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March 2022
Trial by Water: NREL's Wave-Powered Desalination Device Sets Sail
NREL researchers recently tested a hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter off the coast of North Carolina ahead of Waves to Water Prize finalists' desalination prototype trials.
55 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Teams Advance as Finalists
Fifty-five teams representing 38 universities are advancing as finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2022 Design Challenge.
Research Team Advances Biological Alternative to Producing Common Petrochemical
Engineers have dreamed of programming organisms to sustainably produce ethylene, a chemical nicknamed "king of petrochemicals" for its importance in plastics. Now, one pathway to this petrochemical is nearing reality, via a photosynthetic bacterium that is genetically specialized to turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into ethylene.
Q&A With Meredith Doyle: Impatient To Save the World
As part of the Q&A profile series "Manufacturing Masterminds," Meredith Doyle discusses her perspectives on the future potential for plant-based plastics, equity issues surrounding plastics pollution, and more.
NREL Issues Competitiveness Improvement Project Request for Proposals
NREL has issued a request for proposals for the Competitiveness Improvement Project, which supports distributed wind energy.
February 2022
News Release: NREL Selects Amanda Kolker To Lead Geothermal Energy Program
NREL has named Amanda Kolker as the laboratory program manager for geothermal energy.
Looking Back on a Sunny Legacy
When it comes to concentrating solar power (CSP) research, Mark Mehos has seen the industry growth and solar boom firsthand. CSP technologies—capturing sunlight to produce heat that drives thermoelectric generation systems—had their beginnings in the mid-1980s, at the dawn of his 35-year career at NREL.
NREL Bioengineering Process Prepares To Make a Splash
When Americans turn on a faucet, they rely on public treatment systems to ensure the water is safe to drink. Recently, Mars Materials was granted an option for an exclusive license to use NREL's renewable acrylonitrile technology in producing polyacrylamide flocculants for commercial use in water treatment systems.
Beyond Fossil Carbon? Green Electricity Is Opening Doors to Low-Emission Alternatives for Making Fuels and Chemicals
Petroleum, coal, and natural gas are not the only starting points for making fuels and chemicals. In fact, growing supplies of renewable electricity open exciting new doors for making identical products at potentially a fraction of the climate cost.
Can We Fix Recycling?
Three NREL teams win prestigious REMADE awards to remake recycling, improve manufacturing, and build a circular economy.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025