Program News
Access news stories from NREL's research programs.
Dec. 17, 2015
Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have made progress towards answering a fundamental question about single-walled carbon nanotubes: do absorbed photons create only neutral excitations (excitons) or are some free charges created also?
Dec. 16, 2015
Conventional thermal interface materials can pose a significant bottleneck to heat removal from power electronics packages. High-performance thermal interface materials are a critical enabler to compact, high-performance, low-cost power electronics components for transportation and other applications.
Dec. 11, 2015
Researchers at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have explained the unusual behavior that stems from oxygen molecules interacting with defects in two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors.
Dec. 4, 2015
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently posted a blog about how the state of Colorado is quickly gaining momentum in the hydrogen and fuel cell technologies race.
Nov. 17, 2015
Henry (Bud) Johnston joined NREL on October 12 as the new Laboratory Program Manager for the Geothermal Technologies Program.
Nov. 16, 2015
A technology developed at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been honored by R&D Magazine as a winner of a coveted R&D 100 award as well as an Editor's Choice award.
Oct. 26, 2015
Companies that rely on batteries for enhanced energy efficiency-including electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, solar and wind energy generation companies, and utilities-need to know how to use batteries most effectively. As investment in large-scale battery energy storage grows, it is also vital to know how long batteries will last in the field.
Oct. 1, 2015
NREL is leading program efforts in support of the $2.3 million Lab-Corps pilot program, helping 14 entrepreneurial teams from eight U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs identify private sector opportunities for commercializing promising sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency technologies.
Oct. 1, 2015
NREL is evaluating the in-service performance of hydraulic hybrid vehicles and comparable conventional diesel vehicles operated by Miami-Dade County's Public Works and Waste Management Department in Florida.
Sept. 29, 2015
New study uses a quantitative approach to characterize the integration-related costs of making changes to an existing grid.
Aug. 24, 2015
A recent study performed by the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is helping Norway-based Statoil prepare for the installation of what may be the world’s first multi-turbine floating offshore array.
Aug. 17, 2015
NREL will serve as the lead organization in developing a tool travelers and transportation officials can use in helping guide people through a city in the most energy-efficient way possible.
Aug. 13, 2015
The ESIF 2015 Mid-Year Report provides an overview of recent work at the Energy Systems Integration Facility from October 2014 to March 2015.
Aug. 12, 2015
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, NREL energy systems integration researchers led the working group for the recently passed IEEE amendment 1547.1a, which standardizes testing protocols and procedures for three advanced solar inverter functionalities.
Aug. 11, 2015
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and AWS Truepower LLC recently released maps that illustrate the potential for wind energy development using more advanced wind turbine technologies.
Aug. 11, 2015
Through a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), two of our nation’s most advanced wind energy research and test facilities—the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Clemson University—have joined forces to help the wind energy industry improve wind turbine drivetrains and integrate turbines with the electric grid.
Aug. 10, 2015
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now part of a multimillion-dollar White House initiative known as the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), which was created to foster emerging technologies that will produce high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance America’s global competitiveness. Specifically, NREL will be leading the Wind Turbine Technology Area of NNMI’s latest addition, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation.
Aug. 10, 2015
Two research teams at the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently received NREL Technology Transfer Awards: one for the development of the Simulator fOr Wind Farm Applications and a second for their work with Siemens on blade aerodynamics. A third team received a patent award for their approach to wind turbine blade testing using base excitation. These awards recognize individuals who have shown exceptional personal initiative in helping transfer NREL technology and developments to the private sector through impactful partnering, licensing, and product release activity.
Aug. 10, 2015
Using high-performance computing capabilities and new methodologies to model operations of the Eastern Interconnection—arguably the largest power system in the world—at unprecedented fidelity, NREL found that the power system can reliably support up to 30% penetration of wind and solar power.
Aug. 10, 2015
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now part of a multimillion-dollar White House initiative known as the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), which was created to foster emerging technologies that will produce high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance America’s global competitiveness.
Aug. 5, 2015
This Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, presented by Michael Penev of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will explore the synergy between a facility's use of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and its reduction of electric grid time of use energy charges.
Aug. 5, 2015
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed a new technology transfer licensing tool, called the Energy License, which allows licensees to deduct a portion of fuel and electricity offsets against a portion of their royalty fees.
