Sarah Inskeep Talks Supply Chains for Energy Technologies—and One NLR Model That Brings Them Together When you plug in your phone or laptop, do you ever think about the wires that carry the electricity to the battery? Okay, now what about the powerlines, transformers, and substations that move the electricity … [continued]
Partnership With Xcel Energy Reveals Solutions To Meet Needs of and Avoid Unnecessary Expenses for Grid Customers. As demand for electricity in the United States grows and evolves, utilities need to continually analyze whether distribution infrastructure is up to the task. Strain on the power grid can risk transformer overloads … [continued]
JUSTIFI is a free tool that quantifies potential cost-saving outcomes of energy productivity projects. Image by Taylor Henry, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Free Software Will Help Industry Understand the Full Value of Energy Projects Energy productivity—the measure of how much economic value is generated for every unit of energy used—can be underestimated when multiple benefits are overlooked. Multiple benefits are the operational and strategic improvements—such as productivity gains, quality enhancements, safety improvements, reduced downtime, … [continued]
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and Sandia National Laboratories researchers gather at NLR's Flatirons Campus to test and refine open-source modeling tools, such as WEC-Sim, to simulate wave energy converters with greater accuracy and flexibility so developers can predict performance and reduce risk before deploying devices in the ocean. Photo by Taylor Mankle, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Modeling Advancements Could Help Developers Build More Robust, Seaworthy Devices Wave energy technologies can provide reliable, local power for autonomous underwater vehicles, and at-sea applications across U.S. coastal regions, especially where traditional energy supply is limited or costly. Although some wave energy devices have demonstrated promising performance, most are still … [continued]
The ON.energy team meets with NLR staff at the Flatirons Campus. Photo by Agata Bogucka, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Inside the First Data Center–Grid Simulator Built To Test the Promising New Technology As demand for data centers continues to rise, many center operators, utilities, and American communities are asking: Can the U.S. power grid handle these energy elephants? The answer depends on just how many elephants the country adopts. … [continued]
Companies Need Critical Minerals for Electronics, Medical Equipment, Crops, and More. These 3 Techniques (and Others) Could Make Some Easier To Get. “The Fast Lane” series zooms in on some of the thousands of technologies born in national laboratories that companies can license today. This iteration focuses on tools and … [continued]
In First Rooftop Demo, Startup, Investors, and Researchers Test Roof Coating’s Potential To Cool, Protect, and Lower Energy Bills for a New Jersey Warehouse What do a Texas data center, a New Jersey warehouse, and a police academy in Arizona have in common? They all have roofs. OK, not surprising. … [continued]
The Humpback Creek hydroelectric facility in Cordova, Alaska, was the site of an edge data center pilot project. Photos from Chelsea Haisman.
The U.S. Department of Energy Helped Cordova With Its Local Microgrid. Now the Remote City Is Localizing Its Data Too. For years, the Cordova Electric Cooperative in Alaska has worked to source its energy closer to home. Hydropower and battery energy storage now supply Cordova’s highly seasonal electric demand. This … [continued]
Remote communities in the United States, who often rely on imported diesel to power their microgrids, are exploring the viability of using the powerful currents of free-flowing rivers to produce electricity using novel technologies like this hydrokinetic device installed on Alaska’s Kvichak River in 2019. Photo from ORPC and Igiugig Village Council.
Webinar Series Will Highlight How Researchers Test and De-Risk Marine Energy Microgrid Technologies in the Lab In remote places where water flows freely but electricity often does not, the potential to harness the power of waves, currents, and tides is palpable. But is it possible? Although marine energy technologies like … [continued]
Nanocrystal–Nitrogenase Biohybrids Harvest Light To Reduce N₂ Gas. Abundant High-Energy Electrons Are Essential. By Justin Daugherty, NLR Ammonia, a key part of nitrogen fertilizers, is central to sustaining global food production. However, its manufacture is also energy intensive: ammonia production requires 2% of global energy to meet global demand. Fifty … [continued]
