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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March 2024
March 7, 2024
From Instant Grits to Polymers: Scientist Kat Knauer Is Laser Focused on Plastics Pollution
As a polymer scientist and the chief technology officer of the NREL-led BOTTLE consortium, Knauer is responsible for helping solve one of the world's greatest challenges--plastic pollution.
March 5, 2024
NREL's Rail Optimization Software Is Putting Freight Electrification on the Fast Track
Combined, two first-in-the-world products—NREL's ALTRIOS rail optimization software and Parallel Systems' autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles—aim to help shift a portion of the freight currently carried by on-road trucks to rail, catalyzing decarbonization across the whole transportation sector.
March 4, 2024
Nextracker and NREL Partnership Inspires New Look at PV Tracker Industry Design Standards
Over the past year, NREL and industry partner Nextracker teamed up to advance the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) tracker technologies during severe weather events.
March 4, 2024
How Many Transformers Will US Distribution Grid Need by 2050?
New NREL research is providing first-of-its-kind modeling to help curb the current shortage of distribution transformers and ensure a reliable and resilient power grid.
March 1, 2024
40 Collegiate Teams Advance—Solar Decathlon 2024 Design Challenge
Forty teams from 37 collegiate institutions are advancing to the final stage of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2024 Design Challenge based on their cutting-edge, zero-energy building designs.
March 1, 2024
Communities in Hawaii and Alaska Exchange Ideas To Engage Residents in Energy Transitions
When the third cohort of Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project communities was announced in 2023, the inclusion of Molokai, Hawaii, caught the eye of Bri Gabel, a sustainability coordinator for the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.
February 2024
Feb. 29, 2024
High Honors From DOE Point to Important Work by NREL Staff
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Feb. 20 honored staffers from NREL for their work on five major projects with far-reaching implications.
Feb. 29, 2024
Renewable Energy Is Green, but We Can Make It Greener
The U.S. energy transition is gaining speed, accelerated by government renewable energy goals and billions of dollars through the Inflation Reduction Act. As we race toward a greener future, understanding the potential adverse effects of renewable energy technologies before they are deployed has never been more critical.
Feb. 29, 2024
Leap Into New Capabilities: REopt Offers Enhanced Energy Solutions
The REopt team at NREL has significantly enhanced the publicly available REopt web tool and its underlying open-source code, providing more powerful capabilities.
Feb. 29, 2024
Second Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Cohort Evaluates Solutions That Uncover Hidden Risks on Utility Networks
RunZero was selected as the first solution provider to participate in Cohort 2, through which their technology will be evaluated in the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) Cyber Range.
Feb. 29, 2024
On Its Journey To Make Clothing That Leaves No Trace, The North Face Taps the BOTTLE Consortium To Scale Biodegradable Polyester Alternative
Over the next 12 months, BOTTLE will scale the process to produce several pounds of PHA fiber, which The North Face will test and evaluate for use in its product lines.
Feb. 29, 2024
Biorefinery Model Points to Better Method at Producing Co-Products
A next-generation biorefinery model holds the potential to produce biofuels and chemicals through a process that researchers say has proven to be more efficient in converting plant biomass.
Feb. 28, 2024
From Organics to Fuels: Computational Models Can Accelerate and Scale Up Biomass Conversion
Pathways to sustainable biofuels are within view as computational models solve key challenges.
Feb. 28, 2024
10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Awarded for Plans To Develop Clean-Energy-Focused Partnerships
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the winners of the first phase of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize Partnerships Track.
Feb. 27, 2024
SLOPE Illustrates Opportunities in Philadelphia's Equitable Carbon Neutrality Quest
The city of Philadelphia has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050, and the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform is illustrating opportunities to reach that goal equitably.
Feb. 27, 2024
New Virtual Training and How-To Resources Help Leaders Advance Renewable Energy Development
Tools help energy leaders learn essential skills in modeling power systems and provide a "how-to" guide on operating and maintaining battery energy storage systems.
Feb. 27, 2024
In California, NREL Helps Kern County Embrace Clean Energy in Partnership With Community Colleges
NREL is working with the Kern Community College District in a partnership that aims to bring more education and training opportunities for clean energy technologies into the communities.
Feb. 27, 2024
Cutting-Edge Grid Planning Tools Drive India's Distributed Energy Future
India is transforming its power system, with distributed energy resources playing a major role in the country’s decarbonization journey. NREL grid analysts Kapil Duwadi and Erik Pohl discuss their roles on a team working with India’s state utilities to manage rapid distributed energy resource growth with customized tools and solutions to ensure safe and reliable grid integration.
Feb. 27, 2024
NREL's Recyclable Carbon Fiber Composites Made Greener With Thermoforming
Senior polymer science researcher and group manager Nicholas Rorrer currently leads a team of NREL researchers working to replace the heavy, resource-intensive steel parts in vehicles with recyclable carbon fiber composites.
Feb. 26, 2024
NREL Requests Proposals From US Manufacturers of Small and Medium Wind Turbine Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has issued a request for proposals under the Competitiveness Improvement Project to support commercialization and market expansion of small and medium wind turbine technology.
Feb. 26, 2024
NREL Research Maps Path to Clean Skies and Better Health
A noticeable change filled the air this summer—an actual change in air quality. Wildfires in Canada produced smoke-filled skies and wood-burnt, chemically scented air.
Feb. 21, 2024
Q&A With Kerry Rippy: Why You Should Be Optimistic About Industrial Carbon Emissions
In NREL's latest Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Kerry Rippy explains why she chose chemistry over literature, why carbon capture cannot be our only decarbonization solution, and how the mining industry could reduce emissions with the rocks it already digs up.
Feb. 21, 2024
News Release: NREL-Led Workshop Points to Path for Clean Energy Future
Participants in a workshop organized by NREL agree on the importance of mitigating degradation rates for the continuing rollout of clean technologies.
Feb. 20, 2024
Clean Bus Planning Awards Support Fleet Electrification With Custom Transition Plans
Transit and school bus fleets across the nation are working hard to incorporate clean transportation solutions that help communities meet decarbonization goals and improve local health outcomes.
Feb. 20, 2024
IN² Demonstration: Electrification—One Building at a Time
Through its IN2 demonstration, NREL is helping BlocPower assess how its technical capabilities can perform in the field.
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