Program News
Access news stories from NREL's research programs.
Dec. 29, 2023
The senior Internal Audit and Audit Analytics professional was recently honored by The Institute of Internal Auditors as an Emerging Leader Under 30.
Dec. 29, 2023
NREL Director's Fellowship postdoc Tarryn Miller competed in the first National Lab Research SLAM competition in Washington, D.C.
Dec. 22, 2023
Homes across the country are incorporating new technologies, such as energy-efficient heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, electric vehicles, rooftop solar, and energy storage systems.
Dec. 22, 2023
Nine teams of college students with diverse backgrounds and academic majors have been exploring solutions toward an equitable, clean energy future through building science.
Dec. 18, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the five winners of the CONCEPT Phase for the Collegiate Track of the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize.
Dec. 18, 2023
Scientists, headed by a team from NREL, found the proliferation of springtime pollen that coated the solar panels reduced performance of the technology at every site.
Dec. 14, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy is investing in a new kind of flexible wave energy technology that could convert ocean waves into clean electricity and help power coastal communities, marine research, and even a future clean energy grid.
Dec. 14, 2023
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) joined a $40 million program led by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to radically rethink how components within data centers are cooled.
Dec. 13, 2023
For Douglas DeVoto, who leads reliability and prognostics research for automotive power electronics within NREL's power electronics and electric machines group, failure is the most fascinating part of his job. Most recently, that curiosity led to him being awarded the Excellence in Mechanics Award by the Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Dec. 13, 2023
NREL built a new testing platform that blends virtual simulation and physical hardware to help wave energy technology developers quickly and inexpensively hone their designs.
Dec. 12, 2023
Twenty-nine years ago, Vahan Gevorgian was a post-doctoral researcher studying wind and hybrid energy systems at the State Engineering University of Armenia when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself.
Dec. 11, 2023
Since 2013, NREL's Controllable Grid Interface has helped manufacturers and system operators understand how grid disturbances affect renewable energy systems before they are deployed. Ten years later, the second, more powerful CGI will soon be ready to complement the first CGI and enable NREL to support more experiments.
Dec. 11, 2023
Nicknamed PECAN, NREL's new, recyclable wind turbine blade resin boasts a novel composition. The name is an acronym representing the material's chemical structure, PolyEster Covalently Adaptable Network. NREL researchers designed the PECAN resin using biobased chemicals that can be easily extracted from plant waste.
Dec. 8, 2023
Researchers, educators, industry leaders, and more recently convened in Broomfield, Colorado, for the 2023 conference.
Dec. 6, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has announced $264 million in funding for 29 projects to develop clean-energy solutions that will pave the way to achieving a net-zero-carbon economy by 2050.
Dec. 5, 2023
This fall, Shell and NREL agreed to extend the GCxN program for another five years, providing another 30 startup companies with access to $250,000 in nondilutive funding to conduct technical assistance projects.
Dec. 5, 2023
In a Nature Energy article, NREL researchers discuss contracts for difference, which ensure renewable energy projects, like offshore wind farms, receive a fixed price for the energy they generate and can pay back their high initial investment costs, lowering the barrier for new projects to help expand clean energy deployment.
Dec. 5, 2023
While at NREL, interns work on diverse projects and specialties, but they all have one thing in common: They rely on a mentor to get the most out of their internships.
Dec. 5, 2023
NREL celebrated individual and team achievements in Fiscal Year 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022 at its annual Staff Awards.
Dec. 4, 2023
Scott Struck studies cyclical water supplies that keep humans and ecosystems happy and healthy. In the latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Struck explains how various water sources could help bolster dwindling water supplies across the country and around the world.
Dec. 1, 2023
NREL has brought together two pivotal tools to garner real-world data to answer questions and enable in-depth evaluation of emerging transportation modes such as e-bikes.
Dec. 1, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office and water power researchers from NREL just published two new career maps for hydropower and marine energy.
Nov. 30, 2023
NREL is a proud champion of workforce development opportunities that improve U.S. decarbonization goals while working toward an equitable and clean energy future.
Nov. 30, 2023
While enabling innovative technological advancements, the worldwide growth in advanced computing has created a looming energy crisis.
Nov. 28, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® is partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council to host the next Solar Decathlon Professionals Program (SD Pro) cohort!
Nov. 28, 2023
Several algal strains with high capacities for phosphorus accumulation have the potential to boost phosphorus recovery in wastewater treatment systems along with recovering harmful or valuable metals.
Nov. 27, 2023
The Re-X Before Recycling Prize seeks innovations to unlock new or expanded supply chains that can reintegrate end-of-use products into a circular economy.
Nov. 20, 2023
NREL has issued a Competitiveness Improvement Project notice of intent and will host a workshop in advance of a 2024 funding solicitation for U.S. manufacturers of small- and medium-sized wind turbine technology.
Nov. 17, 2023
In its first-ever update, the Transportation Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) now offers its users expanded cost and performance data to inform transportation sector analysis nationwide.
Nov. 17, 2023
Decision makers who want to know the impact of potential R&D investments on their energy technology goals now have a new tool: the Technology Characterization and Evaluation (Tyche) software.
Nov. 16, 2023
New prize challenges competitors to propose innovative marine energy concepts to accelerate renewable offshore energy—enabling the future blue economy.
Nov. 16, 2023
Nine semifinalists have been selected to move on to design phase of the American-Made Heliostat Prize.
