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December 2019
Spin on Perovskite Research Advances Potential for Quantum Computing
The next generation of information technology could take advantage of spintronics--electronics that use the minuscule magnetic fields emanating from spinning electrons as well as the electric charges of the electrons themselves--for faster, smaller electronic devices that use less energy.
November 2019
Former NREL Director Charlie Gay Retires from DOE Solar Program
Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Director Charlie Gay, an internationally recognized pioneer in photovoltaics (PV), retired from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Nov. 1.
October 2019
R&D 100 Awards Honor Two NREL Innovations
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today won two R&D 100 Awards from R&D World magazine.
First-Ever American-Made Solar Prize Concludes, Awards Round 1 Winners: Phase3 Photovoltaics, Solar Inventions
Round 1 of the American-Made Solar Prize concluded as two final winners received $500,000 each.
September 2019
Call Sherry: Engineer Helps Tribes, Alaskan Villages Find Energy Solutions
In many tribal communities, electricity is expensive, unreliable, or completely unavailable. NREL Engineer Sherry Stout works with such communities, helping them use renewable energy to reduce costs and access reliable power.
Benefits of Agrivoltaics Across the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
In a recent article for Nature Sustainability, NREL's Lead Energy-Water-Land Analyst Jordan Macknick and co-authors investigated the potential benefits of co-located agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure (dubbed “agrivoltaics”) on food production, irrigation water requirements, and energy production.
Unique New Prototype Brings NREL Collaborators Together
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator member company Yotta Solar brought their behind-the-panel battery system to NREL for analysis this summer. It's a technology so new, researchers from multiple disciplines were pushed to develop next-generation evaluation techniques.
August 2019
NREL, First Solar Collaboration Improves Thin-Film Solar Cells
A new paper reports a cell efficiency of 20.8%, representing a crossing point for the new group V technology relative to historic copper technology.
Twin Scientists Advance Understanding of PV Windows
The brothers both previously worked at NREL, although the older one is now a university professor in Wisconsin.
From the Bottom Up: Designing a Decentralized Power System
Cross-Discipline Team Envisions the Grid of the Future
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Last Updated May 5, 2025