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.
Subscribe
Stay connected with the latest news and research breakthroughs from NREL.
May 2017
May 11, 2017
NREL Biorefinery Air Pollutant Emissions Analysis Explores Mitigation Options
A new study by NREL's Biofuel Air Emissions Analysis team describes the team's modeling of non-greenhouse gas air pollutant emissions for two feasibility-level biorefinery designs: (1) a biochemical technology pathway focused on biological conversion of cellulosic sugars and (2) a thermochemical pathway focused on fast pyrolysis of whole biomass.
May 11, 2017
NREL and iUnit Open the Door to Grid-Integrated, Multifamily Construction
On May 4, 2017, nearly 30 industry partners visited NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility to see a modular studio prototype apartment created by Denver developer, iUnit.
May 10, 2017
Industry Growth Forum Goes Swimmingly for Cleantech Innovators
NREL's Industry Growth Forum convenes venture capitalists, government representatives, and cleantech experts.
May 9, 2017
News Release: New Method of Microbial Energy Production Discovered
For all living things to succeed, they must reproduce and have the energy to do so. An organism's ability to extract energy from its surroundings--and to do it better than its competitors--is a key requirement of survival. Until recently it was thought that in all of biology, from microbes to humans, there were only two methods to generate and conserve the energy required for cellular metabolism and survival.
May 8, 2017
News Release: NREL's Advanced Atomic Layer Deposition Enables Lithium-Ion Battery Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Forge Nano to commercialize NREL's patented battery materials and systems capable of operating safely in high-stress environments. A particular feature of the technology is the encapsulation of materials with solid electrolyte coatings that can be designed to meet the increasingly demanding needs of any battery application.
May 5, 2017
Webinar May 11: Manufacturing Competitiveness and Supply Chain Analyses for Hydrogen Refueling Stations
The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Office will present a live webinar titled "Manufacturing Competitiveness and Supply Chain Analyses for Hydrogen Refueling Stations" on Thursday, May 11, from 10 to 11 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
May 4, 2017
News Release: NREL Scientists and Engineers Recognized for Top Innovations
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recognized its innovation and partnering successes and honored the scientists and engineers behind them at the lab's annual Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards ceremony.
May 2, 2017
News Release: NREL to Work with 14 Additional Small Businesses as Part of the DOE Small Business Vouchers Program
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will collaborate with 14 companies to address their critical technology challenges under the third round of DOE's Small Business Vouchers (SBV) program.
April 2017
April 25, 2017
NREL, NASA, and UCL Team Up to Make Lithium-Ion Batteries Safer on Earth and in Space
NREL has teamed up with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and University College London for a study on lithium-ion battery failure using the lab's newly patented Battery Internal Short Circuit Device. A clear, in-depth understanding of what causes destructive, internal short circuits will set the stage for improved manufacturing processes to make these popular batteries safer in all applications.
April 24, 2017
NREL Tests Energy Storage System to Fill Renewable Gaps
NREL and Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Americas are testing an energy storage system to help renewable energy resources provide more consistent power.
April 20, 2017
Co-Optima Highlights Primary Causes of Misfueling and Mitigation Strategies
A newly released report developed under the NREL-led Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative spotlights the primary causes of vehicle misfueling, resulting issues, and potential strategies for mitigation. Researchers want to avert any risk of drivers filling up with the wrong fuel when new Co-Optima high-performance formulas hit the market. The study drives home the need for more effective misfueling mitigation strategies to ensure the successful commercial rollout of any new fuels.
April 20, 2017
Connecting Electric Vehicles to the Grid for Greater Infrastructure Resilience
NREL has managed a variety of studies and partnerships under the Integrated Network Testbed for Energy Grid Research and Technology Experimentation (INTEGRATE) project, which aims to enable the nation's electric grid to handle increasing amounts of renewable energy. As part of this broad-reaching initiative, NREL's transportation team played a leadership role in INTEGRATE's transportation-related efforts, collaborating with industry partners and other national labs across the country.
April 18, 2017
News Release: Experts Outline Pathway for Generating Up to Ten Terawatts of Power from Sunlight by 2030
The annual potential of solar energy far exceeds the world’s energy consumption, but the goal of using the sun to provide a significant fraction of global electricity demand is far from being realized.
April 18, 2017
NREL Researchers Present at Waterpower Week in Washington
National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) researchers will share their water power expertise at Waterpower Week in Washington, a three-day, co-located conference held in Washington, D.C., from May 1-3.
April 14, 2017
News Release: NREL Brings Together Clean Energy Innovators at Industry Growth Forum
The Industry Growth Forum, hosted by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), this week attracted more than 400 investors, entrepreneurs, technologists and thought leaders to Denver, Colo. Three companies were honored with Best Venture and Outstanding Venture Awards at the conclusion of the event.
April 14, 2017
News Release: NREL's New Perovskite Ink Opens Window for Quality Cells
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a new perovskite ink with a long processing window that allows the scalable production of perovskite thin films for high-efficiency solar cells.
April 13, 2017
News Release: NREL Researchers Capture Excess Photon Energy to Produce Solar Fuels
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a proof-of-principle photoelectrochemical cell capable of capturing excess photon energy normally lost to generating heat.
April 12, 2017
News Release: NREL Establishes World Record for Solar Hydrogen Production
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recaptured the record for highest efficiency in solar hydrogen production via a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting process.
April 11, 2017
NREL Seeks Proposals to Advance Distributed Wind Turbine Technology
On April 11, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a fifth round of Requests for Proposals under DOE’s Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), an annual competitive solicitation through NREL geared to small and mid-sized wind turbines.
April 10, 2017
Researchers at NREL Find Fewer Failures of PV Panels and Different Degradation Modes in Systems Installed after 2000
Overall failure rates for photovoltaic (PV) solar panels have fallen dramatically when compared to installations prior to 2000, according to a comprehensive review by researchers from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
April 7, 2017
NREL's 40 Years of Innovation Honored by ACORE
NREL presented with ACORE's Technology Advancement & Industry Impact Award.
April 4, 2017
NREL-Led Effort Results in Groundbreaking New ASTM High-Octane Fuel Standard
The release in March of a new ASTM International high-octane fuel standard with guidance from NREL’s research engineer Robert McCormick is expected to impact the development of gasoline products compatible with vehicles that feature high-performance fuel-efficient engines.
April 3, 2017
Investing in Future Innovation: NREL Researchers, Engineers Introduce Students to STEM Careers
Learn how NREL researchers and engineers teach students about science, technology, engineering, and math careers.
March 2017
March 28, 2017
News Release: New Report Shines Light on Installed Costs and Deployment Barriers for Residential Solar PV with Energy Storage
Learn about how NREL researchers are making detailed component and system-level cost breakdowns available for residential photovoltaic (PV) solar systems for the first time.
March 28, 2017
News Release: NREL Industry Growth Forum Connects Clean Energy Startups and Investors
NREL hosts the annual Industry Growth Forum April 13-14, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.
Share