Nov. 15, 2023
Thirty-three teams from 25 U.S. collegiate institutions are competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Fall 2023 Geothermal Collegiate Competition, designing real-world geothermal solutions for a chance at $32,000 in prize funding.
Nov. 15, 2023
From the Grand Canyon to the majestic Tetons, national parks in the western United States draw more than 80 million visitors a year. Most of these visitors rely on their personal vehicles or rentals to get them there.
Nov. 15, 2023
NREL's far-reaching research on batteries helps ensure their safety, longevity, and sustainability through reuse and recycling, minimizing the environmental impact of recycling processes, and investigating how to scale up recycling from benchtop testing to industrial scenarios.
Nov. 15, 2023
Seven researchers from NREL and one college professor affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy facility are included on this year's Highly Cited Researchers list.
Nov. 10, 2023
The program provides funding to national laboratory researchers, empowering them to think outside the box when it comes to their water power research—and to fine-tune their ideas so they have real-world applications.
Nov. 8, 2023
By designing high-performance, zero-energy buildings, 105 teams from 93 collegiate institutions are leading the charge to tackle climate change as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2024 Design Challenge.
Nov. 8, 2023
National laboratory researchers are developing a guide for marine energy experts to support energy transitions in remote coastal and island communities.
Nov. 7, 2023
The latest installment of NREL's Tell Me Something Grid series by grid researcher Luke Lavin discusses the value of combining multiple distributed energy resources to effectively integrate them into the power grid.
Nov. 3, 2023
On a hot Saturday in August, thousands of community members from Aurora, Colorado, gathered for the city's 10th annual Global Fest, a celebration of Aurora's cultural diversity.
Nov. 3, 2023
Developing a diverse and knowledgeable workforce for building science is critical to meeting future decarbonization goals set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Nov. 2, 2023
A new ion exchange model can help utilities and researchers simulate and study different system designs to remove forever chemicals from water.
Nov. 2, 2023
Great chemists have discovered ways to combine carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen into all manners of plastics: leak-proof food packaging, heat-resistant car parts, durable personal protective equipment—the list is long.
Oct. 30, 2023
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, learn from Jennifer Guerra, an NREL cybersecurity researcher, about how an NREL-led initiative is supporting a more secure and resilient electric grid.
Oct. 30, 2023
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, learn from Nicholas Ryan, an NREL cybersecurity researcher, about his contributions to NREL's cyber range.
Oct. 30, 2023
As winter approaches, many families are grappling with a difficult choice: suffer the cold temperatures or drain their bank accounts to stay warm.
Oct. 25, 2023
Newly published research is the latest effort by NREL researchers to make III-V solar cells more affordable for terrestrial applications.
Oct. 25, 2023
Computational tools using artificial intelligence (AI) can help optimize airfoil design for wind turbine blades, aircraft wings, and fan blades in natural gas turbines.
Oct. 24, 2023
Future power system leaders visit NREL for a week of leadership and professional development.
Oct. 24, 2023
NREL's 2023 PV Cost Benchmark Report documents the potential cost impacts of Inflation Reduction Act manufacturing tax credits, reports costs for community solar, and presents a new transparent cost model.
Oct. 24, 2023
Student teams gain valuable experience with innovative algal commercialization technologies while competing to earn prize money.
Oct. 20, 2023
Buildings account for 35% of U.S. energy-related emissions, and the path to a nationwide net-zero-emissions economy will require many electric building technologies powered by sustainable energy sources.
Oct. 19, 2023
The American Physical Society honored Phil Parilla of NREL by naming him a fellow of the 124-year-old organization.
Oct. 19, 2023
A new material could help make clean energy technologies, like tidal energy turbines, even more sustainable.
Oct. 18, 2023
A new collaboration between NREL and ACE Green Recycling aims to develop and optimize recycling techniques that will bridge the gap between sustainability and profitability, specifically for lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Oct. 18, 2023
To commemorate the occasion, learn more about 11 exciting bioenergy-related projects at NREL over the past year.
Oct. 16, 2023
Communities and states looking to develop decarbonization plans for residential buildings now have a new tool at their disposal thanks to NREL researchers.
Oct. 16, 2023
Rob Hovsapian, a mechanical engineer, is building a massive machine—one that could help solve future crises. In NREL's latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Hovsapian shares what kind of rare, national events the SuperLab might help solve.
Oct. 12, 2023
Researchers have determined cost-effective ways to purchase moorings for a new wave energy test facility currently under construction off the coast of Oregon.
Oct. 12, 2023
Widespread electrification initiatives are increasing the demands on America's aging power grid, but utilities and consumers may have an unlikely ally in electric vehicles.
Oct. 11, 2023
For its second cohort, West Gate chose three innovators—Lisa Morey, Yaman Peksenar, Pilanda Watkins-Curry—working to make major changes in several industries to help the world transition to clean energy.
Oct. 10, 2023
Picture yourself 200 years ago, only able to cool a space or chill perishable food with ice blocks cut from frozen lakes and then transported cross-country by insulated rail cars to your home.
Oct. 10, 2023
A new report building on NREL's Storage Futures Study highlights challenges and opportunities to increase the value of longer-duration energy storage.
Oct. 5, 2023
As a sub-recipient on nine awards through the Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) funding opportunity, NREL will be diligently working with a variety of partners to advance building technologies and retrofit practices that enable healthier households and communities.
