Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Two wind turbines installed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2024. (Photo: American Windpower)

Small Wind Power Projects Expanding into New Markets

The distributed wind market is growing both in size and variety, according to a new PNNL-led report An electric vehicle manufacturer, two schools and two Alaskan villages: these are just some of the organizations using wind turbines to help meet their energy needs. For the last eight months, researchers from … [continued]

Data scientist Tianzhixi “Tim” Yin is among many scientists at PNNL working to increase confidence in artificial intelligence when it comes to electric grid operations. (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

An Electric Grid That Thinks Ahead

PNNL researchers point toward a smart grid that includes machine learning and artificial intelligence inputs, but with human expertise in the loop When we flip the light switch in our homes, we have come to expect instant access to electricity. Behind the scenes, that reliability depends on utility operators who … [continued]

Heat pump water heater courtesy of LG.

New Tool Helps with Selection & Installation of Heat Pump Water Heaters

The Department of Energy aims to reduce barriers to technology adoption by providing customized, comprehensive guidance for sizing, selection, and installation The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a new web-based tool that offers comprehensive information about how to size, select, and install electric heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) … [continued]

Credit: AndySproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

New Grid-Forming Inverter Models Help Utilities Plan for a Renewable Future

Now available in utilities’ everyday simulation tools, new models will help simulate how grid-forming inverters will enhance power grid stability Integrating renewable energy into the nation’s power grid isn’t as simple as plugging in a wind or solar power plant or energy storage facility—these resources produce direct current, while the … [continued]

Doctoral student Mason Bichanich reviews and troubleshoots tidal turbine data at the University of New Hampshire’s Turbine Deployment Platform. Photo from Nicole Marone, UNH.

How Two Rookie Engineers Expertly Designed a Tidal Energy Turbine

The Turbine Will Collect and Share Data To Deepen Our Understanding of Tidal Energy To innovate in marine energy requires some extracurriculars: turning wrenches at the barge, conducting trial runs in the wave pool, and talking through ideas with a supportive team. All this appeals to University of New Hampshire … [continued]

Advances in clean energy technology, such as microgrids and batteries, are enabling electrification of port infrastructure and charging of heavy-duty vehicles traditionally considered hard to electrify. (Image: Port of Bellingham, Washington) PNNL

New Port Electrification Handbook Features Microgrids

Guiding port commissioners toward a new energy future Maritime ports, bustling hubs of global trade, are emerging as the new frontier for electrification. Advances in clean energy technology, such as microgrids and batteries, are enabling electrification of port infrastructure and charging of heavy-duty vehicles traditionally considered hard to electrify. A … [continued]

A Decade of GoAmazon

Ten years later, data gathered in Brazil have proven highly influential across atmospheric science: GoAmazon Looking out over the Amazon rainforest can seem like viewing a vast sea of trees. Its size, areas of relative isolation, and biodiversity make it a unique environment and natural laboratory. It is the closest … [continued]

A house in Alaska. Photo courtesy of NREL.

Clean Energy, One Community At A Time

PNNL helps communities transition to clean energy and boost their energy resilience Heating and cooling a home. Lighting for reading or studying. Cooking and storing food. Refrigerating medications. Traveling to a job or school. Energy unlocks access to nearly everything, so communities without reliable energy can experience not only daily … [continued]