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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April 2025
April 23, 2025
Smart Electrical Panel Startup SPANs NREL's Accelerator Programs
SPAN is the only startup company to go through two of NREL's startup assistance programs: the Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL (GCxN) and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2).
April 22, 2025
With a Technology License From MIT and NREL in Hand, Comstock Fuels Aims To Produce Jet Fuel From Lignin
The synthetic aviation fuel technology being codeveloped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NREL yields aromatic-rich SAF by deconstructing lignin in plants and hydrodeoxygenating the resulting molecules to jet-range blendstocks.
April 17, 2025
Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project Opens Applications To Support Coastal, Remote, and Island Communities
Many coastal, remote, and island communities need more affordable, reliable, and secure energy systems but lack the resources to change the status quo.
April 14, 2025
Modular Construction Enables Efficient and Affordable Housing
Recently, Shanti Pless stood on a windswept hillside and listed some of the issues that come with leaky envelopes.
April 4, 2025
News Release: 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum Celebrates 30 Years, Unlocks Value for Attendees
The 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum celebrated its 30th anniversary by awarding six top innovators of emerging technologies on March 26–28, 2025.
March 2025
March 31, 2025
Q&A With NREL Scientist Effie Kisgeropoulos
Kisgeropoulos is a full-time researcher in NREL's Biosciences Center, responsible for helping manage the Advanced Spin Resonance Facility, which houses the electron paramagnetic resonance equipment.
March 25, 2025
NREL Researcher Steven R. Spurgeon Wins Burton Medal From Microscopy Society of America
NREL materials data scientist Steven R. Spurgeon has been honored with the Microscopy Society of America's Burton Medal award.
March 21, 2025
46 Patents, One Fiscal Year
In Fiscal Year 2024, researchers at NREL submitted a record-breaking 294 innovations, representing potentially patentable inventions or copyrightable software.
March 20, 2025
Researcher Spotlight: Susan Habas' Journey to Catalytic Innovation at NREL
Susan Habas, now a senior scientist and distinguished member of research staff in the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center at NREL, had an unconventional start to her career in chemistry.
March 17, 2025
NREL Researchers Advance Substrate Engineering Pathways To Improve Power Electronics
Two new materials science papers explore substrate engineering to increase power electronics’ energy efficiency and performance.
March 13, 2025
How NREL Researcher Garry Rumbles Has Advanced Science Through Mentorship
Rumbles is known globally for his photochemistry research. At NREL, he has a reputation for creating a culture that has led to innovative ideas in basic energy research.
March 10, 2025
Early-Career Spotlight: Ashley Gaulding
Sometimes Ashley Gaulding feels a bit like an investigator on a television crime procedural.
March 5, 2025
Ocean Energy Is Almost Ready, But It Needs a Boost Over the Testing Barrier
Marine energy developers often start with a functional theoretical design. But even the best virtual designs cannot account for every invisible defect or ocean oddity. NREL’s desert facilities offer the comprehensive, computer-to-ocean testing that marine energy researchers and developers need to get their technologies closer to commercial use.
February 2025
Feb. 27, 2025
Making Innovation Happen: New IN² Cohort Focuses on Advanced Energy Implementation
Coconino County Schools selected Ponderosa as the focus of an advanced energy initiative through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator managed by NREL.
Feb. 24, 2025
Kevin Lombardo's Family Rebuilt Their Home and Lives After Marshall Fire
After the Dec. 30, 2021, Marshall Fire burned his family's home to the ground, Kevin Lombardo, an NREL Client and Infrastructure Services manager, was struck by the enormity of what they faced.
Feb. 21, 2025
NREL Plant Biologist Maureen McCann Named Senior Research Fellow
NREL has selected Maureen McCann, an internationally renowned plant biologist, to its highest technical position for a scientist: Senior Research Fellow.
Feb. 20, 2025
Forget Football—These Colorado Teens Flipped the Regional Science Bowl Rankings
The stakes were high on Feb. 8, 2025, with 24 teams from 19 Colorado schools vying for the chance to represent Colorado in the National Science Bowl Finals in Washington, D.C.
Feb. 19, 2025
Andrea Watson Named Associate Director for Innovation, Partnering, and Outreach at NREL
Andrea Watson has been selected to serve as the next associate laboratory director for the Innovation, Partnering, and Outreach directorate at NREL.
January 2025
Jan. 17, 2025
Reducing Data Center Peak Cooling Demand and Energy Costs With Underground Thermal Energy Storage
A new project led by NREL aims to incorporate geothermal underground thermal energy storage (UTES) technology for data centers.
Jan. 17, 2025
Introducing GeoBridge, a New Launch Point for Geothermal Information
If you have ever struggled to find geothermal degree programs, conferences, trade associations, tax incentives, or other geothermal information, you are not alone.
Jan. 17, 2025
ARIES: Solutions at any Scale
Annabelle Pratt is a chief engineer in NREL's power systems engineering center whose motivation for her work runs deep.
Jan. 17, 2025
These Innovative Approaches Harness the Benefits of Rooftop Solar Energy for Homes and Small Businesses
The Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN) Round 3 brought together eight multistakeholder teams from various locations across the United States to develop new approaches to solar deployment, focusing on residential and commercial buildings in underserved communities.
Jan. 17, 2025
Cybersecurity Accelerator Expands To Speed Commercialization of Department of Energy Technologies
The Critical Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator has launched a new track to help technologies across the U.S. Department of Energy's 17 national laboratories bridge the gap from concept to adoption.
Jan. 17, 2025
Planning and Development Pathways for Building Interregional Transmission
A new study by NREL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provides practical options for developing more interregional transmission infrastructure to move toward a transformed power system.
Jan. 17, 2025
NREL Invites Industry, Academia To Help Advance Large Wind Turbine Designs
Request for proposals invites fundamental research efforts to generate validation data that could improve performance and reliability of large commercial wind turbines.
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