News Releases

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Dec. 20, 2011

NREL Licenses Technology to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced today that Natcore Technology Inc. has been granted a patent license agreement to develop a line of black silicon products.

Dec. 15, 2011

NREL Scientists Report First Solar Cell Producing More Electrons In Photocurrent Than Solar Photons Entering Cell

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have reported the first solar cell that produces a photocurrent that has an external quantum efficiency greater than 100 percent when photoexcited with photons from the high energy region of the solar spectrum.

Dec. 13, 2011

NREL Employees Recognized by Industry Peers

Trade media and industry groups recently have honored several employees at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for contributions to advancing renewable energy research and furthering their professions.

Dec. 7, 2011

NREL Releases Report on Testing Electric Vehicles to Optimize their Performance with Power Grids

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released a technical report that could help improve the performance of electric vehicles (EVs) and the efficiency of the electric utility grids that power them.

Dec. 5, 2011

Helping Cleantech Start-ups with Strategic Messaging

The Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED) at U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) invites cleantech entrepreneurs to attend the next event in its Entrepreneur Series.

Nov. 11, 2011

Greg Wilson to Lead National Center for Photovoltaics

Dr. Gregory M. Wilson has been named director of the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), effective Nov. 28.

Nov. 10, 2011

NREL's Industry Growth Forum Brings Together Energy Innovators

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 24th Industry Growth Forum this week attracted more than 500 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and policymakers to Denver.

Oct. 25, 2011

NREL Opens New Doors to Renewable Energy Data

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is home to a cornucopia of data on renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative transportation. This week, NREL launched a new website that will make the data more accessible than ever.

Oct. 17, 2011

Helping Cleantech Start-ups with Employee Compensation

The Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED) at U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) invites cleantech entrepreneurs to attend the next event in its Entrepreneur Series.

Sept. 19, 2011

NREL Earns Federal Award for Sustainable IT Practices

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has earned a 2011 Platinum-level Award from the Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) recognizing NREL's efforts to help the federal government improve its sustainable practices.

Sept. 16, 2011

Federal Laboratory Consortium Highlights Three NREL Research Projects

The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer's (FLC) Mid-Continent Region recently recognized the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its partners with three awards for excellence in technology transfer. It also named NREL Commercialization and Technology Transfer Agreement's Specialist Carrieann McDonough as an Outstanding Laboratory Representative.

Sept. 15, 2011

NREL's DeBlasio honored by American National Standards Institute

Dick DeBlasio, a research engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been named the 2011 winner of the Finegan Standards Medal by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Sept. 1, 2011

NREL to Help Four Start-ups Ramp up Solar Energy Innovations

Companies with innovative, game-changing ways to lower the cost of solar energy have been awarded $5.8 million to work with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Aug. 31, 2011

NREL data set shows clouds' effects on solar power

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)has produced and made available a rich data set showing what happens, second-by-second, when clouds pass over a solar power installation.

Aug. 17, 2011

CREED to Help Cleantech Start-ups with Go-to-Market Strategies

The Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED) at U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) invites cleantech entrepreneurs to attend the next event in its Entrepreneur Series.

Aug. 8, 2011

NREL Seeks Industry Input to Illuminate Trends in Renewable Energy Financing

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking input from energy developers and financiers as part of an ongoing effort to collect and share quantitative data on renewable energy financing terms and to assess barriers to renewable energy development.

Aug. 4, 2011

NREL Director Dan Arvizu Appointed to National Science Board

The U.S. Senate confirmed President Barack Obama's appointment of Dan Arvizu, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to a seat on the National Science Board.

July 27, 2011

NREL, Verizon to Explore Energy-Saving Technologies, Techniques

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Verizon signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today that could lead to the development of new innovative ways to reduce energy use in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.

July 22, 2011

NREL Launches Energy Execs Institute

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announces its inaugural Energy Execs Institute a premier executive education program focused on delivering clean energy solutions.

