NREL Defense Partnerships Quarterly Newsletter

See NREL's latest work to support its defense partners in the spring 2023 Defense Partnerships Newsletter.

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Learn about recent NREL research, publications, projects, capabilities, and events related to the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and NASA.

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Partnership Feature

Air Force Accelerator Adds NREL for Sustainable Aviation Expertise

An aircraft flies above hilltops.

NREL is supporting the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime project, which engages the rising eVTOL industry in the United States. Photo from Joby Aviation

NREL is enthusiastically supporting development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technologies, and a new collaboration with the U.S. Air Force is taking that research to new heights. NREL is contributing to the Air Force's AFWERX division, which leverages research laboratories and expertise throughout the United States to accelerate commercial progress in technologies that could have long-term military applications.

Research Activity

Microgrids for Anyone: Communication-Less Scheme Streamlines Microgrid Setup, Simplifies Recovery

Solar panels in the foreground with buildings, trees, and mountains in the background.

Photo from iStock 476387962

By sidestepping the need for a central controller and its need for communication in a microgrid configuration, NREL has developed a simpler path for deploying microgrids quickly.

Solutions Emerge for Decarbonizing Historically Difficult Off-Road Vehicle Sector

Learn how a 3-day NREL-hosted workshop brought together industry and government stakeholders to discuss common challenges and strategies to decarbonize the off-road sector, consisting of construction, mining, military, and agricultural industries.

Thin, Lightweight Layer Provides Radiation Barrier for Perovskites in Space, Protection From Elements on Earth

An ultrathin protective coating proves sufficient to protect a perovskite solar cell from the harmful effects of space and harden it against environmental factors on Earth, according to newly published research from NREL.

Full Steam Ahead: Unearthing the Power of Geothermal

Geothermal energy—literally "heat from the Earth"—may be hard to see, but thanks to increasing public interest and outreach, it is not hidden anymore. Although geothermal power plants have delivered renewable power for more than 100 years, recent research and advancements have shown that geothermal is more than a 24/7 clean power source.

Research Capability

Visualizing a Cyber-Secure Future

A group of people looking at a screen with lit-up data elements.

NREL's visualization application was connected to Mastercard's cyber range for the tri-industry cyber-defense exercise. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

To an untrained eye, the logs used to track activity on information technology equipment might look like gibberish, but the information they contain paints a complete picture of a system's health. Cybersecurity professionals heavily rely on this data to detect anomalies and fortify networks against increasing cyberthreats.

NREL created an interactive visualization tool to make the information stored in these logs easier to view and interpret, especially for non-cybersecurity professionals.

Recommended Reading

NREL Issues Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Defense's Environmental Security Technology Certification Program and the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program contracted NREL to develop a web tool and complete pilot assessments to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). To provide the energy that zero-emission vehicles require, EVSE must be installed to provide sufficient charging power. Due to the significant energy demand from fleet mobility needs, the power ratings of these devices are higher than most other electrical devices. This requires specific installation considerations. Read the Camp Lejeune Federal Fleet Tiger Team EVSE Site Assessment.

An electric vehicle with the charging mechanism plugged in.

Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

Other Defense Sector-Related Publications

Unleashing the Frequency: Multi-Megawatt Demonstration of 100% Renewable Power Systems With Decentralized Communication-Less Control Scheme, Technical Report (2022)

Preparing the Power Sector To Navigate Climate and Water Risks, Fact Sheet (2022)

Advancing Federal Infrastructure Through Innovation: Performance Contracting 101, Presentation (2022)

Visits to NREL

Visiting NREL

We look forward to visits from our defense sector partners in the future. For up-to-date information related to NREL operations and visits, contact Josh Gesick.

Virtual Tours

Free, NREL staff-led tours are typically held the second Friday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mountain time. If you are interested in a virtual tour of the NREL campus, contact Josh Gesick.

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