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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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October 2020
19 Innovative Projects Selected in $9 million Solar Desalination Prize Competition
On Oct. 19, DOE announced the 19 Innovation Contest winners of the Solar Desalination Prize, a $9 million prize competition designed to increase access to fresh water and strengthen water security in the United States.
American-Made Solar Team's Solid-State Transformer Wins Grand Prize
The NREL-composed team developed a solid state transformer that allows the independent regulation of solar, battery, load, and grid sources. The team is further working to optimize the technology's performance and cost efficiency.
NREL Forms New Research Center, Names Jennifer Kurtz as Leader
NREL named Jennifer Kurtz director of the newly formed Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Center. The new cross-cutting center is dedicated to systems engineering for energy conversion and storage technologies such as batteries, hydrogen, geothermal, thermal, and water power.
Into the Unknown: Ben Sigrin Models How Consumers Adopt Renewables
As a University of Texas graduate student in 2011, Ben Sigrin tried to understand how people make decisions about purchasing or leasing rooftop solar panels. He quickly found that it is not black or white—and that there is no average consumer.
BOTTLE Consortium Launches To Change the Way We Recycle
The consortium will focus on two critical problems that are both essential to tackle the plastics pollution problem. The first challenge is how to upcycle today's waste plastics in a way that incentivizes their reclamation. The second undertakes the challenge of wholly redesigning tomorrow's plastics to be recyclable-by-design.
Removing the Element of Surprise: Ocean Observing Prize Solicits Designs for Tomorrow's Storm Tracking Technology
NREL announces concurrent launch of DEVELOP Competition and 90-day DESIGN Contest.
NREL Unveils Open-Source Distributed Generation Market Demand Model
NREL's Distributed Generation Market Demand (dGen) model is publicly available for the first time. Public users can access model methodology and instructions, run the code, and receive technical support from the dGen team.
News Release: National Laboratories Point to Sugars as a Key Factor in Ideal Feedstock for Biofuels
Popular wisdom holds that tall, fast-growing trees are best for biomass, but new research by two DOE national laboratories reveals the size of trees is only part of the equation. Of equal economic importance is the amount of sugars that can be produced from the ligno-cellulosic biomass and converted into fuels.
Wind Energy and Wildlife Share Future in the Skies and Seas
NREL researchers are collaborating with academic, conservation, regulatory, and industry partners to understand the potential effects of offshore wind installations on the environment while maintaining optimal energy production.
News Release: Colorful Perovskites: NREL Advances Thermochromic Window Technologies
Scientists at NREL report a breakthrough in developing a next-generation thermochromic window that not only reduces the need for air conditioning but simultaneously generates electricity.
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Last Updated April 28, 2025