July 11, 2011

Solar Lab Collaborative Showcase on August 4

One-of-a-kind platforms that have the ability to bridge the gap between photovoltaic (PV) module and cell efficiencies are opening their stainless steel arms to industry, academia, stakeholders , and other entities on Aug. 4 at a Collaborative Showcase at the Process Development Integration Laboratory (PDIL) at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

July 7, 2011

NREL Supports Industry to Develop Computer-Aided Engineering Tools for Car Batteries

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently awarded three industry teams, after a competitive procurement process, a total of $7 million for the development of computer-aided software design tools to help produce the next generation of electric drive vehicle (EDV) batteries.

June 29, 2011

NREL's Research Support Facility Certified LEED® Platinum

The Research Support Facility (RSF) located on the campus of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been certified LEED® Platinum for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction.

June 23, 2011

NREL, German Solar Energy Researchers to Work Together

German and American researchers will work together more closely on solar energy topics as a result of today's signing of a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the German Helmholtz Association. The MOU identifies several key solar energy topics to explore for joint research cooperation.

June 22, 2011

Solar Research Earns Three Prestigious R&D 100 Awards

A technique to turn silicon into ink, a faster way to assess solar cells, and a better furnace for heating solar cells – all developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory – have been named among this year's most significant innovations by R&D Magazine.

June 20, 2011

NREL's Jerry Olson Wins Prestigious Cherry Award from IEEE

A physicist from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) who was a pioneer in multi-junction solar cells for use in outer space and on Earth has been awarded the prestigious Cherry Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

June 17, 2011

Green Economic Development Partnership to Boost Clean Energy Startups in Colorado

Through a collaborative partnership to expand cleantech entrepreneurship in Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the State of Colorado have formed the Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED) in Golden, Colo.

June 2, 2011

Science & Industry Peers Turn to NREL for Biomass Solutions

The biomass industry looks to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for solutions when it comes to lignocellulosic conversion of biomass to fuels. CELLULOSE editors recently announced that three NREL papers were in the top 10 for most requested articles of 2010.

May 21, 2011

Student Winners Announced in Solar and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Races

Sixty-five teams from 24 Colorado schools participated in today's Junior Solar Sprint and Hydrogen Fuel Cell car competitions hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The student teams raced solar or hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles they designed and built themselves.

May 18, 2011

NREL Announces Leaders for National Executive Education Program

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 20 national leaders to participate in its 2011 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), a premier leadership program focused on delivering clean energy solutions.

May 12, 2011

NREL's Multi-Junction Solar Cells Teach Scientists How to Turn Plants into Powerhouses

Plants can overcome their evolutionary legacies to become much better at using biological photosynthesis to produce energy, the kind of energy that can power vehicles in the near future, an all-star collection of biologists, physicists, photochemists, and solar scientists has found.

May 9, 2011

NREL Highlights 2010 Utility Green Power Leaders

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today released its annual assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as wind and solar.

May 6, 2011

NREL Employees Honored for Advancing Industry

Professional organizations recently honored four employees from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for advancing renewable energy research and furthering their professions

May 2, 2011

NREL Earns Federal Technology Transfer Accolades

A technology from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for depositing crystalline silicon onto inexpensive substrate materials has been recognized with a 2011 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory Consortium

April 26, 2011

NREL and Alstom Celebrate Wind Turbine Installation

Officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with officials from Alstom, today commemorated the successful installation and full capacity operation of a 3 megawatt Alstom ECO 100 wind turbine at NREL's National Wind Technology Center. This event signifies a crucial step forward in the long-term, collaborative research and development agreement between NREL and Alstom, which launched in May of 2010.

April 25, 2011

State Policies Key to Clean Energy Development, Report Says

States' policies are important to solar and wind energy development and in reducing energy use says a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The findings are in report, State of the States 2010: The Role of Policy in Clean Energy Market Transformation.

