Whether it is a sweltering summer or a frigid winter, digging just a few feet into the earth provides relief from the temperatures above. That is because, on average, the ground temperature is warmer than the air during the winter and cooler in the summer. This relatively constant subsurface temperature … [continued]
Smart charge management—intelligently managing the flow of electricity that charges electric vehicles (EVs)—can have incredible benefits for drivers, utility companies, governments, and fleets. Yet smart charge management strategies have not been widely deployed nationwide. In response, two national laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory … [continued]
Supply Chain Report Tackles Hydropower’s Missing Links Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention in the current conversation about renewable energy. Meanwhile, hydropower is quietly, consistently producing large amounts of clean energy—and has been for more than a century. In fact, nearly 27% of all current renewable energy … [continued]
The economic impact of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) topped $1.9 billion nationwide in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, according to a study by the University of Colorado Boulder’s (CU Boulder’s) Leeds School of Business. Every state in the nation felt an impact from direct or … [continued]
The industrial sector is integral to our daily lives, yet we do not often see the people and technologies that power it in action. That is why the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office launched the Framing the Future: Industrial Technologies Photo Contest, aiming to use photography … [continued]
Successful Projects Will Help Lower Cost of Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power and Support the Next Generation of Highly Trained Workers Heliostats are large mirrors that track the sun to reflect and direct its rays—and they are critical for efficient, cost-effective concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants. When hundreds or thousands of heliostats … [continued]
Resin Made From Biomass Enables Chemical Recycling at End of Useful Lifespan Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) see a realistic path forward to the manufacture of bio-derivable wind blades that can be chemically recycled and the components reused, ending the practice of old … [continued]
The Three New Wind Energy Reports Highlight Industry Development, Expansion, and the Policies and Incentives Driving Wind Energy Forward WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over the past year, the U.S. wind energy sector showcased its resilience and potential, as detailed in the 2024 editions of the annual market reports released today by the … [continued]
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), researchers often serve as guides who help communities navigate the world of renewable energy solutions. But in community-based technical assistance projects, the guiding role goes both ways: Researchers need local perspectives to fill contextual knowledge gaps and create more meaningful energy solutions. “Energy … [continued]
In solar cells and light-emitting diodes, maintaining the excited state kinetics of molecules against annihilation is a race against time. These systems need to strike a careful balance between different processes that lead to loss of energy and those that lead to the desired outcome. A major loss mechanism especially … [continued]
