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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June 2024
June 7, 2024
Follow in the Footsteps of Communities Planning Solar Deployment That Works for Them
When Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was looking for ways to make the city's goal for carbon neutrality by 2050 more equitable, city of Boston staff turned to the Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN), a program run by NREL.
June 6, 2024
Marine Energy and Hydropower Collegiate Competitions Name Winners—and Next Year's Hopefuls
The 2024 competitions came to a successful close while more than 30 teams gear up to participate in 2025.
June 5, 2024
How Two Rookie Engineers Expertly Designed a Tidal Energy Turbine
University of New Hampshire doctoral candidates are designing an axial-flow tidal turbine that will be collecting data at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in New England.
June 5, 2024
On the Road to Increased Transmission: Higher-Voltage Alternating Current
When it comes to increasing the carrying capacity of U.S. transmission lines, there are a few key things to know.
June 5, 2024
Distinguished Member of Operations Staff Award Winner Kelly McIltrot Has a Passion for Helping Win Competitive Funding
When asked about winning one of the inaugural Distinguished Members of Operations Staff awards for 2024, NREL's Kelly McIltrot could only shake her head in disbelief.
June 5, 2024
News Release: NREL Names 2024 Executive Energy Leadership Program Participants
NREL has selected 18 leaders to participate in its 2024 Executive Energy Leadership program.
June 4, 2024
How To Realize the Maximum Value of Interregional Transmission
A new report takes a fresh look at how today's market and operating practices impact the value of transmission that connects multiple regions.
June 3, 2024
LEEP Demo Day Spotlights Next Generation of Cleantech Entrepreneurs
While sleek coastal startups may seem to have all the good technology ideas, eureka moments are happening in kitchens, car rides, and classrooms all across the United States.
May 2024
May 31, 2024
Power System Model Results Made Easier
"It can help everybody because it should lead to better decisions in the end." That is the goal of a new resource developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, according to NREL energy analyst Wesley Cole.
May 31, 2024
5G and Microgrids Might Be a Great Match
To study the newest generation of wireless communications and what it offers power systems, NREL built a 5G research platform inside a replicated military microgrid and put it through resilience scenarios and cyberattacks.
May 31, 2024
Ice Breaker: Q&A With Director of NREL's Alaska Campus
Originally a mechanical engineer, Bruno Grunau now spends his days testifying before Congress, meeting regularly with the Alaska governor's office, and learning from Alaska's utilities, communities, and Indigenous people whose ancestors have lived here for thousands of years.
May 30, 2024
Longtime NRELian Arthur Nozik Elected Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
NREL Senior Research Fellow Emeritus Arthur Nozik investigates methods to turn photons from our solar system's star into fuels, chemicals, and electricity.
May 30, 2024
On the Road to Increased Transmission: Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems
Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems provide a way to steer electricity to less-congested transmission lines, like a navigation app.
May 22, 2024
Behind the Blades: How Jason Roadman's Daily Commute Inspired a New Career Path
Jason Roadman's interest in wind turbines began during his daily commute past the NREL Flatirons Campus. This curiosity, coupled with a desire to use his aerospace engineering skills to make a positive impact, led him to a career at NREL.
May 22, 2024
Understanding Bifurcating Enzymes Could Lead to More Efficient Renewable Fuel and Chemical Production
One method organisms control and manipulate energy for cellular metabolism and survival is the focus of an award-winning NREL research team: flavin-based electron bifurcation.
May 22, 2024
Asimily Joins Second Cohort of Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator
The Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA) program recently selected Asimily for Cohort 2. Asimily joins runZero as the cohort's second participant.
May 20, 2024
Zero-Energy Design From The University of Arizona Earns Top Honors in the Solar Decathlon 2024 Design Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon®—DOE's longest-running student competition—announced the winners of the 2024 Design Challenge at a livestreamed awards ceremony on April 21!
May 20, 2024
Star Tech: Eric Payne on Joy of Taking an Idea, Getting a Patent, and Helping Create a Company
Senior Licensing Executive Eric Payne was named a Distinguished Member of Operations Staff in NREL's first cohort.
May 20, 2024
DuraMAT Forecasts How New Photovoltaic Module Technologies Might Perform Over 20, 30, or 50 Years
For the solar photovoltaics (PV) industry, rapid growth can produce rapid—and sometimes unpredictable—changes.
May 20, 2024
Startups Break New Ground at 2024 Industry Growth Forum
NREL's 29th annual Industry Growth Forum sold out for the second year in a row with nearly 900 attendees.
May 20, 2024
Venu Garikapati Designated as Chair of Transportation Research Board Committee on Travel Choices
NREL's Venu Garikapati, a senior transportation data researcher, started his three-year term as chair of the Transportation Research Board's Technical Committee on the Effects of Information and Communication Technologies on Travel Choices on April 15, 2024.
May 16, 2024
NREL's Open-Source Vehicle and Mobility Tools Offer Routes to Reduce Transportation Energy Use, Emissions
Energy efficiency and on-road performance are central to the future of transportation and the clean energy transition.
May 16, 2024
On the Road to Increased Transmission: Dynamic Line Ratings
Dynamic line ratings provide one way to increase transmission on the U.S. grid while cutting costs and improving reliability.
May 15, 2024
Mastering the Fundamentals: A First Step for Promising New Sustainable Vehicle Fuels
NREL's fuels and combustion researchers studied the combustion and chemical properties of a potential new biodiesel made by sugar-eating bacteria. This fundamental research is a necessary step to creating well-vetted, reliable, and appropriate new vehicle fuels to hasten the clean energy transition.
May 15, 2024
Winners of Second Phase of Wind Prize Bring Floating Offshore Wind Energy Closer to Fruition
The U.S. Department of Energy just announced the five teams who took home $450,000 each in Phase Two of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize.
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