Oct. 5, 2023
As one of six core partners in the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, NREL just received an additional round of funding for research to help lower the cost and boost quality and sustainability of wind turbine blades.
Oct. 3, 2023
Commercial vehicle fleet owners and operators face a pressing question: Can zero-emissions alternatives, like battery-electric and hydrogen-fueled trucks, accomplish the same work as their diesel-powered fleets? To answer this question, NREL has released a new web-based data platform called Fleet Research, Energy Data, and Insights (FleetREDI).
Oct. 3, 2023
In a bid to address the ever-evolving needs of the energy industry and bolster the clean energy workforce, the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office proudly shares the colleges and universities participating in the Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition Class of 2023-2024.
Oct. 2, 2023
NREL met with stakeholders and partners at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to launch Athena ZEV—the next phase of Athena—which aims to electrify transportation and de-risk airport investments, with an initial focus on rental cars.
Sept. 29, 2023
On Oct. 2, the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office announced seven Stage 1 finalists for the American-Made Solar Data Bounty Prize, with each team receiving a $5,000 cash prize. The seven teams will now move on to Stage 2 to compete for part of $1.4 million in cash prizes.
Sept. 27, 2023
NREL researcher Malik Hassanaly embraces uncertainty—uncertainty quantification, that is—and using computational science to devise simpler methods of solving complex energy challenges.
Sept. 27, 2023
Community members from Unincorporated Norcross, Georgia, partnered with NREL researchers through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy to Communities Expert Match program to learn how to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of commercial buildings.
Sept. 26, 2023
NREL's Elaine Hale discusses the importance of integrated modeling and analysis that capture the characteristics and behavior of multistakeholder systems with diverse objectives in how the electricity system evolves.
Sept. 26, 2023
Even as fossil energy still provides most of the world’s electricity, new electricity generating capacity is dominated by renewable energy projects.
Sept. 26, 2023
Investment in a port system and domestic supply chain could enable the United States to efficiently deploy floating offshore wind energy at a commercial scale on the West Coast, according to an NREL study.
Sept. 26, 2023
A new capability of the REopt® web tool helps commercial building owners and energy managers more effectively evaluate the costs associated with geothermal heat pump (GHP) projects: the ability to integrate hybrid heat exchange with GHPs.
Sept. 25, 2023
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is moving forward at a rapid rate. However, the plan for supporting infrastructure—where, when, and how to deploy EV chargers and upgrade the power grid—is a complex and moving target.
Sept. 25, 2023
The offshore wind energy pipeline continued to grow last year, according to an NREL analysis recently released in the Offshore Wind Market Report: 2023 Edition. If fully developed, the projects would be enough to power more than 18 million homes.
Sept. 22, 2023
Near-commercial wind turbine innovations will allow for cost-effective wind power in additional regions of the United States.
Sept. 22, 2023
Almost 2,500 miles and numerous differences in size, culture, and climate separate Los Angeles, California, from Tehuantepec, Mexico.
Sept. 20, 2023
Charles Candon and Rebecca Fao are part of NREL’s testing team, which helps test and hone water power technologies as they journey from model to market. We spoke to them about their career origins and their day-to-day work.
Sept. 18, 2023
Visit Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island to virtually see cutting-edge marine energy technologies in action.
Sept. 15, 2023
Clean transportation technologies are entering the market and hitting the roads faster than ever with billions of dollars in new investments from the federal government and private industry.
Sept. 15, 2023
Electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are versatile for industrial applications but face performance challenges. A new collaboration is scaling an efficient and long-lasting hydrogen storage solution for UAVs.
Sept. 14, 2023
It has never been easier to locate a public charging station but finding one that functions properly can still be a frustrating reality for many electric vehicle (EV) owners.
Sept. 14, 2023
When Joby Aviation wanted to figure out the environmental impact of its future all-electric aerial ride-hailing service, NREL helped provide a technological bird's eye view.
Sept. 13, 2023
Hydropower is an often overlooked and misunderstood form of clean energy, but the Spark Squad is here to change all that.
Sept. 12, 2023
DOE is launching a new challenge that combines the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and the Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize, this time expanding the reach to community organizations, manufacturers, nonfederal government entities, and college students.
Sept. 11, 2023
Three companies recently completed the inaugural cohort of the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA): Sierra Nevada Corporation, Blue Ridge Networks, and Xage Security.
Sept. 11, 2023
On Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office announced seven finalists for the 2023 Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar, with each team receiving a $2,500 cash prize.
Sept. 8, 2023
Find out how researchers are helping four marine energy industry partners prepare their devices to face the waves at Oregon's PacWave South.
Sept. 7, 2023
In early July, 65 researchers from 16 countries gathered in a quiet town just outside of Grenoble in the northern French Alps.
Sept. 7, 2023
NREL Researcher Abhishek Roy is working to make fuel cells, water-purification devices, and carbon-capture technologies more efficient and cost effective to help save the planet.
Sept. 6, 2023
In the darkness of night, NREL is prototyping a new device that could cut time and costs for inspections of solar installations after potentially damaging weather.
Aug. 31, 2023
In late 2003, Walmart approached NREL with a project whose goal was to discover failures as much as successes. It would spark a now two-decade-and-counting partnership.
Aug. 30, 2023
In a recent study published in Renewable Energy, NREL and PNNL researchers presented a more comprehensive and accurate methodology to measure the wave energy available in ocean sites around the world.
