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Dec. 23, 2014
Two prestigious scientific magazines have awarded the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with Editors’ Choice awards for the Peregrine high-performance computer and the groundbreaking research it made possible.
Dec. 18, 2014
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently named Richard DeBlasio, Sarah Kurtz and Suhuai Wei to its Research Fellows Council, the laboratory's top advisory council, comprised of internationally recognized NREL scientists and engineers.
Dec. 16, 2014
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has announced the demonstration of a 45.7 percent conversion efficiency for a four-junction solar cell at 234 suns concentration. This achievement represents one of the highest photovoltaic research cell efficiencies achieved across all types of solar cells.
Dec. 15, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is accepting applications for its 2015 Executive Energy Leadership Academy. NREL’s Executive Energy Leadership Academy, also known as Energy Execs, is a program which enables decision-makers throughout the country to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools and financing. Leaders in the private sector, communities, non-profits and government are eligible to participate in the program.
Dec. 11, 2014
Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have used statistical analyses and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful. Their findings indicate that while no standard formula for solar implementation exists, a combination of foundational policies and localized strategies can increase solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in any state.
Dec. 10, 2014
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is providing critical support to two new microgrid projects coordinated by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and General Electric Company (GE).
Nov. 20, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and SolarCity have entered into a cooperative research agreement to address the operational issues associated with large amounts of distributed solar energy on electrical grids. The work includes collaboration with the Hawaiian Electric Companies to analyze high penetration solar scenarios using advanced modeling and inverter testing at the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF). The project is funded in part through an Energy Department solar cost-share program.
Oct. 30, 2014
The Industry Growth Forum hosted by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) this week attracted nearly 400 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and thought leaders to Denver. Last night, three companies where honored with Best Venture and Outstanding Venture Awards.
Oct. 27, 2014
The U.S. Army (Army) has partnered with the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to increase energy security through improved energy efficiency and optimized renewable energy strategies at nine installations in the Army’s portfolio. If all nine of the Army Net Zero Energy Installation (NZEI) pilot sites achieve net zero energy, they will replace approximately 8 percent of the Army’s current total installation energy use with renewable energy. In fact, if all Army installations worldwide were to achieve a 25 percent reduction in energy consumption, as the NZEI pilot sites can, the Army would save approximately 20 trillion BTUs and up to $300 million in annual energy costs.
Oct. 20, 2014
Distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) system prices dropped by 12 – 19 percent nationwide in 2013, according to the third edition of a jointly written report on PV pricing trends from the Energy Department’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). In addition, 2014 prices are expected to drop another 3 – 12 percent, depending on system location and market segment. Industry analysts expect this trend to continue over the next couple of years, keeping the nation on track to meet the DOE SunShot Initiative’s 2020 targets.
Sept. 29, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently named leaders in the renewable energy field as center directors. Paul Basore has been named Director of the Materials Applications and Performance Center; Dave Mooney as Director of the Strategic Energy Analysis Center; Nancy Haegel as Director of NREL’s Materials Science Center; Jao van de Lagemaat as Director of Chemistry and Nanoscience; and Pete Sheldon was named Director of Research Operations within NREL’s Materials and Chemical Science and Technology Directorate.
Sept. 22, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will test power inverters submitted to the Little Box Challenge presented by Google and the IEEE Power Electronics Society. The Challenge is an open competition to build smaller power inverters for use in solar power systems. The winner of the $1 million prize will have designed and built a kilowatt-scale inverter with the highest power density – at least 50 Watts per cubic inch.
Sept. 19, 2014
Thirty clean energy companies will present their business cases to a panel of investors and industry experts Oct. 28 and 29 in Denver, as the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) hosts its annual Industry Growth Forum.
Sept. 3, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a long-anticipated update to the source-of-record for cetane number data. This information is vital to the development of new, energy-efficient, low-carbon fuels and compatible engines. Researchers, as well as members of the engine, vehicle, and fuel industries, rely on these numbers to target compounds for development of new fuels capable of greater energy efficiency, cleaner emissions, and maximum performance in diesel engines.
Aug. 20, 2014
There’s an old saying in the biofuels industry: “You can make anything from lignin except money.” But now, a new study may pave the way to challenging that adage. The study from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrates a concept that provides opportunities for the successful conversion of lignin into a variety of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for a sustainable energy economy.
Aug. 6, 2014
Two scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been included in Thomson Reuters' Highly Cited Research list for the thousands of citations of their work by fellow researchers over the past decade.
July 11, 2014
A growth system that can produce thin solar cells quickly and at low cost, and an ultra-efficient supercomputer platform – both developed or advanced by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its partners – have been named among this year’s most significant innovations by R&D Magazine.
June 25, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and General Motors (GM) are partnering on a multiyear, multimillion dollar joint effort to accelerate the reduction of automotive fuel cell stack costs through fuel cell material and manufacturing research and development (R&D).
