inverter reliability, monitoring and failure detection, international standards, and accelerated testing of modules.
NREL Announces New Technology Development and Innovation Project Selections
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected two projects to receive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Technology Development and Innovation (TD&I) subcontracts. These awards provide recipients access to NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) facilities and expertise in support of projects involving the research and development of early-stage wind-wildlife impact minimization technologies.
Ahmad Pesaran Honored with DOE Assistant Secretary's 2017 EERE Outstanding Impact Award
NREL's Energy Storage Chief Engineer Ahmad Pesaran has been honored with a DOE Assistant Secretary's 2017 EERE Outstanding Impact Award, along with members of the DOE EERE VTO Battery and Electrification team. Pesaran and the team received the EERE Impact Award for the successful development of the ground-breaking electric vehicle Extreme Fast Charging R&D Gap Assessment and Research Roadmap.
Fleet DNA Brings Fleet Data to Life, Informs R&D
The Fleet DNA clearinghouse of commercial vehicle operations data features over 11.5 million miles of real-world data from more than 1,700 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating across a variety of vocations. This massive data repository provides vehicle duty-cycle summaries and visualizations to help users understand the broad operational range of today's commercial vehicles across vocations and weight classes, enabling insight critical to the development of energy-efficient vehicle technologies that meet performance requirements and reduce operating costs.
News Release: Multi-model Effort Highlights Progress, Future Needs in Renewable Energy Modeling
Four agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), hosted two workshops that led to a new report where the teams identified areas of importance for modeling variable renewable energy, performed experiments to determine key assumptions, and compiled a set of recommendations for future research in this area.
News Release: NREL Launches Electrification Futures Study Series
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is spearheading the Electrification Futures Study, a research collaboration to explore the impacts of widespread electrification in all U.S. economic sectors--commercial and residential buildings, transportation, and industry.
Three-peat NREL Intern Pushes Boundaries of Early-Stage Fuels Research on Way to Master's Degree
Drew Cameron completed two Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships and one Research Participant Program internship at NREL, culminating in her successful master's thesis in December, 2017.
Student-Designed Flume Arrives at NWTC
An NREL collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines stimulated an innovative water flume design.
December 2017
ResStock Research Estimates $49 Billion Savings with Home Energy Efficiency Improvements
NREL researchers have estimated $49 billion in potential annual utility bill savings for residents in 48 states through cost-effective, energy-efficient improvements.
NREL Welcomes Robert Leland as Leader for New Scientific Computing and Energy Analysis Division
Robert Leland, former vice president at Sandia National Laboratories, joined NREL in early December, 2017, as associate lab director for Scientific Computing and Energy Analysis.
Q&A with Y.C. Zhang - Bringing Talent and Passion to Power Systems
Dr. Yingchen Zhang, better known as Y.C., was recently appointed as Group Manager for Sensing and Predictive Analytics in NREL's Power Systems Engineering Center. This Q&A highlights his research--past, present, and moving forward.
NREL Projects Awarded Over $3M to Advance Novel Solar Forecasting Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced its selection of two projects led by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), each to receive over $1.5M on projects that will advance predictive modeling of solar power and improve grid reliability.
iiESI Wraps Up First International Conference
On December 5-6, 2017 the International Institute for Energy Systems Integration (iiESI) hosted its first International Conference on Energy Systems Integration on NREL's campus, convening over one hundred scholars and practitioners that crossed scientific and engineering disciplines.
NREL Co-Leading New Consortium for R&D of Biomass Supply and Conversion Technologies, Announces Funding Opportunity
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as co-leader of the new Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC), is pleased to announce the release of a Directed Funding Opportunity (DFO) to accelerate innovation and adoption of new practices and technologies to determine the root cause of biomass handling failures and to design solutions.
NREL Issues Request for Information on Hydrogen Compressor Manufacturing Capabilities
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking feedback from manufacturers on hydrogen compressor manufacturing capabilities that meet specifications that may satisfy the needs of future hydrogen stations.
Maria Ghirardi: Medical Studies Planted the Seed for Her Bioenergy Research
Maria Ghirardi was initially drawn to medicine, but switched to bioenergy, a field where she’s been a pioneer for decades.
Last Updated May 28, 2025