Aug. 30, 2023
To support the utilities powering rural America in fortifying their systems against cyber threats, DOE's Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance (RMUC) Program launched the Advanced Cybersecurity Technology (ACT) 1 Prize.
Aug. 29, 2023
For many students, a paid summer internship is the capstone of their degree—an opportunity to flex their academic and research muscles in their industry of choice.
Aug. 24, 2023
Hydropower systems will be vital to our transition to a clean-energy-powered grid. The new virtual Renewable Energy Discovery Island demonstrates hydropower's potential—a potential that NREL researchers are working hard to optimize.
Aug. 22, 2023
With help from commercial vehicle researchers from NREL, a small commercial salmon troller named I Gotta will soon make history as one of the first low-emissions fishing vessels ever deployed in Alaska.
Aug. 21, 2023
New studies leveraging conceptual designs of offshore wind turbines point to how their drivetrains could change in the near future to produce more power while lowering costs, according to a new report by NREL and General Electric Research.
Aug. 17, 2023
Join NREL in celebrating the partnerships working to bring sustainability to the skies—past, present, and future.
Aug. 16, 2023
The Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest invites competitors to submit captivating photos and videos that showcase water power as a source renewable energy.
Aug. 15, 2023
Less than six months after joining NREL, computational researcher Julie Bessac was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for funding under the DOE Office of Science's 2023 Early Career Research Program.
Aug. 15, 2023
The new Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database, the development of which was led by NREL, compiles information on materials used in wind and solar power plants.
Aug. 10, 2023
Cordova, Alaska, has historic collaboration from the U.S. Department of Energy that changed the city's electrical system into a model for resilient and modern technology.
Aug. 9, 2023
A new capability installed at NREL's Flatirons Campus can mimic ocean motions, including waves up to 8 feet high, and supports devices weighing about as much as a small RV.
Aug. 9, 2023
"Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast" shares news about research at the laboratory and the ways NREL's work is impacting the clean energy space in biweekly, 15-minute episodes.
Aug. 8, 2023
The GCC invites teams from collegiate institutions to develop real-world geothermal solutions for communities while competing for $10,000 in cash prizes and gaining resume experience in the renewable energy industry.
Aug. 4, 2023
Transforming homes, offices, schools, restaurants, hospitals, and everything in between to efficiently run on clean energy is a complex area of research. Each building presents a unique challenge—there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Aug. 4, 2023
At a a two-day workshop hosted by NREL, thought leaders from industry, government, and academia discussed the challenges—and opportunities—that should be prioritized to create the sustainable transportation systems of the future.
Aug. 4, 2023
Learn more about how recent changes to federal and state regulations are impacting the Hydropower Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit.
Aug. 4, 2023
NREL Distinguished Researcher Andrew Ferguson had a chemistry kit as a boy but never imagined that it would lead to a science career—he preferred playing golf.
Aug. 2, 2023
Some things are treacherous when mixed, like water and electricity. So when advanced-computing experts at NREL made the move over a decade ago to use water to cool central processing units in its data center, it is understandable why some folks instinctively thought it was a bad idea.
Aug. 2, 2023
ALTRIOS, the Advanced Locomotive Technology and Rail Infrastructure Optimization System, is the world's first fully integrated, open-source software designed for exploring deep decarbonization of the rail industry. The software is now publicly available for download.
Aug. 1, 2023
Distinguished Researcher Elisa Miller-Link has forged a reputation as a passionate supporter of mentorship during her 10 years at NREL.
July 31, 2023
With support from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy, NREL is collaborating with the Kingdom of Tonga and other Pacific Island nations to support their ambitious clean energy, mobility, and resilience goals.
July 28, 2023
NREL Distinguished Researcher Dirk Jordan is interested in long-term performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules and systems, particularly how PV modules degrade over many years in the field and how this can significantly impact overall project economics.
July 27, 2023
New funding awards from the National Alliance for Water Innovation will help NREL researchers improve the energy efficiency of U.S. desalination and water reuse technologies.
July 27, 2023
Throughout the summer, more than 400 interns will work at NREL, in person and virtually, making it the laboratory's largest cohort.
July 26, 2023
More geothermal heating and cooling could be coming to a community near you, thanks to a new initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office.
July 26, 2023
Four communities received funding to support adoption of permitting solution that speeds residential solar adoption.
July 26, 2023
While the islands of Alaska may differ from the Hawaiian archipelago, they share common energy obstacles, such as limited energy infrastructure, high costs of imported energy, and vulnerability to natural disasters.
July 26, 2023
Recent decades of research and development have produced highly sophisticated solar cells that generated more than 1,000 terawatt-hours of electrical energy globally in 2022.
July 25, 2023
NREL Distinguished Researcher Justin Johnson is attuned to his natural surroundings—and his scientific career path reflects that awareness.
July 21, 2023
Twenty-five local education agencies were awarded $100,000 at the close of the first phase of the American-Made Energy CLASS Prize. Teams will now receive training and personalized coaching to implement health and efficiency upgrades in their schools.
July 21, 2023
NREL Distinguished Researcher Matt Keyser values recycling and upcycling—whether with used lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries or the invasive lionfish he spears while scuba diving.
July 19, 2023
Sound waves could play a part in making III-V solar cells more affordable for earth-bound applications, according to newly published research led by scientists at NREL.
July 18, 2023
From race car drivers to battery engineers, human nature drives us to push the boundaries of speed, performance, and efficiency in pursuit of excellence. Researchers are applying this determination and focus to optimize lithium-ion batteries for faster electric vehicle charging.