June 10, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been recommended for recertification to three significant international standards demonstrating the laboratory’s commitment to the environment, safety, and quality excellence. The management system certifications include: ISO 14001:2004 (environment); OHSAS 18001:2007 (health and safety), and ISO 9001:2008 (quality, limited scope).
June 9, 2014
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) projects would add additional value of 5 or 6 cents per kilowatt hour to utility-scale solar energy in California where 33 percent renewables will be mandated in six years, a new report by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found.
June 3, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will host several events at the 2014 Denver Solar Day on Sunday, June 8. The free expo is expected to attract more than 2,000 photovoltaics (PV) installers, PV buyers, students, utility officials and members of the public.
May 30, 2014
A new report, prepared by analysts from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), reviews estimates of the costs and benefits of compliance with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in the United States and explores how costs and benefits may evolve over time.
May 17, 2014
Indy-500-style checkered flags, high-tech neoprene rubber tracks, and of course, sponsor decals graced the site of today’s Junior Solar Sprint and Lithium Ion Battery car competitions for Colorado’s middle schoolers. Nearly 300 students on 74 teams from 21 Colorado schools converged on Dakota Ridge High School to vie for a spot in the final races using solar and lithium ion battery powered vehicles they designed and built themselves.
May 12, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 17 leaders to participate in its 2014 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), which empowers executives to integrate clean energy solutions in their communities.
May 9, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently recognized the professionals behind the lab’s greatest innovations from the past year during its annual Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards ceremony. The event also celebrated NREL’s commercialization and partnering successes, recognizing the researchers and engineers—including three honorees in the new Rising Stars Award category—who made it happen.
May 7, 2014
Increasingly, banks, credit unions, and other lenders are beginning to offer loan products to homeowners and businesses for the installation of rooftop solar systems. However, barriers to accessing this growing market still remain. The Energy Department’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently convened the Banking on Solar working group to engage lenders and other stakeholders to address these barriers.
April 30, 2014
A new project led by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories will support H2USA, a public-private partnership co-launched by industry and the Energy Department, and will work to ensure that hydrogen fuel cell vehicle owners have a positive fueling experience as fuel cell electric vehicles are introduced starting in 2014–2015. By tackling the technical challenges related to hydrogen fueling infrastructure, the Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST) project is designed to pave the way toward more widespread deployment of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
April 3, 2014
Field demonstrations of newly proven energy efficient technologies are yielding valuable results for the U.S. Navy, helping it meet energy goals. In partnership with the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) recently demonstrated eight technologies at installations in Hawaii and Guam, and the initial results have encouraged the Navy to move forward with broader implementation of several of the energy efficiency technologies.
March 27, 2014
The editors of R&D Magazine have named the Energy Department’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) as the 2014 Laboratory of the Year. Located on the campus of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., research at ESIF transforms how the nation generates, delivers and uses energy by modernizing the interplay between energy sources, infrastructure, and data.
March 1, 2014
Students from Boulder’s Fairview High School beat out 47 other teams to win today’s Colorado Science Bowl. They will represent Colorado at the Energy Department’s (DOE) National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., April 24-28, where they will compete against more than 400 students from 70 high schools for the national title.
Feb. 26, 2014
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a report that aligns solar policy and market success with state demographics. By organizing the 48 contiguous states into four peer groups based on shared non-policy characteristics, the NREL research team was able to contextualize the impact of various solar policies on photovoltaic (PV) installations.
Feb. 18, 2014
A new study published in the journal Science says that the total impact of switching to natural gas depends heavily on leakage of methane (CH4) during the natural gas life cycle, and suggests that more can be done to reduce methane emissions and to improve measurement tools which help inform policy choices.
Feb. 14, 2014
David S. Ginley, a materials scientist at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been named a fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor accorded to at most 1 percent of the prestigious scientific society’s membership each year.
Feb. 11, 2014
Parabolic troughs and dry-cooled towers deliver similar value for concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, despite different solar profiles, a new report by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found.
Feb. 10, 2014
Scientists at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have demonstrated that just two of six iron-sulfur-containing ferredoxins in a representative species of algae promote electron transfers to and from hydrogenases. The finding suggests ways to increase the production of hydrogen by algae, which could help turn hydrogen into a viable alternative fuel for transportation.
Feb. 6, 2014
Dan Arvizu, director of the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering.
Jan. 20, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with partners from the Electric Power Research Institute and the University of Colorado have completed a comprehensive study to understand how wind power technology can assist the power grid by controlling the active power output being placed onto the system. The rest of the power system’s resources have traditionally been adjusted around wind to support a reliable and efficient system. The research that led to this report challenges that concept.
Jan. 14, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has licensed its Equivalent Circuit Battery Model to software developer ThermoAnalytics for use in its recently updated RadTherm software package.
Jan. 6, 2014
The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently won several prestigious awards, including honors for innovations in window air-conditioning efficiency, data sharing, and its energy-efficient computer data center.
Jan. 2, 2014
Researchers at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered that an enzyme from a microorganism first found in the Valley of Geysers on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia in 1990 can digest cellulose almost twice as fast as the current leading component cellulase enzyme on the market.