July 27, 2015
NREL's power systems research will be featured prominently at the IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting July 27-31, 2015, in Denver.
July 27, 2015
Popular Mechanics describes how NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility helps integrate solar power into outdated systems—without causing blackouts or explosions in the process.
July 21, 2015
For more than 5 years, DOE has been leveraging its ownership of two 250-kilowatt geothermal power production units to gather field data that will benefit the industry.
July 13, 2015
The Summer 2015 issue of Continuum Magazine.
July 9, 2015
During the July 8 Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative’s Southeast Regional Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, the Energy Department announced the national laboratories that will be taking the lead in implementing a new $20 million Small Business Vouchers Pilot. Through a competitive selection, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was awarded $4.9 million for their work on the pilot.
July 8, 2015
NREL's suite of transportation tools helps fleet managers and individual drivers alike to "green up" their travel decisions
June 15, 2015
Report summarizes relevant studies that show wind and solar power plants can improve power system operations, reliability, and stability while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30% or more—helping inform the public discussion surrounding the cost and reliability impacts of complying with the EPA’s proposed target.
June 12, 2015
At the 2015 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program honored four National Renewable Energy Laboratory staff for their outstanding achievements.
June 10, 2015
Dan Getman and Jordan Macknick were recognized by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) during its National Geothermal Summit on June 3, 2015, in Reno, Nevada.
June 8, 2015
During a visit on June 4, representatives of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) learned about NREL projects involving water desalination and enhanced oil recovery.
June 5, 2015
Three NREL hydrogen and fuel cell researchers were among seven outstanding mentors from NREL's Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program who were announced at the spring SULI program poster session on May 14, 2015. The Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes researchers and scientists who have been exceptional mentors for interns in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's SULI program.
June 3, 2015
In a recent project, an NREL research team, led by Jianping Yu, improved ethylene productivity so that up to 10% of photosynthetically fixed carbons become ethylene—with one unexpected, yet welcome, surprise. While cellular metabolism was expected to change, possibly inhibiting growth due to significant and continuous loss of carbon, growth seems to be unaffected.
May 18, 2015
Tapping into 14,000 megawatts of geothermal potential in eastern Africa is the focus one new collaboration at NREL.
May 13, 2015
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and NREL have developed and tested a standard messaging platform for distributed energy resources (DER)--solar panels, wind turbines, microgrids, and battery storage--that use smart inverters to connect to the grid.
May 7, 2015
This webinar will provide a basic introduction to two new analysis tools, the Hydrogen Refueling Station Analysis Model (HRSAM) and the Hydrogen Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (H2FAST). These tools were developed by Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, respectively, to address key technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment.
May 5, 2015
Seven teams of students from across the country gathered at the National Wind Technology Center for a fierce blade-to-blade wind turbine rematch. At the Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition 2015 Engineering Contest, teams of undergraduates tested original designs of model wind turbines in an on-site wind tunnel and presented their technical designs to wind technology experts.
May 4, 2015
Understanding how birds are affected by utility-scale solar facilities is the focus of a new NREL report that was completed in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory.
April 21, 2015
The Energy Department has announced two new tools developed through H2USA to help address technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment. The tools, the the Hydrogen Financial Analysis Scenario Tool (H2FAST) and the Hydrogen Refueling Stations Analysis Model (HRSAM), were developed by NREL and Argonne National Laboratory respectively to address the key technical and financial barriers to hydrogen fueling infrastructure deployment. Additionally, NREL and Sandia National Laboratories published two task reports through the Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST) project, which supports H2USA by addressing critical R&D barriers to station deployment.
April 17, 2015
As a complement to DOE's recently released Wind Vision Report, a new paper summarizes the lessons learned from actual power systems operational practice, along with some of the most relevant and comprehensive wind integration studies conducted during the past several years.
April 16, 2015
NREL Power Systems Engineering Center Director Dr. Ben Kroposki spoke to Smart Grid Today about the unique capabilities of the Energy Systems Integration Facility.
April 14, 2015
Demonstration projects will create and test a power-to-gas concept that uses electricity from renewable sources to make carbon-free hydrogen gas.
