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 2016
June 22, 2016
News Release: NREL Receives $1.38 Million from DOE to Help Commercialize Promising Clean Energy Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be receiving $1.38 million from DOE to lead four projects for the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). The funds will be used to advance promising renewable energy-related technologies with commercial potential and help strengthen the partnerships between the national labs and private-sector companies. Total value for the four projects including industry and NREL cost share is $2.78 million.
June 21, 2016
NREL Engineers Look for a Cool Way to Make AC Units an Affordable Snap
NREL engineers Chuck Booten and Jon Winkler plan to make home air conditioners better and more energy efficient with a simple, split installation.
June 21, 2016
Research Highlight: Virtual Oscillator Control Maintains Grid Operations with High Inverter Penetrations
A new control strategy helps the grid run normally with lower percentages of spinning, synchronized power sources.
June 16, 2016
NREL Engineer Recognized for Leadership in Motor Thermal Management
NREL's Kevin Bennion received a special recognition award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office for expertise and leadership in the thermal management of motor designs in electric drive technologies research.
June 14, 2016
News Release: NREL Announces Participants for 2016 Executive Energy Leadership Program
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 22 leaders to participate in its 2016 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), which provides non-technical business, governmental, and community leaders throughout the country an opportunity to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools, and financing to guide their organizations and communities in energy-related decisions and planning.
June 10, 2016
New Study Reveals Impact of Auto Roof Racks on Fuel Economy
A recent study by NREL research engineer Yuche Chen and researcher Alan Meier at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) examined the national impact of roof racks on fuel consumption. In this first-of-its-kind study, Chen and Meier determined that in 2015, the popular vehicle add-on accounted for national light-duty fuel consumption that amounts to roughly 100 million gallons of gasoline a year.
June 8, 2016
NREL Staff Recognized by DOE for Outstanding Achievements at 2016 Annual Merit Review
The U.S. Department of Energy recently honored eight NREL staff members for their outstanding achievements at the Annual Merit Review.
June 7, 2016
Ph.D. in Hand, Postdocs Explore Their Futures
Researchers come from across the globe for opportunity to work at lab.
June 6, 2016
NREL Scientists Use In-Situ Characterization to Explain Perovskite Solar Cell Growth and Processing
NREL scientists have helped to establish research capabilities to address several important scientific and practical questions concerning perovskite solar cells. Perovskites are an important class of next-generation photovoltaic materials exhibiting impressive light absorption, high device efficiencies, and low-cost, industry-scalable processing.
June 6, 2016
News Release: NREL Names New Executives to Lead Scientific Research and Lab Operations
The Energy Department's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently made two key hires to lab leadership positions. NREL has named Peter Green as the new Deputy Laboratory Director for science and technology and Julie Baker as Associate Laboratory Director for facilities and operations.
June 6, 2016
NREL's Complete-Cab Truck Climate Control Package Showcased in Automotive Engineering
Long-haul Class 8 trucks use approximately 7% of their fuel for rest period idling, consuming more than 667 million gallons of fuel each year nationwide. NREL has identified a package of climate-control technologies that annually can save 774 gallons of fuel used per truck for rest period air conditioning.
June 3, 2016
Meeting Explores Global Advancement in Vehicle-To-Everything Integration
NREL recently hosted the V2X Enabled Electric Vehicles expert workshop, one of several meetings organized under the International Energy Agency's Hybrid & Electric Vehicle "Task 28" portfolio, which encompasses research and collaboration for deployment of home grids and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies -- exploring all issues related to the use of electric storage from plug-in electric vehicles beyond vehicle power.
June 1, 2016
NREL Partners with California to Accelerate Advanced Energy Communities
The California Energy Commission has selected NREL to be part of a team that will complete a major applied research project to accelerate the deployment of Advanced Energy Communities (AEC).
May 2016
May 31, 2016
NREL Names a Director's Fellowship in Honor of Art Nozik
The Nozik Fellowship is available to early-career researchers who earned their Ph.D. in the last two years.
May 31, 2016
NREL to Assist in Development and Evaluation of Class 6 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded Cummins Inc. a $4.5 million grant to develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can reduce fuel consumption by at least 50 percent over conventional Class 6 vehicles. NREL's fleet test and evaluation team will assist Cummins in analyzing the performance of its vehicle technology and by providing in-depth understanding of application-specific drive cycles.
May 27, 2016
Middle Schoolers Dream Big with Their Solar- and Battery-Powered Cars
Dreamers from 57 Colorado middle school teams gathered in a checkered-flag bedecked gym to race electric cars—and chase visions of the future.
May 25, 2016
Keith Emery Repeats on List of Highly Cited Researchers
This award reflects the growth and success of the PV industry as well as NREL's important role providing efficiency measurements for the community.
May 24, 2016
NREL Bioenergy Staff Honored for Top Innovations in 2015
NREL’s state-of-the-art bioenergy research has once again reached award-winning levels. Each year NREL recognizes the professionals behind the lab’s greatest innovations and breakthrough technologies from the past year during its Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards ceremony. Among this year's recipients were many talented staff from the National Bioenergy Center and NREL’s Biosciences Center who were recognized for exceptional work in promoting the transfer of NREL-developed technologies into the private sector and partnering successes.
May 23, 2016
National Labs Gather at NREL for Innovative Summit
Idea behind meeting to expand relationships with industry.
May 23, 2016
National Labs Gather at NREL for Innovative Summit
May 20, 2016
News Release: NREL Announces Innovation Challenge for Crowdsourced Ideas for Energy-Efficiency in Residential Buildings
The Energy Department's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with industry partner CLEAResult, will launch a Call for Innovation as part of the DOE JUMP initiative during the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo, Calif., on May 22.
May 19, 2016
How Much Do Electric Cars Pollute? Depends on When and Where You Plug In
A new study suggests reducing fossil fuel use in the electricity sector and encouraging workplace charging are two important factors in achieving the greatest electric vehicle emissions reduction.
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