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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December 2024
Dec. 31, 2024
Transportation Research Board To Recognize NREL Mobility Researchers at Annual Meeting
NREL will be in the spotlight at the 104th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board this month.
Dec. 30, 2024
NREL Technical Assistance Advances Community Clean Energy Goals Through Communities LEAP Pilot
NREL experts leverage energy analysis and modeling tools to support community energy transitions.
Dec. 30, 2024
Two NREL Researchers Selected as Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Two researchers from NREL have been named fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The New York-based organization bestowed the honor this fall to Zhiwen Ma and Bidzina Kekelia. Both men are senior engineers, and each holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering.
Dec. 30, 2024
NREL Celebrates Another Year of Groundbreaking Research
These 20 stories highlight some of the laboratory's most impactful moments from 2024.
Dec. 30, 2024
President Carter's Vision Helped Launch SERI and NREL
The staff of what is now NREL owes a considerable debt to former President Jimmy Carter. NREL was originally known as the Solar Energy Research Institute, founded in 1977 by the Carter administration.
Dec. 24, 2024
JISEA and Colorado State University Plant Seeds of Sustainable Agriculture Through New Collaboration
JISEA Sustainable Agriculture Catalyzer convenes stakeholders to inform agricultural sustainability and resilience.
Dec. 23, 2024
Community Solar and Beyond
Community solar—a solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system—is a growing area of PV development.
Dec. 20, 2024
NREL's International Work Bridges Innovation and Development--With Benefits at Home and Abroad
NREL's partnerships with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, and countries and organizations across the globe are accelerating social, technical, and economic development worldwide.
Dec. 19, 2024
NREL Partners With Academic Institutions To Boost Fundamental Research Training and Capacity at US Universities
DOE Office of Science-funded programs connect NREL researchers with students and faculty from historically underrepresented institutions, expanding the pool of American universities training the next generation of scientists and building research capacity at these institutions.
Dec. 19, 2024
NREL Collaboration Could Realize Significant Energy Savings for Farm Tractors
A collaboration between NREL and Purdue University to create an optimized hydraulic system for farm tractors could increase their hydraulic efficiency by 50%.
Dec. 18, 2024
Partnerships Grow at Clip of One per Day To Fast-Track Advanced Energy Solutions
Bringing new technologies to market is not for the faint at heart. Slow down and you might lose development momentum.
Dec. 18, 2024
Bethany Frew's Farm Upbringing Led to a Systems Approach and a Renewable Energy Harvest
Because of her curiosity and expertise, she was selected as one of NREL's 2024 Distinguished Members of Research Staff.
Dec. 18, 2024
How NREL's Brooks Tellekamp Explores the Next Generation of Materials for More Efficient LEDs and Power Electronics
Brooks Tellekamp found his way to science through his high school's computing infrastructure. He helped the school's information technology expert, a retired Honeywell engineer who had worked on NASA contracts, to address computing infrastructure needs.
Dec. 17, 2024
Beneath the Surface: Salman Husain Ponders the Future of Work, Wave Energy, and World Stewardship
Explore the fascinating world of wave energy with Salman Husain, a lifelong engineer tackling marine energy's toughest challenges. Discover how his passions for problem solving and global stewardship shape his quest for a sustainable future.
Dec. 17, 2024
Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A With Kat Knauer
In this latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Kat Knauer shares how a backyard fire ant invasion led her to science, what a chief technology officer does, and how the BOTTLE consortium is working with Amazon, Patagonia, and other companies to design more planet-friendly plastics.
Dec. 16, 2024
USAID and NREL Help Energy Utilities Secure Island Infrastructure
The Federal Energy Management Program's distributed energy resource cybersecurity framework supports power sector resilience in the Caribbean and beyond.
Dec. 12, 2024
Intelligent Campus Program Manager Michelle Slovensky Named Distinguished Member of Operations Staff
Michelle Slovensky was honored for her groundbreaking leadership and named one of the year's thirteen Distinguished Members of Operations Staff.
Dec. 12, 2024
What Is Driving the Demand for Distribution Transformers?
A new NREL study further examines key factors and segmentation behind transformer demand growth through 2050.
Dec. 5, 2024
NREL Cultivates a Fresh Crop of Rural Transportation Options
Asked to describe transportation in rural areas, you might picture a rancher kicking up the dust of a long country road with a pickup truck or a farmer using a tractor to harvest acres of crops.
Dec. 5, 2024
Second Cohort of Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Continues System Visibility Evaluations
The Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator program, in partnership with DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response and utilities, aims to decrease cybersecurity risk in the electric sector by expediting the deployment of emerging operational technology security technologies.
Dec. 4, 2024
Technical Assistance Supports Microgrids in Remote Communities
Through the Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership, NREL will support advanced microgrid development and optimization in isolated areas.
Dec. 3, 2024
Behind the (Hockey and Turbine) Blades: Suzanne MacDonald Champions Community Solutions for a Brighter Future
Meet Suzanne MacDonald, a hockey mom, clean energy advocate, and stakeholder engagement expert at NREL who blends a passion for community-driven solutions with a love for the game.
Dec. 3, 2024
News Release: NREL Seeks Applications for 2025 Executive Energy Leadership Program
NREL is seeking applicants for its 2025 Executive Energy Leadership Program—otherwise known as Energy Execs.
November 2024
Nov. 26, 2024
Clean Energy to Communities Agrivoltaics 101 Resources Provide a Guide Toward Implementation
Clean Energy to Communities has helped numerous communities plan for and implement agrivoltaic systems, and technical assistance providers at NREL are working to share key learnings from those projects with other communities looking to follow in their footsteps.
Nov. 26, 2024
NREL Notice of Intent Invites US Manufacturers To Develop Next-Generation Distributed Wind Energy Technology
NREL has issued a Competitiveness Improvement Project notice of intent in advance of a 2025 funding solicitation. The project supports manufacturers of distributed wind energy technology, such as Eocycle.
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