July 18, 2023
Distinguished Researcher Manajit Sengupta leads Solar Measurement and Modeling at NREL, and his group maintains expertise in solar and atmospheric resource measurement, modeling, and forecasting for renewable energy applications.
July 17, 2023
The power system is so complex that even supercomputers struggle to efficiently solve certain optimization problems. But quantum computers might fare better, and now researchers can explore that prospect thanks to a software interface between quantum computers and grid equipment.
July 14, 2023
Alberta (Birdie) Carpenter, one of seven newly named NREL Distinguished Researchers, enjoys science but also embraces unexpected opportunities.
July 13, 2023
Researchers at NREL worked with Black farmers and residents in North and Central Florida to understand how to design agrivoltaics for a farm and solar panels for houses of worship.
July 12, 2023
The newly launched Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize, a $5.1 million competition administered by NREL, aims to help the country develop a cost-effective and sustainable domestic recycling industry for two high-impact categories of wind turbine materials to create a circular U.S. wind energy economy.
July 11, 2023
In this Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Sam Reese shares how she ended up traveling around the world and how she is sharing her fix-it mindset with her kids.
July 5, 2023
The USAID-NREL Partnership's Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia pioneered a first-of-its-kind floating photovoltaic assessment for Southeast Asia, accompanied by a publicly available data set in the Renewable Energy (RE) Data Explorer.
July 3, 2023
As electric bicycle sales continue to outpace electric car sales, programs across the nation are turning to NREL's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH) tool to inform incentive programs for electric bicycles.
June 30, 2023
Growth in renewable energy has initiated an era of power electronics for the grid, and engineers are grappling with the change.
June 30, 2023
Zero-emission energy systems have a gigaton-sized challenge: Waste carbon dioxide (CO2) will continue to flow into the atmosphere as long as steel, cement, and chemical plants exist.
June 30, 2023
DOE's Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) recognizes college programs that are committed to zero-energy education. There's still time to apply for the 2023 ZEDD cohort.
June 28, 2023
On a road trip 15 years ago, Clayton Barrows passed by NREL and thought out loud about pursuing a meaningful career in power systems modeling at the laboratory. Today he is the group manager of Grid Operations Planning in NREL's Grid Planning and Analysis Center.
June 28, 2023
Informing energy transitions in the United States, NREL has released the 2023 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline (ATB), a realistic and timely set of technology cost and performance data (current and projected) for the electric sector.
June 27, 2023
Nearly 70 years ago, the United States began construction on the Interstate Highway System, setting in motion an effort that has been called the greatest public works project in American history.
June 26, 2023
NREL researchers recently brought their expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency to over 2,600 home performance and weatherization industry professionals from across the country at the 2023 National Home Performance Conference.
June 26, 2023
As part of a two-year project, three NREL postdocs are working hard to understand the impact of turbulent wind conditions on a type of concentrating solar power technology that uses a tube positioned along a curved, mirrored structure to collect sunlight.
June 26, 2023
The five Great Lakes contain 20% of the planet's freshwater resources. And, according to NREL research, they hold a wealth of wind energy potential that could enable states in the region to achieve their clean-energy goals, boost their economies with high-paying jobs, and provide a cleaner environment for residents.
June 22, 2023
Imagine an emergency vehicle that can provide reliable power to disaster recovery sites, operating in near silence and emitting only water vapor. H2Rescue is just that.
June 22, 2023
Today's hydropower plants could be even better—and more flexible—if researchers can find a better way to study these big, complex facilities. Learn how NREL researchers have designed a way to do exactly that.
June 21, 2023
What is stopping clean geothermal energy from rapid expansion?
June 21, 2023
Amid the buzz of alternative aircraft and fuels, the Colorado Division of Aeronautics has been swayed: New aviation technologies are a major opportunity for Coloradans, and it is time to start planning their future.
June 21, 2023
Six teams competing in the the inaugural Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize have been named grand prize winners after their year-long efforts to advance an equitable and just clean energy ecosystem within their communities.
June 21, 2023
A thin layer of gold or silver helps improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, but researchers have found a less expensive material that will enable commercialization of the technology without exorbitant cost.
June 20, 2023
Kestrel—the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's newest and fastest supercomputer—is being built at NREL by a coordinated team.
June 20, 2023
To see the future of on-demand transit, researchers from NREL spent three days touring innovative mobility systems across the Southwest. Here's what they learned.
June 15, 2023
Learn about the "spark squad" behind the Spark Squad comics, a series created to inspire today's kids to become tomorrow's clean energy champions.
June 12, 2023
Get a sneak peek into a virtual world where water power has huge potential.
June 8, 2023
A long-standing federal effort to decarbonize transportation proves how advanced technologies can make meaningful, real-world impacts by intertwining national goals and initiatives with local, community-based actions.
June 8, 2023
The Chattanooga Digital Twin Project, a collaboration between NREL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aimed to reduce transportation-based energy emissions and commuting delays in the city using advanced computing.
June 8, 2023
To celebrate National Ocean Month, we spoke to three water power researchers whose lives and work revolve around the 70% of our planet that is covered in ocean.
June 7, 2023
College students showcased their work in water power and wind energy at the final events for three DOE collegiate competitions: the inaugural Hydropower Collegiate Competition, fourth annual Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, and 10th annual Collegiate Wind Competition.
