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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June 2024
June 20, 2024
How To Power the South Pole With Renewable Energy Technologies
From research to life in the Antarctica research stations, diesel fuel provides almost all of the necessary power. The fuel is shipped to Antarctica and either flown or trucked to the South Pole, an expensive proposition that could be greatly reduced using wind and solar.
June 18, 2024
Behind the Blades: How Lanaia Carveth Keeps the Gears Turning
Lanaia Carveth transitioned from a career as a consultant in the construction industry doing environmental planning, permitting, regulatory compliance, and project management to her current role as a project manager at NREL's National Wind Technology Center.
June 18, 2024
LA100 Equity Strategies Receives National Recognition for Excellence in Energy Justice
NREL research is helping communities of all sizes lead the way to a just energy transition—including the second-largest city in the nation.
June 17, 2024
Beneath the Surface: How a High School Essay Steered Tina Ortega Toward a Career in Marine Energy
Tina Ortega's connection to and reverence for the natural world inspired her to seek out a career that would help protect the environment.
June 17, 2024
EVI-X Modeling Suite Accelerates Optimized Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployments
Massive public and private investments are being made to support the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the United States, but efficient planning and deployment require sophisticated analysis to ensure convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable charging for all Americans.
June 14, 2024
DOE Recognizes NREL Hydrogen Researchers at 2024 Annual Merit Review Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program honored five NREL researchers for their outstanding achievements at the 2024 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.
June 12, 2024
On the Road to Increased Transmission: High-Voltage Direct Current
Building more high-voltage direct current transmission lines could better connect solar and wind energy to the U.S. grid.
June 12, 2024
'Moderate' Is the New 'Extreme': Weather's Impact on Growing Renewable Grid Operations
Shifting our perception of extreme weather could support planning a reliable future grid.
June 12, 2024
Q&A With Ana Aday: A Holistic Approach To Advancing Cement and Concrete Sustainability
Ana Aday, a materials science researcher in NREL’s Building Technologies and Science Center, is taking on a whole new challenge: decarbonizing the cement and concrete industry.
June 12, 2024
Safe and Fast Permitting Using NREL's SolarAPP+ Continued To Grow Throughout 2023
The SolarAPP+ automated online permitting platform instantly issues a permit for residential solar PV or PV-plus-storage systems if they pass an automated code compliance check, saving valuable time for local governments and solar contractors. In 2023, the platform continued to grow nationwide.
June 11, 2024
Next-Generation Profiles Project Makes Electric Vehicle High-Power Charging Safer and More Reliable
Electric vehicles that use high-power charging are quickly becoming the new standard—understanding the grid impacts of high-power charging will ensure inter-grid reliability and keep charging costs low.
June 11, 2024
How NREL Researchers Are Catalyzing Change for Our Ocean and Climate
Take a closer look at how NREL is meeting some of the biggest challenges set out for National Ocean Month.
June 10, 2024
Geothermal Collegiate Competition Winners Partner With Osage Nation To Address Energy Sovereignty
The University of Oklahoma won the 2023 Technical Track with their design for sustainable greenhouse heating and cooling using geothermal energy.
June 10, 2024
Advanced Spin Resonance Facility Accelerates Fundamental Understanding of Catalytic Mechanisms and Structural Characterization at Level of Electrons
Realizing the need and opportunity to probe deeper into the mysteries of the chemical reactions that sustain photosynthesis and enable light-driven ammonia production and hydrogen catalysis, NREL formed the Advanced Spin Resonance Facility.
June 10, 2024
Zero Energy Design Designation Sets Collegiate Building Science Programs Apart
Apply by June 28, 2024, to have your program recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy.
June 7, 2024
Follow in the Footsteps of Communities Planning Solar Deployment That Works for Them
When Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was looking for ways to make the city's goal for carbon neutrality by 2050 more equitable, city of Boston staff turned to the Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN), a program run by NREL.
June 6, 2024
Marine Energy and Hydropower Collegiate Competitions Name Winners—and Next Year's Hopefuls
The 2024 competitions came to a successful close while more than 30 teams gear up to participate in 2025.
June 5, 2024
How Two Rookie Engineers Expertly Designed a Tidal Energy Turbine
University of New Hampshire doctoral candidates are designing an axial-flow tidal turbine that will be collecting data at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in New England.
June 5, 2024
On the Road to Increased Transmission: Higher-Voltage Alternating Current
When it comes to increasing the carrying capacity of U.S. transmission lines, there are a few key things to know.
June 5, 2024
Distinguished Member of Operations Staff Award Winner Kelly McIltrot Has a Passion for Helping Win Competitive Funding
When asked about winning one of the inaugural Distinguished Members of Operations Staff awards for 2024, NREL's Kelly McIltrot could only shake her head in disbelief.
June 5, 2024
News Release: NREL Names 2024 Executive Energy Leadership Program Participants
NREL has selected 18 leaders to participate in its 2024 Executive Energy Leadership program.
June 4, 2024
How To Realize the Maximum Value of Interregional Transmission
A new report takes a fresh look at how today's market and operating practices impact the value of transmission that connects multiple regions.
June 3, 2024
LEEP Demo Day Spotlights Next Generation of Cleantech Entrepreneurs
While sleek coastal startups may seem to have all the good technology ideas, eureka moments are happening in kitchens, car rides, and classrooms all across the United States.
May 2024
May 31, 2024
Power System Model Results Made Easier
"It can help everybody because it should lead to better decisions in the end." That is the goal of a new resource developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, according to NREL energy analyst Wesley Cole.
May 31, 2024
5G and Microgrids Might Be a Great Match
To study the newest generation of wireless communications and what it offers power systems, NREL built a 5G research platform inside a replicated military microgrid and put it through resilience scenarios and cyberattacks.
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