News and Feature Stories
The following news stories take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how NREL is advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
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April 2025
NREL-Led Research Effort Adds Salt, Boosts Performance of Perovskites
Using an ionic salt to replace the fullerene layer in perovskite solar cells boosted their performance, efficiency, and durability, according to a global research effort led by scientists at NREL.
Record Attendance at 30th Annual NREL Industry Growth Forum as Innovation Soars
History was made this year at the NREL Industry Growth Forum, which reached a record high number for attendance with more than 1,000 people.
Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A With Matt Ringer
In the latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Matt Ringer shares how he ended up in a people-centered role despite his shy childhood and why he joined NREL despite knowing nothing about the laboratory and its mission.
Smart Electrical Panel Startup SPANs NREL’s Accelerator Programs
SPAN is the only startup company to go through two of NREL's startup assistance programs: the Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL (GCxN) and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2).
With a Technology License From MIT and NREL in Hand, Comstock Fuels Aims To Produce Jet Fuel From Lignin
The aviation fuel technology being codeveloped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NREL yields aromatic-rich SAF by deconstructing lignin in plants and hydrodeoxygenating the resulting molecules to jet-range blendstocks.
Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project Opens Applications To Support Coastal, Remote, and Island Communities
Many coastal, remote, and island communities need more affordable, reliable, and secure energy systems but lack the resources to change the status quo.
Modular Construction Enables Efficient and Affordable Housing
Recently, Shanti Pless stood on a windswept hillside and listed some of the issues that come with leaky envelopes.
News Release: 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum Celebrates 30 Years, Unlocks Value for Attendees
The 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum celebrated its 30th anniversary by awarding six top innovators of emerging technologies on March 26–28, 2025.
March 2025
Q&A With NREL Scientist Effie Kisgeropoulos
Kisgeropoulos is a full-time researcher in NREL's Biosciences Center, responsible for helping manage the Advanced Spin Resonance Facility, which houses the electron paramagnetic resonance equipment.
NREL Researcher Steven R. Spurgeon Wins Burton Medal From Microscopy Society of America
NREL materials data scientist Steven R. Spurgeon has been honored with the Microscopy Society of America's Burton Medal award.
46 Patents, One Fiscal Year
In Fiscal Year 2024, researchers at NREL submitted a record-breaking 294 innovations, representing potentially patentable inventions or copyrightable software.
Researcher Spotlight: Susan Habas' Journey to Catalytic Innovation at NREL
Susan Habas, now a senior scientist and distinguished member of research staff in the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center at NREL, had an unconventional start to her career in chemistry.
NREL Researchers Advance Substrate Engineering Pathways To Improve Power Electronics
Two new materials science papers explore substrate engineering to increase power electronics’ energy efficiency and performance.
How NREL Researcher Garry Rumbles Has Advanced Science Through Mentorship
Rumbles is known globally for his photochemistry research. At NREL, he has a reputation for creating a culture that has led to innovative ideas in basic energy research.
Early-Career Spotlight: Ashley Gaulding
Sometimes Ashley Gaulding feels a bit like an investigator on a television crime procedural.
Ocean Energy Is Almost Ready, But It Needs a Boost Over the Testing Barrier
Marine energy developers often start with a functional theoretical design. But even the best virtual designs cannot account for every invisible defect or ocean oddity. NREL’s desert facilities offer the comprehensive, computer-to-ocean testing that marine energy researchers and developers need to get their technologies closer to commercial use.
February 2025
Making Innovation Happen: New IN² Cohort Focuses on Advanced Energy Implementation
Coconino County Schools selected Ponderosa as the focus of an advanced energy initiative through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator managed by NREL.
Kevin Lombardo's Family Rebuilt Their Home and Lives After Marshall Fire
After the Dec. 30, 2021, Marshall Fire burned his family's home to the ground, Kevin Lombardo, an NREL Client and Infrastructure Services manager, was struck by the enormity of what they faced.
NREL Plant Biologist Maureen McCann Named Senior Research Fellow
NREL has selected Maureen McCann, an internationally renowned plant biologist, to its highest technical position for a scientist: Senior Research Fellow.
Forget Football—These Colorado Teens Flipped the Regional Science Bowl Rankings
The stakes were high on Feb. 8, 2025, with 24 teams from 19 Colorado schools vying for the chance to represent Colorado in the National Science Bowl Finals in Washington, D.C.
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Last Updated May 1, 2025