June 5, 2023
Sreekant Narumanchi, who leads NREL's advanced power electronics and electric machines research, has been awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Avram Bar-Cohen Memorial Medal.
June 5, 2023
Faisal Khan, chief researcher of power electronics at NREL, is leading a transformational project to revolutionize the power electronics systems within electric vehicles and for high-power, high-voltage, industrial-scale power conversion. How? With a smart, rugged, and wireless gallium oxide power module.
May 31, 2023
In collaboration with Volvo Group, NREL researchers charted a path forward for achieving a zero-emission future for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Together, the industry/research team explored the current status and mapped the opportunity space for various technologies that could help turn that vision into reality.
May 30, 2023
Visitors from the USAID Bangladesh mission, the longest running country-partner program in the USAID-NREL Partnership, visited NREL's world-class facilities.
May 24, 2023
As a materials scientist at NREL, Andriy Zakutayev manufactures materials to find new ways to control electrons, helping them carry electricity inside computers, solar panels, and smartphones.
May 18, 2023
As a group manager in NREL's Bioenergy Science and Technology Directorate, Calvin Mukarakate, with a world-class team of biofuel engineers and scientists, is applying his mind to realize an important dream: commercializing processes for making billions of gallons of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel.
May 15, 2023
An emerging form of water treatment could be the most cost-effective way to produce clean drinking water from super salty wastewaters from agricultural runoff, groundwater, and more, according to a new study.
May 10, 2023
Researchers from NREL, the University of Georgia, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered the biological mechanism involved in making one specific component of pectin: galactan.
May 10, 2023
Katherine Hurst's career is dedicated to investigating how to make hydrogen more affordable and accessible to use across multiple energy sectors.
May 10, 2023
A new Building America program is expected to bolster efforts to decarbonize existing U.S. residential housing.
May 5, 2023
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
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
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
A new modeling framework may help Dallas Fort Worth International Airport—and others in the future—design electric bus deployment strategies.
May 3, 2023
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 27, 2023
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
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
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
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
The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) aims to accelerate widespread energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
April 24, 2023
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
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
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
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 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
The Global Power System Transformation (G-PST) Consortium hosted international partners for a study tour across Colorado and Arizona.
April 11, 2023
Like a blizzard, a hacker could cut off power to millions of Americans—but not if Danish Saleem can help it. In our latest Q&A profile, Saleem explains how he is working to build security into distributed clean energy technologies to protect the country's power grid from the rising threat of cyberattacks.
April 10, 2023
Athabascan Indians living in the remote Alaskan village of Igiugig are building an energy-sustainable community despite years of oil field development.
April 6, 2023
LIBRA uses powerful system dynamics modeling to analyze the supply chain and evaluate the economic viability of Li-ion battery manufacturing, reuse, and recycling.
April 5, 2023
The latest round of finalists in the American-Made Solar Prize have been announced. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office selected 10 teams from across the country to move on to the Go! Contest and awarded each team $100,000 in cash prizes and $75,000 in technical support vouchers.
March 30, 2023
The Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize encourages participants within and beyond the marine energy industry to support the development of wave energy technologies that could help power the nation.
March 30, 2023
For a 60-minute period in January 2023, a power plant like no other existed in the U.S. Mountain West.
March 30, 2023
NREL scientist and principal investigator for the CO₂ Reduction and Upgrading for e-Fuels Consortium (CO₂RUe) Michael Resch leads a team of researchers working to unlock the potential of carbon dioxide electrolyzers and other technologies that enable e-fuels.
March 29, 2023
The first delivery of NREL's latest high-performance computing (HPC) system, Kestrel, arrived Monday. The operations teams are working hard so Kestrel's first phase can undergo testing and be ready for research computing this summer.
March 29, 2023
The first NREL-administered, three-phase floating offshore wind energy prize has named nine Phase One winners, kicking off Phase Two.
March 29, 2023
In a new report supporting Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's carbon neutrality goals, NREL scientists detail futuristic technologies, like using augmented reality navigational systems and querying directional robots, that could help to make airports more energy efficient and more equitable for all.
March 28, 2023
In Fiscal Year 2022, NREL played a critical role in computing advancements for 300-plus clean energy research projects through high-performance computing (HPC), efficient data center operation, and state-of-the-art data visualization.
March 27, 2023
Michael Martin, staff scientist in NREL's Computational Science Center, was recently named an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) fellow. This recognition is for his contributions to science, public policy, and education as a member of the ASME.
March 27, 2023
The USAID-NREL partnership's Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia released a high-fidelity wind data set for Southeast Asia through the Renewable Energy Data Explorer.
March 24, 2023
NREL is leading a three-year $4.38 million collaborative project from the U.S. Department of Energy's Fiscal Year 2022 Office of Fossil Energy Carbon Management Technology Commercialization Fund to turn mining waste materials into a more sustainable concrete replacement.
March 22, 2023
In honor of World Water Day, take a closer look at the NREL-administered prize charting a new course for wave-powered desalination.
March 21, 2023
NREL's marine energy team recently gave assistance to four different projects that are improving four different wave energy converter designs.
March 21, 2023
A concept developed at NREL simplifies the process to manufacture perovskite solar cells, which could accelerate the path toward commercialization of the technology.
March 20, 2023
NREL’s new lab builds on the evolving role that advanced sensing and computational controls play in connected and automated movement and applies it to the coordinated movement of vehicles on the road, as well as how people move and navigate in large facilities such as airports.
