News and Feature Stories
The following news stories take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how NREL is advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
September 2019
Sept. 17, 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.
Sept. 17, 2019
Colorado Case Study Demonstrates In-State and Rural Economic Impacts from Wind Manufacturing and Plant Construction
In-state wind turbine manufacturing and installation support both short-term and long-term jobs and other economic impacts, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) case study of Xcel Energy's 600-MW Rush Creek Wind Farm--Colorado's largest wind energy project. NREL researchers who conducted the study also gained a deeper understanding of how wind plant construction impacts the economies of rural communities, where wind plant construction often occurs.
Sept. 12, 2019
Q&A with John Barnett: Building NREL's Role in Security and Resilience
John Barnett brings expertise in energy system planning and national security to focus the growing work in energy security and resilience at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Sept. 11, 2019
A Year of Interconnectivity at ASHRAE
A recap of Sheila Hayter's whirlwind year leading the organization that shapes the world's built environment.
Sept. 10, 2019
NREL Releases Building Stock Analysis Case Study for New York City
NREL has published a new step-by-step guide for communities evaluating energy savings opportunities in their built environment.
Sept. 10, 2019
Automated Electric Shuttle Makes its Debut on NREL Campus
NREL's intelligent campus ventures accelerated this week with the introduction of an automated electric vehicle in its employee shuttle fleet. The EasyMile EZ10 shuttle took its inaugural ride on Monday, transporting staff and visitors around NREL's South Table Mountain campus after a dedication ceremony marking its first day of operation.
Sept. 10, 2019
Research Exchange at NREL Accelerates Philippines' Clean Energy Transition
The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and NREL hosted a modeling group from the Philippines at NREL's campus for a month-long research exchange supporting the Philippines' development of competitive renewable energy zones (CREZ).
Sept. 5, 2019
NREL Announces Project Selections to Address Wind-Wildlife Operations Challenges
NREL has selected a new project to receive a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Technology Development and Innovation (TD&I) subcontract. The recipient will collaborate with researchers and technology developers to advance early-stage wildlife monitoring and minimization technologies for use at wind energy facilities.
Sept. 5, 2019
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.
Sept. 4, 2019
News Release: NREL Appoints Three Scientists as Senior Research Fellows
The three were chosen for their significant contributions to NREL and the larger scientific community.
August 2019
Aug. 30, 2019
NREL Collaborates with ComEd on Evaluating Highly Efficient Technologies for Buildings Energy Savings
NREL recently partnered with the midwestern utility company Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) on a project targeted to help the utility reduce energy consumption by 21.5% in the greater Illinois area by promoting more energy efficient technologies for buildings.
Aug. 23, 2019
Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NREL Expand Partnership with New Focus on Edge and Data-Centric Computing
At NREL's 2019 Partner Forum, the laboratory and Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced a new, cutting-edge joint effort to solve complex energy system challenges.
Aug. 22, 2019
NREL Marks Partner Forum With Dedication of Bioreactor
Installed outside the laboratory's Energy Systems Integration Facility, the bioreactor uses a selectively evolved microorganism that feeds on renewable hydrogen produced at NREL and a diet of carbon dioxide.
Aug. 22, 2019
Oregon State University Partners with NREL To Improve Wildlife Impact Minimization System
A surprising combination of sophisticated sensor technology, tennis balls, a potato gun, and a novel deterrent device could hold the answers to preventing eagles from encountering wind turbines.
Aug. 22, 2019
Exploring Tomorrow's Energy Solutions, Together
NREL’s 2019 Partner Forum brought together energy industry leaders across multiple sectors to discuss today’s energy challenges and explore tomorrow’s potential solutions.
Aug. 20, 2019
NREL's Past Collaboration with GM Continues to Proffer Rewards for Battery Electric Vehicles
One of the largest impediments to the mass adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the United States is range anxiety--or, consumers' fear that they will be stranded because the vehicle has insufficient battery power to get them to their destination. A 2012 NREL collaboration with General Motors (GM) continues to inform the improvement of industry apps that help allay range anxiety and increase driver freedom.
Aug. 19, 2019
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.
Aug. 19, 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.
Aug. 16, 2019
Field Trials Validate Wind Turbine Wake Steering Impact at Scale
NREL researchers believe wind plant operators can increase energy capture using plant-level controls. By steering individual turbine wakes away from downstream turbines, existing facilities can achieve annual energy production gains of 1%-2% depending on the plant size and design.
Aug. 13, 2019
NREL Experts Give Added Steam to Geothermal Industry
NREL's Geothermal Laboratory Program Manager Kate Young and Operations Manager Caity Smith are members of the U.S. team selected as the new global chair of Women in Geothermal (WING), an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the geothermal industry.
Aug. 12, 2019
From the Bottom Up: Designing a Decentralized Power System
Cross-Discipline Team Envisions the Grid of the Future
