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.
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February 2023
Feb. 16, 2023
A HERO's Journey: NREL's Wave-Powered Desalination Device Returns to the Outer Banks
In August 2022, researchers journeyed to North Carolina’s Outer Banks to deploy NREL's first wave-powered desalination for a second in-water test. The wave energy converter produced desalinated water for the first time.
Feb. 15, 2023
New Energy CLASS Prize Supports School Upgrades
Schools across the United States can benefit from infrastructure upgrades—improved ventilation and increased energy efficiency is good for students, teachers, and the school's bottom line.
Feb. 14, 2023
Top 3 Reasons Why Our Researchers Love Water Power (And You Should, Too)
This Valentine's Day, dive into all the reasons to love water power. NREL researchers share their top reasons to adore one of the oldest forms of renewable energy.
Feb. 10, 2023
National Academy of Engineering Bestows Honor on Deputy Laboratory Director Peter Green
NREL's deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology and chief research officer, Green is among 124 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Feb. 9, 2023
News Release: Perovskite-Based Thermochromic Windows Reduce Energy Load and Carbon Emission in Buildings
The use of thermochromic windows in office buildings improves energy efficiency across all climate zones in the United States by modulating the temperature inside, leading to a massive savings, according to a research effort led by NREL.
Feb. 8, 2023
Innovative HOPE Graduate Workshop Is Accepting Applications for Summer Participation
Annie Greenaway and Silvana Ovaitt started out as graduate student participants in the Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience (HOPE) workshop—a program designed to provide graduate students with opportunities to learn about photovoltaics from leading researchers.
Feb. 8, 2023
Leveraging NREL All-Electric HVAC Technology, Blue Frontier Earns $20 Million Development Boost
Bolstered by technologies developed at NREL, startup company Blue Frontier earned $20 million from the Bill Gates-funded Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Feb. 8, 2023
SLOPE Platform Puts Clean Energy Job Growth Insights Into Hands of Decision Makers
Did you know there is potential for more than 1.6 million new jobs to be created across America by the year 2030 to help build the country's clean energy future? Insights such as this are now available through NREL's State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform.
Feb. 8, 2023
Toolkit Helps Tallahassee Ready for Clean Energy Implementation
The city of Tallahassee, Florida, has a long history of environmental stewardship and in 2019 set a goal to achieve 100% net clean, renewable energy by 2050. To assist in its planning efforts, the city sought insights from NREL.
Feb. 2, 2023
Q&A With Mou Paul: Artist Making Better Fuel Cells, Water Treatment Systems, and Cheese
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, NREL senior staff scientist Mou Paul shares how she wanted to be a "great writer and a great scientist, too." Today, Paul has published fictional short stories as well as more than 40 scientific publications, won several high-profile awards, and earned more than 50 patents.
Feb. 2, 2023
NREL Patent Activity Climbed in FY 2022 as Researchers Recognize More Eureka Moments
NREL files an average of about 170 patent applications annually and releases roughly 48 open-source software titles.
Feb. 1, 2023
NREL Removes Initial Barrier to Distributed Wind Turbine Certification
By funding the cost of preliminary reviews for certification applicants, NREL is helping ensure that small- and medium-sized turbine designs can be certified for use in homes, schools, farms, and remote communities.
Feb. 1, 2023
Leader in Geospatial Data Science Named Most Promising Scientist
From geospatial modeler to role model, Anthony Lopez shines in the STEM community.
Feb. 1, 2023
Matthew Beard and Garry Rumbles Elected Fellows of AAAS
This week, NREL researchers Garry Rumbles and Matthew Beard were announced as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
January 2023
Jan. 31, 2023
NREL Launches Synthetic Biology Project To Advance Biofuel Discovery Technologies With LanzaTech, Northwestern, and Yale
Carbon-negative production of biofuels and biochemicals will be the focus of a recent biosystems design project launched by NREL, LanzaTech NZ Inc., Northwestern University, and Yale University.
Jan. 31, 2023
Solar District Cup Finalist Teams Announced
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition announced today that 45 teams from 39 schools are advancing as finalists in the class of 2022–2023.
Jan. 31, 2023
Road Map Defines Path to a U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Supply Chain
A pair of NREL reports evaluates how the U.S. supply chain can evolve to support the national offshore wind energy target and position the industry for sustainable growth beyond 2030.
Jan. 30, 2023
NREL Leads the Charge to Electric Trucks at Port of New York and New Jersey
A team of NREL researchers collected detailed vehicle analysis to show how drayage trucks operating at the Port of New York and New Jersey could be strong candidates for electrification. Each electrified truck would help slash 76 tons of carbon emissions per truck each year.
Jan. 30, 2023
Electric Aviation Is Arriving, and Cybersecurity Is High Priority
A new NREL report assesses potential cyber needs for electrifying aviation infrastructure and how key stakeholders like airlines, utilities, equipment suppliers, and regulators may implement a cybersecurity approach.
Jan. 30, 2023
Paul Denholm Distinguished as IEEE Fellow for Extraordinary Work in Renewable Energy
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has selected Paul Denholm from NREL to be a 2023 fellow based on his contributions to energy storage and renewable energy systems.
Jan. 30, 2023
NREL Receives $3.4M in Federal Funding To Evaluate Safety of Next-Generation Electric Vehicle Batteries
Donal Finegan, an energy storage researcher at NREL, will conduct cutting-edge research on next-generation electric vehicle batteries with funding from the ARPA-E Electric Vehicles for American Low-carbon Living (EVs4ALL) initiative.
Jan. 30, 2023
Puerto Rican Voices Propel PR100 Study Forward
The PR100 one-year update on progress made during the first year of this two-year, stakeholder-informed study was presented to the advisory group of stakeholders and then to the public in a webinar on Jan. 23.
Jan. 26, 2023
Department of Energy Honors 12 From NREL
Staffers from NREL were honored for their work in helping move the country further away from the use of fossil fuels. The Secretary of Energy Achievement Award ranks as the highest form of recognition for federal and contractor employees within the department (DOE).
Jan. 26, 2023
News Release: Thin, Lightweight Layer Provides Radiation Barrier for Perovskites in Space, Protection From Elements on Earth
An ultrathin protective coating proves sufficient to protect a perovskite solar cell from the harmful effects of space and harden it against environmental factors on Earth, according to newly published research from NREL.
Jan. 24, 2023
Hydrogen Blending as a Pathway Toward U.S. Decarbonization
To reduce the emissions from natural gas service, blending hydrogen into natural gas pipelines could prove to be a promising, cost-effective pathway.
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