Subscribe
Stay connected with the latest news and research breakthroughs from NLR.
News and Feature Stories
The following news stories take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how NLR is leading energy systems innovation and integration.
Search or filter for a specific story using the options below.
September 2020
News Release: Untapped Potential Exists for Blending Hydropower, Floating PV
Hybrid systems of floating solar panels and hydropower plants may hold the technical potential to produce a significant portion of the electricity generated annually across the globe, according to an analysis by researchers at NREL.
News Release: Three Grand Prize Winners of the Fish Protection Prize; Deadlines for Two Additional Hydropower Prizes
Through the Fish Protection Prize, the U.S. DOE Water Power Technologies Office solicited sustainable solutions that allow hydropower and fish to thrive side by side. Additionally, the I AM Hydro Prize aims to strengthen hydropower by applying advanced manufacturing technologies.
NREL Researchers Share $40 Million with Partners To Scale Next-Gen Biotechnologies
A combined award of nearly $40 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office will support NREL researchers, along with partners from universities and industries, to develop and scale up 11 groundbreaking bioenergy projects.
Scientists Offer Companies a Novel Chemistry for Greener Polyurethane
Through a novel chemistry using nontoxic resources like linseed oil, waste grease, or even algae, chemist Phil Pienkos and colleague Tao Dong, an expert in chemical engineering, have developed a groundbreaking method for producing renewable polyurethane without toxic precursors.
Can Revegetation Return PV Site Soil to Its Untouched Glory?
In a recently published journal article, NREL researchers investigated the soil impacts of solar PV array installations and considered how energy and agriculture can coexist.
USAID-NREL Partnership Offers Solutions To Accelerate Distributed Photovoltaic Market Growth in India
Improvements to regulations governing PV-plus-storage and better standards for PV quality and safety will help India achieve their distributed PV targets.
Calling All Water Technology Innovators: NAWI FOA in Intensified Brine Management Open for Applications
Do you have the technological know-how to develop the desalination systems of tomorrow? Help strengthen the United States’ long-term energy and water security by joining forces with the largest federal investment in water treatment research in 50 years.
Automated Mobility District "Digital Twin" Provides Insights for Urban Transportation Systems
The Automated Mobility District (AMD) modeling and simulation toolkit makes it easier for researchers and city planners to quantify the advantages and disadvantages of similar transportation evolutions.
Updated Tool Makes Calculating EV Emissions Easier, More Precise
Electric vehicles (EVs) typically produce fewer emissions than conventional vehicles, but when measuring emissions, the source of electricity matters. The emissions benefit varies from one state to the next depending on how the electricity to charge the battery was generated.
Renewables Rescue Stability as the Grid Loses Spin
Across the world, renewable power is displacing traditional generation, but can renewables also replace the critical stability functions that go with it? NREL studies are confirming in the field and on live power systems that solar, wind, and hybrid power plants can provide their own source of grid stability—potentially unlike anything currently on the grid.
Share
Last Updated Dec. 4, 2025