April 19, 2011

NREL, Industry Leaders Join Forces to Help Consumers Plug In

U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Google Inc., and more than 80 leading organizations in electric vehicle (EV) deployment will collaborate to provide consumers and industry with accurate and up-to-date information on the locations of electric vehicle charging stations. The data generated through the partnership will be housed on DOE's online Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC), which is managed by NREL and funded by DOE's Clean Cities initiative.

April 5, 2011

NREL Team Investigates Secondary Uses for Electric Drive Vehicle Batteries

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), industry and academia are teaming to give batteries from electric drive vehicles (EV) a “second life.” NREL's partner is an industry-academia team led by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE).

April 4, 2011

NREL and Partners to Compare High-Efficiency Solar Cells from Three Nations at Sites in Colorado and Yokohama, Japan

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is partnering with major international industrial technology and solar research organizations to test how solar cells from three manufacturers perform in two geographic locations with different lighting conditions.

April 4, 2011

Stantec Receives Engineering Industry's Highest Honor for DOE/NREL's Research Support Facility

Stantec's engineering design and sustainability consulting for one of the country's largest highly efficient buildings—the Research Support Facility (RSF) on the campus of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. —was recognized with a national Engineering Excellence Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) on Friday, April 1.

March 31, 2011

CO-LABS Releases Economic Impact Study of Federal Research Laboratories in Colorado

Today, CO-LABS released the broader economic Impact Study of federal research laboratories in Colorado including data referenced by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in February. NREL's impact on Colorado's economy tripled in just three years boosting Colorado's annual economy $714 million http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2011/937.html according to the study prepared by the University of Colorado.

March 29, 2011

NREL Fellow Honored for 'Chemistry in the Public Interest'

Dr. Arthur J. Nozik, senior research fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), will be awarded the Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest, from the American Chemical Society's Northeastern Section at Harvard University on April 14.

March 23, 2011

NREL Announces Partnership Opportunity for Multimegawatt Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released its first call for proposals from wind industry companies interested in forming a partnership with NREL to test a multimegawatt wind turbine drivetrain. The drivetrain will be tested in NREL's new 5 megawatt drivetrain test facility, which is scheduled for completion by the end of June 2012.

Feb. 23, 2011

Gasoline Hybrid Electric Delivery Vehicles Reduce Tailpipe Emissions While Maintaining Fuel Economy

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently completed a yearlong technology evaluation of gasoline hybrid electric (gHEV) trucks compared with conventional diesel vehicles. A report released this week details NREL's efforts to determine the impact of hybridization on performance, emissions, and fuel economy.

Feb. 22, 2011

Website Reveals Early Lessons in Electric Vehicle Deployment

Cities and states have new blueprints to follow as they prepare for the arrival of plug-in electric vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) just released a convenient online collection of case studies in electric vehicle deployment. The case studies detail the early experiences of four U.S. locations on the leading edge of home-charging implementation.

Feb. 18, 2011

NREL Teams with Industry to Validate Methanol Fuel Cell Technology

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is collaborating with Oorja Protonics of Fremont, Calif., on a two-year project to deploy and demonstrate methanol fuel cells for power pallet jacks, a kind of forklift, in four commercial wholesale distribution centers.

Feb. 11, 2011

Lab's Impact on Colorado's Economy Triples

The presence of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado is a $714 million annual boost to the state's economy, according to data compiled in a soon to be released analysis by the University of Colorado.

Feb. 4, 2011

Energy Department to Invest up to $7 million to Support Early-Stage Solar Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced an investment of up to $7 million in total funding through DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support the development and commercialization of emerging solar energy technologies.

Jan. 29, 2011

Fairview High School Wins Colorado Science Bowl

Students from Fairview High School Team 1 won the Colorado High School Science Bowl today. They will go on to the 21st National Science Bowl in Washington D.C. on Apr. 28 – May 2, where they will compete for the national title against more than 450 students from 68 high schools.

Jan. 11, 2011

Stan Bull, Long-Time NREL Leader, Named AAAS Fellow

Stanley R. Bull, former associate director for Science and Technology at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been awarded the distinction of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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