March 17, 2023
NREL's Tessa Greco presented twice at New Zealand's inaugural clean energy conference, where technology experts and government and community leaders strategized how to reach global clean energy goals.
March 16, 2023
When Chemical Engineer Arpit Bhatt and his NREL colleagues observed a gap in knowledge of how regional variables work together to affect sustainable aviation fuel production and delivery for individual airports across the country, they got to work—using Chicago O'Hare International Airport as a case study.
March 15, 2023
Patrick O'Byrne is helping NREL hone tidal energy technologies—by working through complex underwater engineering challenges as a water power intern.
March 15, 2023
After a short period of dormancy, the Clean Energy Solutions Center has revitalized its programming and recommitted to its three pillars of activities: ask-an-expert services, trainings and peer-to-peer learning, and management of a comprehensive resource library.
March 14, 2023
Howard University has joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Sustainable Energy in a partnership that will facilitate the exchange of expertise in renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental justice, and addressing the needs of historically underserved communities.
March 13, 2023
In the latest installment of NREL's Tell Me Something Grid series, Amy Rose, a senior grid researcher, discusses how the Global Power System Transformation Consortium is supporting power system operators around the world with achieving reliable, low-carbon grids.
March 13, 2023
Two new prizes from the U.S. Department of Energy's American-Made program aim to launch a promising carbon dioxide removal method—direct air capture—into the mainstream by offering over $7 million in prizes and technical support to those who can rise to the challenge.
March 10, 2023
Four-year, multilab project analyzes the many benefits of distributed wind energy for communities across the United States.
March 10, 2023
The American-Made program, administered by NREL, features a collection of prizes designed to lower the barriers of entry to government funding, making the reward for great innovations accessible to all.
And now, the program's inherent goals--to leverage diversity, equity, and accessibility to accelerate the nation's collective problem solving
March 10, 2023
For the third year in a row, the Fossil Ridge High School team took home gold in the Colorado High School Science Bowl in the first in-person competition since 2019.
March 9, 2023
Renewable energy storage technologies with long-duration capabilities are essential as the U.S. power grid and wider energy economy move toward decarbonization.
March 8, 2023
The new Microbattery Design Prize offers a total prize pool of $1.1 million in federal funding and performance and safety testing services with DOE national laboratories.
March 7, 2023
More than 300 collegiate students will visit the NREL campus in April 2023 for the Solar Decathlon Final Competition Event.
March 2, 2023
In 2021, the city of Frankfort, Kentucky, set a very accelerated and ambitious clean energy goal: to supply 100% clean, renewable electricity to city government operations by the end of 2023. NREL and Frankfort used the SLOPE tool together to explore real data so the community could customize its plan for its needs.
Feb. 28, 2023
Carrying on his father's influence, Hari Sitaraman collaborates with fellow computational scientists to model sustainable energy solutions for the creation of biofuels.
Feb. 27, 2023
NREL researcher Dana-Marie Thomas believes that all communities should have access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy and that energy resilience is essential for promoting health and well-being.
Feb. 27, 2023
To strengthen their cyber defenses, six critical infrastructure companies convened for a two-day exercise hosted on Mastercard's cyber range. NREL provided a visualization to make the simulation easier to view for on-the-fly decision-making.
Feb. 23, 2023
Students and professors from across the country, an esteemed panel of judges, and program supporters from the U.S. Department of Energy converged in Golden, Colorado, for the 2023 JUMP into STEM Final Competition.
Feb. 22, 2023
NREL researchers developed a new tool, the Justice Underpinning Science and Technology Research (JUST-R) metrics framework, that aims to help researchers think more about the social impacts of technologies from the earliest stages of research and development.
Feb. 21, 2023
For three decades, researchers have known that the addition of a single chemical creates better-performing solar cells. But they have not understood exactly why—until now. The answer has implications that stretch well beyond solar cells.
Feb. 21, 2023
A new NREL initiative will bring Puerto Rican university students to NREL for hands-on training in cutting-edge hydrogen research.
Feb. 21, 2023
NREL researchers rapidly age more than 300 material specimens to learn which could survive longest in underwater marine energy technologies.
Feb. 20, 2023
The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act, passed in 2019, set a goal for the territory to meet its electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050. To support that goal, experts from NREL evaluated Puerto Rico's wind energy costs and technical potential.
Feb. 20, 2023
In the latest installment of NREL's Tell Me Something Grid series, energy systems researcher Pieter Gagnon describes the value of NREL's Cambium data sets for making decisions about the future grid.
Feb. 17, 2023
Apply for EAS-E Prize Phase 1 by March 8 to compete for $2.4 million in prizes and technical assistance to accelerate fast, easy, and scalable home electrification solutions.
Feb. 16, 2023
NREL recently published "Clean Energy Innovators: NREL People Working to Change the World," a 202-page softbound book written by NREL's Ernie Tucker.
Feb. 15, 2023
Schools across the United States can benefit from infrastructure upgrades—improved ventilation and increased energy efficiency is good for students, teachers, and the school's bottom line.
Feb. 14, 2023
This Valentine's Day, dive into all the reasons to love water power. NREL researchers share their top reasons to adore one of the oldest forms of renewable energy.
