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 2023
May 10, 2023
DOE Announces RFP Aimed at Community-Based Retrofit Solutions
A new Building America program is expected to bolster efforts to decarbonize existing U.S. residential housing.
May 5, 2023
Solar Decathlon 2023 Winners Take Zero-Energy Design and Construction to Next Level
The 2023 winners of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, DOE's longest-running student competition, are leading the clean energy revolution by designing and constructing better buildings.
May 5, 2023
Technology Transfer Working Group Advances Commercialization of National Laboratory Innovations
In mid-April, DOE's Technology Transfer Working Group held its two-day, spring meeting at NREL's Golden, Colorado, campus, where a full agenda of speakers, including DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of Office of Technology Transitions Vanessa Chan presented.
May 5, 2023
Analysis Points to Massive Photovoltaic Deployment To Meet Decarbonization Target
An "unprecedented ramp-up of production capacity" over the next two decades is needed to provide enough solar power to completely decarbonize the global electrical system, but that goal can be achieved, according to an analysis led by researchers at NREL.
May 4, 2023
NREL Model Cuts Through Complexity of Deploying Electric Buses at Airports
A new modeling framework may help Dallas Fort Worth International Airport—and others in the future—design electric bus deployment strategies.
May 3, 2023
News Release: 6 Earn Top Awards at 2023 NREL Industry Growth Forum
NREL gave awards to six top cleantech innovators at the sold-out 2023 NREL Industry Growth Forum on May 1–3, 2023. In its 28th year, the event provides a forum for cutting-edge technologies aiming to catapult the world forward with clean energy solutions.
May 3, 2023
The Winds of Change Keep Blowing
A panel of NREL wind experts joined an April 6 panel at NREL's Flatirons Campus, expanding on the tales included in NREL's "Clean Energy Innovators" book by Ernie Tucker.
May 3, 2023
Automated Permitting Speeds Solar Adoption Across United States
Communities that used SolarAPP+ processed more than 11,000 solar permits and eliminated more than 134,000 days of delays in 2022.
May 2, 2023
Stage 2 Winners of a Manufacturing Prize Are Supercharging U.S. Industries
Seven winning teams have designed conductive materials that could dramatically lower manufacturing and energy costs and make it easier for the country to reach the levels of electrification needed to meet its goal of a carbon-pollution-free economy by 2050.
May 2, 2023
Managing Building Efficiency in the City That Never Sleeps
Data exchange and support software developed at NREL is helping community building owners—including those in New York City—meet the national drive toward decarbonization.
May 2, 2023
American-Made Program Celebrates $200 Million Innovation Milestone at 2023 Earth Day Event
In just five short years, the American-Made program--funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by NREL--has surpassed $200 million in cash prizes and support to competing innovators and entrepreneurs across 58 prizes.
May 2, 2023
Department of Energy Announces Solar District Cup Class of 2022–2023 Winners
On Monday, May 1, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the division winners and Project Pitch Champion in the Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition's Class of 2022–2023.
May 1, 2023
Technical Assistance Available for Small- and Medium-Sized Manufacturers
A new technical assistance program in support of the Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program is available to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers in communities that have experienced coal mine or coal-fired power plant closures. Applications are due May 26, 2023.
April 2023
April 27, 2023
Q&A With Jen Kurtz: All In on Clean Energy and Social Connection
Jen Kurtz is not only focused on the research side of things at NREL, but she is also highly in tune with the people side and what it takes to support them.
April 27, 2023
Award-Winning NREL Buildings Project Bolstered by Team's Passion for Clean Energy
Wonderful memories of swimming in the local rivers of Zhejiang in eastern China led a young Yueyue Zhou toward a career in architecture and creating beautiful landscapes. But experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand and watching those rivers become polluted is what drove her to NREL.
April 27, 2023
NREL Researchers Reveal Concept To Curb Need for Battery Storage
A delicate balancing act between the generation of renewable energy and the demand for that power could reduce the need for as much short-duration storage, according to a new proof-of-concept paper authored by researchers at NREL.
April 27, 2023
What Kandt She Do? NREL Researcher Alicen Kandt Leads the Charge on Renewing Our National Parks
NREL's Alicen Kandt describes how federal agencies like the National Park Service can work with NREL and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to turn clean energy goals into practical applications.
April 26, 2023
New $22 Million-Plus Prize Lays a Solid Foundation for Equitable Building Energy Upgrades
The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) aims to accelerate widespread energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
April 24, 2023
New Interactive Map Shows EV Charging Stations Near National Parks
The National Park Service and National Renewable Energy Laboratory have collaborated on a new tool: an EV charging map. Now, visitors can check if an EV charging site can be found at any of the United States’ more than 400 national parks, monuments, and historic sites.
April 21, 2023
It's Earth Day! Let's Recycle EVERYTHING
In celebration of Earth Day, NREL highlights its water power research areas and shares how those efforts are helping reduce, reuse, and recycle.
April 20, 2023
NREL and Partners Build All-Data Approach for Automated Grid Recovery
Power outages are on the rise in the United States, but so are technologies that help systems recover, like distributed energy and sensors.
April 18, 2023
NREL Innovations Help Consumers Invest in Our Planet
Much aligned to Earth Day's theme of "Investing in Our Planet," the research and innovations developed at NREL are helping consumers contribute to our beautiful blue marble's future. Here are just a few of the ways.
April 18, 2023
NREL and UL Reach Key Milestone in Securing Distributed-Generation Industry
With support from NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office, UL Solutions has published the Outline of Investigation for a cybersecurity certification standard for distributed energy resources and inverter-based resource devices.
April 18, 2023
NREL Tapped To Help Electrify 4 Major Freight Corridors
NREL will collaborate with industry partners on four projects to plan zero-emission electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fuel infrastructure spanning more than half of the United States.
April 13, 2023
NREL, GE Research Team Find Critical Adjustments to Improve Wind Turbine Design
Researchers at GE-GRC and NREL are studying the impact of low-level jet stream behavior along the Atlantic coast on coastal wind farm installations to find critical insights for a burgeoning U.S. wind energy economy.
Share