In 2024, NREL completed the full buildout of Kestrel, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s newest high-performance computing (HPC) system. This new supercomputer now boasts roughly 56 petaflops of computing power to accelerate progress in energy research, including through the use of artificial … [continued]
It’s no surprise — when you look at how vehicles keep getting bigger and bigger, it can’t come as a shock that blindspots have been getting bigger. And, yes, that’s exactly what a new study from the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) tells us. “The drivers of America’s most … [continued]
It’s hot across much of the US and Europe this week, as record temperatures sear hundreds of cities and millions of people.
Researchers have developed two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen. The unique systems reveal new pathways to economically generate ‘green’ hydrogen, a sustainable and renewable energy source, and the potential to remediate nitrogenous waste in aquatic environments. Typically, hydrogen is … [continued]
Do you know someone who is disinterested in climate change? Perhaps they think it’s not relevant to them or their lifestyle or culture. But they may wake up if you help them to see the link between investing and climate change. Climate change poses a threat to all of our … [continued]
Science Sometimes Ends With a Taste Test Experiments lead to a greater understanding, deeper insights, and sometimes they even bear fruit. That was certainly the case last summer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where researchers nurtured a dozen tomato plants. Tucked into a corner … [continued]
The minerals that power lithium-ion batteries—including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite—are both highly valuable and difficult to come by. As battery storage capacity across the United States continues to grow, constraints on the mining, refining, and processing of key minerals leaves our energy systems vulnerable to the fluctuations of … [continued]
NREL-Developed Neural Networks Uncover New Insights Into Battery Health Resilient energy systems depend on reliable batteries. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries powering our world must endure the steady strain of time, charge cycles, and environmental conditions that gradually wear them out through degradation. Understanding the health of a battery can help … [continued]
As summer approaches, keeping a lookout for Africa’s storms as they whirl toward our southern states and gulf coasts might be a bit more demanding. The summer and fall storms last season approached earlier and continued with unanticipated devastation later. Asheville residents are still collecting debris from Hurricane Helene of … [continued]
New data indicates the ongoing collapse of insect populations around the world. We’ve known for a while that widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers, light and chemical pollution, loss of habitat, and the growth of industrial agriculture have contributed to loss of entire populations of insects. But what about areas … [continued]