March 19, 2015
In the search for abundant and sustainable options to petroleum-derived fuels, biofuels stand out as a promising alternative. An NREL study is determining which biomass-derived oxygenates are most commercially feasible in drop-in fuels that are compatible with existing engines and fuel distribution.
March 6, 2015
On March 7, Colorado high school students will rack their brains to quickly find answers to rapid-fire questions at the 25th Colorado High School Science Bowl. Competition rounds begin at 9 a.m. and will last until 12:30 p.m., at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO.
Feb. 25, 2015
Marine and hydrokinetic technologies convert the kinetic energy from ocean waves, tides, currents, and ocean thermal resources into electricity. The development and evolution of these technologies towards commercial and economic operation has proven to be a slow and expensive process. To help reduce the risks of industry failures and advance the development of current and new technologies at a lower cost and faster pace, the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory created a framework that provides a risk management methodology to identify and reduce risks during all stages of technology development and particularly prior to demonstration activities.
Feb. 25, 2015
In recent years, researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have been making progress in multiple avenues of wind systems engineering. This includes the study of how to integrate wind energy engineering and cost models across wind plants, finding the important interactions between various subsystems to achieve a better understanding of how to improve system-level performance and cost reductions, and hosting international, collaborative workshops.
Feb. 25, 2015
Offshore and land-based wind turbine systems are subject to complex and harsh operating conditions. When designing systems for such conditions, wind technology developers need powerful tools. One such tool is the computer-aided engineering tool called FAST, developed and supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The laboratory has recently released an improved and expanded version of FAST that features a new modularization framework that boosts the tool’s power, robustness, and flexibility.
Feb. 25, 2015
Researchers who conduct regional wind integration studies in the United States need to perform simulations of how the power system will operate under high-penetration scenarios. To do this they need detailed wind power output data from many locations. The wind data sets that are used in these studies must realistically reflect the ramping characteristics, spatial and temporal correlations, and capacity factors of the simulated wind plants, and must be time-synchronized with available load profiles.
Feb. 25, 2015
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), created a Wind Career Map—the first of its kind in the wind industry—to inform people interested in wind energy career opportunities.
Feb. 24, 2015
Comprehensive handbook is a valuable resource for the solar industry on the collection and interpretation of solar resource data for each stage of a solar energy project, from initial site selection to systems operations.
Feb. 20, 2015
Due to inclement weather, the 25th annual Colorado High School Science Bowl has been cancelled. Information on the rescheduled event will be available in the near future.
Feb. 18, 2015
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is pleased to announce that the Energy Department has announced the twelve collegiate teams that have been selected to participate in the second U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition.
Feb. 13, 2015
New report highlights research and achievements for the ESIF in its first year of operation.
Feb. 11, 2015
This Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, presented by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will explore the synergy between a facility's use of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and its reduction of electric grid time of use energy charges.
Feb. 5, 2015
The Energy Department posted a video of Secretary Ernest Moniz driving the Toyota Mirai, the first fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) for sale in the United States.
Feb. 4, 2015
The German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the U.S. Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have compiled a study that describes the status of the current market as well as the state-of-the-art for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology.
Jan. 23, 2015
NREL is spearheading engineering innovations that will help optimize the entire energy system, and the lab's analysis capabilities complement that engineering work by identifying ways to integrate renewable energy effectively and economically. This 3-minute video shows how NREL research and analysis are redefining what’s possible for renewable energy on the grid.
Jan. 21, 2015
NREL has teamed with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Efficient Drivetrains Incorporated to evaluate the performance of a unique Class 5 plug-in hybrid electric bucket truck. The innovative utility vehicle is equipped with batteries and an electric generator that can export up to 120 kW of power—enough to power a neighborhood while repairs are being made by electric crews. NREL test results will help PG&E fine-tune the design of such vehicles before expanding their use.
Jan. 21, 2015
Stop by booth #4622 at DistribuTECH 2015 in San Diego to learn more NREL's state-of-the-art capabilities in energy systems integration.
Jan. 16, 2015
NREL researchers and industrial collaborators have completed the fabrication of a new gearbox and power converter software as a part of their ongoing project to create an innovative drivetrain.
Jan. 13, 2015
In December 2014, NREL's Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study (ERGIS) team worked with more than 20 industry representatives to analyze initial results from the largest renewable energy integration study ever conducted.