Feb. 10, 2023
NREL's deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology and chief research officer, Green is among 124 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Feb. 8, 2023
Annie Greenaway and Silvana Ovaitt started out as graduate student participants in the Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience (HOPE) workshop—a program designed to provide graduate students with opportunities to learn about photovoltaics from leading researchers.
Feb. 8, 2023
Bolstered by technologies developed at NREL, startup company Blue Frontier earned $20 million from the Bill Gates-funded Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Feb. 8, 2023
Did you know there is potential for more than 1.6 million new jobs to be created across America by the year 2030 to help build the country's clean energy future? Insights such as this are now available through NREL's State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform.
Feb. 8, 2023
The city of Tallahassee, Florida, has a long history of environmental stewardship and in 2019 set a goal to achieve 100% net clean, renewable energy by 2050. To assist in its planning efforts, the city sought insights from NREL.
Feb. 2, 2023
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, NREL senior staff scientist Mou Paul shares how she wanted to be a "great writer and a great scientist, too." Today, Paul has published fictional short stories as well as more than 40 scientific publications, won several high-profile awards, and earned more than 50 patents.
Feb. 1, 2023
By funding the cost of preliminary reviews for certification applicants, NREL is helping ensure that small- and medium-sized turbine designs can be certified for use in homes, schools, farms, and remote communities.
Feb. 1, 2023
From geospatial modeler to role model, Anthony Lopez shines in the STEM community.
Feb. 1, 2023
This week, NREL researchers Garry Rumbles and Matthew Beard were announced as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Jan. 31, 2023
Carbon-negative production of biofuels and biochemicals will be the focus of a recent biosystems design project launched by NREL, LanzaTech NZ Inc., Northwestern University, and Yale University.
Jan. 31, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition announced today that 45 teams from 39 schools are advancing as finalists in the class of 2022–2023.
Jan. 31, 2023
A pair of NREL reports evaluates how the U.S. supply chain can evolve to support the national offshore wind energy target and position the industry for sustainable growth beyond 2030.
Jan. 30, 2023
A team of NREL researchers collected detailed vehicle analysis to show how drayage trucks operating at the Port of New York and New Jersey could be strong candidates for electrification. Each electrified truck would help slash 76 tons of carbon emissions per truck each year.
Jan. 30, 2023
A new NREL report assesses potential cyber needs for electrifying aviation infrastructure and how key stakeholders like airlines, utilities, equipment suppliers, and regulators may implement a cybersecurity approach.
Jan. 30, 2023
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has selected Paul Denholm from NREL to be a 2023 fellow based on his contributions to energy storage and renewable energy systems.
Jan. 30, 2023
Donal Finegan, an energy storage researcher at NREL, will conduct cutting-edge research on next-generation electric vehicle batteries with funding from the ARPA-E Electric Vehicles for American Low-carbon Living (EVs4ALL) initiative.
Jan. 30, 2023
The PR100 one-year update on progress made during the first year of this two-year, stakeholder-informed study was presented to the advisory group of stakeholders and then to the public in a webinar on Jan. 23.
Jan. 26, 2023
Staffers from NREL were honored for their work in helping move the country further away from the use of fossil fuels. The Secretary of Energy Achievement Award ranks as the highest form of recognition for federal and contractor employees within the department (DOE).
Jan. 24, 2023
To reduce the emissions from natural gas service, blending hydrogen into natural gas pipelines could prove to be a promising, cost-effective pathway.
Jan. 23, 2023
Ten teams have been named semifinalists in the American-Made Geothermal Geophone Prize, each earning $75,000 in cash prizes and $75,000 in vouchers for technical assistance to advance technologies that will help deploy the renewable energy supplied by the heat of the Earth.
Jan. 19, 2023
For its 10th cohort, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) formed an all-demonstration group where each participant would scope and perform a demonstration of their technologies. The key part of NineDot Energy's success is understanding the time and place to improve the grid. During the past summer, NineDot Energy installed a demonstration of its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging system in Brooklyn, New York.
Jan. 18, 2023
In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration set an audacious goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050—and, in doing so, decarbonize the entire U.S. economy.
Jan. 18, 2023
Publications from eight teams capture insights for communities seeking to harness the resiliency and economic benefits of solar energy.
Jan. 18, 2023
The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and NREL interviewed 164 stakeholders from 95 communities—representing 40 states and six tribes—to inform the creation of its new community technical assistance program: Clean Energy to Communities (C2C).
Jan. 17, 2023
The winners of the Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize, which launched in early 2022, used complex strategies, models, analytics, and machine learning to help hydropower meet challenges like demand, environmental requirements, flood management, and integration with solar power.
Jan. 17, 2023
In the coming decades, water scarcity and insecurity is likely to intensify across much of the United States, which is why NREL researcher Hari Sitaraman is working to improve reverse osmosis systems.
Jan. 11, 2023
Know an influential U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Alum or Faculty Advisor who has impacted the clean energy economy? Nominate them for the Solar Decathlon Richard King Award by Feb. 1, 2023!
Jan. 10, 2023
NREL Materials Scientists Mou Paul and Abhishek Roy won the 2023 Polymer Science and Engineering (PMSE) Cooperative Research Award for their work in global water sustainability.
Jan. 9, 2023
Marine energy has huge potential to deliver clean, renewable energy to communities around the world. But these budding technologies are still up and coming and need people—like students, researchers, industry partners, and more—to help them succeed.
Jan. 5, 2023
The NREL water power team tallied up the most popular events, news stories, and videos published over the last year.
