Grid Modernization News
Explore our archive of grid modernization news stories.
Dec. 21, 2018
Ian Baring-Gould has traveled the globe for NREL, helping communities. He is amazed at the progress of renewables, particularly wind, over the past few decades.
Nov. 30, 2018
The challenge to modernize our grid is not a maintenance task or an everyday repair. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) is responding to a grid transformation unlike anything the nation has experienced.
Nov. 30, 2018
Electrical Engineer Greg Martin is the Research Operations Engineering group manager for ESI. Martin works on strategic visioning and planning for ESIF, and with his background expertise on power electronics and advanced inverters and power systems, he's bringing exciting new insights for future capabilities. Read our conversation with Martin to learn about the new capabilities he's working on at ESIF.
Nov. 29, 2018
Powering our future society will require energy systems and infrastructure that are more expansive, secure, and resilient than today's. It will also require thought leaders and innovators who can capably and creatively guide this vital energy sector transition.
To address these needs, NREL and Colorado School of Mines are piloting a novel Advanced Energy Systems (AES) graduate program in fall 2019. Learn more.
Oct. 31, 2018
Bryan Palmintier's broad scientific career prior and his leadership in the outdoors have made him a cornerstone of many grid projects at NREL. Our Q&A with Palmintier reviews his current work, and how he became such a versatile scientist in energy systems integration.
Oct. 25, 2018
NREL and Arizona utility Salt River Project are studying the benefits and impacts of battery energy systems to both customers and utilities.
Oct. 22, 2018
NREL is working with SDG&E to better understand is how a microgrid controller with advanced technology would perform, specifically with the Borrego Springs microgrid.
Sept. 28, 2018
As the group manager for Integrated Devices and Systems (IDS) within NREL's Power Systems Engineering Center and chair of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power Electronics Society Denver chapter, Barry Mather considers himself an honest broker--balancing the needs for a reliable grid while also increasing the amount of distributed energy resources (DER) integrated into the grid. Mather sat down with us to answer some questions about his career at the lab and research in his group. The following has been edited for length.
Sept. 28, 2018
In celebration of five years since the ESIF's dedication, the facility's leadership reflect on its use now, and looking ahead.
Sept. 28, 2018
New grid integration technologies at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) have introduced a vast range in grid research capabilities--from multimegawatt-scale wind and solar technologies to advanced energy storage devices, transformers, and protection equipment.
Sept. 26, 2018
The Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL will leverage an established national laboratory-industry collaborative model to help startups de-risk and accelerate emerging clean energy technologies on their path to market.
Sept. 17, 2018
Three new projects at will tap geothermal energy to advance new energy storage applications as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Modernization Initiative.
Sept. 6, 2018
NREL Summer Interns unbox their potential to explore their passions in renewable energy.
Aug. 31, 2018
As the Program Lead for Solar Data, Analysis, and Tools in the Integrated Applications Center, Kristen Ardani is making widespread solar deployment a reality.
Aug. 31, 2018
Colombia will host its first renewable energy auction in 2019, hoping to boost its renewable portfolio and buffer its hydro-dominated energy sector against debilitating drought seasons. Learn how NREL expertise is helping the Colombian government transform its energy sector.
Aug. 10, 2018
NREL's foresee is a home energy management system that relies on user preferences to automate connected appliances and electronics in unprecedented ways.
July 25, 2018
Pre-configuration, quasi-static time series, and autonomous operation are all features contributing to the expansion of distributed energy systems, thanks to advanced inverters and an NREL- and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)-developed platform called PRECISE.
May 30, 2018
NREL teams with PG&E to stabilize grid frequency with synthetic inertia.
May 29, 2018
A recent analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that, during last summer's total eclipse, solar energy output in the West dropped by about 5.9 gigawatts (GW).
April 20, 2018
NREL and the Hawaiian Electric Companies are evaluating energy trends and simulating future grid scenarios to ensure stability--and their findings could help other islands, and even mainland states, apply similar solutions.
April 20, 2018
NREL helped the Hawaiian Electric Companies respond to new stability challenges associated with the rapid addition of solar power and other renewables to Hawaii's six isolated island grids.
Feb. 6, 2018
In her new role, Young will work closely with NREL management to establish the lab's geothermal energy portfolio, including research and development geared toward advancing the use of geothermal energy as a renewable power source.
Jan. 9, 2018
Four agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), hosted two workshops that led to a new report where the teams identified areas of importance for modeling variable renewable energy, performed experiments to determine key assumptions, and compiled a set of recommendations for future research in this area.
Jan. 8, 2018
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is spearheading the Electrification Futures Study, a research collaboration to explore the impacts of widespread electrification in all U.S. economic sectors--commercial and residential buildings, transportation, and industry.
