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 2022
Feb. 8, 2022
NREL Hydropower Research Informs Discussions on Capitol Hill
On Jan. 11, 2022, U.S. senators and hydropower experts referenced NREL's hydropower research to argue for an expansion of the U.S. hydropower industry.
Feb. 7, 2022
Building a Solar-Powered Future
The Solar Futures Study draws insights from across NREL's expertise and tools to deliver detailed analysis of solar energy's future in the United States.
Feb. 3, 2022
Leader in Buildings Research Receives Prestigious Black Engineer of the Year STEM Award
After more than a decade of leading innovative building research and mentoring dozens of young scientists, Roderick Jackson is being honored with a Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) at the 36th annual BEYA STEM Conference, Feb. 17-19, 2022, in Washington, D.C. He is the first BEYA recipient from NREL.
Feb. 3, 2022
Wood Next Fund Partners With American-Made Challenges Prize Competitors To Support Water Desalination Technology Innovations
Winning thousands in cash prizes is just one of the many benefits that comes with being a finalist in an American-Made Challenges (AMC) Prize competition.
Feb. 2, 2022
Q&A With Jordan Cox: Expect the Unexpected With Resilient Systems
Planning for an unexpected event is a significant challenge, but it is one that NREL's researchers in the Resilient Systems Design and Engineering Group within the Energy Security and Resilience Center are working to address. NREL researcher Jordan Cox describes NREL's innovative approach to analyzing system vulnerabilities, measuring risk, and keeping communities safe.
Feb. 2, 2022
REopt Is Not Lite Anymore
REopt, a free, techno-economic decision support model, helps users optimize energy systems for buildings, campuses, communities, and microgrids. Once called REopt Lite, the REopt tool is dropping the "Lite" in 2022 to better reflect its true status as a heavy-hitting and comprehensive optimization tool.
Feb. 1, 2022
NREL-Led Solar Permitting Software Reduces Review Times by 12 Business Days
A pilot study demonstrates SolarAPP+ ability to expedite solar installs.
January 2022
Jan. 31, 2022
Solar Veteran Selected To Lead NREL CSP Program
Math, mentors, and Mother Nature all had a hand in leading Craig Turchi toward his new role as the manager of NREL's Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Program.
Jan. 27, 2022
Plant-Based Epoxy Enables Recyclable Carbon Fiber, Improves Economics for Mass Market Electric Vehicles
Ten times stronger than steel, nearly half the weight of aluminum, far stiffer than fiberglass—carbon fiber carries a package of advantages, making it a preferred material for use in luxury sedans and Formula One racecars alike.
Jan. 25, 2022
Advanced Air Mobility Takes Flight With New Partnership
The next frontier of mobility aims to ascend to new heights with on-demand air travel integrated with existing transit. This vision is backed by new research, which shows aerial mobility options are nearly ready for takeoff and poised to transform public transit in cities worldwide.
Jan. 25, 2022
Code Fit for the Stars
Wave energy developers can bring the ocean to the laptop thanks to the Wave Energy Converter SIMulator (WEC-Sim), a tool built by researchers at NREL and Sandia National Laboratories.
Jan. 25, 2022
Joint Workforce Development Initiative To Advance Leadership Opportunities for Women in Power System Operations
Women in Power System Transformation initiative seeks to increase women’s representation and leadership in global transition to clean energy through targeted academic and workforce training.
Jan. 24, 2022
Reducing Wind Turbine Wakes Could Save Wind Farms Millions
Researchers are collecting the most comprehensive data on how winds move through wind plants to help design more efficient plants and reduce wind energy costs.
Jan. 18, 2022
10 Significant Water Power Accomplishments From 2021
In the last year, NREL researchers helped advance water power, which provides renewable energy from oceans and rivers and is critical to build a clean energy future.
Jan. 18, 2022
REopt Targets Emissions for Tomorrow's Cleaner, Healthier Built Environment
The REopt® web tool is a techno-economic decision support platform used by researchers to optimize energy systems for buildings, campuses, communities, microgrids, and more, helping users determine the optimal size and combination of energy systems to maximize cost savings while meeting resilience or energy performance goals.
Jan. 14, 2022
Landmark Demonstration Shows How Common Wind Turbine Can Provide Fundamental Grid Stability
NREL uses advanced grid research environment for first-ever example of type-3 turbines using grid-forming controls.
Jan. 14, 2022
American Chemical Society Recognizes NREL Women at the Forefront of Energy Research
Since 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has published an annual series, titled "Women Scientists at the Forefront of Energy Research," to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the energy science field.
Jan. 13, 2022
Kentucky Community Partners With NREL To Meet 100% Clean Goals
The community of Louisville, Kentucky, is partnering with NREL to achieve a goal of 100% clean electricity for municipal government operations by 2030.
Jan. 13, 2022
DOE Launches AlgaePrize for Student Innovators—Competition Will Culminate at NREL in Spring 2023
A new competition from the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office encourages students to imagine and develop innovative technology solutions using algae as a potent and flexible energy resource.
Jan. 12, 2022
Happy Hours: Energy Storage Could Support the Grid Every Hour of the Day, All Year Long
The latest phase of the Storage Futures Study finds the grid operates more efficiently with high levels of energy storage across all studied system configurations and grid mixes.
Jan. 11, 2022
NREL Scientists Dive Into Data in Search of Answers
In NREL's Insight Center, models come to life, illuminating pathways to a clean energy future.
Jan. 10, 2022
A Year in Review: Advancing Energy Storage and Conversion Research
Over the past year, NREL researchers have pioneered innovative, interdisciplinary, and integrated research and development for technology advancements in electrochemical, molecular, thermal, and mechanical energy storage systems.
Jan. 10, 2022
Aligning Utilities and Electric Vehicles, for the Greater Grid
A team at NREL completed a literature review on the potential value of electric vehicle (EV) managed charging. Findings provide a complete look at how EVs and the grid could work together as the electric and transportation sectors become intertwined.
Jan. 10, 2022
REopt Goes Underground To Elevate Facility Energy Savings and Resilience
A new geothermal heat pump module enables the REopt web tool to evaluate individual facility energy, cost, and emissions impacts of converting conventional heating and cooling systems to ground-source heat pumps.
Jan. 5, 2022
Python Opens Up New Applications for EnergyPlus Building Energy Simulation
Buildings account for more than 40% of U.S. energy use and 70% of U.S. electricity use. Reducing that consumption and "shaping" it to match renewable generation requires us to design and operate buildings to be more efficient, flexible, and responsive. To do that, we must be able to better predict and model building energy use.
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